2015: A year in Valley sports

WASILLA — People across the globe will raise their glasses Dec. 31 as the clock strikes midnight in a collective toast, bidding farewell to the year that has passed, and welcoming the year ahead.

We measure our time in hours, days, months and years. But in my business, there’s an additional measurement.

Editions of the newspaper.

For us, at the thrice-weekly Frontiersman, in the last 12 months, or 365 days, our year has been divided into 156 editions. And for me, that’s 156 editions worth of local sports coverage. And as I join you all in reflecting on the past year, I can’t help but look back at the year’s worth of local sports that made up the 156 Frontiersman sports sections.

Once again, 2015 presented us with no shortage of storylines. Champions were crowned, eras ended and tenures began. There were inspiring moments, celebrated milestones and thrilling victories. The year also featured its fair share of controversy.

The following is a list that includes, what I believe to be, some of the top Mat-Su Valley sports stories from 2015.

Dallas Seavey wins third Iditarod

Seavey, a member of a regarded mushing family, added to his family’s legacy with his third Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Racing title in 2015. Seavey, who outpaced his father, Mitch, for the title, stormed into Nome, clocking an official time of 8 days, 18 hours, 13 minues and 6 seconds. He finished about four minutes ahead of his dad, a former champ.

Dallas Seavey, who won for the second straight year, stood in first place when he left one of the final checkpoints, White Mountain. But Seavey told reporters during a post-race press conference in Nome, that leaving White Mountain in first place, was more “eerie” than exciting.

“I was sitting in exactly the position that (four-time Iditarod winner Jeff King) was in last year,” Seavey said at the press conference, recalling his rally to best King in 2014. “(He had) a fast dog team, a big lead, and it looked like a done deal.”

But rather than falling behind, Seavey prevailed again in 2015 to win his third career title.

After his win in March, Seavey continued to power forward in his mushing career. Not only has Seavey continued to work toward more mushing glory, but he’s helping to revolutionize training in the sport. In an feature story that appeared in the Frontiersman in August Seavey spoke of a 50-foot treadmill housed in a climate controlled trailing at his Willow kennel that will allow him to train dogs year-round.

Miners continue to excel

The Mat-Su Miners continued to solidify the team’s reputation of a premiere organization in the Alaska Baseball League with a third straight runner-up finish in the summer collegiate amateur baseball league. The Miners ultimately fell just short of the league crown, falling to the Anchorage Bucs in a best-of-3 series. But Mat-Su was clearly the dominant team in the ABL throughout the two-month regular season. Mat-Su clinched its spot in the ABL Top of the World Series with 10 games left in the regular season. The Miners also dominated in the postseason awards.

Wasilla mentor nets 400th win

Longtime Wasilla High School girls basketball mentor Jeannie-Hebert Truax netted the 400th career victory of her illustrious coaching career at WHS. The win came in a nonconference game against Service in early 2015, and she was honored during a home game in February.

Hebert-Truax, who recently began her 21st season as the head coach of the Warriors girls is the winningest girls basketball head coach in Alaska history. She has guided her teams to four state titles and 11 Northern Lights Conference crowns.

Hebert-Truax is one of the most recognized athletes in Alaska history. She was a member of four state championship girls basketball teams in high school, winning two with North Pole and two with Monroe Catholic in Fairbanks. After high school, Hebert-Truax stared at Division I Miami (Fla.), and finished her career ranked second in program history in assists (694), third in scoring (1,766 points) and fourth in steals (237). She also helped the Hurricanes earn their first berth into the NCAA tournament in 1989.

Hebert-Truax is a member of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, ASAA Hall of Fame, University of Miami (Fla.) Hall of Fame and was named an all-time Legend by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Controversy hits American Legion program

The Wasilla-based Alaska Road Warriors American Legion baseball program was dealt a blow long before the 2015 campaign started. About two months before the season, Post 35 field manager Myrl Thompson was abruptly dismissed by Alaska American Legion officials.

Despite great success during his three years with the program, Thompson was booted, even though Thompson had the support of parents, players and Wasilla Post 35 commander Jim Petito. The list of allegations against Thompson included the use of a player deemed ineligible by Alaska Legion. The team had already been punished, forced to forfeit a game during the 2014 state tournament. During a March 26, 2015, meeting between league and Post 35 officials, league officials brought documents detailing further allegations. There were no records of discipline against Thompson for any of the allegations prior to the termination. League officials continue to decline comment about the termination or allegations.

In his three years, Thompson compiled a 49-13 mark. With Thompson at the helm, the Warriors finished the regular season second in one season, and first in two seasons. He was also named coach of the year in 2014.

North Pole forfeits football game

Undoubtedly the most bizarre local sports story of 2015 was North Pole High School’s decision to forfeit its varsity prep football game at Colony High.

Two days before Colony was slated to host North Pole in a Week 8 nonconference contest, Colony High officials received word that North Pole would not be making the trip to Colony. Midway through the week, North Pole school officials cited concerns about weather and road conditions as the reasons for forfeiting the Friday night game. But additional reports surfaced that North Pole head coach Richard Henert had resigned, and offensive coordinator Jon Rogers had been placed on administrative leave by the Fairbanks North Star School District.

