Hawks ready for state tourney

HOUSTON — The Houston Hawks were in unfamiliar territory this past weekend, wrestling in their first 3A conference tournament in years.

But it didn’t take long for the Hawks to adapt to their new surroundings as they left with an individual champion and six state qualifiers.

“We did good. We qualified six for state. It would be nice to have a couple more, but I’m happy,” Houston head coach Brad Drake said.

Houston moved a pair of wrestlers into the finals and four more placed in the top 5 during the Denali/Kachemak Conference Championships at Seward High, its first 3A conference championships since the 2006-07 school year. The Hawks spent 2007-2010 in the 4A Mid-Alaska Conference.

The Hawks took advantage of the change.

“At the 4A level we were getting 25 to 30 percent (of the team) on to state. This time it’s a little less than 50 (percent),” Drake said.

Sophomore Luke Wagner, who won a conference title at 220 pounds, leads the group heading into the ASAA/First National Bank 123A State Championships, which starts Friday at Nikiski High School. Wagner pinned his way to his first conference title. Wagner scored a first-round pin of Glennallen’s Sol Finau in the finals, and pinned Grace Christian’s David Ward in the semifinals.

“He’s pretty dominant,” Drake said of Wagner, who is ranked No. 1 in his weight class at the 123A level by the Alaska wrestling website akmat.org. “He did have some challenges. They both came at him pretty good, but he took control. He’s a good wrestler.”

Senior Drew Drake also advanced to the finals, and finished second at 138. The third-seeded Drake beat second-seeded Anthony Friese of Grace Christian 7-4 in the semifinals. Top seeded Isaac Deaton of Valdez beat Drake 13-7 in the finals.

Brad Drake said the 138-pound bracket will be very tough at the state tourney.

“His weight class is very tough. There are six to eight kids across the state who can all wrestle each other within three to four points,” Drake said. “It’ll be real close and competitive.”

Jake Davis, Cody Barber, Cesar Davila and Calen Wilbur also finished in the top 5 and qualified for the state tournament. Davis finished third for the Hawks after pinning Seward’s Tyrone Anderson in the third-place match. Davila (120) and Barber (160) both finished fourth for Houston. Wilber was fifth at 126.

Drake said Wilber was one of a handful of Hawks who battled sickness through the two-day tourney.

“He hung in there and battled it out,” Drake said. “He took fifth, but I would not have been surprised if he was third or fourth.”

Denali/Kachemak Conference

Championships

Friday-Saturday, Seward

Team scores:

1. Nikiski 213; 2. Valdez 195.5; 3. Skyview 186; 4. Houston 129.5; 5. Homer 121.5; 6. Seward 111; 7. Grace Christian 108.5; 8. Anchorage Christian School 93; 9. Cordova 76; 10. Hutchison 73; 11. Eielson 69; 12. Glennallen 47.5; 13. Galena 40; 14. Voznesenka 22; 15. Delta 7; 16. Cook Inlet Academy 3.

Championship finals:

106 pounds — Gilroy, ACS d. Hutchinson, Sky 3-1; 113 — Groeneveld, Val d. Neely, Nik 3-1; 120 — Walsh, Gra d. Ezell, Eie 4-2; 126 — Wilde, Sew p. Checketts, Sky 3:12; 132 — Rake, Val p. Janorschke, Sky 4:00; 138 — Deaton, Val d. Drake, Hou 13-7; 145 — Brown, Nik d. Ace, Val 10-4; 152 — Spurgeon, Nik m.d. Williams, Sky 18-5; 160 — Green, Nik d. McGregor, Hom 10-3; 170 — Allen, Val p. Adams, Cor 5:07; 182 — Johnson, Nik p. Rodriguez, Sky 3:03; 195 — Rininger, Sew d. Resetarits, Hom 12-5; 220 — Wagner, Hou p. Finau, Glen 1:46; 285 — Eide, Nik p. Alexander, Sky 5:40.

Third-place matches:

106 pounds — Craig, Sky d. Gardner, Eie 7-5 OT; 113 — Handly, Nik d. Schild, Gra 12-6; 120 — Towne, Val d. Davila, Hou 12-5; 126 — Rohrer, Val inj. Def. Gilroy, ACS; 132 — McIntosh, Val p. Marsengill, Hom 2:24; 138 — Friese, Gra m.d. Stangel, Nik 13-2; 145 — Allen, Val inj. Def. McIntosh, Val; 152 — Hursh, Val d. Simple, Gal 6-4 OT; 160 — Kimber, Cor p. Barber, Hou 1:31; 170 — Davis, Hou p. Anderson, Sew 4:47; 182 — Rietveld, Glen d. Wells, Hom 6-2; 195 — Stephenson, Hut p. Hoffman, Hut 1:31; 220 — Lawson, Sky p. Ward, Grace 2:23; 285 — Easterling, Hut p. Scott, ACS 0:35.

Fifth-place matches:

106 pounds — Johnson, Hom p. Kalugin, Voz 1:46; 113 — Anogiak, Sew p. Deville, ACS 2:34; 120 — Zimerman, Nik d. Vilquette, Sky 9-7; 126 — Wilbur, Hou m.d. Brown, Nik 17-8; 132 — Johnston, Gra d. Radimer, Hou 6-0; 138 — Trumblee, Cor p. Wells, Hom 1:12; 145 — Zimmerman, Sky p. Nohr, ACS 1:56; 152 — Martinez, Hut p. Merkowitz, Sew 4:54; 160 — Sauve, Nik p. Dunlap, Eiel 3:19; 170 — Brockman, Glen m.d. Kelley, ACS 13-2; 182 — Elsberry, Hut p. Cyphers, Hou 1:44; 195 — Hyatt, Nik wbf; 220 — Roehi, Hut p. Korenev, Val 5:20; 285 — Jackson, Hut p. Simmers, Grace 3:09.