Warriors flex their muscles

DARRELL L. BREESE/ Frontiersman reporter

ANCHORAGE - The top step of the awards stand has been a familiar place for several members of the Wasilla High wrestling team.

Through the first three weeks of the season there has been seven different Warriors crowned as individual champions. Together they have amassed 15 total first-place medals.

Working through the tournament bracket is an accomplish for any wrestler, but Saturday the trip through the bracket was special for those who have tasted individual success already this season. Each Warrior shared their place atop the podium with their teammates as Wasilla won the Jerry Palmer Invitational at Bartlett High School.

The event featured the typical tournament bracket. But instead of individuals advancing in their respective weight classes, the annual competition pits teams against each other in head-to-head contests. The entie team is the winner that advances in the bracket.

&#8220The tournament is a nice change of pace for us,” Wasilla head coach Shawn Hayes said. &#8220In addition to being together as a team for the whole event, it also gave us coaches a chance to see some areas that we need to work on as a team.”

The Warriors' strength was recognized by the coaches of the opposing teams at the tournament as they gave them the highest seed, and the first-round by that went along with it.

Wasilla then sent a message to the rest of the field that they indeed were the team to beat, with a 72-0 dismantling of the Dimond Lynx in the quarterfinals.

Chugiak coach Tom Huffer Jr., whose team faced the Warriors in the semifinals, indicated his team would have no chance of winning before the squared off against each other.

&#8220I'm a realist,” Huffer said. &#8220They're gonna beat us, I just hope we don't just surrender and give up.”

Huffer's forecast became a quick reality as the first five Wasilla wrestlers recorded victories. Eventually the Warriors triumphed 41-15, setting up a showdown with Skyview in the finals.

In the championship dual the Warriors continued their dominance, dispatching the Panthers 51-17.

The victory over the Panther's was significant because the team from Soldotna finished fourth last season at the state championships, three spots behind the two-time defending champion Warriors. Chugiak was the sixth place team last season as well.

&#8220Skyview and Chugiak are great teams, with some wrestlers who should be in the finals at the state tournament,” Hayes said. &#8220Getting wins against them in a dual meet tournament is just as important to us as beating them in an individual tournament setting.

Wasilla will get another chance to prove their supremacy this weekend at the Alaska Rumble team tournament hosted by South Anchorage High School.

The Wolverines are the only team to have beaten the Warriors this season, edging them by 18 points at the season-opening Palmer Invitational.

&#8220The kids are really looking forward to facing South,” Hayes said. &#8220They are excited about the challenge of going head-to-head with them.”

Having a team that has produced seven different individual champions so far this season is nice, but Hayes credited the performance of several of the other wrestlers who stepped up their efforts and scored key wins during the tournament.

&#8220I think wrestling as a team got them more pumped up and brought out the best they had to give,” Hayes said. &#8220We had a couple of regular varsity wrestlers out this weekend and some of our number two guys filled in nicely. Ryan Hogan in particular filled in at 119-pounds and won each of his matches during the tournament.

&#8220That is the kind of effort wrestling in a dual meet brings out of individuals,” Hayes concluded. &#8220That is the kind of effort we are going to need from the whole team come time for the regional and state tournaments of teams like Chugiak, Skyview and West Valley can sneak in a steal the title away.”

Contact Darrell L. Breese at 352-2267 or at darrell.breese@

frontiersman.com.