Musings, mutterings and the occasional schmahts as Ornauer gets used to covering a tournament at a new venue and a base he's not been to for a long time ... first time since 1990 in Pusan, in fact:

-- You don't think Zama American's reigning Far East gold medalist Michael Spencer didn't view his pin of Nile C. Kinnick's Nick Gibbons in 1 minute, 30 seconds, with the least little bit of satisfaction? Nice turnaround for him, after getting pinned by Gibbons the last two times they faced each other, including Saturday's Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools finals.

-- And you don't think Gibbons viewed that stunning turn of events as a slap across the face with a wet squirrel? Time to get busy, he told himself afterward. Gotta get serious.

Musings, mutterings and the occasional schmahts as Ornauer prepares for as much a first-of-its-kind Far East wrestling tournament as he's ever seen in nearly 30 years out here:

-- Soooooooooo, did anybody see coming Osan American's boys basketball team's Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference Division I Tournament title coming?

-- Didn't think so.

-- Call them the Magnificent Seven 2.0.

-- I'm not sure anybody but MVP Dominique Williams, Best Rebounder Jeff Tinsley and the rest of the Cougars saw it coming.

-- You don't think they're paying attention at Class A Tournament programs in Seoul (Yongsan International-Seoul), Daegu (Daegu American), Taichung, Taiwan (defending champion Morrison Christian Academy) and especially

Boys
1, Kadena, Okinawa (26-8). Season sweep of Kubasaki.
2, Christian Academy Japan (20-1). Still rolling.
3, Seoul Foreign (24-5). Finally cooled off in KAIAC tournament by unlikely Osan.
4, Guam High (7-1). St. Paul Christian finally threw a bucket of cold water on Panthers.
5, Kubasaki, Okinawa (11-20). Cooled off by Kadena.
6, Faith Academy, Philippines (21-8).
7, Robert D. Edgren, Japan (10-4).
8, Yokota, Japan (14-11).
9, Osan American, South Korea (10-7). Another team finding right time to peak.
10, Daegu American, South Korea (13-6).

Girls
1, Seoul American (21-6). Rolled at KAIAC last weekend.
2, Faith Academy, Philippines (21-2).

Through games of Thursday; doesn't include the weekend; that's coming early next week.

Boys
1, Kadena, Okinawa (25-7). Seventh meeting with Kubasaki Friday.
2, Christian Academy Japan (19-1). Still rolling.
3, Seoul Foreign (22-4). Rolled at APAC.
4, Guam High (6-0). Haven't come close to cooling off.
5, Kubasaki, Okinawa (11-19). May be peaking at right time.
6, Nile C. Kinnick, Japan (13-10).
(tie), Robert D. Edgren, Japan (7-3).
7, E.J. King (7-4).
8, Faith Academy, Philippines (19-7). Suffered first loss since Hong Kong tournament.
10, Daegu American, South Korea (11-5).
10, St. Mary's International, Japan (11-10).

Girls
1, Seoul American (18-6).

He's better known for his kicking on the gridiron, a powerful left leg that serves as a one-man field-position determiner -- 75 percent of his kicks either went for touchbacks or pinned opponents inside their 20. So, what is Kadena junior Aaron Ahner doing on the wrestling mat, and how has he become so successful so quickly? Click here to find out why.

She may not be the tallest person in the world at 5-foot-1 1/2, but Yokota Panthers sophomore guard Erika Ettl plays like a giant on the basketball court, even when facing box-and-one, double- and triple-team defenses. Click here to read her story.

Tears for Fears sang "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" in the mid-1980s. If Ornauer had a chance to rule the world of Far East high school athletics and tournaments for a day, here's what he would do. Let's see how close Ornauer comes to whatever decisions come out of the next Far East Activities Council meeting in late March, perhaps the most important one since winter 1998 when DODEA Pacific voted to move girls basketball from spring to winter and girls soccer to vice versa:

-- First and foremost, overturn the 2004 decision that made Far East cross-country, tennis and wrestling meets into DODEA-only affairs.

Musings, mutterings and the occasional schmahts as Ornauer begins his pre-Far East tournament walk-throughs and wonders when the "real" Korea winter weather will settle in:

-- Looks like there may be a new sheriff in town at 180 pounds. Matt Payne, Kubasaki junior, rebounded smartly from losing to pre-Far East Tournament favorite Tyler Broome of Kadena at last month's "Beast of the Far East" Tournament at Yokosuka. He's beaten Broome three times since, including Saturday's two victories in the 3rd Rumble on the Rock Tournament in his home gym.

-- And welcome to Contenders' Row at 122 pounds fellow junior Jeff Mizell of Kadena; he took down Rumble favorite Soma Yoshida of St. Mary's International in the lone two-bouter in Saturday's final round.