All-conference list stocked with Valley talent

PALMER — More often than not, the utility player of the year award is reserved for the tweener.

Typically it’s a Jack of all trades, but also an athlete coaches aren’t quite sure where to fit. Maybe receiver? Maybe a running back? Maybe a kick returner?

Luke Heun does not fit that mold, but he’s a player the Palmer coaching staff can fit in just about anywhere.

Heun, a senior who helped lead the Palmer Moose to an undefeated regular-season record and conference title, has been named the Railbelt Conference Utility Player of the Year.

“We could put him at five or six positions on both sides of the ball, he plays on all the special teams,” longtime Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen said. “We feel like we can put him in any spot.”

Heun, who finished the regular season second on the team with five rushing touchdowns, routinely lines up at fullback and tailback, and can be the slot or even split out wide if needed on offense. On defense, Heun can play all over the back seven.

“He’s our quarterback of the defense,” Christiansen said.

Heun was one of two Palmer players to receive major conference awards. Senior lineman Cole Frohling was named the Railbelt Lineman of the Year.

“We really felt that Cole, our best lineman on both sides of the ball, really helped us win the conference,” Christiansen said. “We were very happy.”

Frohling has been a constant on the Palmer starting front lines for the bulk of his three-year varsity career.

“He does the right things,” Christiansen said. “He’s very physical, and he doesn’t make many mistakes.”

Christiansen, who moved into a tie for second place on Alaska’s list of all-time winningest coaches with a quarterfinal victory over East Anchorage last Friday, was named the conference head coach of the year. Longtime assistant and defensive coordinator Keith Armstrong was named the Railbelt Assistant Coach of the Year.

Christiansen — who, at least temporarily, shares No. 2 on the all-time wins list with former Kenai, East and Chugiak coach Bruce Shearer at 130 victories — was particularly happy to see Armstrong recognized.

“He really works hard putting (a game plan) together, putting guys in the right spots,” Christiansen said of Armstrong, a member of the PHS football staff for nearly 20 years. “He’s not afraid to change things up to try to get personnel in the best spots.”

Palmer, thanks to its first-place finish in the conference, landed eight players on the first team. Heun received the nod at defensive back and Frohling was named first-team offensive tackle. Running back James Nisbett, quarterback Cameron Christiansen, tight end Hayden Niekamp, defensive back Dylan Myers and linebackers Ben Aumavae and Chris Cooney were all named first-team for the Moose.

Nisbett currently leads the state with 1,525 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns.

Myers, Aumavae and Cooney helped anchor a Palmer defense that allowed the fewest points in the Railbelt Conference.

The Knights, who finished just outside the playoffs in fifth place, scored four spots on the first team. Quarterback Rob Lorentz, linebacker Austin Rench and wide receivers Antonio Bush and Daniel Bilafer all earned first-team honors.

Lorentz finished the season with a school-record 1,977 yards passing, which placed him seventh on Alaska’s all-time single-season passing list. Bilafer broke the school record with 61 catches. His total is second on the state’s all-time single-season list. Bush shattered Colony’s school mark for receiving yards in a season with 851.

Rench led the Colony defense.

“He was the heart and soul of our defense,” Colony head coach Brian McIntosh said of Rench. “The last four or five games, he’s been lights out.”

Wasilla, which finished seventh in the Railbelt, placed a pair of players on the first team. Tight end Cash McGregor and running back Mitchell Rilatos both earned first-team honors. McGregor, a tight end, broke the Wasilla school record for catches in a season with his 40 grabs. He also scored at least a touchdown in seven straight games. Rilatos led the Warriors with 761 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.

Wasilla lineman Austin Ring was named the conference’s top long snapper.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com, follow him @matsu_sports and find him by searching Valley Sports Huddle on Facebook.

2012 All-Railbelt

Conference team

Offensive Player of the Year: Moo Rogers, North Pole.

Defensive Player of the Year: Charles Sudduth, West Valley.

Lineman of the Year: Cole Frohling, Palmer.

Utility Player of the Year: Luke Heun, Palmer.

Head coach of the Year: Rod Christiansen, Palmer.

Assistant coach of the Year: Keith Armstrong, Palmer.

