Houston Hawks hockey squad wins fourth state title

Frontiersman editorial board

In fewer than 10 days, Valley sports teams have brought home state championship titles in separate sporting events.

First, the Wasilla Warriors won their second consecutive state wrestling title and, this weekend, Houston continued its domination in the Greatland Conference by winning its history-making fourth state championship title in five years, defeating Homer 4-1.

The impressive Houston hockey squad also won state titles in 2001, 2002 and 2004, narrowly missing the title in 2003 against Monroe Catholic.

Team captains Wade Williams and Rick Morlock both posted 60-plus points during the regular season and Williams, who is a senior this year, will graduate as the program's all-time leading scorer, with 220 points.

The two captains added to their season total during the championship game, with each scoring a goal. The Hawks trounced Kenny Lake 8-0 in the semifinals to send them onto the final round.

The overall record for the senior class squad members is an impressive 85-12-3, two state championships and three consecutive conference championships - remarkable achievements by any standard.

Head coach Jamie Smith has attributed the incredible accomplishments of the Houston team to outstanding leadership. We agree.

The leadership of Coach Smith and the senior members of Houston's hockey team is exemplary. The seniors have set a high standard for the junior members to follow using the best method possible. They set the high standard by example; they walked the walk and talked the talk.

We would like to congratulate the Hawks hockey team on yet another state championship title and giving the Mat-Su one more reason to be proud to call this home.

The dedication and hard work of the student athletes and coaches are immensely appreciated and we are pleased their efforts were rewarded with a much-deserved state title.