Palmer senior chases his football destiny

PALMER — Chase Ferris was at a crossroads, anxious to make the most important decision of his life.

The Palmer High senior had the option to focus on academics and pursue a degree at the University of Wyoming. The all-state football star also had a chance to continue playing the sport he loves.

The struggle to make the decision weighed on him. So he left it up to destiny.

Ferris, a standout in multiple sports and the classroom at Palmer High, is also an avid outdoorsman. He picked a spring brown bear hunt earlier this year to help him make the final decision. If he got the elusive bear he’d tracked before, Ferris would follow the call to play football at the University of Mary. If not, Ferris would turn his focus to academics at the University of Wyoming.

As it turned out, the hunt was a success. And now Ferris, a two-time all-state running back, is ready to make the run to the next level.

“I let it all come down to fate, and fate chose University of Mary,” Ferris said Monday after he signed his National Letter of Intent to attend the Bismarck, North Dakota, school and play for the Division II Marauders. “We’d gone up for (the bear) once. We hadn’t seen it in two days. I said, we kill it, I’ll go play football.”

The hunt was not just a thrill for Ferris, but a relief.

“Once I made the decision, it’s a full commitment,” Ferris said. “(The) decision was weighing me down. I was losing sleep over it. It’s the biggest decision I’ve had to make.”

By targeting the bear, Ferris kept an aim on a goal he’s had since breaking his first tackles at the youth ranks.

“Ever since I started playing football I wanted to go as far as I could in the sport. It’s a passion,” Ferris said.

Ferris said as he broke into his senior season, the option of playing at the collegiate level became a reality. After connecting with the Mary coaching staff, Ferris began to see a future with the Marauders.

“Talking to the University of Mary, it became a fact, that’s where I wanted to go if I was going to play football,” Ferris said.

Even though Ferris had considered the University of Wyoming purely for its academics, Mary is also a great fit, he said.

“It’s in North Dakota, and my degree is petroleum engineering so it makes sense fiscally,” Ferris said.

Ferris said he’s also excited about the campus, community and football program.

“Everybody’s nice to everybody,” Ferris said of the small-town atmosphere. “The football team is a bunch of great guys.”

Ferris will also be reunited with former Palmer High all-state lineman Nick Benshetler, who will enter his sophomore season with the Marauders in the fall.

“With Nicky down there, it helps a lot,” Ferris said.

Ferris stood out on both sides of the line of scrimmage during his varsity career with the Moose, but really shined on offense. In two seasons as Palmer’s top choice in the backfield, Ferris rushed for 2,458 yards and 30 touchdowns. He capped his stellar career with a career-high 316 yards during a 2015 Potato Bowl win over rival Wasilla. Ferris finished his senior season with 1,147 yards rushing despite missing significant portions of three games early in the season.

“He’s a playmaker,” Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen said after Ferris garnered all-state honors for the second straight year. “A dynamic player who does so many things for you. He’s a really special player.”

As a junior, Ferris led the state with 1,311 yards rushing. He rushed for 200 or more yards in a game six times in his career.

Ferris said his preference is to play offense for Mary, which uses a triple-option system.

“But wherever the coach needs me to play, I’ll play, “ Ferris said.

Ferris is a three-sport standout at Palmer. In addition to his work with the Moose football program, Ferris was a starter on the basketball court and helped lead Palmer to a Northern Lights Conference title in 2016. In track and field, Ferris is currently ranked third in the conference in the 100- and 200-meter events.

In the classroom, Ferris boasts a 4.13 grade point average.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.