New hope for Moose wrestlers

PALMER -- In the late 1990s the Palmer wrestling team was dominant.

The Moose won titles at the region and state tournaments, and numerous Palmer grapplers took home individual state titles.

In recent years, the success of the program has been limited as the number of athletes on the Palmer roster dwindled each year. Last season just 14 wrestlers finished the season, and just five Moose grapplers advanced to the state tournament.

This season, the Palmer wrestlers have a new hope. There is a rejuvenated attitude in the PHS wrestling program. Palmer currently has 37 wrestlers on the roster and the Moose have already scored a dual meet win over West Valley, the defending 4A state champions.

The Moose also have a new coaching staff. Dale Ewart, also a track coach and assistant football coach at Palmer High, was named the head coach of the wrestling program prior to the beginning of the season. Ewart was a co-head coach with Brian Hooks last season.

"Brian decided he had other things to do," Ewart said.

Ewart added that time constraints due to Hooks' student teaching schedule made it difficult to commit to the head coaching duties at Palmer High. Once Hooks resigned, the position was opened and Ewart was named as the successor.

Ewart's first action as head coach was to hire Don Malone as his assistant. Malone had been the head coach of a very successful wrestling program at Palmer Junior Middle School.

Since Ewart was named head coach, he has been doing his best to expand the Palmer wrestling roster.

"I have been bugging kids a lot to come out," Ewart said. "Even though I do not teach in the building, I have been spending as much time as I can here."

Malone also brought in a group of wrestlers. Arriving with Malone were 15 freshman, a group he coached at the junior high level.

Zack Tomco, a senior for the Moose, said that bringing in Malone was a big aid in boosting the number of athletes that come out for the Palmer High wrestling team.

"The coaching has always been real strong, but we didn't have the numbers," Tomco said. "In past years the kids coming up from middle school didn't come out. They are more confident with their old coach."

Tomco, the only four-year senior in the Moose wrestling program, is expected to be among the best at his weight class this season. Tomco placed fifth in the 130-pound class at the 2002 state tournament and will wrestle in the 135-pound class this season.

Tomco suffered a tough 11-9 loss to Wasilla's Chris Odom in the finals of the Bob Bailey Invitational at Chugiak High School

last weekend.

"He lost by two and I don't see that happening again," Ewart said. "It is almost good that he lost early. He can see what is going on."

Ewart added that Tomco improved a great deal over the summer spending 29 days at wrestling camps.

Another contender for a state title will be sophomore Trevor Pempeck in the 145-pound class. Pempeck placed fifth at 145 last year and is the top man in his class this season.

Pempeck defeated Chugiak's Dan Bailey 8-2 in the finals of the Bob Bailey Invitational.

"Dan Bailey had a lot of motivation with it being his dad's memorial tournament," Ewart said. "I thought it was going to be a dogfight, but (Trevor) totally dominated."

Ewart also expects Willie Ratcliffe to do well in the 171-pound class. Ratcliffe, unseeded in the Bailey Invitational, defeated the second, third and fourth seeds of the class, en route to the individual title.

Ratcliffe pinned Service's Scott Lucas, the second seed, in the quarterfinals and Dimond's Marcus Lopez, the fourth seed, in the championship match.

Ewart said Ratcliffe wrestled well last season, but ultimately chose to play basketball instead.

"I definitely expected this out of him," Ewart said of Ratcliffe's performance in the tournament. "We have to talk him into this over basketball. He is capable of doing both."

Other Palmer wrestlers to watch are Jake Heun at 215 and Tom Eller at 112.

"Jake Heun has done a great job, but he has an anger issue," Ewart said.

Ewart said that Heun was disqualified in two matches, but pinned three opponents in the first round.

Heun pinned his first opponent in 1 minute and 49 seconds, but was disqualified in the quarterfinals.

"He was up 5-4," Ewart said. "If he had not have been DQ-ed, he would have been in the semis."

Heun pinned opponents in 25 and 39 seconds in the consolation bracket, but was disqualified again in the match for third place.

Eller leads a talented freshman class for the Moose. Ewart said that Eller was one match away from third place in the Bailey Invite and expects him to be in the top five by the end of the year.

"We have a lot of young guys in the lower weights, but that is alright because there is a lot of young kids in the state at the lower weights," Ewart said.

Palmer also sent a group to the Robbie Cup junior varsity tournament last week, placing eight grapplers, including six in the finals.

This weekend Palmer participated in the Glenallen Invitational.