Kubasaki's Tim Cope, the 127-pound Far East champion, said that the Dragons' relationship with Kadena helps make both teams better. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – It was readily apparent that a team from Okinawa was going to capture the Far East Division I Wrestling Tournament title as Tuesday’s weight-class finals progressed.
The question was, which one?
Both Kubasaki and Kadena captured four weight classes at the tournament’s individual freestyle portion Dethroned D-I champion St. Mary’s had three and one went to Humphreys and American School In Japan.
In the end, Brady Potter’s second-place finish against Humphreys’ Matthew Nubin at 145 pounds gave the Dragons just enough points to extend their DODEA-Pacific record to 29 Division I championships. Kubasaki edged Kadena 86-82, with St. Mary’s third at 75 and Humphreys fourth with 62.
And the Dragons, from coaches to wrestlers, said they owed Kadena for helping make them better on the mat.
“I love Kadena to God,” said Kubasaki’s Tim Cope, who pinned St. Mary’s Luke Shane to win at 127 pounds. “Even though they’re our rival team, they’re the reason we get better. I owe all my thanks to them.”
Outgoing Dragons coach Alex High agreed wholeheartedly.
“We have a good relationship with Kadena,” said High, whose team battled – and lost – to Kadena six times in dual meets during the regular season. “Kadena and us, we’re going home with eight Far East championships. We keep making each other better. We have the right kind of wrestling community on Okinawa.”
On the small-schools side, Christian Academy Japan took its second Division II team title, outdistancing second-place Robert D. Edgren of Japan by 10 points. Yokota (12) was third and E.J. King (10) fourth.
Tuesday was a red-letter day for almost all returning Far East champions, starting with Kadena’s brother pair of Jeremiah and Josiah Drummer, nicknamed “Big Hulk” and “Li’l Hulk.”
The smaller Drummer pinned Kubasaki’s Gavin Ocampo in 1 minute, 44 seconds to take the 121-pound title. Jeremiah, meanwhile, used three big four-point throws to score a technical fall, 12-1 in 1:19, over Humphreys’ Amare Morgan.
“This means more to me,” Jeremiah said of his second Far East title. “This is a Far East contending team.”
Josiah said he had much to make up for, having finished third in the “Beast of the Far East” invitational 2½ weeks earlier, also at Kinnick. “I worked extra hard these last two weeks and it paid off,” he said.
The two Kadena veterans were joined by wrestling rookie Tre Shears, who scored a 10-0 technical fall in 2:08 over Humphreys’ Koah Meno. Panthers 152-pounder James Kinney used a gut-wrench technique to tech. Kubasaki’s Nathan Voelkel 10-0 in 2:01.
It’s not something Kinney said he was accustomed to doing, but “it’s something I’ve been working on all season.”
Kubasaki heavyweight Anthony Finegan also made up for coming up short in last year’s Far East, when he finished third. This time, he scored a 6-0 decision over Kadena’s Nathaniel Macias.
“It feels great. I only wish the person that beat me last year was here,” Finegan said of Kinnick’s Bobby Crisafulli, who was ill and missed the tournament this time.
Dragon 160-pounder Max Lundberg came from behind to pin CAJ’s Xavier Van Dam in 2:37, and said he dedicated this victory to High and the coaching staff, which will be leaving after this season. “I wanted to win this one for them,” Lundberg said.
Kubasaki’s Noah Starr took the 114-pound title in a tough battle with St. Mary’s Hiroyuki Sen, finally pinning him in 5:55.
Kadena's Josiah Drummer (121) was one of five defending Far East champions to repeat. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki’s Noah Starr was one of four Dragons to win Far East weight-class titles and helped lead Kubasaki to its record 29th Far East Division I team title. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Edgren's Joey Phillips held an 8-2 lead over St. Mary's Hugo Miyamoto at 107 pounds, but Miyamoto came back for a pin, one of three Titans defending champions to repeat. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki heavyweight Anthony Finegan took the final step to a Far East title after finishing third last year. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kadena's Jeremiah Drummer used three four-point throws to repeat his Far East championship. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kadena's Tre Shears, a 189-pound wrestling rookie, became one of four Panthers to win a Far East weight class. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kubasaki's 160-pounder Max Lundberg said he dedicated his Far East title to his outgoing coaching staff. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kadena 152-pound Far East champion James Kinney said he hadn't used the gut-wrench technique much but it was something he was working on all season. He became one of four Kadena Far East champions. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Among other champions, St. Mary’s had three of its returning Far East champions repeat.
Hugo Miyamoto (107) rallied from behind 8-2 to pin Edgren’s Joey Phillips in 2:05. Nathan Twohig (139) handed Kinnick’s Kain Mauldin his first loss of the season by tech, 19-7 in 4:58. And Roman Leyko (172) downed ASIJ’s Isreal Rodriguez by pin in 5:35.
ASIJ’s Cadell Lee, who won at “Beast” 2½ weeks ago, showed his former Virginia state championship form by quickly dispatching Kadena’s Peyton Allen at 133 pounds, winning by tech 10-0 in just 38 seconds.
In the dual-meet competition, Kadena and Kubasaki square off in the D-I final and Edgren faces CAJ in the D-II championship Wednesday.
Two defending hoop champions tumble
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – A pair of defending Far East basketball tournament champions saw their chances at repeat titles ended Tuesday.
Miu Best hit a pair of foul shots in the final minute as E.J. King’s girls avenged last year’s loss in the D-II girls final, beating Christian Academy Japan 47-46 in Tuesday’s knockout round. The Cobras won despite Erica Yokota scoring 22 points for the Knights.
On the boys D-I hardwood, Kinnick dethroned St. Mary’s 64-62, behind Vance Lewis’ 26 points and 15 from Nicholas Whyte. The Red Devils improved to two wins in five tries against the Titans, who beat Kinnick 40-38 10 days earlier in the ASIJ Kanto Classic final.
The Red Devils on Wednesday face host Kadena in the championship; the teams played the tournament’s first pool-play game, with the Panthers winning 64-62.
