Photo Courtesy of Sitka Sentinel
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Mt. Edgecumbe High wrestling coach Mike Kimber has his hands full these days.
On a recent afternoon, his wrestlers, all 61 of them, were spread across the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium. A dozen or so of the more experienced grapplers were running stairs under the guidance of assistant coach Jason Christner.
And a larger group, the so-called "newbies," were being put through drills by volunteers Aaron Routen and Jared Reynolds as Kimber chatted with a reporter.
The Edgecumbe roster is deep and diverse, with grappers hailing from towns across this massive state, all the way from Hydaburg to Adak to Nome and Diomede.
Kimber said the 2009 Edgecumbe team has a lot of potential. "This team has the opportunity to learn a lot," Kimber said. "They are very young, but they work very hard."
With the big numbers on the mats for Edgecumbe, Kimber is able to fill all 14 weight classes. And while he has a number of inexperienced wrestlers, he said Mt. Edgecumbe's depth could allow the Braves to do some damage when the Region V tournament rolls around in December.
For that to happen, a few of the underclassmen will have to step up, Kimber said.
Seniors Ian Sia (135), Stefan Weingarth (171) and Henry Horner (140) are Kimber's captains. He also expects big things from Terry Rogers, a senior from Dillingham who has a shot at becoming a four-time state placer.
Rogers, who will likely wrestle 140 or 145 this year, finished third in the state at 135 last year. Rogers took the bronze on the heels of a fifth-place finish at 119 as a freshman, and a second-place finish in 2007 at 125.
Kimber said there are only a handful of 3A wrestlers around the state who have a chance to place at state for the fourth time.
Two sophomores should also be competitive for Kimber this year: Jaylin Prince, who is slotted at 215; and Fritz Guy, who will once again wrestle 103.
Guy lost in the Region V final last season to Sitka's Cameron O'Neill. But with O'Neill wrestling up at 112 in his junior season, Guy will be left to grapple with SHS's Melvin Villanueva.
Kimber said 103 would be a "tight fit," for Guy, but he expects the sophomore from Kwethluk to make weight.
Prince, of Kotlik, wrestled 189 last year and was on Kimber's 10 state qualifiers.
Another was Zach Ivanoff, who will wrestle at 145 this year after taking sixth in the state as a 135-pound sophomore in 2008. Expect Ivanoff to do battle with the handful of Sitka wrestlers who weigh around 145.
Kimber said he should also get a boost from the return of Lula Sheldon, a senior out of Ambler who is slotted at 125. Sheldon was hurt last year and missed the season.
In addition, Kimber has high expectations for David Olin, a freshman from Nome who wrestles at 119.
Kimber will be without three top wrestlers from his 2008 squad. Matt and Jesse Rogers, two-time state qualifiers from Dillingham, did not return to Mt. Edgecumbe this year, and Will Riley graduated. Riley was fourth in the state at 140 last year.
But the coach has a solid group of wrestlers who should be competitive in the region. And then there's the dozens of other wrestlers who have been showing up for practice each day. If Kimber finds a diamond or two in the rough, the Braves could emerge as a surprise force in Southeast.
"It's not the most talented team I've ever had, but it's a good team," Kimber said. "They are working very hard. We'll take our licks, but that's OK."
Kimber usually does't like to show his cards until late in the season, so it could be a few weeks before the true varsity roster emerges for the Braves.
Kimber, like his Sitka counterpart John Hedden, said he expected Petersburg to be strong once again in 2009. And he too likes Craig's chances in the region.
The Braves don't have a home tournament this season, but they don't have to go far on Oct. 30-31, when Sitka High will host a tournament.
And as of right now, Kimber's squad will take the ferry to the Region V tournament in Petersburg, where Edgecumbe wrestlers are expected to be represented in each weight class. When Edgecumbe flies, Kimber can take only 12 wrestlers. But expect a few dozen Braves to arrive in Petersburg for the Southeast tournament.