Knights build from early success

PALMER — For the past five or six seasons, when talking top wrestling teams, Colony has been at the forefront of the conversation. Colony is younger this year, but already has one tourney title to its credit.

“I’m really happy with the group of kids we have,” Colony head coach Dave Booth said. “We’re working really hard. I just think it’s going to take some time.”

Colony, which won four straight state titles before Wasilla snapped the streak last season, won the Peninsula Duals meet at Nikiski High during the first week of the 4A wrestling season. The Knights won the meet despite bringing only one senior to the tournament.

“We’re a young team, but kids are stepping up,” Booth said.

Booth said the Knights had at least three freshmen in the lineup during the tourney, but Colony won the meet for the sixth year in a row.

“That did feel good,” Booth said of the win. “We beat some good kids down there.”

Senior captain Ty Farber, who finished third in state at 215 pounds last season, leads the Knights into the 2011-12 season. Farber is one of only two seniors on the roster.

Colony also returns juniors Porter Martin and Bryce Backer, and sophomore Wade Booth, all state qualifiers a year ago.

Booth said there are a number of athletes in the freshman, sophomore and junior classes who are in their first season of wrestling, or at least first year of high school wrestling.

“At least half our team are first-year high school competitors,” Booth said.

Some of the Knights’ more inexperienced wrestlers are already finding success. Simon Root, wrestling in his first career varsity tournament, won his weight class at the Lancer Smith Memorial at Palmer High earlier this month.

“He worked hard in the offseason,” Booth said of Root.

Booth said Root competed in the team’s offseason summer camp and was able to get a season’s worth of experience during the offseason.

Sawyer Root and Kamber Lucas are among the leaders of the freshmen class. They are among a group of Colony wrestlers to look out for, Booth said.

“I think that I could basically mention about every kid on the front line as far as someone you should watch out for,” Booth said. “We have a group of kids that we seem to have at Colony every year. They’re working really hard and responding to coaching. And every year we end up being pretty successful.”

** Editor’s note: This is part of a three-part series previewing the seasons of the local 4A prep wrestling programs. For the Palmer preview, see the adjacent story. For the Wasilla preview, see frontiersman.com/sports.