Hawks host their first Mid-Alaska event

HOUSTON — It’s a big weekend for the Houston Hawks wrestling program.

Not only are the Hawks participating in their first 4A postseason event, the Mid-Alaska Conference Wrestling Tournament, they are hosting the meet.

The new adventure has the Hawks pretty busy, but excited, Houston’s first-year head coach Brad Drake said.

Still being fairly new to the 4A level and the Mid-Alaska — a conference that also includes Fairbanks-area schools West Valley, Lathrop and North Pole — Drake is not completely what to expect of the single-day meet that starts today Saturday at 8:30 a.m. at HHS.

Drake does know he has a fairly young team, made up predominately by underclassman. But he also knows that he has a handful of solid wrestlers, including two upperclassman that spent at least part of the year ranked in the state’s weekly wrestling poll conducted by the Web site AkMat.org.

Junior Justin Crowley is currently the fifth-ranked grappler in the 215-pound class.

Senior Cass Melin has also been ranked at 152.

“I’d be pretty disappointed if those two didn’t place and go to state,” Drake said.

Wrestlers are seeded in an eight-man bracket in each of the 13 weight classes, and the top three athletes in each class will each a state championship berth. The brackets will be revealed at the tournament coaches meeting scheduled for tonight at 8 p.m. at HHS.

Drake said he expects Crowley to earn a top seed in the 215, thanks in part to a huge win he posted during the Glen Vandergaw Invite at Dimond High School last week.

Crowley edged North Pole junior Jackson Collins 3-2 in the consolation final. Collins had been ranked above Crowley before the match.

“That was a big win for him,” Drake said.

Melin started off the season very strong, but Drake said, the senior has been ill as of late.

“He has a little bout with sickness, but he’s coming out of it,” Drake said.

In addition to Houston’s top two grapplers, Drake said he has a group of underclassmen who have been wrestling very well.

Among them are a trio of freshmen — Garrett Elder (130), Jamie Kaalakea (135) and Aaron Reece (152).

Drake also said John Cope (140), James King (189) and Lucas Castle (285) have been wrestling well too.

In all, Drake should have about 20 athletes in uniform when wrestlers take the mat Saturday morning. Drake said he doesn’t really have a specific goal for the number of wrestlers he’d like to see advance to the state tourney.

“I’d be disappointed if we didn’t get the two that have been placing high in,” Drake said. “I’d be pretty happy with four or five.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.