Wrestling: Large turnout gets ready to Rumble at Okinawa meet

Ethan Wong and Jayden Valverde square off on the mat.

Edgren’s Ethan Wong and Perry’s Jayden Valverde get a chance to see wrestlers from outside DODEA-Japan at Saturday’s 11th Rumble on the Rock. (David Shepherd/Special to Stripes)

KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa – Nearly 120 wrestlers will take to two mats Saturay at Kadena High School in the 11th Rumble on the Rock.

Three DODEA schools from Japan, two from Okinawa and three from Korea are expected, plus two Japanese clubs. Forty girls and nearly 80 boys are set to wrestle.

“Not bad at all,” said Kadena coach and Rumble director Joey Wood. “It didn’t seem like there would be that many, but it slowly came together this week.”