Low numbers don't spoil all of the excitement surrounding Palmer wrestling

PALMER — While some Alaska prep wrestling programs are struggling to find enough room on the practice mat, the Palmer Moose have struggled to simply get athletes into the wrestling room.

While Palmer head coach Dale Ewart is concerned about the lack of numbers on his 2008 squad, he’s excited about the talent he has on his squad.

“The kids we have are pretty good kids, but there’s just not a lot of depth there,” Ewart said earlier this week.

Ewart said the low numbers can be attributed to a few things. There’s eligibility, a factor that effects most programs at most schools to one degree or another, and there’s conflicts in schedule. A recent program for Palmer, Ewart said, has been the conflict between the prep football and wrestling seasons.

“It’s the ongoing saga of the wrestling season being right on top of football,” Ewart said.

Ewart said several PHS athletes who have played football and wrestled in the past opted to skip the wrestling season this year.

One of Palmer’s leaders, senior Nick Stahler, is actually a former Palmer football player who chose to focus on wrestling this season.

Stahler, who has placed third in the last two state championship meets, will once again battle for a top spot in the state, Ewart said.

Stahler started at 140 last year before moving up to 145, where he won a Northern Lights Conference title.

“We bumped him up to 145 because we thought he’d have a better chance at state,” Ewart said.

Stahler was the top seed at 145, but was upset by Chugiak’s John O’Hara in the semifinals.

Ewart said Stahler will stay at 140 this year.

Also back is senior Sam Heindel, who placed sixth at 189 last year.

Ewart said Heindel may actually drop a class as well and try 171.

“He’s been working his way down to 171,” Ewart said. “I think he can hold his own at 189, but he’s always been kind of smaller for that weight class.”

Heindel’s move to 171 would open a spot for senior Ransome Kelley at 189. Kelley was one match away from the state tourney last season.

Ewart said 189 is a handful of classes in which Palmer does sport some depth. The Moose also have three strong athletes at 130 and 152.

Stahler and Heindel are two of Palmer’s three captains. Palmer’s third captain is junior Jared Kemp, who is at 125 this year, was also one match away from the state tourney last season.

Also returning is L.J. Lepanen, who won an NLC title at 112. Lepanen missed the state tourney due to a broken thumb.

Palmer hosts the Lancer Smith Memorial this weekend. The 11-team tournament is slated to start at 9 a.m. today and wrestling will continue on Saturday at 9 a.m.

The tourney, named for former Palmer wrestling coach, will include teams from Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula, Mat-Su Valley and the Interior.

Each of the four Valley prorgrams will be represented in the tourney.

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