Teeland Middle School coaches to take over Knight wrestling program

A new era of Colony High School wrestling has begun. Dave Booth, a teacher and coach at Teeland Middle School, has been hired to lead the Knight wrestling program.

Booth replaces former head coach Tim Lussow who, according to Colony activities director Mike Boyd, stepped down to dedicate more time to family.

Alongside Booth as an assistant coach in the program will be his brother, Bill, who also moves to Colony from Teeland.

"They've been around here coaching for a lot of years," Boyd said. "They'll be good for the program -- young and energetic. They're going to be in it for the long run."

This position is Dave Booth's first opportunity as a 4A head wrestling coach in Alaska. He coached elementary, junior high and high school grapplers during a two-year stint as a teacher in Nunanpitchuk, a village in Western Alaska, and helped lead Palmer High School to a state championship in 1996 as an assistant on the Lennie Zalesky staff. Dave Booth also severed as an assistant coach at Palmer Junior Middle School.

"Dave will do a great job, he is definitely head coaching material," said Wasilla High School assistant coach Doug Reich, who worked with Booth on the PJMS coaching staff. "He has the discipline, but also knows how to have fun."

Bill, another longtime wrestling coach in the Valley at the middle school level, has worked with his brother in the past.

"My brother and I have coached together two other times," Dave Booth said. "Both times we won championships.

The Booth brothers helped lead Teeland to a middle school state title this season and helped Palmer Junior Middle School win a state crown.

"Both of us are on the same page," Dave Booth said. "We know exactly what we need to do."

The Booth brothers inherit a program with several quality wrestlers with state tournament experience, but lacking overall numbers compared to rival 4A schools.

"We've got one heck of a nucleus," Boyd said.

The program includes Hollan Gravely, who will be a sophomore next season, as well as Domminick Bellotte, Dustin Killian and Kyle Newman who will each be seniors. Gravely was arguably the top freshman during the 2003-04 season, winning a state title without losing a match. Killiam finished second and Bellotte placed third in the 2004 state tournament. Newman placed sixth in the 2003 state tourney.

The Booths also expect to have several quality freshmen come into the program next year from Teeland.

"Two-thirds of the kids from Teeland go to Colony," Dave Booth said. "One of the great things about coaching at Colony is the two of us get to coach the kids we worked with in the feeder programs."

He said it is unrealistic to bring the program numbers to the point he would like next season, but Booth is confident the coaching staff can gradually build the program to his goal of about 40 wrestlers.

"Three years for sure, we should have a team with at least that many wrestlers," Dave Booth said. "To have a successful program, you have to have two kids in each weight classes. Even better for us to have more than two."