By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Mt. Edgecumbe High School wrestling team placed second at the Bill Weiss Invitational Tournament in Ketchikan over the weekend behind championship appearances by 285-pound Haley Osborne, 160-pounders Anya Pingayak and Dakota Magnuson, 152-pound Josh DeAsis, 145-pounders Brystel Charlie and Leon Evon, and 130-pound Maliyah Moultrie.
“We had lots of good mat time,” Mt. Edgecumbe coach Mike Kimber said. “Dakota got better the more she wrestled over the weekend. Haley was lucky, he got more drill time by practicing against two-time state champ Nate Fousel, who was gracious enough to work with him this weekend. Nate is a 21-year-old man, Haley is a 16-year old boy. There is a difference. Nate is pretty slick, he’s trying to walk on at a large college so this was a good chance for Haley to learn.”
Sitka finished seventh, with championship appearances by 160-pound Reilly Holden, 152-pound Ryan Bartlett, and 135-pound Kyle England.
“We wrestled hard this weekend,” Sitka assistant coach Cliff Chandler said. “We had about a third of our team in the finals, which was nice.”
Ketchikan scored 242 team points to defend their home mats, Mt. Edgecumbe 167, Wrangell 157, Thunder Mountain 108.5, Petersburg 100, Craig 87, Sitka 86, Metlakatla 62, Haines 28, Hydaburg 22, and Thorne Bay 16.
“It wasn’t a pretty weekend but we did well,” Kimber said. “We don’t have very many superstars but we have a bunch of blue-collar wrestlers. We’re just trying to wrestle tough. We’re not worried about winning. We are only worried about getting better. Many of our kids found a way to win an ugly match this weekend.”
For Mt. Edgecumbe, Osborne (from Nome) and undefeated on the season with an 8-0 record, pinned Haines’ Wesley Verhamme in Saturday’s finals. Sitka’s Alex Johnson placed fifth here.
The Lady Braves Pingayak (Chevak), undefeated with a 7-0 mark, won the girls 160 title by 7-1 decision over teammate Magnuson (McGrath).
Sitka’s Holden won the boys 160 title with a pin of Petersburg’s Adam Ware at 1:06.
“Reilly was sick all weekend and he still managed to come out on top,” Chandler said. “I saw a lot of guys try new moves this weekend which was nice. It was stuff we had been working on in practice but this was the first time seeing it in a real match.”
The Lady Braves undefeated Charlie (Kwethluk) won the girls 145 title by 14-0 major decision over Ketchikan’s Hayley Gilson. MEHS’ Chiara Chase (Anchorage) placed fifth here.
Lady Braves Maliyah Moultrie (Bethel, 1-2) lost in the girls 130 final to Petersburg’s Ruby Massin by pin at 1:08.
WRG’s Liana Carney won the 119 title by pin over Petersburg’s Jolyn Toyomura. Lady Braves Dahlia Berns (Old Harbor) lost in the third place match to KTN’s Ruby McCue by pin at 2:09.
TMHS’ Derek Mason won the 215 title over teammate Jacob Ferster by pin at 1:33. Sitka’s Gabe VanVeen lost by fall in the third place match to Metlakatla’s Conrad Hudson at 0:55.
KTN’s Brandon Wieber won the 189A title with a 6-4 decision over WRG’s Dillon Rooney. Sitka’s John Welsh lost by pin to TMHS’ Camden Erickson in the third place match.
Hydaburg’s Guy Sanderson won the 189B bracket over Ketchikan’s Jaret Warstler. The Braves Jarad Savo took third place with an 8-4 decision over Petersburg’s Donald Malone.
The 171 title went to CRG’s Wayland Patton with a 16-0 technical fall at 3:59 over TMHS’ Nick Tipton.
The 152A title featured WRG’s Hunter Wiederspohn winning by pin over Sitka’s Ryan Bartlett at 1:23. The Wolves Trenton Hammock place third with a forfeit over Petersburg’s Alex Worhatch.
The 152B title saw MEHS’ Josh DeAsis place second.
MEHS’ Leon Evon (Bethel) lost by technical fall to KTN’s Brayden Linne in the 145 championship. Sitka’s Gavin Hammock placed fourth here.
“Gavin’s record doesn’t reflect how good he is,” Chandler said. “He is in a really tough weight bracket and he performs well each match.”
Sitka High School senior Gavin Hammock takes down Ketchikan senior Brayden Linne on Friday during the Bill Weiss Wrestling Tournament at Kayhi. (Dustin Safranek/Ketchikan Daily News)
CRG’s Timber Patton won the 140 title and MEHS’ Trevor Akelkok (Dillingham) placed fourth.
Sitka’s Kyle England placed second in the 135 weight class behind KTN’s Charlie Blair.