First team offense:

Quarterback — Cameron Christiansen, Palmer; Moo Rogers, North Pole; Robert Lorentz, Colony; Running back — James Nisbett, Palmer; Larenzo Graham, West Valley; Kaelan Lee, Lathrop; Mitchell Rilatos, Wasilla; Fullback — Jamal Cummings, West Valley; Wide receiver — Lance Wright, North Pole; Brian Brassfield, Juneau; Antonio Bush, Colony; Daniel Bilafer, Colony; Tight end — Hayden Niekamp, Palmer; Cash McGregor, Wasilla; Offensive tackle — Cole Frohling, Palmer; Zach Swartz, North Pole; Keenan Alexander, North Pole; Travis Duvernay, Juneau; Cole Foster, Lathrop; Guard — Aaron Betts, North Pole; Center — Kristian Petaja, Juneau;

First-team defense:

Defensive line — James Clawson, West Valley; Jackson Curry, West Valley; Linebacker — Ben Aumavae, Palmer; Chris Cooney, Palmer; Derek Vance, Juneau; Austin Rench, linebacker; Hunter Desmond, Lathrop; Defensive back — Luke Heun, Palmer; Dylan Myers, Palmer; Lane Bonham, North Pole; Ray Johnson, North Pole; Charles Sudduth, West Valley; Mason Jeffries, West Valley; Aquino Brinson, Juneau

First-team special teams:

Kicking specialist — Jackson Leinhart, Juneau; Punting specialist — Riley Hinz, West Valley; Kick returner — Hunter Desmond, Lathrop; Long snapper — Austin Ring, Wasilla.

Second-team offense:

Quarterback — Ben Fielder, Wasilla; Tucker Plass, West Valley; Gabe Cunningham, Lathrop; Running back — Matt Wentland, North Pole; Dominick Anderson, West Valley; Demetrius Campos, Juneau; Billy Palmer, Juneau; Wide receiver — Daniel DeLay, Palmer; Trevor Pfaff, Juneau; Hunter Desmond, Lathrop; Derrick O’Neal, Lathrop; Tight end — Ray Tamse, North Pole; Offensive tackle — Nick Benshetler, Palmer; Patrick West, West Valley; Guard — Garrett Tucker, North Pole; Sam Talliai, Colony; Center — Lance Casagranda, Palmer; Randle Kimball, North Pole; Austin Ring, Wasilla.

Second-team defense:

Defensive line — Mason Swinehart, Palmer; Cole Frohling, Palmer; Alex Orozco, West Valley; Nathan Umbarger, Colony; Sam Talliai, Colony; Jeremy Compton-Fayette, Colony; Dakota Hermans, Wasilla; Linebacker — Ryan Wicklund, North Pole; Lars Evanger, West Valley; Dartanen Campos, Juneau; Cash McGregor, Wasilla; Defensive back — Vincent Aumavae, Palmer; Jordan Copeland, North Pole; Jordan Kelley, West Valley; Brenyn Marshall, Juneau; Samson Nauer, Juneau; Ken McCoy, Lathrop; Devin Campbell, Colony; Kaelen Lee, Lathrop; Chris Seminario, Lathrop; Bryce Serna, Wasilla.

Honorable mention offense:

Quarterback — Austin McCoy, North Pole; Dorian Isaak, Juneau; Running back — Vincent Aumavae, Palmer; Trey Williams, Juneau; Wyatt Peltier, Colony; Fullback — Zeth Merritt, Palmer; Ryan Wicklund, North Pole; Fischer Summers, Colony; Wide receiver — Anthony Gibson, North Pole; Kris Hill, Juneau; Chris Seminario, Colony; Isaiah Dawkins, Wasilla; Offensive tackle — Luke Goepfert, West Valley; Hunter Hickok, Juneau; DJ Mutini, Colony; Trevor Taylor, Wasilla; Guard — Caleb Nielsen, Palmer; Ben Button, Palmer; JD Hudson, Juneau; Center — Mitch Chausse, North Pole; Brandon Maniaci, Colony; Brandon Webb, Lathrop.

Honorable mention defense:

Defensive line — Brian Thompson, Palmer; Chris Starkey, North Pole; Aaron Betts, North Pole; Ryland Ellis, North Pole; Trusty Sigmon, West Valley; Mike Moore, West Valley; Stefan Jones, Juneau; Jeremiah Webb, Lathrop; Cyrus Dedrick, Wasilla; Linebacker — Cody Wells, Palmer; Jacob Vinton, West Valley; Hyland Story, West Valley; Myles Cullenberg, Colony; Alex Fuller, Wasilla; Defensive back — James Nisbett, Palmer; Brett Grill, North Pole; Shane McKinstry, Lathrop; Chance Morrison, Wasilla; Punter — Robert Tanner, Lathrop.