Valley wrestlers compete in OT match at John Tobin Invite

NORTH POLE — A pair of Valley grapplers wrestled into overtime to highlight the final round of the John Tobin Invitational at North Pole High School Saturday night.

Palmer junior Ben Button outlasted Wasilla senior Quace Wright 3-2 in extra time to win the 220-pound bracket. Wright, the defending 4A state champion at 220, was one of eight Warriors to advance to the finals. Fellow defending state champ Nate McKimson won the 152-pound class. Dillon Simpson (98) and Chance Boatman also won their respective weight classes.

Berit Sturgeon (106), Brandon Abbott (113), Justin Gentz (126) and Billy Shultz finished second in their respective weight classes.

Wasilla, which also sent wrestlers to the Colony Invitational on Saturday, placed second in the team standings with 179.5 points. Defending state champion finished at 234 points to win the John Tobin team title.

Button led a group of four Moose wrestlers in the finals. Caleb Deemer won the 195-pound class. Odin Andersen (98) and Brian Thompson (285) finished second for the Moose.

Palmer was fifth with 73 points. Like Wasilla, the Moose were also working with a split squad after also sending wrestlers to the Colony Invite.

John Tobin Invitational

Saturday, North Pole

Team scores:

1. South 234; 2. Wasilla 179.5; 3. North Pole 127; 4. Lathrop 96.5; 5. Palmer 73; 6. Chugiak 55; 7. West Valley 51.5; 8. Thunder Mountain 39.0.

Championship finals:

98 pounds — D. Simpson, Was p. O. Andersen, Pal 0:40; 106 — G. Shack, Sou p. B. Sturgeon, Was 0:52; 113 — M. Glover, Sou p. B. Abbott, Was 2:30; 120 ¬— A. Hendrix, Lat d. N. Ottum, Sou 6-0; 126 — G. Alvardo, Sou d. J. Gentz, Was 14-7; 132 — R. Pellumbi, Sou d. Z. Ritchie, Sou 1-0; 138 — K. Hammond, Sou p. W. Owen, WV 3:40; 145 — N. Ottum, Sou p. C. Eide, NP 3:20; 152 — N. McKimson, Was d. R. Huffer, Chu 11-5; 160 — Jo. Dickinson, Lat t.f. G. McSharry, Sou 15-0; 170 — C. Boatman, Was d. Ja. Dickinson, Lat 11-8; 182 — J. Wharton, Lat p. J. Nelson, Chu 2:49; 195 — C. Deemer, Pal d. B. Schultz, Was 8-6; 220 — B. Button, Pal d. Q. Wright, Was 3-2 OT; 285 — B. Davis, NP d. B. Thompson, Pal 1-0.

Third-place matches:

98 — J. Fisher, TM won by fft; 106 C. Vinton, NP d. J. Tammed, WV 5:13; 113 — W. Martin, Sou p. P. Music, NP 4:59; 120 — B. McKimson, Was d. R. Stewman, Sou 4-1; 126 — G. Velardie, NP d. J. Sanders, Pal 5-0; 132 — D. Rogers, NP won by fft R. Steiner, Was; 138 — R. Stewman, Sou won by inj fft; 145 — J. Fricilone, WV d. E. Schumaker, NP 5-3; 152 — D. Jutila, NP m.d. E. Mersberg, NP 10-2; 160 — D. Morrow, Was p. T. Betts, NP 1:50; 170 — Z. Fejes, Sou p. Q. Clark, TM 3:33; 182 — T. Cheely, Chu d. J. Fejes, Sou 6-3; 195 — R. Bankston, Sou p. J. Jeong, Lat 5:24; 285 — R. Johnson, TM p. S. Street, Sou 0:57.