By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Southeast Region V wrestling championships begin Friday at Juneau’s Thunder Mountain High School.
The Mt. Edgecumbe Braves and Lady Braves and the Sitka High Wolves are favorites to win Southeast titles or top placings and send a large number of grapplers on to the state tournament the following weekend in Anchorage, especially after a strong showing at the Sitka Scramble last weekend.
“The scramble was a nice format for the last weekend,” Mt. Edgecumbe coach Mike Kimber said. “Not too many matches, and it got some of our wrestlers with low match counts some more matches.”
Mt. Edgecumbe 285-pound junior Haley Osborne (Nome) is undefeated with a record of 27-0, all by fall or technical fall. The defending state champion is the class of the region in more ways than one, always helping his opponent up from the mat and sometimes offering advice.
Mt. Edgecumbe junior Haley Osborne (Nome) pins Haines sophomore Wesley Verhamme during their 285-pound finals match at the Sitka Scramble last weekend. Osborne is undefeated with a record of 27-0 and the favorite to win the Southeast Region V Championship this weekend in Juneau. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
Teammate Brystel Charlie (Kwethluk) is undefeated at the girls 135-pound weight division with a record of 22-0. She placed second at state last season and is the defending region champ. The Lady Braves won the region and state titles but are expecting strong challenges from Wrangell and Ketchikan in the Southeast tournament.
Mt. Edgecumbe senior Brystel Charlie (Kwethluk) takes down freshman teammate Maysa Brown during their 135-pound finals match at the Sitka Scramble last weekend. Charlie is a favorite to win the Southeast Region V Championship this weekend in Juneau.
(Sentinel Photos by Klas Stolpe)
Sitka Wolves senior JD Gagner suffered a concussion just before last year’s region tournament and could not wrestle. He received an injury default, however, and was able to compete at the state championships, losing in the “blood round,” the match before the placing finals. He has had a monster season this year and is the favorite at 140-pounds.
Sitka High School Wolves senior wrestler Jacob Gagner, defends a takedown by Mt. Edgecumbe Braves sophomore Leroy Bradley (Elim) during the Sitka Scramble last week. Gagner is a favorite to win the Southeast Region V title at 140-pounds this weekend in Juneau. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
Last week’s Sitka Scramble tournament had some key teams and wrestlers not attending as coaches rested grapplers and did not want to give away their weight class entries.
"I'm very excited for Regions," Sitka coach Will Patrick said. "I think our team is peaking at the right time and I am looking forward to watching them compete this weekend. Individual wise JD is a clear favorite at 140 pounds and Gavin Hammock, Max Johnson, Reilly Holden, Jon Welsh and Colton Ewers have strong chances to win at their weights. For the team race I see no clear favorites and anyone could take it with a strong showing this weekend."
Among the many top attendees last weekend that can win the region title were, by team, Sitka’s Colton Ewers (103), Gavin Hammock (145), John Welsh (189), and Maximus Johnson (215); Mt. Edgecumbe’s Lloydy Ayojiak (130, Togiak), Zane Mahoney (135, Sitka), Leon Evon (145, Bethel), Alex Andrews (160, St. Michael), Josh DeAsis (160, Juneau), Anya Pingayak (145, Chevak), and Alaina Pete (235, Brevig Mission); Petersburg’s Kayden Geelan (135), Koren Sperl (171), and Ruby Massin (125); Wrangell’s Ryan Rooney (103), Jonah Comstock (112), Fenton Jim (130), Rowen Wiederspohn (160), Dillon Rooney (189), and Liana Carney (119); and Thunder Mountain’s Steven Ireland-Haight (171), Camden Erickson (189), and Derek Mason (215).
Wrangell’s Hunter Wiederspohn; Craig’s Zack Giron, Zorian Ensign and the Patton brothers; and Klawock’s Rueben Hoppe were among the missing last week but will make an impact at the regional tournament. The Ketchikan team, representing Division I on the boys side with Juneau’s combined Thunder Mountain and Juneau-Douglas programs, and the girls division were also absent.
“I still say that Sitka and Wrangell are the teams to beat this year,” Kimber said. “Ketchikan has three super tough girls that will change the podium at regionals. While it doesn’t do much damage at the regional level, at the state level every qualifier counts in the hunt for a state championship.”
The Region V Championships begin Friday at 1 p.m. in the Thunder Mountain Gymnasium and Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
“We are getting more competitive,” Kimber said. “We had a very good week of practice and we’re getting to the right place mentally, but we are not there yet. With those missing kids, I am not really sure how the regional tournament will go. I think that it will be too close to tell until the end of Saturday night. Last year the lead switched about a dozen times before everything shook out. We had to have pins in the finals to secure the win. I think it will be something similar this year.”
