Senior Della Churchill defeated two different Petersburg opponents in wrestling match-ups Friday, Nov. 15. The one-night exhibition was senior night at Wrangell High School.
Hailey Cook (top) wrestled Bella Ritchie in one of the exhibition matches featuring Wrangell wrestlers competing against their teammates.
Wrangell's Lucas Stearns (right) and Michael Cook are tangled up in their exhibition match.
Jackson Carney (top) and Ian Nelson were among the Wrangell wrestlers who put on a show for the home crowd last Friday.
Wrangell's Everett Meissner pinned Petersburg's Edgar Olsen in competition on Nov. 15.
In a series of intersquad and exhibition matches, Wrangell wrestlers put on a show in front of their fans, friends and families.
On Friday, Nov. 15, the high school wrestling team hosted their only home event of the year. Petersburg made the trip to town for the one-day meet, comprised of a handful of exhibition matches between the two rivals.
The senior night festivities that preceded the competition were emotional for head coach Jack Carney. Carney, who also serves as the middle school wrestling coach, has worked with two of the three graduating seniors for the past seven years.
"I've worked with Della (Churchill) and Vanessa (Barnes) from sixth grade to 12th," he said. "I've won lots of titles with these girls, lots of matches, and just gone through the highs and lows of life. It's going to be tough to see them go."
Kyan Stead is the third graduating senior on the team. While he only started wrestling two seasons ago, Carney has relished the opportunity to coach the newcomer.
"He's just a great kid," Carney said. "He's really coachable. He's been such a great part of the team. We will miss all of them certainly."
On the mat, Wrangell wiped the floor with Petersburg, winning eight of the nine exhibition matches - all by pin to boot. Carney also organized a dozen friendly inter-squad matches within the team. But by the end of the night, he said his wrestlers were begging him for some more time on the mat.
Lucas Stearns was matched up against Michael Cook. Carney said the match between the 130-pound freshmen was great to watch and the boisterous crowd of nearly 150 was getting into it. In another match, Jackson Carney and Everett Meissner, two of the team's best, were paired up against one another. Carney ended up winning by one point, but Meissner managed to put the sophomore sensation on his back.
"Jackson has only been put on his back one other time this year," coach Carney laughed, "So he wasn't too happy."
Churchill put on a show during her senior night, dismissing her two Petersburg opponents "pretty quickly," according to Carney. Stead and Barnes also won their matches, rounding out an unblemished senior celebration.
Cody Barnes achieved quite the feat in his match, beating a guy about 30 pounds heavier than him handedly.
"Cody pinned him real fast in the first round," Carney recalled. "He threw the guy straight on his back, so there was some excitement. The crowd was into it."
Up next, Wrangell will attend the Sitka Invitational on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22-23, before a weekend off to rest up for the final push of the season: the final regular season tournament in Petersburg, Southeast championships in Haines the next week and then the state championships in Anchorage.
The team is also hosting a fried halibut fundraiser on Nov. 30. The event will be held at the Stikine Inn to help fund the team's travel and operating costs.
"Come down and support the wrestlers," Carney said, "and get some really good, deep-fried halibut. It's amazing."
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