Retiring teacher, coach urges Colony grads to ‘find their 68’
By Jeremiah Bartz Frontiersman.com A football coach using a hockey reference as the centerpiece for his keynote address may
WASILLA — Colony’s girls soccer team will pay a visit to a state powerhouse in the opening game of the 2008 spring sports schedule.
The Knights, who missed out on a state tournament bid last season, will travel to Juneau April 4 for a pair of games against the Crimson Bears, a team that placed third at state a year ago.
Colony also opened its season last year in Juneau, taking a pair of losses to the Crimson Bears and a team from Wheatridge, Colo.
Knights coach Lori Miner said she’s again expecting Juneau to give her squad a good, tough early-season test.
“I’m expecting a fast-paced, intense game that they always produce,” she said.
The 2008 Northern Lights Conference soccer tournament is May 22-24 in Soldotna, while state is the following weekend at Anchorage Football Stadium.
April 4 is also the first day track athletes are scheduled to compete, with Palmer hosting a tri-meet at its track, which athletic director Jeff Thiede said has been clear of ice and snow for a month now.
“They’ve been out there practicing every day,” Thiede said.
Thiede said Palmer and Colony will compete in the meet, with a third team yet to be determined.
The first unofficial track meet of the season is actually scheduled for today, with Palmer, Wasilla, Colony and Houston getting together at Palmer after school for some informal events.
Palmer is set to play host to several of the largest meets of the season, with the Palmer Relays set for May 2 and 3, the Mat-Su Borough Championships planned for May 6 and 7 and the NLC meet set for May 16 and 17.
The state track championships are at Lathrop May 23 and 24.
The first big track meet of the season will take place inside the new Dome at ChangePoint in Anchorage on April 11 and 12.
Track coaches are excited about the prospect of getting indoors for a meet while temperatures outside are still chilly.
“Wow, it’s 70 degrees in there,” Wasilla coach Gary Howell said. “It’s nice.”
Schedules for soccer and track have been finalized, while the finishing touches are still being put on the baseball and softball schedules for this season. The state baseball and softball tournaments are set for the first weekend in June, with the baseball tournament slated for June 5-7 at Growden Park in Fairbanks and softball June 6 and 7 at Cartee Fields in Anchorage.
Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@
2008 Spring track/soccer schedule
(Some game times have yet to be announced, game times and dates
subject to change.)
Friday, April 4
Girls soccer
Colony @ Juneau
Track
Colony @ ACS
Palmer Tri Meet, 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 5
Girls soccer
Colony @ Juneau
Track
Colony @ ACS
Friday, April 11
Track
Colony, Palmer, Wasilla @ Sports Dome
Saturday, April 12
Track
Colony, Palmer, Wasilla @ Sports Dome
Tuesday, April 15
Boys soccer
Palmer at Lumen Christi, 1 p.m.
Thursday, April 17
Boys soccer
West Valley @ Colony
Lathrop at Wasilla, 6 p.m.
Girls soccer
West Valley at Colony
Lathrop at Wasilla, 4 p.m.
Friday, April 18
Girls soccer
Houston @ Kenai, 2 p.m.
Lathrop at Palmer, 4 p.m.
West Valley at Wasilla, 4 p.m.
Boys soccer
Houston @ Kenai, 4 p.m.
Lathrop at Palmer, 6 p.m.
West Valley at Wasilla, 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 19
Boys soccer
Lathrop at Colony, noon
West Valley at Palmer, 2 p.m.
Girls soccer
Lathrop at Colony, 10 a.m.
West Valley at Palmer, noon
Tuesday, April 22
Boys soccer
Palmer at Colony, 4 p.m.
Girls soccer
Palmer at Colony, 6 p.m.
Thursday, April 24
Boys soccer
Soldotna at Houston, 6 p.m.
Colony at Wasilla, 6 p.m.
Girls soccer
Soldotna at Houston, 4 p.m.
Colony at Wasilla, 4 p.m.
Friday, April 25
Track
Colony, Houston, Palmer, Wasilla at Skyview
Boys soccer
Soldotna at Palmer, 3 p.m.
Kenai at Colony, 4 p.m.
Grace at Houston, 6 p.m.
Nikiski at Wasilla, 6 p.m.
Girls soccer
Grace at Houston, 4 p.m.
Nikiski at Wasilla, 4 p.m.
Soldotna at Palmer, 5 p.m.
Kenai at Colony, 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 26
Track
Colony, Houston, Palmer, Wasilla at Skyview
Boys soccer
Kenai at Palmer, 9 a.m.
