Vikings look for region repeat
The Petersburg Vikings will be the team to beat at the Region V-Class 2A/3A wrestling meet Friday and Saturday in Wrangell.
The top three finishers in each weight class will earn berths at the state meet, to be held at Anchorage Christian School on Dec. 12-13.
Petersburg, the defending region champion and last year's state runner-up, boasts a strong lineup despite losing several key wrestlers to graduation and family moves. Among those lost was Jake Oyler, who won a state title last year and was named outstanding wrestler of the state meet.
Seniors Drake Lyons (119 pounds), Jim Smith (160 pounds), Vic Jenny (171 pounds) and Collin Martens (heavyweight) have been leading the way for the Vikings this season.
Smith won a state title last season, and he, along with Lyons and Jenny, won titles at Juneau's Brandon Pilot Invitational earlier this month. Martens, in his first year of wrestling, battled defending Class 4A state champ Jon Hamilton of Ketchikan into double overtime before losing in a championship match at the Pilot Invite.
"We're pretty happy with where we're at," Vikings coach Tom Cox said. "Coming into (this year), there were a lot of questions. ... We had some big holes to fill."
Petersburg should get a strong challenge from the host Wrangell Wolves, who feature their own returning state champion - Harry Churchill at 140 pounds. Wrangell's Jake Mork will challenge Petersburg's Smith at 160; the two went into overtime in the finals of the Pilot Invite before Smith got the win.
Curtis Demmert of Hydaburg is first in the state at 189 pounds in the latest alaskawrestling.com small-school rankings, while Mork and Churchill hold the top spots in their weight classes.
Other Region V-Class 2A/3A wrestlers to make the latest alaskawrestling.com state rankings include:
• Craig: Spencer Beckman, 103 pounds, second; Bryan Westfall, 112, second.
• Kake: Matt Ashenfelter, heavyweight, fourth.
• Mount Edgecumbe: Earl Alstrom, 119, eighth; Sam Carney, 145, third; George Beans, 152, sixth; Nick Shellabarger, 160, second; Cliff Shellabarger, 189, third.
• Petersburg: Drake Lyons, 119, fourth; Neil Jenny, 145, fifth; Jim Smith, 160, fourth; Vic Jenny, 171, third; Collin Martens, heavyweight, third.
• Wrangell: Josh Garrison, 130, second.
Other teams expected to send wrestlers to Wrangell include Skagway, Pelican, Yakutat, Hoonah, Metlakatla and Klawock.