Boys enter new era for Palmer basketball

PALMER — During his tenure as head coach of the Wasilla High School boys basketball program, Jason Marvel had a method when it came to putting together the Warriors’ annual schedule.

Marvel would load the first half of the season with as many tough opponents as possible — the traditional powers and the regulars in the state tournament. Wasilla took some losses early, but the idea was to prepare his team for the part of the year that mattered most — the Northern Lights Conference schedule and the postseason. It must have worked because Wasilla never missed the state tourney during Marvel’s time as head coach and wond a state title in 2007.

Now as the leader of the Palmer program, Marvel has taken the same methodology across the Valley.

With early season losses to Juneau-Douglas, Dimond, West Anchorage and Wasilla, Palmer is still searching for its first win, but Marvel is sticking with his goal of preparing his club for the latter half of the year.

“I think it’s going to pay off in the long run,” Marvel said last week.

Right now, the Moose are not just looking for their first win. The team is also working to find a new identity.

“A lot of them are having an identity crisis,” Marvel said. “We’re trying to find our identity.”

There’s a new coaching staff, led by Marvel, and the new systems implemented by his staff. There is the void left by the four graduated seniors who helped Palmer advance to the state tourney for the second-straight year in 2008. And there’s four new faces in the starting lineup.

“It’s a steep learning curve for them,” Marvel said. “We’ave got two completely new systems, both offense and defense. I knew taking the job, it wouldn’t be easy.”

But while the Moose did lose talent after the 2007-08 season, Marvel feels the Moose do have the pieces Palmer can build around.

“It’s just a matter of putting the pieces together,” Marvel said.

This season, Marvel said the Moose will be led by a strong senior class, a group that includes forward Mitch Swetzof, forward Jake Hillis, guard Shaq Odom and guard David Van Hoomissen.

“It’s a nice senior class,” Marvel said. “I told the seniors right off the bat, this is your team.”

Marvel’s also excited about the group of sophomores he has to work with, a collection that includes Christian Odom, Sean Niekamp and Trey Fullmer.

Two of those players, Christian Odom and Niekamp, already factor heavily into the Palmer game plan.

“We’re asking a lot out of them as sophomores, and they’re doing a great job,” Marvel said. “Those two guys are the future of this program. They’re getting a lot of minutes.”

The Moose also have junior Brennan Bohman.

Christian Odom has been running the offense at the point guard position and is sharing the back court with his older brother Shaq. Marvel said Shaq Odom will also see time at the point.

“He’s real long, real athletic,” Marvel said about the older Odom.

But Odom is not the only athlete Marvel is excited about. There’s also Swetzof.

“He’s one of the most athletic kids I think I’ve coached,” Marvel said. “If I can get him to realize that, he’s going to be a monster.”

Swetzof is expected to be among the leading scorers for Palmer this season, along with Hillis.

“(Hillis) is 6-foot-5 and can attack the basket,” Marvel said. “Which I love.”

Palmer’s difficult schedule continues with an away game at Service on Friday and a home contest against Chugiak on Saturday.

The Moose continue NLC play at Colony on Jan. 27.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.