Saturday’s final tuneup for this week’s Far East High School Wrestling Tournament likely proved a bit unsettling for three reigning Far East gold medalists.

Yokota’s Devin Day (135), Nile C. Kinnick’s Marcus Boehler (108) and Zama American’s Michael Spencer (168) each struggled, with Spencer losing to Kinnick’s Nick Gibbons for the second straight week during Saturday’s Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools tournament.

“I wasn’t focused today,” Boehler said after a lackluster second period en route to a 7-0, 7-4 decision over Yokota’s Ed Peterson in the 108-pound final. “I thought I could just come in and win. Obviously not.”

Spencer had it far worse, losing by pin for the second straight time to Gibbons. After dominating Spencer in a DODEA Japan tri-meet Jan. 23 at Camp Zama, Gibbons said he learned he could come back against Spencer on Saturday, and that, he said, was far more important.

Gibbons credited his close loss to Spencer in last month’s Beast of the Far East tournament and also to the team adding new things to its repertoire.

“Before, we were just tying up [opponents],” he said. “Now, we’ve added shots and more technique instead of muscle on muscle.”

As for Spencer, he had one thought for coming up short against Gibbons.

“I don’t know. Maybe he knows my moves. I don’t know,” he said.

After easily capturing the first period 8-0 against Christian Academy Japan’s Abe Nakamura in the 135 final, Day needed a late three-point move to edge Nakamura 5-3 in the second period.

But for all the defending champions, having to struggle was a good thing, they said, just what they needed as a slap-across-the-face wake-up.

“I needed that a lot,” Boehler said. “It tells me just because I’m a defending Far East champion doesn’t mean I can just come in and walk for it. I have to come in and work my butt off.”

“I’m just going to have to keep my head up at Far East,” said Spencer, adding that his focus after “Beast” has been “off the wall. I’m going to be even more focused at Far East.”

Kinnick captured the Kanto meet team title, scoring six gold medals, two silver and two bronze for 87 points, 18 more than runner-up Yokota, whose coach said not to worry about how the defending champion will do at Far East, Monday-Thursday at Camp Humphreys, South Korea.

“They haven’t been dethroned until they’re dethroned at Far East,” Yokota coach Brian Kitts said. “Defending champions produce when it matters most, and we’re getting to the point where it matters most.”

But everybody agreed that the road to Far East success likely means navigating that brick wall spelled K-A-D-E-N-A, the defending dual-meet team champion heavily favored to sweep both Class AA titles.

“I don’t think it’s any secret,” Kinnick coach Gary Wilson said. “Things have gone well for us, but I think we can still wrestle better and more focused and I think we’re going to have to do that if we’re going to have any shot at beating Kadena.”

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