Thirteen wrestling teams from Japan, Okinawa and South Korea will converge Saturday on Nile C. Kinnick High School for the 31st “Beast of the Far East” tournament. (Kieran Montgomery/Special to Stripes)
URUMA, Okinawa – Part of his squad was on Okinawa for the Rumble on the Rock. The rest was at Matthew C. Perry for a DODEA-Japan in-season tournament last Saturday.
So coach Stan Hovell might have felt his Nile C. Kinnick team was operating with one hand tied behind its back. The Red Devils finished third at Rumble and tied for third with Yokota at Perry.
The Red Devils won’t be quite as handicapped for Saturday’s 31st Kinnick Invitational “Beast of the Far East” tournament. Kinnick will have all its wrestlers together at one setting, and Hovell is hoping that combined strength will lead to good things at day’s end.
“We’ll hopefully take it all this time,” Hovell said.
Kinnick will be joined by five other DODEA-Japan schools, Kadena and Kubasaki of Okinawa, Humphreys of South Korea, three Tokyo-area international schools and defending champion Shonan Military Academy.
“We were happy with third” in both tournaments a week ago. Kinnick was missing wrestlers in four weight classes at Iwakuni and two on Okinawa, Hovell said. “But this is a good chance to see what our full force can do against Okinawa.”
Since all but Shonan will participate in the Far East tournament, Jan. 29-31, also at Kinnick, the “Beast” serves as important scouting of opponents and preparation for the state-equivalent championship. “It’s going to be a good weekend,” Hovell said.
While the “Beast” is ongoing at Yokosuka, Osan, Daegu and members of Humphreys who did not travel to Japan will compete Saturday at Seoul Foreign.
One other inter-district competition is scheduled for this weekend at Osan. Zama’s girls basketball team was scheduled to host Robert D. Edgren, but since the Eagles don’t have a team, Zama asked for and got permission to play the Cougars girls Friday and Saturday.
On the Korea hardwood, Osan’s boys and girls are also scheduled to host Taejon Christian on Friday.
Humphreys’ boys and girls host Seoul International on Friday and travel Saturday to Chadwick at Incheon. Daegu’s boys and girls entertain Cheongna Dalton on Saturday.
In Japan, Edgren’s boys visit Zama on Friday and Saturday. At Matthew C. Perry, Yokota’s and E.J. King’s boys and girls take on the host Samurai. Fukuoka International’s boys and girls will also travel to Perry.
