McIntosh named Coach of the Year

MAT-SU — Seven straight wins and an appearance in the state semifinals has earned Colony head football coach Brian McIntosh Coach of the Year honors.

Football can be a very focused sport, but there are times when fans, players and coaches are reminded that the opponents faced on the field each week aren’t always the toughest.

Before being diagnosed with an anaplastic astrocytoma grade-three brain tumor in May, McIntosh was looking forward to his first year as head coach following six years as a Knights assistant. The tumor gave McIntosh and his team a more broad perspective, which also helped lead to success on the field, the coach said. After an 0-2 start, the Knights won seven straight before losing in the semifinals. That his fellow coaches would choose him Coach of the Year in a vote taken this past Sunday “is a big honor,” McIntosh said.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” he said Thursday. “I definitely didn’t go into the season thinking I would accomplish that. I have it in my classroom right now. It was started in 1982 and there are a lot of great coaches on there. To know your name’s going to be up there is a great honor.”

Along with McIntosh, the Alaska Coaches Association selected seven Colony players to either first- or second-team all-state. Colony seniors Dakota Wainwright and Trey Farber were named to both the first-team offense and defense. Also picked for the dual honor was cross-town rival Jim McCall, a Palmer High School senior.

Farber also was named 2010 All-State Lineman of the Year for large schools.

“He’s just a great kid and he had an amazing season,” McIntosh said of Wainwright, who was named first-team at fullback and outside linebacker. “He played through a lot of injuries and was an emotional leader on our team. When other guys needed to be fired up, he fired them up. He’s a guy we definitely used offensively. He was like another lineman in the backfield.”

McIntosh was also impressed with McCall, and said that although the competition on the field between the teams was intense, he has a lot of respect for all the Valley players.

“He’s a great kid and was always respectful,” he said of McCall. “We enjoyed him as a competitor. Palmer always has those kids who are really good kids, and McCall is definitely one of them.”

McCall is also the only Valley player to be named all-state in all categories — offense, defense and special teams. He was also named second-team as a returner.

Other notable Valley players to make all-state include Wasilla’s David Green, who is first-team tight end and second-team inside linebacker; Palmer quarterback Jackson Buresh, who made the first team; and Ben Self of Palmer, a first-team offensive tackle.

Winning Coach of the Year in his first season was satisfying, McIntosh said. It also means football isn’t nearly as much of a distraction from his life-threatening illness as before.

He completed the first of three chemotherapy treatments last week and will have an MRI in a couple of months to evaluate his status.

The tumor wasn’t as much of a distraction from football as the game was from the tumor, he said.

“There was only one week I kind-of felt rundown and that was the Palmer week,” he said. “But after the season was over, I was like, ‘now what do I do?’ I appreciate all the support from the community and the fans at Colony High.”

And if his first season as Colony’s head football coach turns out to be his last, McIntosh said he has “absolutely no regrets.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.

All-State Football

Alaska Coaches Association, Large Schools

Coach of the year

Brian McIntosh, Colony

Offense, First Team

Quarterback — Jackson Buresh, Palmer; Phillip Fenumial, Juneau; Conor Feckley, West.

Running back — Skye Rench, Colony; Michael McCrae, Service; Greg Ghramm, Chugiak.

Fullback — Dakota Wainwright, Colony; Brandon Comeau, West Valley.

Wide receiver — Jim McCall, Palmer; J’Vanote Buster, West; Will Sharp, West; Colin Gozelski, Juneau.

Tight end — David Green, Wasilla.

Tackle — Ben Self, Palmer; Trey Farber, Colony; Garrett Longoria, North Pole.

Guard — Jared Kinney, Chugiak; Paul Pedro, Service.

Center — Henry Lola, Bartlett; Jacob Eisses, West.

Defense, First Team

Defensive back — Jim McCall, Palmer; Dylan Afusia, Dimond; Colin Gozelski, Juneau; Colby Mitchell, Chugiak; Kahlil Bolling, Servie; Vinh Le, Juneau.

Inside linebacker — Caleb Monson, Colony; Nathan Stephens, Dimond; Josh Heidemann, South; Iva Tuaato, West; Marcus Cogley, West Valley; Lah Fifita, Juneau.

Outside linebacker — Dakota Wainwright, Colony; Camden MacDowell, South.

Tackle — Trey Farber, Colony; Chavous Levao, Bartlett.

End — Jared Kinney, Chugiak; Lyndon Tulimasaelil, West; Jacob Eisses, West.

Offense, Second Team

Quarterback — Kelechi Madubuko, Eagle River; Danny Grzesiuk, North Pole.

Running back — Trenton Anthony, Bartlett; Dylan Afusia, Dimond; Will Vealy, West Valley.

Fullback — Devon Teeling, Wasilla; Brody DeLoria, East.

Wide receiver — Nick Harris, Chugiak; Garrette Duncan, North Pole; L’Michael Fernandez, Service; Chris Holloway, Juneau.

Tight end — Vince Barnette, Lathrop.

Tackle — Rio Stewart, Colony; Jeff Overbaugh, Service.

Guard — Renn Wright, Colony.

Center — Brett Olson, Lathrop; Ray Garris Shoemaker, West Valley.

Defense, Second Team

Defensive back — A.J. Corbin, Palmer; Joseph Notti, West Valley; JJ Nixon, Dimond; Tyler Rowles, East; Matthew Ilalio, Service.

Inside linebacker — David Green, Wasilla; Wayde Snell, Chugiak; Daniel Garding, Dimond; John Dennehy, South, Donzell Harris, West.

Outside linebacker — David Clement, Palmer; Thomas Hopp, South.

Tackle — Stephen Ellis, Service.

End — Tyler Schuster, North Pole; Justin Brooks, Juneau.

Special Teams, First Team

Kicker — Bryan Maley, Chugiak.

Long snapper — Jeff Overbaugh, Service.

Punter — Bryan Maley, Chugiak.

Return — Kelechi Madubuko, Eagle River.

Special Teams, Second Team

Kicker — Peter Jorgensen, Juneau.

Long snapper — Ray Shoemaker, West Valley.

Punter — Colin Gozelski, Juneau.

Return — Jim McCall, Palmer.