Moose hope to stay healthy, keep run going

PALMER — The Palmer Moose have been on a nice run lately. With the Northern Lights Conference Championships just a few weeks away, the Moose are hoping to keep building on the momentum and continue their run.

“(Build) momentum and try to do your best to stay healthy,” Palmer head coach Dale Ewart said after his squad grappled to a 49-26 dual win over rival Colony Thursday night at Colony High. “(We’re) trying to keep the kids who are beat up from betting any worse, and trying to keep the other kids from getting hurt.”

Palmer, which won the Colony Invitational last Saturday, is still missing a few key pieces to the lineup — notably a trio of state placers from a ago — but Ewart hopes to see the overall health of his team improve.

“We haven’t been healthy all year. Hopefully we’re getting better,” Ewart said.

Palmer has been without Cole Frohling, Brian Thompson and Nathan Pempek, who all placed at state last year.

While the Moose still wait for a few of their veterans to return, one of Palmer’s younger wrestlers scored a big victory Thursday to help lead the Moose to the dual win. Freshman Wyatt McGann upset Colony’s Spencer Adams, the state’s third-ranked wrestler in his weight class, 9-4 in the 132-pound match. McGann secured key nearfall points late in the second period, and threw Adams late in the third period to seal the win.

“He stepped up huge,” Ewart said of McGann, who was bumped up from the 126-pound class for the dual. “Wyatt’s a tough kid. He battles tough, steps up in big moments.”

Ewart said McGann also scored a key major decision during a big dual win over South Anchorage earlier in the year.

Arguably Colony’s biggest win of the night came in the 126-pound class, where sophomore Matthew VanderMartin used overtime to beat Palmer’s Aaron Molesky 9-4.

“Matthew’s a good wrestler. He’s been waiting to get out there,” Colony head coach Todd Hopkins said of the sophomore. “For it being his first match of the year, and to win it in overtime, it shows he was working really hard. He was ready when he got the call.”

Palmer scored a half-dozen wins by pin during the dual. Mason Cochran (120 pounds) and Masen Swineheart (170) also won by technical fall.

Soren Simpson (106) and Ian MacKenzie (220) recorded pins for Colony.

Palmer, Colony and Wasilla are in Anchorage today competing in a duals meet at Dimond High School. Palmer will host Wasilla in a dual Thursday at 11 a.m. at Palmer High.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and find him by searching Valley Sports Huddle on Facebook.

Palmer 49, Colony 26

Thursday, Colony High

106 pounds — S. Simpson, Col p. J. Almedia, Pal 4:45; 113 — J. Sanders, Pal p. M. Bracker, Col 5:02; 120 — M. Cochran, Pal t.f. T. Streicher, Col 16-0; 126 — M. VanderMartin, Col d. A. Molesky, Col 9-4 OT; 132 — W. McGann, Pal d. S. Adams, Col 7-4; 138 — K. Lucas, Col d. C. Bendixen, Pal 12-7; 145 — S. Samson, Col d. G. Powell, Pal 12-0; 152 — H. Molesky, Pal p. R. Fredrickson, Col 5:10; 160 — L. Heun, Pal p. L. Conway, Col 3:39; 170 — M. Swineheart, Pal t.f. Z. Mileur, Col 17-1; 182 — C. Nielsen, Pal p. D. Leavitt, Col 2:24; 195 — J. Ryno, Pal p. Sc. Knighten, Col 1:52; 220 — I. MacKenzie, Col p. C. Smith, Pal 2:54; 285 — B. Button, Pal p. A. Gilland, Col 1:01; 98 — W. Spencer, Col m.d. B. Conrad, Pal 15-1.