With the loss of the home game, Colony lost about $5,000 of expected revenue from concessions and ticket sales. The Knights were also forced to reschedule their senior night ceremony. Fortunately for Colony High and the Knights, Colony had already clinched the Railbelt Conference title and hosted a quarterfinal playoff game.

Chuck Martin goes blue

As we see every year, there were a number of coaching changes in the Valley varsity prep ranks. But the biggest move, in my mind, was Palmer High’s hire of Chuck Martin as its boys’ basketball coach.

Martin is one of the most notable hoops mentors the Valley has seen. Martin, who served as activities director at Wasilla High during the 2014-15 school year, replaced Brandon Blake, who retired from teaching after the 2014-15 season. Martin has nearly 30 years of coaching experience. In addition to time at the NCAA Division I and NAIA levels on the college ranks, Martin has been a head coach at Houston, Colony and Wasilla, compiling a 283-89 mark in a combined 14 years at the three Valley schools.

Palmer High also saw the debut of former Moose volleyball standout Jayme DeHart as the head coach of the PHS volleyball program. Elgin Hollins replaced longtime girls basketball coach Lyle Busbey at PHS.

Also at Palmer High, former East head coach Jeff Varvil made his debut as the Moose hockey coach, replacing longtime Valley hockey coach Eric Troisi, who retired following the 2014-15 season. New Palmer wrestling co-head coaches Dan Graham and Don Malone were named Co-Coaches of the Year by the Northern Lights Conference.

At Colony High School, former Knights star Rhett Magner made his debut as the head coach of the football program.

At Wasilla High School, longtime boys soccer mentor Blake Livingston retired after a stellar run with the Warriors.

Valley schools awarded with ASAA state tournaments

In December, the Alaska Schools Activities Association Board of Directors awarded Valley schools with three state tournaments.

Palmer High’s bids to host the medium-schools football championships and the state track and field meets were both approved. Wasilla High, which will host the state hockey tournaments for the 10th straight year in February, earned the right to host the tourneys until at least 2019.

This could be among 2015’s biggest stories related to Valley high school sports, considering the potential for positive economic impact for the community, and chance to showcase Valley athletic facilities.

It will also mark the first time an ASAA state football championship is hosted outside the Anchorage municipality.

Football landscape continues to change

In October ASAA announced Chugiak will move from the Cook Inlet Conference to the Railbelt, and will join Colony, Wasilla, Lathrop and West Valley in a five-team conference. It’s the second change in as many years for the Railbelt. Prior to the 2015 season, Palmer was moved from the large-schools Railbelt to medium-schools Northern Lights Conference.

Palmer was a member of the NLC until 2000, when ASAA expanded football from a single-classification sport. The Moose returned to the NLC in 2015, and despite dropping a class, Palmer missed the postseason, snapping its state record of 15 straight trips to the playoffs.

Houston also dropped a class, as part of ASAA’s offseason reclassification in 2015, moving from the medium-schools level to the small-schools Aurora Conference. The Hawks enjoyed an improved season, finishing 4-4 overall and 2-2 in conference play. The Hawks were also 4-0 at home.

Valley champions

The Valley was home to a number of state champions in 2015. The Houston Hawks hockey squad skated to a 3-0 victory over Monroe Catholic in the 3A state championship game in February to win the program’s seventh state title in school history. The victory was extra sweet for the Houston upperclassmen who suffered losses in the 3A championship in each of the previous two seasons.

The Colony Knights wrestling team actually finished as a state champion and a state runner-up in the team standings in the same calendar year.

How?

Colony powered its way to the team time in February, capping the 2014-15 campaign with its fifth state title in program history. During the offseason, ASAA made a change to the 4A wrestling calendar to align the season with the 123A season. With the change, both classes start their seasons in October and end in late December. That added a second state championship meet with the 2015 calendar year. In December, Colony finished as the runner-up for the 2015 season.

In all, 10 Valley wrestlers earned state titles in 2015. Wasilla’s Micah Mathis (98 pounds) and DJ Morrow (170); Colony’s Sam Sisco (106) and Kamber Lucas (160); and Palmer’s Ben Button (220) each finished their 2014-15 campaign with a state title. Mathis (113) won his second straight state title at the 2015 4A championships in December, joining teammate Samuel Wolff (138) at the top of the podium. Colony’s Levi Hopkins (120), Robert Haan (170) and Dawson Nash (182) also won state titles. Houston’s Ezra Lincecum (220) earned a state championship in the 123A class.

In the pool, a pair of Valley athletes earned their second straight individual state title. Wasilla’s Brayden Schachle won the boys diving state title for the second consecutive year. Colony’s Joseph Anderson won his second straight state title in the boys’ 100 breaststroke at the ASAA/First National Bank State Swimming Championships in November.

A trio of Valley athletes earned individual titles during the ASAA/First National Bank State Track and Field Championships in May. Wasilla’s Ceil Dunleavy won her second straight state title in the girls’ high jump. Fellow Warrior Sylvia Tuisaula finished first in the girls’ shot put, and Colony’s Brandon Nicholson won the boys’ triple jump.

Well, these are just a few of the notable storylines from the world of Mat-Su Valley sports in 2015. I could have probably written another 2,000 words. Now, it’s time to get ready for another busy year.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.