Humphreys’ Gabriel Donatto and Osan’s Logan Seen will be among the athletes competing in Saturday’s Korea Classic dual-meet wrestling tournament. (Daniel Pak/Special to Stripes)
SEOUL – They couldn’t have asked for a better Far East dress rehearsal. At least, where the dual meet portion of the annual state-championship wrestling tournament is concerned.
Visiting Kadena and Kubasaki and host Humphreys get to match their mat skills in Saturday’s Korea Classic tournament. The dual-meet event also features Daegu, Seoul Foreign and Osan of South Korea.
And it’s being held in the same location – Humphreys Middle School Gym – where the Far East tournament for boys is scheduled early next month.
“We are up against two very competitive (Division I) schools from Okinawa,” Humphreys longtime coach and Saturday’s tournament host Ben Pak said. “Both teams have great wrestlers and coaching staffs.”
The competition features each school going against all others regardless of division, starting at 9 a.m. There are 15 boys team matchups and three girls on tap.
For Humphreys’ girls, it represents a rare opportunity to prepare for Far East by going up against Kadena’s and Kubasaki’s full lineups. Osan has but two girl wrestlers and Daegu none.
Humphreys only brought four girls to last month’s Rumble on the Rock on Okinawa, so more Blackhawks girls will have a chance Saturday for needed competition, Pak said.
“So far, only my wrestlers in the 105, 112, 130 and 138 weight classes have had matches this season,” Pak said. “The rest are eager and excited to step on the mat and showcase their hard work they’ve done this season.”
For the Panthers and Dragons boys, it’s the same sort of business trip they’ll take at the top of next month for the three-day Far East, scheduled for Feb. 2-4. The first two days are the individual tournament and the dual meets are on the last day.
“We’re working really hard with our athletes, just trying to knock off the some of the rough spots, really focus on keeping it simple, nothing really fancy,” Kubasaki wrestling sponsor David Wray said.
With the Okinawa junior varsity season over, the Dragons have pitted their most experienced wrestlers against each other in the practice room “so they can really push each other,” Wray said.
“We have a lot more space in our practice room, so we’re able to do … really intense, focused practice.”
Kadena is unbeaten thus far in regular-season dual meets and won the boys and girls titles in the Rumble.
Competition isn’t just reserved for the mats in Korea this weekend.
Humphreys, Osan and Daegu converge on Osan’s two gyms for Saturday’s DODEA-Korea basketball tournament. It’s the first interdivision meeting for the Blackhawks, who play in Korea’s top-tier Blue Division, against the Cougars and Warriors of Korea’s middle-tier Red Division.
This weekend is the next-to-last for DODEA-Pacific teams in the regular season before Far East.
Kubasaki’s basketball teams play their third regular-season games against the Panthers on Friday at Kadena.
Matthew C. Perry hosts E.J. King in basketball Friday and Saturday, with the reverse true for the wrestling teams at King. Nile C. Kinnick drives north for weekend basketball at Robert D. Edgren, and Yokota’s basketball teams take on Christian Academy Japan on Saturday.
Jaydem Powell, with ball, and Osan will take on Humphreys and Daegu on the Cougars’ home floor in Saturday’s DODEA-Korea basketball games. (Ashley Angell/Special to Stripes)
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