Zama's Sean Simpkins takes charge of Yokota's Braydon Laubaugh at 152 pounds. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – Panthers ruled the mats Wednesday, as Kadena and Yokota turned the Far East High School Wrestling dual-meet finals into a sweep dream.

Liam Kirby pinned Ayden Hartman in 33 seconds at 160 pounds, giving Yokota enough of a cushion to outlast Zama 33-29 in the Division II final.

Kadena left little to chance, as Christian Luckey used three four-point throws to rally from an early deficit against St. Mary’s Max Long for a 20-10 technical fall. Kadena downed the Titans 33-18 for the Division I crown.

Yokota and Kadena doubled their team-title pleasure a day after they won the individual-freestyle team championships. Kadena captured its ninth D-I title and third under coach Joey Wood, while Yokota won its eighth D-II crown and 10th Far East title overall.

Zama's Anthony Romero ties up Yokota's Jackson Mays at 215 pounds. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Zama's Kingston Ries wraps up Yokota's C.J. Reinbold at 133 pounds. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Yokota's Jay Gutierrez gains the edge on Zama's Christian Rios at 107 pounds. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

“Some of the kids came up to me on the plane and asked how are we going to take the banner home,” Yokota coach Theo Kuntz said. “As soon I knew the kids believed in themselves, I knew we had it. They wanted it. I knew they wanted it.”

What was at stake was clear to Kirby when he took the mat against Hartman. Yokota hadn’t won a Far East title since the year the coronavirus pandemic began and he said he wanted to put an end to that.

“I was looking at the scoreboard and I realized we needed to win by pin,” Kirby said. “I wanted to do that for the seniors. We hadn’t won it in six years.”

Jay Gutierrez (107 pounds), Kenza Houston (121) and Evan Horne (139) each scored pins for Yokota and Aiden Greer (145) took a tight decision 5-4 over Zama’s Gabriel Simpkins.

The Trojans got points from Cooper Owens (127) and Kingston Ries (133), while Sean Simpkins (152) beat Braydon Laubaugh 10-0 in 1:40 to keep Zama within striking distance. It was Kirby’s pin that put it out of reach.

For Horne, the win was especially sweet as he suffered an injury in the first round of last year’s Far East at Zama.

“That I got to wrestle after last year, that was great,” Horne said. “It feels much better.”

“I wasn’t really expecting this,” Panthers senior Laine Lilly said. “To get first place for both (individual and dual), to win both as a senior, I’m really proud.”

Kadena's Zacharias Perez ties up St. Mary's Ponnappa Karthachira at 107 pounds. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Kadena's Christian Luckey lifts St. Mary's Max Long at 139 pounds. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

The individual and dual sweep had Wood quite emotional – it came just days after the Panthers swept both titles in the historic first Far East tournament for girls.

“Especially with the girls, building a girls program. They said if we build it, they will come and they did,” Wood said. “It’s been our goal since Day 1 (to win) four banners. I couldn’t ask for a better group of wrestlers, coaches, parents – I’m overwhelmed.”

Six of Kadena’s victories against the Titans came by technical fall: Jhayden Basto (114 pounds), Kai Wilson (127), Christian Luckey (139), Ryan Luckey (145), Derryck Miller (152) and heavyweight Troy Hill. Zacharias Perez (107) and Michael Smith (133) each scored decisions.

Christian Luckey’s win by tech came after his opponent, Max Long, put him in danger of being pinned for about 30 seconds in the first period. But Luckey rallied in the second period, using two of his three big throws to put away Long, whose physique matched his family name.

“Just his length,” Luckey said of Long. “Whenever I wrestle a lengthy kid, it’s really annoying.”

Getting such big throws on opponents is a matter of leverage, Luckey said. “I get an underhook, circle to one side, grab the single (leg), reach around and grap the hip.”

The Titans stayed in the hunt thanks to technical-fall victories by Ryan Murase (121) and Zen Twohig (160) plus pins by Kentaro Yamauchi (172) and Jimin Kim (215), but it wasn’t enough to overcome Kadena.

The tournament’s top prize for an individual wrestler also became a sweep of sorts.

Malcolm Lee, an American School In Japan 139-pound senior, joined his older brother Cadell as a winner of the Outstanding Wrestler award. Cadell captured the honor in last year’s tournament.

Mustangs senior Serena Koslow of ASIJ was similarly honored in last week’s girls Far East tournament.