Lancer Smith Memorial: Houston senior among big winners for small schools

PALMER — In its 12 years, the Lancer Smith Memorial has evolved to become the deepest and toughest regular-season prep wrestling tournament in Alaska. Falling in the brief window where the state’s 4A and 1234A seasons overlap, the tournament hosted by Palmer High School it’s typically the one chance for athletes from each of the state’s classes to compete in a single event.

Saturday proved to be a big night for a number of small-schools wrestlers who took advantage of their shot at the big dogs of the 4A class. And arguably nobody had a bigger night than Aaron Drake.

In a match between a pair of defending state champions, Drake edged South Anchorage’s Greg Shack 8-6 in overtime to highlight the 2014 Lancer Smith finals at PHS.

“It’s the best feeling ever,” Drake said after his win. “This has been my dream from the seventh grade, to win this thing. I watched my brother win. It’s been my goal since Day 1, grinding and grinding to get here. When I stepped on that line for (overtime), it was just do or die.”

Drake won a 123A state title at 120 pounds last season, but said his win over Shack, a 4A state champ at 106 last season, supersedes anything he’s accomplished in his career.

“This is by far bigger than my state championship,” said Drake, who improved to 31-0 this season with the win. “It proved to me I can compete at the next level.”

Drake trailed Shack for the majority of regulation, but was trailing by only two points heading into the final moments of the third period. After Drake and Shack each fell out of bounds late in the final frame, Drake walked back to the center of the mat trailing 6-4 with 12 seconds left.

“Twelve seconds on the clock. Twelve seconds isn’t going to kill me. I can do 12 seconds,” Drake said, recalling his thoughts as he prepared for the final seconds of the period. “I have put in so many hours, been grinding too hard to let 12 seconds get me.”

Drake responded by getting the takedown near the edge of the match to tie the score at 6 just before the whistle sounded. In overtime, an aggressive Drake sealed the win with a final takedown to cement the victory as the standing-room-only crowd in the Palmer High gymnasium erupted.

Drake was named the meet’s most outstanding wrestler after the final round.

“Aaron came in technically as the underdog, even though they’re both state champions. It’s super exciting to see people get behind him,” Houston head coach Brian Cook said of the crowd’s reaction to Drake’s win, by far the loudest ovation during the final round. “He’s a quality wrestler, nice guy. He wrestles good quality matches.”

As Drake worked his way into the final stretch of the third and overtime, Cook said he knew Drake has what it takes to rally for the victory.

“He’s got the mental toughness to know, even when he’s down, he can come back,” Cook said.

Cook said Drake, and all of his athletes, were excited for the chance to wrestle the large-schools opponents at the Lancer Smith.

“It’s a great opportunity for us,” Cook said. “We want to be able to prove we’re just as tough as them. There’s a lot of stigma that 3A isn’t quite as tough. At the top level, we’re just as tough.”

Drake’s win over a 4A foe followed in line with the theme of the finals. Wrestlers from the 123A class won eight of the 15 matches during the final round. Seven of those eight wins for the 123A grapplers came against 4A opponents. Kotzebue, the 2013 123A state runner-up, was the overall winner of the tournament, finishing with 203 total points. South Anchorage was the top 4A team in the tournament, with 195.5 points. Colony finished third overall, a mere two points shy of South.

Led by Robert Haan, an individual winner at 160, Colony held the lead in the 4A team standings until late during the final round. Heading into the 132-pound final, the third to last match of the night, Colony held a slight lead over South. The Wolverines placed six wrestlers in the final. Five of those South grapplers suffered losses in the final round, but Gavin Alvarado was able to give his team the 4A lead for good. Alvarado edged Micheal Lewis of Holy Rosary Acaedemy 3-1 to win at 132.

Haan was one of three Knights to advance to the final round. The sophomore pinned Chris Weidner of West in the second round to win the 160-pound title.

In the opening seconds of the match, Haan tried to throw Weidner, but the West wrestler slipped through Haan’s grasp, and Weidner took the 2-0 lead.

“I knew I shouldn’t have gone right into it, but I was just getting the nerves out,” Haan said after his win. “It’s mainly a nerves thing.”

But in the second period, things were much different.

“When I got him on his back, I knew I wasn’t going to let him go,” Haan said.

Haan was one of three Knights to reach the finals and eight to finish in the top 6.

“We have a strong lineup this year,” Haan said.

Robert Zimmerman (98 pound) and Mitchell Daigle (285) also advanced to the finals for Colony, and placed second.

Defending 4A state champion Wasilla finished fifth in the 4A team standings with 106.5 points. D.J. Morrow wrestled in the finals for the Warriors, and placed second.

