Kadena's Josiah Drummer, top, is one of four two-time defending Far East tournament champions wrestling Saturday in the 10th Rumble on the Rock. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
URUMA, Okinawa – With the last weekend of high school sports before the holiday break drawing near, one could label Nile C. Kinnick’s wrestling team the kings – and queens – of the road.
The Red Devils are splitting their numbers and heading to two events this weekend: 12 boys and seven girls wrestlers head to the 10th Rumble on the Rock on Okinawa and 20 boys and one girl to a DODEA-Japan event at Matthew C. Perry. Both are individual freestyle tournaments.
Having already seen the DODEA-Japan schools, Kinnick third-year coach Stan Hovell says he plans to travel to Okinawa to scope out teams the Red Devils will wrestle at the Far East tournament in February.
“This will give us a good look at Kubasaki and Kadena,” Hovell said of the teams that split the Far East tournament titles last year.
The Panthers and Dragons are plenty deep at some weight classes in Saturday’s Rumble at Ryukyu Middle School gym on Kadena, Hovell said, having had a glance at the brackets in advance. Rumble organizers said each team is permitted two wrestlers per weight class.
“They’re the ones we have to beat this year,” Hovell said of the Panthers, Dragons and St. Mary’s of Tokyo. They hold a combined 55 team titles in Far East tournaments.
Kinnick is taking most of its girls varsity contingent, while only a handful of boys varsity grapplers are headed to Okinawa, since it’s a self-funded trip, Hovell said. For the underclass and non-starters, it gives them a chance to experience major-tournament atmosphere, he said.
“Our girls, I’m confident that they’ll do well,” Hovell said. The Red Devils beat Seisen 7-3, with all seven girls winning by pin in their first action as a team last week.
Seisen and St. Mary’s will also travel to Okinawa and will be joined by two Japanese teams, Hobuku Norin and Urasoe Technical school.
Rumble will feature several returning Far East champions: St. Mary’s Hugo Miyamoto, Roman Leyko and Nathaniel Twohig, Kadena’s Josiah Drummer and Kubasaki’s Tim Cope, Noah Starr and Max Lundberg. Miyamoto, Leyko, Twohig and Drummer are two-time defending Far East champs.
At Iwakuni, the rest of Kinnick’s lineup squares off against Zama, Robert D. Edgren, Yokota, E.J. King and host Perry.
Meanwhile, Daegu will host Osan, Humphreys and Seoul Foreign in its final dual-meet action before the holiday break.
Hugo Miyamoto, right, of St. Mary's is one of four two-time defending Far East tournament champions wrestling at Saturday's 10th Rumble on the Rock tournament at Kadena. (Annika Farin/Special to Stripes)
On the hardwood, Kubasaki’s boys and girls host Kadena on Friday in the second of their four regular-season meetings.
Perry’s and King’s basketball teams are off to the Western Japan Athletic Association tournaments, boys at Senri Osaka and girls at Canadian Academy in Kobe.
Kinnick’s boys basketball team hosts Yokota, while the Red Devils girls travel to Yokota on Friday. Edgren’s boys and girls teams on Saturday will host the local Misawa High School teams.
Osan travels to Yongsan for boys and girls games Friday; the Korea league is on holiday after that until Jan. 8.
