Warriors win 4A state wrestling title

ANCHORAGE —Nate McKimson steadily worked his way back and forth across a small area of hardwood in the corner of the Bartlett High gymnasium Saturday evening, warming up for his final match. On the back of his black Wasilla Warriors long-sleeve T-shirt the phrase “You’re the target, and we never miss a shot” was printed on the back.

It must have been the Warriors’ mantra.

McKimson had his eyes on a second straight individual title and the Warriors had their sights set on the championship trophy. Thanks to a monster effort Saturday, McKimson and the Warriors hit both targets. McKimson won the 152-pound weight class, and the Warriors won the team title during the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Wrestling Championships at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.

McKimson was one of three Wasilla wrestlers to make the championship finals, and 13 of the 19 Warriors in the tournament placed in the top 6, as Wasilla finished with 233.5 total points in the team standings. Wasilla finished 20 points ahead of runner-up South, the 2013 state champions. Colony, which earned the Northern Lights Conference team title last week, was third with 181 total points. Palmer finished seventh.

McKimson was also one of three Valley state champions. Colony’s Bryce Adams won the 98-pound title, and Palmer’s Ben Button edged Wasilla’s Quace Wright in overtime to win the 220-pound class.

McKimson, who won the 2013 individual title at 145 pounds, pinned Chugiak’s Robert Huffer to win his 2014 crown. Even though McKimson was a No. 1 seed and a returning state champion, the senior said it’s not an excuse to relax.

“Every match, you’ve got to think this could be the guy who beats me. You always have to be careful,” McKimson said.

McKimson was the lone Warrior to win individual gold, but Wasilla head coach Shawn Hayes said it was the efforts of all 19 Wasilla wrestlers in the state tournament that made it possible for the Warriors to win their first state team title since 2011 and fifth in school history.

“It’s unbelievable how they came together and won this thing as a team,” Hayes said just moments before his athletes accepted the championship trophy.

Thirteen of Hayes’ athletes placed in the top 6 of their respective weight class. Three advanced to the finals. But the key, Hayes said, was the 10 who worked their way through the consolation side of the bracket into the top 6. Dillon Simpson (98), Berit Sturgeon (106), DJ Morrow (160) and Zach Rocksted (220) finished third. Chance Boatman (170) placed fourth. Billy Shultz (195) was fifth. Bryan McKimson (120), Samuel Wolff (126) and Weston Wall (138) each placed sixth.

“Those kids punching into those (consolation) finals,” Hayes said.

And it’s also the way the Warriors won on the backside of the bracket, the longtime Wasilla head coach said.

“Winning and pinning,” Hayes said. “A lot of those matches ended with a fall, and that’s an extra two points per match (in the team score).”

As expected, a handful of squads were in the hunt for the team title. Defending state champion and current Cook Inlet Conference champ South Anchorage was in the lead after the first day. Northern Lights Conference champion Colony also spent time at the top of the standings.

Wasilla and Colony were tied in first place with 93 points entering the championship semifinals on Friday. The first day of the tournament ended with South Anchorage with a meet-high 137 points in the team standings.

But Hayes said Wasilla, with 128 points during the first day, felt confident after Day 1.

“We walked out the gym Friday night nine-and-a-half points behind. We said, OK, we’re in it, the kids have to wrestle,” Hayes said. “Today they won matches they don’t normally win.”

Brandon Abbott also represented the Warriors in the finals, and finished second in the 106-pound class.

Both third-place Colony and seventh-place Palmer also crowned a champion. Adams earned his first state title at 98 pounds, beating Dimond’s Scott Harris 8-2. Adams finished fifth in state last year.

Button also earned his first state title, but needed extra time to edge Wright, Wasilla’s defending state champion, 6-5 in the 220-pound final.

The Palmer junior scored the go-ahead point with an escape during the final seconds of the third extra period. The match marked the fifth meeting between the rivals. Wright used overtime to beat Button during the NLC finals last week. Button and Wright were locked at 2-2 in their first four meetings.

“This was the tiebreaker,” an elated Button said after his win. “The biggest match.”

Wright finished his senior year 32-3, with his only three losses coming to Button.

“There’s only certain things you can do against him,” Button said of Wright. “I just kept working it, and working it.”

Adams was one of nine Knights to place in the top 6. Chase Booth (113), Robert Haan (138), Spencer Adams (145), Kamber Lucas (145) and Riley Fredrickson (182) each finished third for the Knights. Wade Booth (152) was fourth, and Dawson Nash (132) and Ian MacKenzie (220) both finished fifth.

