Patriots grapplers nab second, Malemutes third
Published Sunday, December 14, 2008
FAIRBANKS — Eric Antesberger captured the 152-pound title to lead North Pole to the runner-up trophy and Dillon Achman’s 103-pound championship paced Lathrop for a third-place finish in the Class 4A State Wrestling Championships on Saturday at Chugiak High School.
The Patriots, who advanced four wrestlers to the finals, compiled 163 points, and the Malemutes, represented by Achman in the championship round and six wrestlers in third-place matches, generated 148.5 points.
The West Valley Wolfpack, with a third-place finish from Derek Templeton, placed 18th with 26 points.
The Colony Knights repeated as state champions, earning 263.5 points in the two-day tournament that drew 22 schools.
Antesberger rallied in the third period for a 15-5 major decision over Budde Pressler of West Anchorage in the 152 final.
Antesberger had a 6-3 lead at the end of the second period, then added a pair of near-falls for a 10-3 advantage.
Antesberger added two more points with a takedown and Pressler made it 12-5 with a reversal. Antesberger then sealed his state title with an escape point followed by a takedown.
Achman captured a 13-5 major decision over Wasilla’s Abe Fox in the first match of the championship round.
The Malemutes finalist moved ahead 6-2 in the first round, aided by a takedown and two reversals. Achman went ahead 11-3 in the second round, helped by a takedown nearly midway through the round and a near-fall as time was running out. He clinched the title with two escapes in the third round.
The Patriots’ other finalists came up short in their bids for titles.
Levi Jutila lost 11-4 to Chugiak’s Nolan McBryde in the 160 final; Taylor Lewis suffered a 9-6 loss to Wasilla’s Chris Crane in the 189 match and Jackson Collins was pinned by Wasilla’s Jedidiah Johnson in 4 minutes, 17 seconds of the 275 final.
Lathrop had three wrestlers pick up third-place honors — Trent Hughes, Billy Hoeffel and Elliot Clausen.
Hughes downed Eagle River’s Levi Willliams 8-5 in their 152-pound duel and the 160-pound Clausen emerged with a 5-1 win over Colony’s Kenny Boykin. Hoeffel, at 171, overwhelmed Service’s Kevin Reilly with a 15-1 major decision.
West Valley’s Derek Templeton pulled out a 3-1 victory over Ketchikan’s Ian Fultz in the third-place match for 130 pounders.
Lathrop’s Jeremy Simmons (112) and Joe Hughes (119) lost in their third-place matches.
The Malemutes’ Jordan Lewis placed fifth with a 37-second pin of North Pole’s Clay Tidwell, who placed sixth.
Templeton’s brother, Doug, placed fifth at 135 pounds, winning by forfeit over North Pole’s Chris Frazier, who finished sixth.
The Patriots had another sixth-place finisher in 103-pounder Adam Wood while the Malemutes had two with Brandon Wiese at 145 and Hunter Hicks at 189.
The complete final team scores of the Class 1A-2A-3A State Championships were not reported Saturday. Eielson, Hutchison, Delta Junction and Galena were the Interior schools entered in the tournament.
Eielson’s Kyle Armour placed sixth Saturday at 171 pounds after losing by a pinfall (3:15) against Klawock’s Sean Hall.
Armour had started the consolation round Saturday with pins against Nikiski’s Mike Sauve (3:5:9) and Unalakleet’s Cameron Grey (2:24). He moved into the fifth- and sixth-place match after getting pinned by Craig’s Tyler Thain in 3:32. In one of the closest team finishes in state tournament history, the Petersburg Vikings claimed the championship trophy with 176 points. The Bethel Warriors placed second with 175 and the Dillingham Wolverines finished third with 174.5.
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Community Discussion
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Once again the News-Miner shows it trues colors (Purple and Yellow) by featuring a Lathrop Maluemute on the front page of the paper with the title above the fold! This wrestler ended up in third place.
North Pole's state champion (Way to go Eric!) and the NPHS team's second place finish are not mentioned until the front page of the sports section below the fold.
Great Job highlighting the third place finisher from the third place team.
good for the local teams to do so well. north pole is powerful and to beat lathrop (another powerhouse) is great and speaks of how well the coaches @ NP are doing especially considering the short season for the football players turn wrestlers have. I see where alot of the wrestlers have 30 matches this season compared to let's say Taylor Lewis around 17. It makes a big difference to be able to get real match time and to enter as many tourneys as possible.
ASSA needs to take a close look at changing the wrestling to Jan. - April for the teams that have football and to break up the winter for non basketball players.
Good to have the small schools meet in Anchorage again and not down in the SE.
Congrates to Bruce Merritt for being elected into the Wrestling Hall of Fame!
I think this is Colony's 3 peat at winning the Team State Title. They are on a roll to tie Eielson and West Valley for 5. (the state record)
Peace
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