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
3 min read
March 11, 2007
By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman
KENAI - Momentum's a funny thing. Just ask the Palmer boys basketball team.
The Moose looked lost in their first-round Northern Lights Conference tournament game, a loss at the hands of the Soldotna Stars.
But a win Friday against Skyview got Palmer going, and then the Moose pulled off an improbable upset Saturday morning over Kenai, a team that beat Palmer by 16 earlier this year.
That set the stage for a third-place showdown with Kodiak - with a berth in the state championship on the line.
It must have been destiny.
The Moose - who entered the tourney as the lowest-seeded team from the North Division - grabbed the lead early and never looked back against the Bears to pull out an emotional 40-33 win.
The win capped a roller-coaster season that saw Palmer lose key players to injuries and off-the-court issues and struggle to pick up wins all season long.
“This has been a year with a lot of adversity and a lot of challenges,” Palmer coach Greg Fullmer said.
Fullmer's son, T.J. led the Moose in scoring for the second straight game, pouring in a game-high 16 points.
Quinton Fiscus added nine for Palmer.
Like in its win against Kenai earlier in the day, Palmer used a deliberate offensive attack and tight defense to wear down and frustrate their opponent. The Moose never trailed in the second half and rarely led Kodiak players have clean looks at the basket.
“That's one thing we put on the board,” coach Fullmer said. “Defense wins championships.”
Palmer took the lead for good on its final possession of the second quarter, getting a three-pointer from Bryce Jacobson to take a 20-17 halftime lead. Palmer eventually stretched its lead to seven points before the Bears rallied to make things close at the end.
Kodiak cut the lead to three points late in the fourth quarter on a steal and lay-up by Michael Thomas, but missed their final three shots from the field as Palmer hung on for the win. Fullmer hit his final four shots from the foul line to provide the Moose with their final margin of victory.
Following the win, Fullmer leaped into his father's arms as the pair realized the Moose's season-long dream of making the state tourney had become a reality.
“I don't even have any words to describe it,” the younger Fullmer said following the game. “Me and him have been through a lot together.”
Fullmer's father said the three consecutive wins that led up to Palmer's third-place finish couldn't have come at a better time for his team.
“We probably played our best basketball of the season these last two games,” Fullmer said. “I'm really proud of them.”
The win put both Palmer teams into the state championship, capping a dream weekend for the Moose.
“(Palmer trainer) Doc (Brian) Larson said it best,” Fullmer said. “He said, ‘We've got a date for the big dance, all we need is a driver.'”
Palmer boys 67,
Kenai 56
T.J. Fullmer gave Kenai a taste of its own medicine, knocking down five three-point baskets en route to a 23 point performance that propelled the Moose into a third-place showdown with Kodiak.
Fullmer scored 23 points, and the Moose guards held Kenai scoring machine Nate Saltzgiver to just two field goals as they cruised to a 67-56 win. With Fullmer doing his damage from outside, Nate Svedin and Quinton Fiscus took advantage of a big Palmer size advantage down low. Svedin finished the game with 20 points, while Fiscus chipped in 14.
Cory Toombs scored 20 points to lead the Kardinals, but Saltzgiver had just eight, with just two coming after halftime.
Palmer boys 50,
Skyview 44
Palmer kept its tournament hopes alive with a 50-44 win over Skyview in the consolation round.
Nate Svedin led the Moose with 16 points, including 11 in the second half. Palmer was in control of the game throughout, but a Skyview run in the fourth quarter gave the Moose a bit of a scare.
The Panthers went on a 7-0 run at the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth to narrow Palmer's lead to just one point before the Moose called a timeout. Whatever head coach Greg Fullmer said in the huddle must have worked, because Palmer came out on a 8-0 run of their own to close things out. T.J. Fullmer hit all six of his free throws in the fourth quarter for the Moose, which went 16-for-21 from the line.
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