Frontiersman
PALMER — Some programs boast quality, while others feature quantity.
 ROBERT DeBERRY/Frontiersman file photo Colony’s Charles Coisman tries to control East Anchorage’s Matt Mainoske during the 103-pound final of the 2007 ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Wrestling Championships. Coisman, who finished as the runner-up to Mainoske in the tourney, is one of 20 grapplers with state tournament experience on the Colony squad. |
And that makes it fairly difficult for opponents to figure out exactly what makes the two-time defending state champions so strong.
Is it the face Colony returns 20 state qualifiers, nine who have placed in the top six at state and a former state champion?
Or is it simply because of the obscene amount of depth the Knights sport at virtually every weight class?
“We’re pretty solid throughout the weight classes,” Colony head coach Fred McKenney said last week. “We’ve got kids who would qualify for state (on other teams) who aren’t even going to be able to compete at regions.”
McKenney said the Knights have 110 wrestlers on the squad this season, and much like Wasilla did during its run of three straight state titles earlier in the decade, the Knights will use that depth to routinley send varsity teams to multiple tournaments during the same weekend.
“A couple of times we’ll have three squads going different ways,” McKenney said.
Colony graduated only five seniors from a squad that finished 44 points ahead of runner-up Lathrop during the 2007 state championships, which sets the Knights up with the opportunity to score the state three-peat.
And if that’s not enough, McKenney said the Knights will only lose a handful of seniors at the end of this season, which could put the Knights in the position to put together the most dominant stretch in the state championships since West Valley won five straight titles from 1987 to 1991.
“The program is maturing and the ones that we are losing are being replaced by quality kids,” McKenney said.
McKenney stressed, despite the number of state qualifiers the Knights do return, Colony is still, “very young.”
Only six of Colony’s 20 state qualifiers are seniors and six others are juniors.
Senior Kyle Wilson — a three-time state qualifier — is Colony’s lone wrestler to have won a state title, and after finishing second in the 2007 state tourney, McKenney said Wilson is ready to get back on top of the state championship podium at the end of this season.
“He looked really good during the summer,” McKenney said. “We’s been wrestling really tough kids. He’s done extremely well and is definatley one to watch.”
Wilson and junior Charles Coisman each advanced to the state title match last year. Wilson was second at 119 and Cosiman was the runner-up at 103.
Four other returners wrestled in the consolation finals.
Sam Loggins (130) and Eric Fan (215) both finished third as sophomores, while Angelo Bellotte (189) was third as a junior.
Kenny Boykin (160) finished fourth as a sophomore.
Colony will also have a pair of wrestlers who advanced to the final round of the 2006 state championships. Senior Josh West finished second at 119 as a sophomore, and Chase Montgomery finished second at 103 as a freshman.
Isaac Wilson also placed in state last year, finishing fifth at 103 as a freshman.
Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.
Comments
4 comment(s)Veronika wrote on Oct 22, 2008 2:01 PM:
Oh for petes sake. wrote on Oct 17, 2008 2:19 PM:
"Mat Mom" is someone you could learn from.
I hardly think the Knights are afraid of anyone. They sound like a quality group of kids, with a pretty deep, quality program. Good luck to all! (Even Wasilla) "
Mat Mom wrote on Oct 14, 2008 6:31 PM:
Warrior wrote on Oct 14, 2008 7:58 AM: