The knee injury that he suffered during football season still gives him problems from time to time, but nothing is about to hold Casey Tompkins back from being on the wrestling mat for Justin-Siena High School.

It’s a place he knows well, a comfort zone where he can do what he does best: dominate opponents with an assortment of throws and moves, takedowns and reversals.

“Wrestling’s one of my favorite sports,” said Tompkins.

A year ago, he won the CIF North Coast Section title and advanced to the state meet. Tompkins wants to return to state, scheduled for March 6-7 at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield. But in order for that to happen, he’s going to have to work on cutting weight, trimming about 30 pounds to get down to 217 pounds.

“Casey’s used to doing this,” said coach Wayne Law. “He always starts at a heavier weight and works his way down. He does it pretty progressively. For him, it’s kind of a common occurrence.”

Tompkins, a defensive tackle for Justin-Siena’s CIF NCS Division IV championship football team, is basically starting his senior year of wrestling in January, but he still looked in control as he won his first two matches in Monday night’s King of the Valley Tournament at Napa High’s Messner Gym.

Wrestling in the 285-pound division, Tompkins pinned Sami Abuhamdieh of Vintage and Charlie Schumacher of Napa.

“I just haven’t really been able to make weight,” he said. “It’s been hard to lose it.

“I’m just going to have to run and I’m going to have to diet well. That’s all I can really say.”

He won his first two Marin County Athletic League dual matches, against San Rafael and Terra Linda-San Rafael, by forfeit. So last night marked his first action of the season, which he hopes culminates in a return trip to state.

“It’s on the top of my list,” he said. “I’m going to put out even more of an effort than last year, because it’s my senior year and I’ve got to put the pedal to the metal.”

The injury to the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee slowed the process down of transitioning from football to wrestling, said Law.

“For him, this year is going to be another challenge in the sense that he’s going to have to step his own game up in the (wrestling) room to make it happen at the state level,” said Law. “He’s applying himself so far. Casey’s got a great mind set. If he puts his mind to it, he can do anything he wants to do.”

The King of the Valley, now in its fourth year, is a chance for Napa, Vintage, Justin-Siena and St. Helena to test themselves in a series of County-wide dual meets in the round-robin team format, ensuring each athlete three matches in one of the biggest evenings of wrestling during the 2008-09 season. Two mats were set up on the gym floor, and the event once again drew a large crowd.

A perpetual plaque is awarded to the winning team, trophies will be presented to the first- and second-place teams, and an all-tournament team will be chosen. St. Helena won the team title the first two years, then Napa captured the championship last year.

Early on last night, Vintage beat Justin-Siena, 59-22, and Napa downed St. Helena, 58-24.

Napa also beat Justin-Siena, 57-24, Vintage was a 52-19 winner over St. Helena, and Justin-Siena topped St. Helena, 45-33.

Like Tompkins, Napa’s Conor Trombetta (171) and Schmuacher (285), along with Vintage’s Giovanne Valdez (152), also have plans of wanting to finish the 2008-09 season at state.

“I want to take it to the state meet and I plan on placing in the top eight at the state meet this year,” said Trombetta, who was 14-4 with eight pins going into last night’s duals. “I feel that things are going well, but they can always go better. I feel that I can push myself harder in the wrestling room as well as in the weight room and running on the side.”

Trombetta took a first place at the Healdsburg duals, was second with a 5-1 record and two pins at the Lemoore Tournament, and fifth at the Valley of the Moon Tournament.

“I expect a great season this year,” said Trombetta, who opened by pinning St. Helena’s Alex Quiralte last night.

Coming out from football, Trombetta carried the strength factor into wrestling.

“You change the way you run, you change the way you eat, you change the way you lift,” he said. “It’s acclimating.”

Schumacher, the right tackle on Napa’s offensive line in football, is off to a 14-5 start with six pins. He was fourth at Valley of the Moon and seventh in Lemoore.

“I’m happy with it so far. It’s just getting the mat time I need, wrestling some good kids, and going out there and brawling,” said Schumacher. “There’s a lot of conditioning in wrestling, but football definitely prepared me as far as strength.

“I definitely want to get to the state meet this year and just do my best there. I still have to put in a lot of work every day and just get better with work in the weight room and wrestling room.”

Valdez, a 152-pounder who transferred here from El Camino High-South San Francisco, has high expectations for himself.

“I just really want to qualify for state,” he said.

Valdez is 14-5 with a first-place finish at the A.A. Stagg Tournament in Stockton, a second-place at the Stu Rhoades Tournament, and is listed as honorable mention in the Sac-Joaquin Section rankings.

“He’s been doing real well,” said coach Bob Musante. “He’s got a great takedown — nobody can stop him. It’s trying to put the other stuff together.”

Valdez has made the adjustment to a new school and new program, said Musante.

“He fits right in with the kids,” Musante said. “As a matter of fact, he’s helped the rest of the team. He’s been showing some of his techniques, and it’s really helped us.”