Prep wrestling: Host Hawks runner-up in tourney

Matt Tunseth/Frontiersman

HOUSTON — Houston went heavy on the home cooking Saturday afternoon.

The Hawks won three of the final six weight classes to claim second place at the team’s 21st annual Houston Invitational Saturday at Houston High.

“Our team looks like it’s coming together really well,” Houston 215-pounder Justin Crowley said following his first-round pin of Tok’s Chase Kaus in the finals.

East Anchorage dominated the smaller weights to take the overall title with 105 points, well in front of the second-place Hawks (66). Cordova placed third (58), Palmer was fourth (52) and a scaled-down Colony team finished fifth with 43 points.

East picked up wins in the five of the first six weight classes and had six individual champions. Valdez 145-pounder Josh Merioles won all three of his matches by fall to earn the meet’s Most Outstanding Wrestler award.

Six Mat-Su wrestlers won titles, including Houston’s Crowley, Cass Melin (152 pounds), and Lucas Castle (285); Palmer’s Jake Minturn (140) and Sam Heindel (189); and Colony’s Daniel Gregory (130).

Paul Amore at 119 pounds and Ryan Palmer at 160 each placed fifth to lead Wasilla Lake Christian.

With most of it’s wrestlers staying home for a small dual meet, the defending state-champion Knights sent only a portion of their squad to Houston. Still, the Knights managed to get two wrestlers into the finals, including Gregory, who pinned Hutchison’s David Scerbak in the title match.

Colony’s Anthony Smith also made the finals at 140 pounds, where he ran into a Minturn, a two-time state qualifier. Minturn controlled the match from the outset, picking up a 9-2 decision. Following the match, Minturn said he was happy to get a win in the first tournament of the young season.

“I have high expectations this year,” Minturn said.

The Palmer senior missed state last season due to illness, and said he’s hoping his luck will change this time around.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to wrestle this year,” he said.

Palmer owned the 189-pound weight class, as both Heindel and Mitch Houser wrestled their way into the final. Heindel got the better of his Moose teammate, picking up an escape and takedown in the final period to earn a tight 3-1 decision.

While East was the big story in the early going Saturday, Houston gave the home fans plenty to cheer about as the final round wore on. The Hawks placed wrestlers in the finals in four of the final six weight classes, won three times and narrowly lost the fourth.

The Houston run began at 152 pounds, where Melin destroyed Cordova’s Josh Mundy. Melin took Mundy down four times during the match and had the Cordova wrestler on his back for most of the contest. Melin finished things off midway through the third period, getting a takedown and back exposure points to cap an 18-2 technical fall.

Next up for the Hawks was Aaron Reese at 160 pounds, who faced Cordova’s Jesse Beadle. Reese led 6-4 late in the third before Beadle turned the tide with just 20 seconds to go, putting Reese on his back to earn a narrow 9-6 victory.

The Hawks capped off a successful tournament by winning back-to-back matches to finish off the meet.

Crowley wasted little time in his match, pinning Tok’s Chase Kaus in just 34 seconds.

“I’m jazzed,” the Hawks junior said after picking up his first career tournament victory.

Crowley said he believes Saturday’s victory could be the first of many this season.

“I want to be a state champion,” Crowley said.

The confident junior then pumped his fist as he watched teammate Lucas Castle earn the biggest ovation of the afternoon with a dramatic pin of Hutchison’s James Roderigues at 285 pounds.

“We have a lot of excitement this season,” Crowley explained before joining his teammates in embracing the Houston heavyweight.

After being mobbed by the rest of the Houston team, Castle said having so many quality athletes at the heavier weights has definitely given the team a boost in the early going.

“We’ve been working off each other and learning from each other,” Castle said.

After finishing off the meet with a pin in front of the home fans, Castle said he couldn’t imagine a better way to open the wrestling season.

“It feels awesome.”

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com.

Houston Invitational

Friday-Saturday

Houston High School

Team Scores

1. East Anchorage, 105; 2. Houston, 66; 3. Cordova, 58; 4. Palmer, 52; 5. Colony, 43; 6. Hutchison, 31; 7. Grace Christian, 28; 8. Valdez, 25; 9. Tok, 17; 10. Akiachak, 7; 11. Wasilla Lake Christian, 0.

Finals

103 — Matthew Malnoski, East, def. Skyler Moore, East, 3-2; 112 — Nathan Marquez, East, tech. Omar Clinton, East, 20-3; 119 — Nathan Hoffer, East, tech. Kyle Mundy, Cor, 22-6; 125 — Dustin Maxwell, East, p. Jesse Peterson, 2:18; 130 — Daniel Gregory, Col, p. David Scerbak, Hut, 1:25; 135 — Lipho Thirakul, East, tech. Rachael Shannon, Hou, 22-5; 140 — Jake Minturn, Pal, dec. Anthony Smith, Col, 7-2; 145 — Josh Merioles, Val, p. London Mattingly, Pal, 2:27; 152 — Cass Melin, Hou, tech. Josh Mundy, Cor, 18-2; 160 — Jesse Beadle, Cor, dec. Aaron Reese, Hou, 9-6; 171 — Nic Herron-Webb, East, tech. Thomas Alley, Grace, 17-1; 189 — Sam Heindel, Pal, dec. Mitch Houser, Pal, 3-1; 215 — Justin Crowley, Hou, p. Chase Kaus, Tok, 1:26

285 — Lucas Castle, Hou, p. James Roderigues, Hut, 2:45

For more results, see www.frontiersman.com.

Most Outstanding Wrestler

Josh Merioles, Valdez, 145 pounds

Place winners

103 — 1. Matthew Malnoski, East; 2. Skyler Moore, East; 3. Warren Meilke, Col; 4. Zac Hunn, Grace; 5. Josh Mchoes, Cor.

112 — 1. Nathan Marquez, East; 2. Omar Clinton, East; 3. Jessica Schneider, Aki; 4. Brandon Wolsey, Col.

119 — 1. Nathan Hoffer, East; 2. Kyle Mundy, Cor; 3. Bryan Dahms, Pal; 4. Kyle Boss, Col; 5. Paul Amore, WLC; 6. David Stout, Hut.

125 — 1. Dustin Maxwell, East; 2. Jesse Peterson, Cor; 3. D’Neko Mason, East; 4. Darin Gilman, Cor; 5. Jared Kemp, Pal; 6. Bucky Tacke, Pal.

130 — 1. Daniel Gregory, Col; 2. David Scerbak, Hut; 3. Seth Balint, Cor; 4. Joseph Romero, Pal; 5. Alexander Tilling, East; 6. Scott Kasayulie, Aki.

135 — 1. Lipho Thirakul, East; 2. Rachael Shannon, Hou; 3. Aaron Wirick, Gra; 4. Cody Hedberg, Val; 5. Sebastian Orders, Hut; 6. Chris Oldacre, Tok.

140 — 1. Jake Minturn, Pal; 2. London Mattingly, Pal; 3. Kyle Hoffer, East; 4. Adam Pahnke, Pal; 5. Jacob Peterson, Cor; 6. Josh Cope, Hou.

152 — 1. Cass Melin, Hou; 2. Josh Mundy, Cor; 3. Aaron Wilde, East; 4. Taylor West, Gra.

160 — 1. Jesse Beadle, Cor; 2. Aaron Reese, Hou; 3. Dustin Kelone, Val; 4. Colton James, Col; 5. Ryan Palmer, WLC; 6. Richard Gingras, East.

171 — 1. Nic Herron-Webb, East; 2. Thomas Alley, Gra; 3. Aaron Brown, Tok; 4. Chris Bailey, Pal; 5. Michael Houston, Gra; 6. Capshaw Nagel, Col.

189 — 1. Sam Heindel, Pal; 2. Mitch Houser, Pal; 3. Addison Yang, Gra; 4. Travis Jenkins, Hut; 5. McKyre Trumblee, Cor; 6. Cory Upton, Hut.

215 — 1. Justin Crowley, Hou; 2. Chase Kaus, Tok; 3. Trae Lohse, Cor; 4. Tim Hasbrouk, Hut; 5. Joseph Shaubach, Hou.

285 — 1. Lucas Castle, Hou; 2. James Roderigues, Hut; 3. Robert Gingras, East; 4. Garrett Mooney, Hou; 5. Cody Lewis, East; 6. Jason George, Aki.