OUR NEIGHBORS: Rucker MVP for Wasilla sports

WASILLA — Ron Rucker never competed in prep athletics.

The Columbus, Ohio, native participated in middle school activities, and once Rucker hit high school, he didn’t play. But that doesn’t mean Rucker doesn’t see the value of high school extra-curricular activities. It’s Rucker’s belief in high school sports that drives him to help ensure local student-athletes have the opportunities he did not.

For decades, Rucker has been a fixture within the Wasilla High School sports family. He doesn’t work in the building; Rucker spends his days at the Mat-Su School District warehouse. But many of his nights are spent at Wasilla High, volunteering during various Warrior sporting events.

“I do it because I love it,” said Rucker, Wasilla High’s volunteer jack of all trades. “It’s good for me, it’s good for the kids.

Rucker is the scoreboard and clock operator for all of Wasilla High’s home football and basketball games. He also maintains the fields for the school’s football and soccer programs.

Rucker has always shown an allegiance to the Warriors, even long after his children walked the hallways of Wasilla High School. His son graduated from the school in 2000 and his daughter is a member of Wasilla’s class of 2006.

Rucker’s dedication to local sports began 30 years ago when he and his wife, Nanette, moved to Wasilla from Ohio.

He earned a degree in education and community recreation at Ohio State, and has always stood strong in his belief of organized sports and activities. Early during his stay in Wasilla, Rucker helped lead the charge for field development in the Valley. His efforts helped build the Smith Fields Little League complex and Wasilla High School’s football and soccer practice field that sits along Bogard Road.

Rucker also served as a slow pitch softball umpire for 19 years and a basketball referee for 12 years. He’s also been a volleyball umpire for the past 24 years.

Regardless of what he does, Rucker continues to be a faithful volunteer in the Valley. The explanation for why is fairly simple.

“Both my wife and I love kids,” Rucker said. “It’s part of the nature of our life. Kids and activities are important to us.”

The Ruckers also donate their time to their church, and Nanette Rucker was known as the “Wasilla Cookie Mom” for years. Nanette Rucker has baked a countless number of cookies for various Wasilla High sports teams.

Rucker said he and his wife wanted to pass their sense of community to their children, and they were successful. Their son is a teacher at Teeland Middle School, their daughter-in-law is a teacher at Mat-Su Career and Tech Center and their daughter is a student teacher at Machetanz Elementary.

Both of their children were also involved in athletics at Wasilla High School.

Rucker has spent at least a dozen years as the official clock operator for Warrior football and basketball, and the last seven maintaining the Wasilla fields.

“Ron Rucker, he is the Warrior groundskeeper,” Wasilla High assistant principal Dan Michael said recently. “He dedicates hours and hours of time. (The field) would not looking good without him. It’s completely his baby.”

Rucker’s time as the Warrior groundskeeper began when he hit Veterans Memorial Field for a football game about seven years ago. The field wasn’t in the best of shape.

“I said I’d fix it,” Rucker said. “I started mowing it.”

Rucker said he generally mows about twice each week, sometimes more. As fast as the grass has grown this summer, Rucker said he’s had to sometimes mow the field twice in one night.

Michael said Rucker takes the maintenance of the field, the mowing and the watering, very seriously.

“It’s fantastic,” Michael said. “He does stuff like figuring out what fertilizer to put on it.”

Michael said Rucker even takes core samples to the UAF Experiment Farm to make sure the right treatment is being used.

Rucker also maintains the Bumpus soccer fields and a field for his church. Years ago, Rucker made a deal with Wasilla Youth Soccer. If the high school programs could use the facility, he’d mow the field.

Although he does enjoy maintaining the fields, said operating the clock during basketball season is what he probably loves to do the most. He’s also served as a volunteer at the state basketball tournaments for several years, and also operated the clock during a Harlem Globetrotters charity basketball game earlier this year.

Throughout his years as a local volunteer, Rucker has remained faithful to Wasilla High, even though is children have been out of school for years.

“That’s our local high school,” Rucker said. “Whatever I can do for them, I will.”

Rucker’s love for Wasilla High can be matched by one school, his alma mater, Ohio State. Merely using the word love may not accurately describe Rucker’s feelings toward OSU and the Buckeyes.

A fan?

“That would be an understatement,” Rucker said.

Rucker was born and raised in Columbus. His father worked at Ohio State, and Rucker is a graduate. He continues to support the Buckeyes religiously. Rucker said he’s always joked the reason why he likes Wasilla so much is because the Warriors colors — silver and red — are so close to the colors of the Buckeyes, scarlet and gray. Although he admits, he does have to think, is there some truth to that joke?

“I’ve had people ask me what I had to pay to get Wasilla painted those colors,” Rucker said.

Rucker and his wife never miss a Buckeye football game. They make the trip into Anchorage each time to see their team play on the big screens of the Peanut Farm sports bar. The Ruckers have become such regulars, Peanut Farm officials allow Ron Rucker to sort of be a Buckeye public address announcer during the Ohio State games at the bar.

“I get on the PA mic, lead cheers. I play the marching band over the PA,” Rucker said.

The Ruckers even buy door prizes to give away after every quarter.

Ohio State and Buckeye athletics are ingrained in Rucker, just as his drive to donate his time to local sports.

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