Knights win NLC wrestling title

SOLDOTNA — After holding nearly an 80-point lead after the first day of the conference tournament, the Colony Knights found themselves trailing a rival in the team standings early in the final round.

Two matches into the championship final, defending 4A state champion Wasilla held a half-point advantage over the Knights. But Colony crowned four champs during the final nine matches to move ahead of the Warriors and win its second straight team title. With four individual champs and 10 finalists, the Knights finished with 387 total points to win the Northern Lights Conference Championships Saturday in Soldotna.

Heading into the 138-pound final, Wasilla had 365.5 total points, just ahead of Colony’s 365. Colony’s Jordan Nero used points during the final seconds of regulation to edge Palmer’s Wyatt McGann 3-2. Nero’s team points put Colony ahead of Wasilla in the team standings. Kamber Lucas, Kody Nash and Mitchell Daigle also won their respective weight classes to help cement the team title for the Knights.

Lucas won his crown at 160-pound, scoring a forfeit victory over teammate Robert Haan in an all-Colony final. Nash pinned Wasilla’s Forrest Pearce in the 182-pound championship. Daigle pinned Soldotna’s Dalton Best to win the heavyweight title.

Robert Zimmerman (98 pounds), Sam Sisco (106), Caleb Hopkins (126), Spencer Adams (152) and Isaiah Christy also advanced to the finals for Colony and placed second.

Twenty-one Knights placed in the top 6 and qualified for the state tournament.

Wasilla finished second in the standings with 371.5 points, and three Warriors won titles. Micah Mathis (98), Dillon Simpson (106) and D.J. Morrow (170) won their respective weight classes, and are among 24 Warriors who placed in the top 6 and advanced to state.

Palmer had three finalists. Austin Farris (195) and Ben Button (220) both won titles, while McGann (138) was second.

Eleven Moose finished in the top 6 and are headed to state.

Colony, Wasilla and Palmer combined to advance 19 wrestlers to the finals and 56 state qualifiers. There were six all-Valley matches in the final and only two classes (113 and 120) that did not include a Valley wrestler.

Northern Lights Conference Championships

Friday-Saturday, Soldotna

Team scores:

1. Colony 387; 2. Wasilla 371.5; 3. Soldotna 196.5; 4. Kodiak 155; 5. Palmer 142.5; 6. Kenai 140.5.

Championship finals:

98 pounds — M. Mathis, Was p. R. Zimmerman, Col 1:33; 106 — D. Simpson, Was d. S. Sisco, Col 5-4; 113 — A. Craig, Sol m.d. J. Alwert, Kod 13-1; 120 — S. Hutchison, Sol d. B. Sturgeon, Was 11-1; 126 — J. Small, Kod d. C. Hopkins, Col 6-1; 132 — L. Fried, Kod d. R. Winter, Sol 7-6; 138 — J. Nero, Col d. W. McGann, Pal 3-2; 145 — P. Steffensen, Ken p. J. Gentz, Was 3:48; 152 — E. Steffensen, Ken p. S. Adams, Col 2:51; 160 — K. Lucas, Col won by fft R. Haan, Col; 170 — D. Morrow, Was p. D. Carter, Ken 3;11; 182 — K. Nash, Col p. F. Pearce, Was 1:32; 195 — A. Farris, Pal p. I. Christy, Col 1:34; 220 — B. Button, pal d. N. Wandersee, Kod 5-1; 285 — M. Daigle, Col p. D. Best, Sol 3:47.

Third-place matches:

98 — G. Whisman, Col p. B. Gonzales, Kod 2:18; 106 — C. Wall, Was p. W. McGann, Pal 2:08; 113 — D. Colley, Col p. B. Hill, Was 0:38; 120 — C. Alexander, Was d. R. Delacruz, Kod 4-3; 126 — C. Booth, Col m.d. I. Elvsaas, Was 12-1; 132 — H. Steiner, Was d. T. Newland, Was 10-6; 138 — S. Wolff, Was d. M. Vandermartin, Ken 8-4; 145 —T. Loutzenhiser, Col p. W. Wall, Was 2:33; 152 — H. Foster, Kod d. E. Daman, Sol 5-1; 160 — B. Blumentritt, Sol d. A. Shannon, Was 1-0; 170 — D. Nash, Col p. C. Kurka, Pal 1:47; 182 — C. Eby, Col p. J. Oullette, Kod 4:59; 195 — S. Hill, Sol p. C. Minnick, Was 3:00; 220 — Z. Doan, Col p. C. Gagnon. Was 2:12; 285 — Z. Rockstad, Was d. Z. Kozichzkowski, Ken 11-6.

Fifth-place matches:

98 — D. Richards, Pal won by fft; 106 — N. Chavez, Ken won by fft T. Vaughn, Ken; 113 — M. Lacy, Col p. W. Brewer, Kod 0:45; 120 — A. Miley, Col won by fft J. Valdez, Kod; 126 — L. Albrecht, Was d. S. Walton, Kod 8-6; 132 — S. Larionoff, Kod p. J. Watkins, Pal 2:31; 138 — B. Easley, Col p. L. Schrader, Sol 4:49; 145 — K. McEnemy, Ken d. T. Musgrave, Sol 4-2; 152 — C. George, Was d. N. Gross, Was 6-4; 160 — H. Bourgeois, Sol p. B. Dyer, Pal 2:14; 170 — E. Leonard, Was won by fft C. Ray, Col; 195 — K. Palaniuk, Was p. J. Gallagher, Sol 2:58; 220 — T. Macrae, Sol d. L. Santana, Pal 13-12; 285 — G. Williams, Pal p. R. Anthony, Was 3:30.