The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears wrestling team had a good taste of what the region competition will look like heading into the Southeast championships in two weeks in Haines as they placed second in a strong Sitka Invitational field over the weekend, and one spot ahead of their conference rival Ketchikan.
“We put on a respectable showing in Sitka,” JDHS head coach Adam Messmer said. “We brought over a lot of the JV team with a handful of wrestlers that got their first matches of the season. It was a fun tournament. Everything ran smoothly and after the chaos of Lancer last week, I think, welcomed by everyone.”
Mt. Edgecumbe placed first in the combined boys and girls team scoring with 356.5 points, JDHS had 206.5, Ketchikan 197.5, Wrangell 187.5, Sitka 80, Metlakatla 75.5, Skagway 37.5 and Hoonah 37.
“Getting the Southeast wrestling community together is getting family together,” Sitka head coach Mike Callahan said. “From the refs, to the coaches and the next generation of wrestling being developed. It is a beautiful circle, and all are welcomed, there is always a spot on the wrestling team for everyone. Wrestling is for everyone!”
JDHS sophomore Camden Messmer continued his strong season with a 17-0 technical fall victory over MEHS’ Evan Andrew in the 119-pound final. Messmer also pinned Wrangell’s Lennex Gurule in the semifinals at 1:48.
JDHS senior Justus Darbonne continued his solidification of a region title and state qualifying spot with a 10-5 decision over sophomore teammate Ethan Van Kirk in the 152-pound championship.
Darbonne defeated MEHS’ Leighym Brandell by pin in the semifinals, and Van Kirk pinned MEHS’ Gerasim Nelson in the other semi.
Ketchkan’s Oscar Wutzke wrestles Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore Xavier Thibeault in a 135-pound match Saturday at the Sitka Invitational. (James Poulson / The Daily Sitka Sentinel)
JDHS junior Alexzondro Marx-Beierly defeated freshman teammate Ivan Shockley by 13-10 decision in the 160-pound championship. Marx-Beierly defeated WRG’s William Massin by 15-4 major decision in the quarterfinals and sophomore teammate Orrin Noon by pin in the semis. Shockley defeated SKG’s Logan Ward by 17-2 technical fall in the quarters and WRG’s Everett Meissner by 14-9 decision in the semis.
JDHS sophomore Carson Kautz placed second at 103 pounds, losing by technical fall to KTN’s Mattoon Glover in the final. Kautz defeated MEHS’ Derek Wilson by fall in the semis.
JDHS freshman Joshua Beedle placed second at 112 pounds, losing by 7-5 decision to MEHS’ Ben Balluta in the final. Beedle pinned KTN’s Mouhamed Diouf in the semis.
JDHS junior Oliver Able placed second at 130 pounds, losing by fall to MEHS’ Elden Andrew at 1:42 of the title bout. Able won by 17-1 technical fall over KTN’s Easton Paulson in the quarters and pinned WRG’s Boomchain Loucks at 4:50 of the semis. JDHS freshman Caleb Aube placed third, opening with a 20-2 technical fall over WRG’s Lucas Stearns, losing by fall at 1:08 to Andrew in the semis, pinning Paulson at 1:14 in the consolation semis and defeating Stearns by 20-4 in the third place match.
JDHS sophomore Darren Foster placed second at 189 pounds, losing by fall to MEHS’ Richard Didrickson at 3:23. Foster opened with a pin over MET’s Brody Booth at 2:31. He also pinned KTN’s Dawson Dethlefs at 0:25, won 22-11 over MEHS’ Kolby Clark-Pruitt and pinned MET’s Vance Milligrok at 0:33.
JDHS senior Owen Woodruff placed third at 140 pounds and junior Elias Lowell eighth. Woodruff opened with a pin over KTN’s Blaine Garlick, lost 10-7 to WRG’s Jackson Carney, won 15-0 over HNH’s Lawrence Howland and by fall at 1:04 over SIT’s Cooper Wyman. Lowell spend with a 19-4 loss to MEHS’ Nathaniel Vincler and by fall to Howland.
“Josh Beedle, Owen Woodruff, Darren Foster, those are a few of the guys that people are going to want to watch,” Sitka coach Callahan said when discussing Southeast wrestlers about to break into the top tier. “The future of JDHS wrestling is looking like people have been putting in the work. As for other standouts… there are some tough kids in Southeast. State wrestling will be exciting to follow.”