Nikiski at Houston, 2 p.m.
Girls soccer
Kenai at Palmer, 11 a.m.
Nikiski at Houston, noon
Tuesday, April 29
Girls soccer
Houston at Colony, 4 p.m.
Wasilla at Palmer, 4 p.m.
Boys soccer
Houston at Colony, 6 p.m.
Wasilla at Palmer, 6 p.m.
Thursday, May 1
Girls soccer
Wasilla at Grace, 2 p.m.
Juneau at Palmer, 4 p.m.
Boys soccer
Wasilla at Grace, 4 p.m.
Juneau at Palmer, 6 p.m.
Friday, May 2
Track
Colony at Palmer Relays
Girls soccer
Skyview at Wasilla, 3 p.m.
Homer at Houston, 4 p.m.
Boys soccer
Skyview at Wasilla, 5 p.m.
Homer at Houston, 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 3
Track
Colony at Palmer Relays
Houston at Homer
Su Valley Invite
Girls soccer
Homer at Wasilla, 11 a.m.
Skyview at Houston, 4 p.m.
Boys soccer
Homer at Wasilla, 1 p.m.
Skyview at Houston, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 6
Girls soccer
Palmer at Houston, 3 p.m.
Boys soccer
Palmer at Houston, 5 p.m.
Track
Boroughs at Palmer
Wednesda,y May 7
Track
Boroughs at Palmer
Thursday, May 8
Girls soccer
Colony at Houston, 3 p.m.
Palmer at Nikiski
Boys soccer
Colony at Houston, 5 p.m.
Palmer at Nikiski
Friday, May 9
Girls soccer
Colony at Skyview, 3 p.m.
Wasilla at Kenai, 4 p.m.
Palmer at Homer
Boys soccer
Colony at Skyview, 5 p.m.
Wasilla at Kenai, 6 p.m.
Palmer at Homer
Saturday, May 10
Girls soccer
Wasilla at Soldotna, 11 a.m.
Colony at Homer, noon
Ketchikan at Houston, 3 p.m.
Palmer at Skyview
Boys soccer
Wasilla at Soldotna, 1 p.m.
Colony at Homer, 2 p.m.
Ketchikan at Houston, 5 p.m.
Palmer at Skyview
Monday, May 12
Boys soccer
Palmer at Wasilla, 6 p.m.
Girls soccer
Palmer at Wasilla, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, May 13
Girls soccer
Colony at Palmer, 4 p.m.
Houston at Wasilla, 4 p.m.
Boys soccer
Colony at Palmer, 6 p.m.
Houston at Wasilla, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, May 14
Girls soccer
Houston at Palmer, 4 p.m.
Boys soccer
Houston at Palmer, 6 p.m.
Friday, May 16
Track
Regions at Palmer
Boys soccer
Wasilla at Colony, 6 p.m.
Houston at West Valley
Girls soccer
Wasilla at Colony, 4 p.m.
Houston at West Valley
Baseball
Kodiak at Wasilla
Saturday, May 17
Boys soccer
Houston at North Pole
Grace at Palmer, 4 p.m.
Girls soccer
Houston at North Pole
Grace at Palmer, 2 p.m.
Track
Regions at Palmer
Baseball
Kodiak at Wasilla
Thursday, May 22
Girls soccer
Regions at Soldotna
Boys soccer
Regions at Soldotna
Friday, May 23
Girls soccer
Regions at Soldotna
Boys soccer
Regions at Soldotna
Track
State at Lathrop
Saturday, May 24
Girls soccer
Regions at Soldotna
Boys soccer
Regions at Soldotna
Track
State at Lathrop
Wednesday, May 28
Girls soccer
State at Anchorage Football Stadium
Boys soccer
State at Anchorage Football Stadium
Thursday, May 29
Girls soccer
State at Anchorage Football Stadium
Boys soccer
State at Anchorage Football Stadium
Friday, May 30
Girls soccer
State at Anchorage Football Stadium
Boys soccer
State at Anchorage Football Stadium
Saturday, May 31
Girls soccer
State at Anchorage Football Stadium
Boys soccer
State at Anchorage Football Stadium
Thursday, June 5
Baseball
State at Growden Field, Fairbanks
Friday, June 6
Baseball
State at Growden Field, Fairbanks
Softball
State at Cartee Fields, Anchorage
Saturday, June 7
Baseball
State at Growden Field, Fairbanks
Softball
State at Cartee Fields, Anchorage