Six of those 11 emerged victorious to help Service run away with the CIC crown. Service built a cushion of more than 100 points after Friday's semifinals, and even though South made up some ground during early consolation matches Saturday, the conference title was virtually locked up by the time Alex Nanez claimed the first victory in the finals for the Cougars.
Nanez, a junior, pinned South's Nick Ottom in 4 minutes, 25 seconds in the 113-pound division to win his first CIC title. He said there was some added satisfaction in beating a South wrestler, because South beat Service by one point in last season's conference tournament.
"I mean, they're our rival," Nanez said. "I mean, our coaches are good friends and all, but we're rivals in competition."
Service and South wrestlers alternated victories over the next four matches. The 120-pound final produced another Service-South showdown, with South sophomore Kraig Hammond pinning Service's Cody Paniptchuk in 5:51 for his second straight CIC title, but Hammond said he wasn't thinking much about the team rivalry during the match.
"It's not like football, where the enemy is the school," he said. "In wrestling the enemy is the other guy."
Service senior Stephen Ellis was well prepared for his opponent, earning the fastest pin of the finals when he took down West's Jacob Crews in 1:43 to win the 195-pound division.
The win was Ellis' third CIC title, and the two-time state champion said his mind shifted to next week's state tournament almost immediately after his match was over.
"This is where the real game begins," Ellis said. "Every single day as I'm looking in the mirror I ask myself if I'm working harder than my opponents, and if the answer is no, I've gotta work harder. If the answer is yes, I've gotta work harder."
The top six CIC wrestlers from each weight class qualified for this week's state tournament, which takes place Friday and Saturday at Bartlett High. Many of Saturday's CIC champions will enter as the top seeds.
Service senior Jacob Lunsford, who won his first CIC title, said the state tournament is the only thing that really matters to most wrestlers -- but it still felt pretty good to win a conference title.
"It's like that close second to state," he said.
For East sophomore Brennan Girard, who was named the meet's outstanding wrestler, wrestling in his first CIC title match was a nerve-wracking experience. His victory in the 106-pound division came in the first match of the finals, so it was the first to take place under a spotlight.
"I was really nervous when they brought out that spotlight," he said. "That made it real."
Girard said he had never heard a crowd yell so loud, but he could still hear his mom cheering as he won his match by a 7-4 decision over Service's Josh Fetko.
"I worked so hard for this, it's all I've wanted," he said. "I'd like to thank my mom and dad for putting up with me."
Girard may have been the tournament's most outstanding wrestler, but Chugiak could have won an award for having the most enthusiastic fans.
After Chugiak sophomore Richard Burroughs won his first CIC title, hanging on for a tense 8-7 decision over Service's Derek Zoria in the 220-pound division, a gang of Chugiak boys mobbed Burroughs at the edge of the mat. The group of shirtless boys had painted their torsos in black and blue school colors, each with a letter on their chests to spell out M-U-S-T-A-N-G-S. When the boys lined up to show off their artwork, the letters were in the wrong order.
"They may not know how to spell, but they got spirit," said Burroughs.
Burroughs made a late escape in the third and final round to get the point he needed for the win, and he said the screaming fans may have given him just the extra boost he needed.
"It got loud at the end," he said. "That was a rush."
Reach Jeremy Peters at jpeters@adn.com or 257-4335.
Cook Inlet Conference wrestling championships
At Chugiak High
Wrestler of the meet -- Brennan Girard, East.
CIC coach of the year -- Shawn Silverthorn, West.
Team Scores -- 1) Service, 350.0; 2) South, 314.0; 3) East, 238.0; 4) Chugiak, 209.5; 5) West, 147.5; 6) Eagle River, 140.5; 7) Dimond High, 59.5; 8) Bartlett, 30.0.
Championship matches
106 -- Brennan Girard, East, dec. Josh Fetko, Service, 7-4. 113 -- Alex Nanez, Service, p. Nick Ottum, South, 4:25. 120 -- Kraig Hammond, South, p. Cody Paniptchuk, Service, 5:51. 126 -- John Pounds, Service, dec. Masa Hu, Dimond, 7-2. 132 -- Johnny Hogenson, South, m.d. Mike Huck, West, 17-9. 138 -- Jacob Lunsford, Service, dec. Matt Downing, East, 4-1. 145 -- Dominic Taus, Eagle River, dec. Cesar Guzman, East, 3-1. 152 -- Rilen Skieens, Service, dec. Pedro Pena, West, 3-1. 160 -- Daniel Murakami, Service, won by injury default, Jacob Shangin, South. 170 -- Josh Wiggins, East, dec. Frankie Dunbar, Service, Dec 8-4; 182 -- Garrett Morrison, Chugiak, p. Ed Hall, Eagle River, 2:40; 195 -- Stephen Ellis, Service, p. Jacob Crews, West, 1:43. 220 -- Richard Burroughs, Chugiak, dec. Derek Zorea, Service, 8-7. 285 -- Caleb Green, Bartlett, dec. Erich Pili, Service, 3-1.
Third-place matches
106 -- Gavin Alvarado, South, dec. Kyle Willard, East, 6-0. 113 -- Gabe Larson, Service, dec. Zach Ritchie, South, 3-1. 120 -- Zack Luff, Eagle River, p. Alex Kennedy, East, 0:48. 126 -- Chase Jury, Chugiak, p. Luke Foster, South, 2:47. 132 -- Jacob Wenzl, Chugiak, dec. Dwayne Townes, East, 10-5. 138 -- Adam Downing, East, dec. Chase Bowerson, South, 5-2. 145 -- Josh Noe, South, p. Manny Torres,West, 1:33. 152 -- Robert Huffer, Chugiak, won by injury default, Nathan Hakala, South. 160 -- Nathan Gorski, Eagle River, dec. Karson Forbush, Chugiak, 4-1 170 -- Logan Sheets, Eagle River, dec. Keahi Queja, East, 12-7. 182 -- Robert Lopez, South p. Duncan Frank, Dimond, Pin 1:34. 195 -- Alex Medeiros, Chugiak, t.f. Jachike Madabuko, Eagle River, 20-4. 220 -- Ed Jones, East, dec. Bien Metcalfe, West, 7-3. 285 -- Kody Trombley, Chugiak, p. Derrick Jones, East, 3:36.
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