Call Saturday’s Rumble on the Rock finals bouts Jeff Mizell’s and Matt Payne’s coming-out party.

The juniors each won unexpected gold medals, Mizell at 122 pounds and Payne at 180, powering Kadena and Kubasaki to a 1-2 finish as Okinawa wrestlers dominated the third edition of Rumble. Kadena scored nine gold medals and 104 points and Kubasaki three golds and 56 points.

Payne pinned Kadena’s Tyler Broome late in the first period, his third straight victory over a preseason favorite to win gold at Far East, after losing to Broome at last month’s "Beast of the Far East" tournament at Yokosuka Naval Base.

"I left Beast thinking I could win Far East," Payne said. "Before that … I didn’t know where I stood. [At Beast] I learned what I had to do. I had to work harder. I got in the mat room and did what I had to do and came out here, and it paid off."

Payne’s victory "definitely" gave him a confidence boost, he said, heading into Far East next week at Camp Humphreys, South Korea.

"Matt Payne is on his way," Kubasaki coach Ken Gipson said. "He’s working hard on the mat. He should do well at Far East."

Mizell had a somewhat harder road, needing to beat Soma Yoshida of St. Mary’s International twice to win the double-elimination final. Mizell used a head-and-arm hold to beat Yoshida in 49 seconds, then a chest press to nail him in 47 in the second of two gold-medal bouts.

"I wasn’t confident the first match, but after beating him the first time, I knew I could do it again," Mizell said.

"I think he’s found his switch," coach Steve Schrock said.

"He’s such a nice kid, he’s a friend to everybody, and part of that friendship has been kind of holding him back a bit. I hope he’s found the switch, that he has the ability and needs to know when to flip the switch and do what he did tonight. It was amazing."

Other gold-medal winners included two-time Far East champion Harry Bloom (158) of Kadena, who was accorded Outstanding Wrestler honors.

He was joined by teammates Aaron Avila (115), Tae Hon Paschal (129), J.C. Henderson (135), Jacob Bishop (141), Greg Harris (168) and brothers Aaron (215) and Gabe (heavyweight) Ahner.

Payne’s teammates Austin Cyr (101) and Nick Barker (108) also captured gold. The only non-Okinawa title winner was Riya Ridge (148) of American School In Japan.

Over in Korea, Seoul American, paced by double winners Erik Kingsley (158) and Abe Park (168), captured its 10th straight DODEA Korea wrestling regular-season title. The Falcons (8-0) romped 55-10 over undermanned Osan American, then edged Daegu American 33-25.While "not as strong as they normally are" this season, Daegu coach Bill Riggs feels the Falcons, under first-year coach Chris Dickinson "will still be competitive" at Far East, being held in Korea for the first time.

Matthew C. Perry’s girls basketball team won a Western Japan Athletic Association tournament at Marist Brothers International School in Kobe, Japan. Led by Rebekah Harwell, Bria Raines and Shavonte "Mimi" Wade, the Samurai routed Nagoya International 35-21 in Saturday’s final.Perry’s boys were not as fortunate in their WJAA tournament at Nagoya International, falling three points short in the boys final 63-60 against Kyoto International University Academy and tournament MVP Joel Blockson. John Ayers paced the Samurai with 25 points.

Migrated