Wasilla senior named Southcentral’s top player

WASILLA — The Wasilla Warriors call senior Hank Boyer, “bulldog.”

“It doesn’t matter what’s going on. He plays through adversity,” Wasilla head coach Ken Ottinger said earlier this year. “He’ll play through pain, he plays through sickness.”

Ottinger said Boyer will battle through whatever is in his way. This year, Boyer helped Wasilla battle to its fourth-straight conference championship and another trip to the state tournament. During the Southcentral Conference Championships tournament last week, Boyer was named the Southcentral Conference North Division Player of the Year.

Boyer has been a standout on the mound, in the field and at the plate for the Warriors, who opened state tournament play against West Valley Thursday in Anchorage. Boyer threw his first career perfect game early in the season, needing only 52 pitches to breeze past Kodiak in a 14-0 win over the Bears. Boyer was also huge for the Warriors in the conference tournament. In the semifinals, Boyer pitched eight innings during a 3-2 extra-innings win over Soldotna in the semifinals. Boyer scattered three hits and fanned eight. In the ninth inning, Boyer singled to set up the go-ahead run for the Warriors.

In the title game, Boyer came through again. With the game tied at 5, Boyer smacked a ball into centerfield. Two runs scored on the Boyer double, and the Warriors went on to win 15-5.

Throughout his career, Boyer has made an impact in every area of the game.

“I love watching him at third base. He’ll take a ball in the teeth for me and his teammates,” Ottinger said.

Boyer was one of three Warriors to earn first-team all-conference honors. Kyle Graham and Balas Buckmaster were also selected to the first team. Ben Werner, Jacob Gilbert, James Arend and Taylon Ottinger each represented the Warriors on the second team.

Athletes from Wasilla, Colony, Palmer and Houston were named to the first team. Colony’s Cooper Smith, Houston’s Kendall Ruta and Palmer’s Skyler Hale were all named first-team all-conference.

Colony’s Joe Ryan; Houston’s Kolby Taylor and Isaac Smoldon; and Palmer’s Keagen Norman and Brady Shults were named second-team all-conference.

Ottinger was named the conference’s coach of the year.

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

All-Southcentral Conference

North Division Player of Year: Hank Boyer, Wasilla

South Division Player of Year: Paul Steffensen, Kenai

Coach of Year: Ken Ottinger, Wasilla

First team:

Cooper Smith, Colony; Garret Butcher, Homer; Kendall Ruta, Houston; Paul Steffensen, Kenai; Gavin Petersen, Kenai; Skyler Hale, Palmer; Matthew Daugherty, Soldonta; Austin Asp, Soldotna; Cody Quelland, Soldotna; Hank Boyer, Wasilla; Kyle Graham, Wasilla; Balas Buckmaster, Wasilla.

Second team:

Joe Ryan, Colony; Kolby Taylor, Houston; Isaac Smoldon, Houston; Zach Selinger, Kenai; Shawn Walton, Kodiak; Nevin Lee, Kodiak; Brady Shults, Palmer; Keagen Norman, Palmer; Caleb Spence, Soldotna; Ben Werner, Wasilla; Jacob Gilbert, Wasilla; James Arend, Wasilla; Taylon Ottinger, Wasilla.