Button led a pair of Moose into the finals, and six Palmer wrestlers in the top 6. Senior Caleb Deemer also advanced to the finals, and finished a career-best second. Kodiak’s Kerry Powers edged Deemer 1-0 in the 195-pound final.

Mason Cochran (132) was third, Aaron Molesky (126) finished fourth and Hunter Molesky (160) placed sixth.

ASAA/First National

Bank 4A State Wrestling

Championships

Friday-Saturday, Anchorage

Team scores:

1. Wasilla 233.5; 2. South 213.5; 3. Colony 181; 4. Kodiak 158; 5. North Pole 119.5; 6. East 118; 7. Palmer 116.5; 8. Lathrop 107; 9. Service 98; 10. West 93; 11. Kenai 92.5; 12. Eagle River 73; 13. Chugiak 51.5; 14. Ketchikan 49; 15. Dimond 38; 16. West Valley 37; 17. Bartlett 34.5; 18. Thunder Mountain 13; 19. Juneau 11; 20. Soldotna 4.

Championship finals:

98 pounds — B. Adams, Col d. S. Harris, Dim 8-2; 106 — G. Shack, Sou p. B. Abbott, Was 3:22; 113 — J. Valdez, Kod won by inj fft M. Glover, Sou 2:27; 120 — B. Girard, East d. A. Caballa, Kod 10-6; 126 — P. Steffensen, Ken p. J. Small, Kod 5:39; 132 — R. Pullembi, Sou d. J. Fetko, Ser 6-5; 138 — K. Hammond, Sou t.f. G. Arnold, ER 17-2; 145 — A. Sierra, East p. E. Steffensen, Ken 5:50; 152 — N. McKimson, Was p. R. Huffer, Chu 5:36; 160 — J. Dickinson, Lat d. T. Thammavongsa, Ser 8-4; 170 — C. Guzman, East d. X. Horton, ER 5-3; 182 — L. Elliot, West d. J. Wharton, Lat 3-2; 195 — K. Powers, Kod d. C. Deemer, Pal 1-0; 220 — B. Button, Pal d. Q. Wright, Was 6-5 OT; 285 — B. Davis, NP d. L. Sega, Kod 3-2 OT.

Third-place matches:

98 — D. Simpson, Was t.f. V. Shuman, West 17-2; 106 — B. Sturgeon, Was p. Y. Ohki, Kod; 113 — C. Booth, Col m.d. W. Martin, Sou 9-0; 120 — A. Hendrix, Lat p. M. Martin, Ket 4:58; 126 — G. Alvardo, Sou d. A. Molesky, Pal 3-2; 132 — M. Cochran, Pal t.f. D. Rogers, NP 17-1; 138 — R. Haan, Col m.d. C. Eager, Lat 9-1; 145 — N. Ottum, Sou t.f. J. Fricilone, WV 17-1; 152 — K. Lucas, Col d. W. Booth, Col 8-5; 160 — D. Morrow, Was d. D. Best, NP 8-2; 170 — E. McLeod, Ser p. C. Boatman, Was 2:52; 182 — R. Fredrickson, Col d. K. Hunter, Ken 6-4; 195 — E. Hall, ER p. J. Miller, WV 2:17; 220 — Z. Rockstad, Was m.d. L. Fa’amasino, West 12-4; 285 — B. Thompson, Pal d. K. King, East 10-9.

Fifth-place matches:

98 — O. Garcia, Bar p. B. Hill, Was 0:48; 106 — Z. Abobon, Bar rec bye; 113 — S. Hoffman, Ser m.d. T. Wutzke, Ket 10-0; 120 — N. Ottum, Sou d. B. McKimson, Was 3-1; 126 — A. Concepcion, Sou d. S. Wolff, Was 9-7; 132 — D. Nash, Col d. A. Rohr, Kod 6-3; 138 — D. Holta, d. W. Wall, Was 6-4; 145 — S. Adams, Col m.d. C. Eide, NP 10-2; 152 — D. Jutila, NP d. J. Noe, Sou 9-5; 160 — G. McSharry, Sou d. H. Molesky, Pal 4-1; 170 — J. Dickinson, Lat won by inj def J. Yavorsky, Kod; 182 — A. Falegoatai, West d. N. Fousel, Ket 8-4; 195 — B. Schultz, Was m.d. R. Williams, Ket 12-0; 220 — I. MacKenzie, Col won by inj fft R. Burroughs, Chu; 285 — N. Stevens, Ser won by inj def M. Daigle, Col.