Prep wrestling: Mr. Nice guy? Colony standout is a lot tougher than he looks

Jan. 30, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

PALMER - At first glance, Hollan Gravley appears to be just your average, everyday Mr. Nice Guy. At 5-feet, 6-inches tall and 135 pounds, he doesn't stand out in a crowd, and the glasses he wears give him a decidedly bookish look.

In fact, when Colony Head coach Fred McKenney first saw Gravley as a freshman, the coach said the youngster “looked like Harry Potter.”

But get the Colony High School Senior on a wrestling mat, and Gravley is anything but nice. In fact, the Potter reference could be somewhat apt. That's because when Hollan Gravely wrestles, he's nothing short of a wizard.

In Alaska high school history, only four wrestlers have won individual state titles in all four years of their high school careers. After dominating the competition at last weekend's Northern Lights Conference tournament, Gravely will be a heavy favorite to join that elite club at this weekend's state meet.

Need further proof of Gravley's dominance? He hasn't lost a single match to an Alaska opponent in more than two years, and the next-closest rival at his weight class this year - Wasilla's Duane Carpenter - elected to wrestle at 140 pounds for the Conference and State meets. On the season, Gravley is 41-2 on the season, and won every match during the NLC tourney by pin.

The secret to that phenomenal success, said McKenney, is the wrestler's single-minded desire to become the best at his chosen craft.

“He has all the tools,” McKenney said after another routine Gravley pin during second round of the NLC tourney.

McKenney said Gravley doesn't overpower his opponents with brute force, but rather uses his superior knowledge of the sport to out-wrestle them.

“He's a technician from the word go,” McKenney said.

The Colony coach said it's been a joy to have such a cerebral wrestler on his squad because of the high level of technique he and Gravely discuss during practice.

“I'm not teaching him half-nelson's that's for sure,” McKenney said. “He's very much a student of the sport.”

That studious nature carries over to the classroom at Colony, where he earned a 3.3 grade point average last semester.

“He's a good student,” McKenney said.

Gravley has been wrestling for 11 years, ever since he got interested in the sport by watching his older brother, Hunter. But while he's the most dominant wrestler to ever come through the Colony program, Gravley isn't one to spend much time talking about his accomplishments. Rather, in a sports culture full of athletes driven by a desire for accolades, Gravley really only has one thing in mind when he steps onto a wrestling mat.

“I've just always liked it,” he said. “It's fun.”

Wrestling is Gravely's only sport, although - like most of his peers who grew up in the Valley - he said he does enjoy outdoor activities, especially hunting and fishing. He missed out on moose season this year because he wrecked his truck, but said that really just gave him more time to focus on his wrestling.

If - and most likely, when - Gravley caps his career with a fourth state title, he won't be riding off into the sunset. In fact, his wrestling career is just beginning, as he's headed to Western State College in Gunnison, Colo. this Fall on a wrestling scholarship.

But first things first, and that means a few more matches to enjoy and learn more about his sport. Barring a spectacular upset, Gravley is on the verge of Alaska wrestling immortality, and said a fourth title would be a satisfying end to a sparkling career.

“It will be pretty cool, I guess,” he said. “A nice way to cap off my career.”

Nice, indeed.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com