Hawks send pair to state meet

HOUSTON — After just a single match on Saturday, Justin Crowley could take a sigh of relief and begin to look forward to what lies ahead.

With a 7-0 win over North Pole’s Jordan Sawyer, Justin Crowley moved into the final round of the Mid-Alaska Conference Championship Tournament. But most important to the Houston junior, with the semifinal win, Crowley earned a one-way ticket to the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Championships.

“I’m feeling jazzed,” Crowley said during a break after the semifinal round. “It’s a really big deal for me. It’s one of the goals I set before the season, to come in and hold my own and go to state.”

Crowley was the lone Houston grappler in the conference finals, and finished second in the 215-pound weight class after a close 7-5 loss to Jackson Collins of North Pole.

Crowley is one of just two Houston wrestlers who advanced to the state tourney.

Senior Cass Melin will also join Crowley at the state meet, hosted by Chugiak High School on Friday and Saturday.

Prior to the tournament, Houston head coach Brad Drake hoped Houston could slide a few wrestlers into the state meet, but knew Crowley and Melin had the best chance of earning berths.

While Crowley needed just one match to punch his state ticket — the top-seeded junior had a bye in the first round — Melin had to wrestle his way through the consolation side of the bracket after a semifinal loss.

Melin scored a second-round pin of West Valley’s Matt Goodwin in the first round of the 152-pound bracket, but suffered a 23-9 major decision loss to Lathrop’s Trenton Lemons in the semifinals. Lemons would go on to win the weight class.

Melin rebounded from the loss and scored consecutive wins to reach place third in his weight class.

In the consolation semifinals, Melin pinned teammate Aaron Reese. In the consolation finals, Melin scored a 10-6 win over North Pole’s Sam McLaren.

Houston heavyweight Lucas Castle fell one win shy of reaching the state meet.

In the first round, Castle earned an 11-9 win over North Pole’s Keith Lemay. But in the second round, Castle was pinned by Lathrop’s Jordan Lewis.

Another Lathrop grappler, Peter Amau, ended Castle’s season with an 18-4 win in the consolation final.

Lathrop won the conference team title with 413 total points, followed by second-place North Pole’s 368 points.

Seven Malemutes were crowned individual champions.

2007 Mid-Alaska Conference Championships

Saturday, Houston High School

Team scores:

1. Lathrop 413, 2. North Pole 368, 3. West Valley 155.5, 4. Houston 49.

Championship finals:

103 pounds — E. Tupper- Lat p. A. Wood- NP 0:44; 112 — J. Simmons- Lat d. K. Tillman- WV 17-11; 119 — J. Hughes- Lat p. B. Hamilton- NP 1:00; 125 — D. Simmons- Lat d. B. Kisner- NP 3-1; 130 — D. Templeton- WV p. C. Allen- Lat 3:52; D. Templeton- WV w.b.f.; 140 — E. Antesberger- NP d. B. Weise- Lat 8-4; 145 — L. Jutila- NP p. C. Crawford- NP; 152 — T. Lemons- Lat p. E. Clausen- Lat; 160 — E. Hoch- Lat d. T. Shepersky- NP 4-0; 171 — T. Lewis- NP d. B. Hoffel- Lat 4-3; 189 — K. Osborn- Lat p. M. Gelinas- NP 1:35; 215 — J. Collins- NP d. J. Crowley- Hou 7-5; 285 — C. Tidwell- NP d. J. Lewis- Lat 2-1.

Consolation finals:

103 pounds — K. Stark- WV m.d. R. Peterson- NP 11-2, 112 — S. Temple- Lat p. W. Foran- NP 3:46; 119 — D. Smith- NP p. L. Gillespie- WV 3:33; 125 — D. Kelly- Lat p. N. Korhe- WV 4:57; 130 — S. Perry- NP p. A. Pacho- NP; 135 — S. Delaney- Lat p. B. Holmgren- WV 4:33; 140 — P. Stowman- WV m.d. K. Williams- Lat 19-6; 145 — L. Deboard- Lat p. K. Larson- Lat; 152 — C. Melin- Hou d. S. McLaren- NP 10-6; 160 — C. Reuter- WV d. Z. Bohan- NP 7-2; 171 — K. Comman- Lat p. K. Moehlin- WV 3:08; 189 — H. Hicks- Lat m.d. D. Nicholson- NP 19-7; 215 — J. Sawyer- NP p. S. Sullivan- Lat 3:09; 285 — P. Amau- Lat m.d. L. Castle- Hou 18-4.