Kubasaki's Steven Walter, top, forces Seoul American's Hiroto Herman's shoulders backward during Friday's 101-pound bout in the dual-meet portion of the 4th Rumble on the Rock high school wrestling tournament at Kubasaki High School, Okinawa. Walter won by pin in 2 minutes, 43 seconds, and Kubasaki won the dual meet, 39-19. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki's Steven Walter, top, forces Seoul American's Hiroto Herman's shoulders backward during Friday's 101-pound bout in the dual-meet portion of the 4th Rumble on the Rock high school wrestling tournament at Kubasaki High School, Okinawa. Walter won by pin in 2 minutes, 43 seconds, and Kubasaki won the dual meet, 39-19. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kadena's Jacob Bishop, top, uses a chest press against Daegu American's Xavian Washburn during Friday's 148-pound bout in the dual-meet portion of the 4th Rumble on the Rock high school wrestling tournament at Kubasaki High School, Okinawa. Bishop won by technical fall 2-0 (7-1, 6-0). (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki's Jon Goddard, top, catches Seoul American's David Chong in a head-in-arm hold for a pin during Friday's 141-pound bout in the dual-meet portion of the 4th Rumble on the Rock high school wrestling tournament at Kubasaki High School, Okinawa. Goddard won in 1 minute, 17 seconds, and Kubasaki won the dual meet, 39-19. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Seoul American's Aaron Park turns the shoulders of Kubasaki's Jacob Wood to the mat during Friday's 215-pound bout in the dual-meet portion of the 4th Rumble on the Rock high school wrestling tournament at Kubasaki High School, Okinawa. Wood rallied to win by pin in 2 minutes, 50 seconds, and Kubasaki beat Seoul American, 39-19. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kadena's Cory Peckins, top, catches Osan American's Devin Turner in a head-in-arm hold for a pin during Friday's 158-pound bout in the dual-meet portion of the 4th Rumble on the Rock high school wrestling tournament at Kubasaki High School, Okinawa. Peckins -- who wrestled for Osan two years ago as a sophomore -- won in 1 minute, 59 seconds, and Kadena won the dual meet, 49-12. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – John Porter seemed a bit conflicted.
While the Seoul American freshman said he was happy that he got a chance to wrestle somebody other than his practice partner, he felt a bit embarrassed about losing to Kubasaki 180-pounder Matt Payne by pin.
“I know I could have done better. It makes me want to try again,” said Porter on Friday. It was Day 1 of the 4th Rumble on the Rock Wrestling Tournament at Kubasaki, which for the first time welcomed three DODDS-Korea schools, traveling on DODDS-Pacific’s dime.
Those schools until this weekend had wrestled just each other in four weekly tri-meets. With their numbers thin – Seoul American has 11 wrestlers, Osan American seven and Daegu American three. Three of Seoul’s heavier wrestlers hadn’t taken the mat in regulation bouts.
Still, Porter wasn’t satisfied. “We’ve put a lot of work into it, and I know what we just did wasn’t our best,” he said after his Falcons lost to the Dragons, 39-19. “But it does feel good to at least be in it.”
Kadena won Friday’s dual-meet phase of the tournament, winning its three dual meets, including a 30-29 squeaker over runner-up Kubasaki (2-1). Seoul (1-2) was third and Osan (0-3) last. The individual freestyle portion of the tournament was to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Rumble began as a five-team tournament in 2008, featuring Kadena and Kubasaki of Okinawa and St. Mary’s International, American School In Japan and Christian Academy Japan, with a combined 37 Far East Tournament titles between them.
The latter three schools had been barred from Far East starting in 2005. That ban was overturned last spring, and the three decided to just compete in Far East next month at Camp Humphreys, South Korea.
That left Rumble organizer Fred Bales scrambling for replacements. DODDS-Pacific officials said they saw Korea’s lack of mat time as a “need” and the teams worthy of travel funds for in-season tournaments.
“It’s win-win, and it’s preparation, meaning opportunity,” Bales said, calling it a “perfect fit,” as was the case last football season, for the Korea and Okinawa teams “to get more mat time. We’re just thrilled that it came together.”
Porter’s coach, Julian Harden, has been to many a Far East in his 18 years at the Falcons’ helm, and while telling his wrestlers what to expect at inter-area competition, seeing it is something else entirely.
“It took coming here for them to understand that,” he said. “We see them wrestle, we see what things we use in Korea can be used here or not. When we come here, reality sets in. It’s a reality check and in a good way. All of these things will help us get ready for Far East.”
Even wrestlers from the established Okinawa programs said Korea’s presence at Rumble is a “good thing.”
“It makes you realize … the Pacific isn’t just us and Kadena,” Payne said. “It’s a good foreshadowing of Far East. It’s probably disheartening for them to come down and get the whipping they’re getting … but it’s good for them. I love to be part of it.”