Host Palmer was 11th.

2014 Lancer Smith Memorial

Friday-Saturday, Palmer High School

1234A team scores:

1. Kotzebue 203, 2. Nikiski 97.5, 3. Bethel 90. 4. Houston 81, 5. Nome 75, 6. Dillingham 40.5, 7. ACS 36, 7. (tie) Homer 36, 9. Thorne Bay 33, 10. Glennallen 31, 11. Cordova 28, 12. Grace 27, 13. Holy Rosary 23.5, 14. Valdez 20, 15. Noatak 9, 16. Unalaska 6, 16. (tie) Voznesenka 6, 18. Quinhagak 2, 19. Susitna Valley 0.

4A team scores:

1. South 195.5, 2. Colony 193.5, 3. Service 135, 4. Soldotna 128.5, 5. Wasilla 106.5, 6. West 79, 7. Kenai 71, 8. Chugiak 66.5, 9. Lathrop 62.5, 10. East 48.5, 11. Palmer 46, 12. West Valley 43, 13. North Pole 36, 14. Eagle River 33, 15. Bartlett 29.

Championship finals:

98 pounds — M. Ee, Lat d. R. Zimmerman, Col 10-4; 106 — J. Virgin, Glen d. T. Evan, Bet 4-1; 113 — G. Maslen, Kot d. A. Craig, Sol 6-2; 120 — S. Hutchison, Sol d. G. Hoffman, Bet 5-4; 126 — A. Drake, Hou d. G. Shack, Sou 8-6 OT; 132 — G. Alvarado, Sou d. M. Lucas, HR 3-1; 138 — L. Erikson, Nome d. N. Ottum, South 10-4; 145 — E. Booshu, Nome d. R. Pellumbi, Sou 8-3; 152 — E. Steffensen, Ken p. Z. Ritchie, Sou 1:47; 160 — R. Haan, Col p. C. Weidner, West 2:47; 170 — Z. Haviland, Kot m.d. D. Morrow, Was 10-1; 182 — J. Roetman, Kot p. A. Correa-Medina, Sou 3:57; 195 — A. Gold, East d. D. Nanouk, Kot 8-5; 220 — L. Johnson, Nik p. J. Nelson, Chu 2:30; 285 — N. Stevens, Ser d. M. Daigle, Col 7-0.

Third-place matches:

98 pounds — T. Dyment, Bet d. M. Hunter, Bet 11-9; 106 — M. Mathis, Was d. S. Sisco, Col 2-0; 113 — S. Harris, South m.d. J. McAnulty, Hou 10-0; 120 — J. Cox, Nik d. Q. Lema, Ser 1-0; 126 — C. Booth, Col d. E. Brockman, Gra 12-8; 132 — J. Briones, West m.d. R. Winter, Sol 11-2; 138 — W. McGann, Pal d. R. Stewman, South 1-0; 145 — G. Eakin, Kot p. M. Amico, ER 4:24; 152 — S. Woods, Kot d. B. Blumentritt, Sol 1-0; 160 — N. Carstens, Nik p. A. Shannon, Was 4:54; 170 — L. Jenson, TB d. G. Powell, Pal 6-0; 182 — C. Howard, Cor p. J. Waller, Chu 4:19; 195 — C. Nay, Dill d. S. Lang, Hou 5-2; 220 — Z. Doan, Col m.d. E. Wright, Sou 8-0; 285 — J. Love, WV p. T. Scott, ACS 3:57.

Fifth-place matches:

98 — K. Blackwell, Ser won by fft V. Shuman, West; 106 — J. Spencer, Lat won by fft J. Bianchi, West; 113 — M. Lacy, Col won by fft D. Miller, Dill; 120 — J. Brant, Hom d. W. Bockert, Lat 1-0; 126 — B. Evans, Bet p. S. Hoffman, Ser 2:22; 132 — C. Greene, Val d. C. Sieh, Kot 3-2; 138 — T. Woo, Hom p. M. Vandermartin, Ken 2:58; 145 — D. Rogers, NP won by fft P. Steffensen, Ken; 152 — S. Adams, Col won by fft J. Fricilone, WV; 160 — K. Caldarera, Ser p. B. Phillips, Kot 4:58; 170 — J. Braudis, Bar d. G. McSharry, Sou 5-3; 182 — E. McLeod, Ser p. M. Bonar, WV 3:26; 195 — S. Hill, Sol p. J. McCormick, Nik 3:00; 220 — B. Johnston, Chu won by fft M. Vaaia, Ser; 285 — W. Bruso, Bar p. D. Best, Sol 2:48.