BACK IN THE HUNT

PALMER — During the last few years, there’s been little drama when it came to the battle for the 4A state team title.

Colony marched its way to a fourth straight crown during the 2010 championships. And much like their prior runs to the top, Colony clinched its team title before the final round even started. This year, the four-time defending champs are again expected to contend for the title, but second-year Colony head coach Dave Booth knows the Knights can’t exactly bank on coasting toward a fifth straight victory.

“We’ll be in the hunt, but there’s a lot of good teams out there this year,” Booth said, listing programs such as Service, East Anchorage, Lathrop, North Pole and Valley rival Wasilla. “They’re all going to be tough. Everybody’s going to be good.”

Booth said he certainly does not expect his team to clinch a team title during the state semifinals like the Knights have done a few times recently.

“I think it could be different this year. It could come down to your backside guys,” Booth said.

If that’s the case, Colony will look to bring another deep team to the state tournament. Last year, Colony qualified 22 wrestlers for state and half of those athletes finished in the top six of their respective weight classes.

Colony lost its fair share of talent. State champions Eric Fan (215) and Kenny Boykin (171) graduated, along with runners-up Charles Coisman (119) and Sam Loggins (130). Ryan Knutson, fifth at 160, also graduated, and two other state placers transferred. Noah Roetman transferred to Kotzebue after placing fifth at 103 as a freshman with the Knights. Gabe Loggins, sixth at 125 as a sophomore, moved with his family to the Lower 48.

But the Knights’ wrestling room is far from bare. Booth said he has about 75 grapplers on the roster, and that number should rise now that the Colony varsity football team’s season is over.

One of those football players who will now join the team is expected to be one of the Knights’ top talents this year, senior Renn Wright.

Last season, Wright finished as the runner-up in the heavyweight class.

“He has to be a favorite early in the season,” Booth said.

The Knights also have seniors Kyle Boss and Nate Wolfe, who finished third and sixth respectively in the 145-pound class at the state tournament. Wolfe is a defending Northern Lights Conference champion.

Luke Faulkner, who placed fifth in state at 130, is also back.

Another top returner for the Knights is Isaac Wilson, who won the NLC title at 112 pounds, but missed the state tournament due to injury.

“He would have been a favorite to make the finals,” Booth said.

Overall, the Knights are young, Booth said. But there are few intriguing talents among the underclassmen. Quace Wright, a youth national champion, leads the Colony freshman class.

“He’s going to be tough,” Booth said.

The Knights also have freshman Wade Booth, who won the 103-pound class at the Houston Invitational last Saturday.

Potentially a top newcomer is senior Nathan Such, the Cook Inlet Conference runner-up at 160 last season.

Booth will also look to other veterans of the program, such as Skye Rench, to fill the void left by the departed state placers.

“He’s looked really good at camp,” Booth said.

Booth said Rench was the third on the depth chart in his weight class last season, but could have made the region tournament on other programs. Teams are only allowed to bring two athletes per class to the region meet. Booth said the same could be said about a few other Knights wrestlers.

“For a lot of kids, this is their turn to show what they’ve got,” Booth said. “Those kids have worked hard for years, now they get their shot.”

** Editor’s note: This is the first story in a four-part series previewing local prep wrestling teams.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com. Follow him at Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.