By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
With the short wrestling season wrapping up soon, local wrestlers tested themselves in Juneau last weekend for the final time before heading to the regional championship meet in Craig this weekend. The Mt. Edgecumbe Braves took fifth place and the Sitka Wolves took seventh. Nine teams were present, with Haines High School coming out on top.
“We had some teams that didn’t show up from Southeast,” Wolves coach Will Patrick said, “which is kind of surprising being the last tournament before regions.”
Ketchikan and Wrangell were conspicuously absent from the meet, Patrick noted.
In the 103-pound weight class, Edgecumbe’s Peter Griggs took second to Thunder Mountain’s Carson Cummins. MEHS coach Jeff Sato said that while there were only two wrestlers in that weight class, Griggs has a “really, really good chance of making it to the state tournament. He looked better than he ever has.”
Sitka High’s Colton Ewers took second in the 112 pound weight class. On his way to that strong finish, Ewers beat Edgecumbe’s Elston Dock and Dayton Hoblet. Hoblet took third in the weight class, and Dock finished fourth.
SHS coach Patrick said that at 125 Chatham Clark was a standout, finishing third, beating MEHS’ Trey Dock, who took fourth.
In the girls 125-pound competition, Edgecumbe’s McKayla Kazingnuk took third.
Mt. Edgecumbe star Lloydy Ayojiak dominated the 130-pound weight class, taking first by defeating Petersburg’s Wyatt Litster. Edgecumbe coach Sato was happy that “he went undefeated, he had a perfect record this weekend.” Sitka’s Hunter Johnson took fourth.
In the 130 B competition, Sitka’s Hunter Johnson took second.
Edgecumbe’s Emilio Mangrobang went undefeated right to the top of the 135 weight class, defeating Petersburg’s Reed Anderson for the top spot. Sitka’s Hank Maxwell took fifth.
Braves coach Sato said Mangrobang “had a perfect record, even though he didn’t look good... I’ll take an ugly win over a pretty loss every day.”
At 145, MEHS wrestler Ethan Cooke claimed third place.
In the girls 145-pound weight class, Edgecumbe’s Destiny Kulukuon took second, falling to Kake’s Honey Kadake. This was Kulukon’s first tournament, according to her coach.
In the 152-pound weight class, Sitka High’s Trenton Hammock took first, beating Thunder Mountain High’s Jamal Johnson.
Hammock also dominated at 160, defeating MEHS’ Morgan Allen, and TMHS’ Sage Richards and Jose Flores. Edgecumbe’s Allen took third.
Sitka senior Trenton Hammock goes for a pin against Braves’ Morgan Allen, Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Sitka High. Hammock won the bout, and won against Allen again in Juneau over the weekend. (Sentinel Photo)
At 171, Sitka’s Sid Fleming took first, defeating all opponents as usual. SHS coach Patrick recalled the remarkable final match. “Sid beat someone (Bryner) 19-0,” Patrick told the Sentinel, “which is about the most you can get, because at 15-0 the match ends. But if you’re up 14-0 and it’s on the feet you can do a five point move.”
Also at 171, Wolves’ Toby Bernhardt took seventh.
Sitka’s Max Johnson took second at 285 against TMHS’ Jacob Ferster. Wolves’ Hunter Littlefield finished sixth and Alex Johnson claimed seventh in the weight class.
Both teams wrestle again this Friday and Saturday in Craig for the Region V championship. The state meet will be in Anchorage, Dec. 20-21.
“I don’t think there’s any clear favorite to win the region title,” Sitka’s coach Patrick said. “So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how it goes this weekend in Craig.”