KTN’s Matthew Rodriguez won the 130 title by 6-4 decision over CRG’s Zach Giron. MEHS’ Lloydy Ayojiak (Togiak) won the third place match over TMHS’ Mauriciao Herndandez by 10-0 major decision.
TMHS’ Jahrease Mays pinned KTN’s Patrick Rauwolf for the 125 title.
KTN’s Kolin Houthoofd decisioned teammate Brock Thomas for the 119 title. MEHS’ Ethan Cooke (Bethel) placed fifth.
WRG’s Jonah Comstock pinned KTN’s Kai Biagi for the 112 title. MEHS’ Dayton Hoblet (False Pass) pinned Sitka’s Chatham Clark at 1:54 for third place.
KTN’s Degan Linne defeated WRG’s Ryan Rooney in extra time for the 103 title. MEHS’ Dean Paniptchuk (Shaktoolik) lost in the third place match to TMHS’ Kadin Messmer, by injury default.
On Thursday and Friday wrestlers participated in multiple matches.
MEHS’ Paniptchuk pinned KTN’s Louisse Beuno, defeated KTN’s Kristian Kellog, fell to KTN’s Linne, decisioned Kellog, and pinned Beuno.
MEHS’ Hoblet pinned SHS’ Clark, defeated TB’s Raymond Wooten, and fell to WRG’s Logan Larson and Jonah Comstock. Clark fell to KTN’s Linne and defeated TB’s Wooten.
MEHS’ Adeline Dyment (Bethel) pinned MET’s Leslie McCarty twice, defeated teammate Berns, and fell to PSG’s Toyomura. Berns pinned KTN’s Herby, MET’s McCarty and lost to KTN’s McCue.
MEHS’ Cooke pinned WRG’s Larson, lost to KTN’s Biagi, KTN’s Brock Thomas and KTN’s Houthoofd twice.
MEHS’ Maysa Brown (Chevak) pinned MET’s brady Eaton-Milne, defeated TMHS’ Orion Denny and KTN’s Ada Odden and lost to PSG’s Massin and KTN’s Gilson.
MEHS’ Moultrie pinned KTN’s McCue, defeated KTN’s Odden, and Herby, and lost to Massin twice, and Odden once.
MEHS’ Lloydy Ayojiak pinned KTN’s Ben Tabb, defeated TMHS’ Hernandez, CRG’s Giron, SHS’ England and WRG’s Fenton Jim. England pinned PSG’s John Bisset, lost to KTN’s Andy Collins and Charlie Blair.
MEHS’ Charlie defeated KTN’s Gilson twice, pinned WRG’s Elizabeth Johnson and MET’s Ewa Booth, and defeated teammate Chase.
MEHS’ Kahliel Martin pinned PSG’s Bisset and lost to KTN’s Blair.
MEHS’ Akelkok lost to KTN’s Collins and CRG’s Timber Patton.
MEHS’ Evon decisioned SHS’ Gavin Hammock and lost to KTN’s Collins. Hammock lost to KTN’s Linne. Evon lost to KTN’s Linne.
MEHS’ Pingayak pinned MET’s Avienda Cook, teammate Chase and KTN’s Baghoomian twice. Chase lost to WRG’s Elizabeth Johnson, KTN’s Baghoomian, and KTN’s Gilson.
SHS’ Bartlett won by fall over MEHS’ DeAsis, defeated PSG’s Worhatch, and lost to WRG’s Wiederspohn. DeAsis pinned TB’s Ethan Brigham, defeated KTN’s Ray and lost to PSG’s Alex Worhatch.
SHS’ Trenton Hammock pinned WRG’s James Shilts and KTN’s Carson Cowan, and lost to WRG’s Wiederspohn.
SHS’ Holden pinned PSG’s Sawyer Bryner and PSG’s Adam Ware, and fell to CRG’s Wayland Patton.
MEHS’ Magnuson defeated MET’s Avienda Cook, lost to MET’s Haley Lynch, pinned Lynch, and lost to KTN’s Wileena Baghoomian.
MEHS’ Savo pinned TB’s Jonathan Duffield, KTN’s Waren Balluta, and lost to KTN’s Wyatt Glen, HNS’ Kamakana Kanahele, and TMHS’ Nick Tipton.
SHS’ Welsh won by technical fall over KTN’s Sully Shulz, decisioned TMHS’ Jacob Ferster, and fell to TMHS’ Erickson.
SHS’ VanVeen fell to MET’s Hudson, HNS’ Kanahele, and HNS’ Wesley Verhamme.
SHS’ Johnson pinned MET’s Aiyana Milton and fell to KTN’s Nicoli Bolshakoff.
MEHS’ Osborne pinned TB’s Ethan Harvey at 2:16, MET’s Hudson at 0:49, HNS’ Verhamme at 0:27 and SHS’ Johnson at 0:21.
