Mariners rumble to victory

A small turn out of athletes in the Best Western Bidarka’s Round Robin Rumble didn’t bother the Mariner wrestlers on Saturday, although in some weight classes, the Mariners had to battle themselves for competition.

The host Mariners won the rumble with 146 points, scoring more than twice the amount of second-place team Skyview with 61. This is the first time in the past 15 years that the wrestling team has won a first-place trophy in any tournament.

Three other teams, Nikiski with 24 points, Su Valley with 36, and Voznesenka with 14 participated. Of the nine weight classes, the Mariners won six. The team finished with 18 wins to only five losses.

Freshman Jared Brant won three matches enroute to a first place in the 106/113 weight class. He leads the team with five victories to no losses for the young 2013 season.

Teammate Jadzia Martin, a sophomore, took second, only losing to Brant 9-1. Martin plans on dropping to 98 pounds next week. Martin, who was giving up 10 pounds, beat Su Valley Nick Pederson 16-13. Calvin Johnson, normally 113, went up two weight classes to combine with Mariner freshman Ravi Cavasos and Jaime Rios at 126. Johnson won both matches while Cavasos placed second, beating Rios for second place.

Freshman 132-pounder Timmy Woo continued his undefeated season scoring pins against Jaryn Tanner from Skyview and Curtis Larson of Nikiski. Woo has developed a strong leg attack and has a solid cradle as a pinning combo. His second period stand-up and double leg takedown against Larson was really impressive. We haven’t really drilled the combination yet and he was still able to score it with ease.

Woo’s older brother, David Jack, 145, won three matches in his first tournament of the season. A senior, David Jack used legs, rides and low single-leg attacks for victory. Teammate Andrew Doughty was second at 145, beating out two other opponents from Nikiski. Junior Austin McGregor, 138, placed third. This weight featured three state qualifiers, Voznesenka’s Gavril Kalugin and Nikiski’s Tyler Handley. McGregor lost both of those matches, but managed to pin William Lynch from Nikiski. Kalugin beat Handley 10-6 earning a title for the Cougars lone wrestler.

Mariner Dakota Alward, 160, was looking like he was going to get a gold medal after pinning his first two opponents in the first period. However, in his final match against Austin Schrader of Skyview, Alward had a 7-4 lead when he got caught in a cradle and pinned. He was wrestling up a weight class, competing against heavier wrestlers.

Also wrestling up a weight class was junior Antonio Ochoa of Homer. His pins against Skyview’s Mason Castagnier and Su Valley’s Isaac Schwartz earned him a first place in the 170/182 bracket. Normally Ochoa wrestles at 160.

Teammate and junior Danny Rios, 195, also pinned his two opponents and won a gold medal. Rios had a great leg attack and was able to hit a real pretty roll-through tilt we have been practicing. Usually the move only scores near fall points, but Rios was able to pin Kyrin Childs of Su Valley with it.

The final Mariner to earn a medal was Heather Harrington, 220/285. Harrington lost her two matches against heavier competition, but was able to beat Will Olson of Nikiski again. This time she entered the third period trailing 3-0 before putting Olson to his back twice and finally earning a fall and a third place finish.

The Mariners head to Seward this weekend for two days of wrestling and tougher competition. We hope to add a few wrestlers who have been ineligible due to grades and lack of practices.

Chris Perk head coach of the Homer High School Mariner wrestling team.

Best Western Bidarka Round Robin Rumble

Homer High School

Oct. 19

Results for teams and Homer

Team results: 1. Homer, 146; 2. Skyview, 61; 3. Su Valley, 36; 4. Nikiski, 24; 5. Voznesenka, 14

Varsity 106-113:
2. Jadzia Martin of Homer

Varsity 106-113:
1. Jared Brant of Homer

Varsity 120-126:
2. Ravi Cavasos of Homer

Varsity 120-126:
1. Calvin Johnson

Varsity 120-126:
3. Jaime Rios

Varsity 132: 1. Timmy Woo