Sitka High School’s Dylan Peterson wrestles Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé junior Richard Tupou in the 285-pound weight division Friday at the Sitka Invitational. (James Poulson / The Daily Sitka Sentinel)
JDHS junior Jaysen White placed third at 171 pounds and senior Hyrum Fish fourth.
MEHS’ Samson Smith won the title 7-2 over teammate Kaden Herrmann. White lost to Smith and then defeated Fish, who had lost to Herrmann to open. White also defeated MET’s Paul Hudson 17-4.
JDHS sophomore Tristan Ridgeway placed fifth at 125 pounds and classmate Joseph Webster fifth. WRG’s Ben Houser won the title by 16-2 major decision over MEHS’ Ralphie Steeves. Ridgeway defeated MET’s Jeshua Mowers in the quarterfinals 10-9, lost by pin to Houser in the semis and lost 12-8 to MEHS’ Maximos Lonewolf in the consolation semis. Webster lost in the semis to Steeves 11-4, pinned teammate Orion Drake in consolations and lost to Lonewolf 13-4 in consolation quarterfinals. Drake lost to MEHS’ Omar Louis Cal Tinke to open his tournament.
JDHS sophomore Xavier Thibeault placed fifth at 135 pounds and junior Quinton McCoy sixth at 135 pounds. WRG’s Cooper Powers won the title over SIT’s Killan Hammock 14-10. Thibeault opened with a 26-16 loss to KTN’s Oscar Wutzke, pinned MEHS Garratt Nukwak-King, pinned HNH’s Dietrich Lewis, lost to Wutzke 18-10 and defeated McCoy by fall for fifth. McCoy won by fall over Lewis, was pinned by Powers, lost 14-8 to WRG’s Michael Cook and then to Thibeault.
JDHS junior Richard Tupou placed fifth at 285 pounds and freshman Sean Fairchild sixth. MEHS’ Donovan Standifer defeated SIT’s Silas Ferguson for the title. Tupou and Fairchild both had powerful outings in round robin losses against the top four contenders and that led to Tupou defeating Fairchild by fall at 0:44 in their final match.
JDHS freshman Lacie Whitehead placed fourth in the 126-pound girls division, classmate Toriana Johnson was fifth and classmate Sunny Dutton sixth. WRG’s Della Churchill pinned MEHS’ Tahira Akaran for the title. In round robin action,
Whitehead lost to Churchill, Johnson lost to Churchill, and Dutton lost to Akaran and to KTN’s Meg Thompson. In the finals tourney, Thompson lost to Churchill, and Whitehead lost to Akaran, then Thompson defeated Whitehead for third and Johnson defeated Dutton for fifth.
“We are closing in on the end of our season and trying to still tweak a few little things in practice, stay in proper shape and mitigate aches and pains,” coach Messmer said. “Overall, I think we are in a good place team-wise, we just have to stay focused for the next month and bring some high energy to regions and state.”
In other action, KTN’s Hunter Cowan pinned MEHS’ Lennie Brandell at 4:36 for the 145-pound title. KTN’s Paul Thompson pinned WRG’s Cody Barnes at 1:48 for the 215-pound title. WRG’s Hailey Cook pinned MEHS’ Loleta Hannon at 1:39 for the 107-pound girls title. MEHS’ Nevaeh George pinned teammate Hayden Naneng at 1:54 for the 114-pound girls title. HNH’s Krista Howland pinned MEHS’ Breana Nelson at 2:32 for the 132-pound girls title. MET’s Lexi Cook pinned MEHS’ Illana Kllake at 0:58 for the 138-pound girls title. MEHS’ Riley Dock won the 145-pound girls title over MET’s Dannica Hayward. MEHS’ Arian Bell pinned teammate Aryah Dybdahl at 1:55 for the 152-pound girls title. MEHS’ Charity Mila pinned MEHS’ Alexia Zaharof at 0:59 for the 185-pound girls title.
JDHS will next battle Dec. 13-14 in the Region V Championships at Haines as wrestlers try to qualify for the ASAA State Championships Dec. 20-21 at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
