By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Mt. Edgecumbe High Braves scored a first place victory at the Region V Wrestling Championship in Craig over the weekend.
The Sitka High Wolves came in at second place with a strong showing of their own.
“No hard work is ever wasted,” MEHS coach Jeff Sato told the Sentinel in an interview. With a full ten first-place finishers, the Edgecumbe team stands on a solid footing.
With their second-place finish out of nine teams present, Sitka Wolves coach Will Patrick said “If we just keep doing what we’re doing, we stay consistent with our practicing... then we’re going to have a lot of success at state next weekend.”
Edgecumbe lightweight Peter Griggs, at 103, took fourth place.
At 112, Sitka High’s Colton Ewers claimed first, followed by the Braves’ Dayton Hoblet.
“He (Ewers) won the finals 5-0,” Patrick said. “He didn’t have any points scored on him in the tournament.”
Also at 112 pounds, MEHS freshman Elston Dock took third. Coach Sato was impressed, saying “he really deserves to go (to state), he’s been practicing really hard.”
At 119 pounds, another Edgecumbe freshman came out on top: Tyson Olsen took first, defeating Jonah Comstock of Wrangell. Sato said Olsen “did great... he might have had the most exciting match of the whole tournament. He wasn’t expecting to win on paper.”
Olsen has struggled with injury throughout the season, but despite that Sato believes Olsen “should be confident in his abilities.”
Sitka’s Chatham Clark took fifth in the same weight class.
Wrestling in the 125-pound weight class, Edgecumbe’s Ajey Moses placed second, falling to Ryan Rooney of Wrangell, and Edgecumbe’s Trey Dock took fourth.
Edgecumbe standout Lloydy Ayojiak again claimed first at 130 pounds, winning by fall over the Wolves’ Hunter Johnson. Johnson took second. Sato said it was a tough match, but Ayojiak “got the fall when it counted.”
Mt. Edgecumbe’s Lloydy Ayojiak tries to pin Sitka High’s Hunter Johnson in the 130 pound weight class, earlier this season at Sitka High. Ayojiak won the match. The two faced off again at the regional championship. Ayojiak snagged first place, and Johnson took second in a competitive weight class. (Sentinel photo)
Patrick was happy with Johnson’s wrestling as well. “He’s a second-year wrestler,” Patrick said, “so it’s really exciting to see how far he’s come from last year when he had no idea what to do, to being in the region finals as a second-year wrestler.”
Edgecumbe’s Emilio Mangrobang took another first place spot at 135 pounds, winning by major decision over Petersburg’s Reed Anderson. Sato noted that Mangrobang faces a tough field next weekend at the state meet.
Another Edgecumbe wrestler took first at 140 pounds. Ethan Cooke toppled Craig’s Rogan Hanson.
The Braves’ Bradley Jackson scored second place at 145 pounds.
Sitka High’s senior Trenton Hammock snagged a spot at state with a third-place finish at 152 pounds.
Sitka’s Jason Young took fourth at 160 pounds.
In the tough 171-pound weight class, Sitka senior Sid Fleming took down all comers all the way to the first-place spot, yet again. “Fleming continues his spectacular season,” Patrick said. “He won regions by ten over Wayland Patten (of Craig)... he’s the only one who’s beaten Sid this season.”
In the same weight class, MEHS’ Connor Journey took fifth. Coach Sato was happy with this, yet another solid freshman performance.
At 189 pounds, Sitka’s John Welsh, another top senior wrestler, took first, winning by fall over Petersburg’s Adam Ware. Coach Patrick noted that the weight class presented Welsh with some difficult challenges.
In the tough 215 pound weight class, Sitka’s Max Johnson snagged second. Patrick described it as a “close match to a kid from Haines (Wesley Verhamme) who’s ranked number one in the state.”
At the same weight, Wolves’ Gabe VanVeen took third.
And at 285 pounds, Edgecumbe’s heavyweight Haley Osborne claimed first, winning by fall over Craig’s Ulric Lehman. Despite this standout performance, injury will prevent Osborne from attending the state meet.
Sitka’s Hunter Littlefield took third at 285, and Alex Johnson placed fifth.
But the boys were not the only wrestlers on the mat in Craig. Edgecumbe’s girls showed their talent too, winning a number of matches. Sitka High does not field any female wrestlers this season.
At 112 pounds, Braves’ Jillian Afcam took first, winning over Kayhi’s Autumn Elsner. “She just has to believe in herself a bit more,” coach Sato said.
Maliyah Moultrie took third at 125 pounds.
Maysa Brown felled all comers to take first place at 130. In her final bout, she beat Kayhi’s Hayley Gilson by decision. Sato noted that Brown “was the second seed and ended up pinning the other kid (Gilson).” Brown’s coach said that her wrestling was outstanding over the weekend.
In the same weight class, MEHS’ McKayla Kazingnuk claimed third. At 135 pounds, Bernadette John took second, and at 145, Anya Pingayak placed second.
Dakota Magnuson claimed first at 160, and Destiny Kulukhon did as well at 189 pounds.
At 235, MEHS’ Maggie Miller also took first by bye.
Both teams will send a number of wrestlers to Anchorage this weekend for the state tournament. Sitka High plans to send eight, according to coach Patrick. Edgecumbe’s roster is not yet finalized, Sato commented.
Edgecumbe coach Sato said that “there were several surprises that were really good,” at the regional meet.
“I’m really excited for state, it seems like we’re peaking at the right time,” Wolves’ coach Patrick said. “Our kids all performed at where or better than they should have at regions.”
