Year of the turf

MAT-SU — Champions were crowned. New eras began, while others ended.

It was another busy year for prep and local sports in the Mat-Su Valley. There was no shortage of material for the pages of the Frontiersman during the last 12 months. As I quickly look back on the last 156 issues, my mind is flooded with headlines from the past year.

More great teams, great players and great moments to quickly fill up my annual year in review top 10 list. But this time, rather than counting down to story No. 1, I am going straight to my top story of 2012. Because as we look back on this year, 2012 will be known to many as the year turf came to the Mat-Su Valley.

After years of work from Valley residents advocating for the need of artificial field turf in the Mat-Su Valley, years and speculation and years of wonder, turf in the Valley finally became a reality in 2012. Thanks to contributions — some private and others made possible by state bonds approved by voters — the first two artificial turf fields were constructed in the Valley. Colony High and Palmer High are now home to state-of-the-art athletic facilities, with the same to come at Wasilla High and Houston High in the near future. The local football programs were the first to take advantage of the new turf, with both schools debuting their new facilities in August.

A ribbon cutting ceremony preceded Colony’s first game on turf, a contest against Kenai. That night, Colony head football coach Brian McIntosh admitted feeling a rush of emotion.

“It was moving. I’m not going to lie. I had a tear in my eye,” McIntosh said. “So many people have worked so hard.”

Later in August, the Palmer football team had the chance to hit its new turf.

“It was almost surreal. It felt like, are we really here?” Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen said of his players finally having a chance to practice on the upgraded Machetanz Field.

There were other storylines that could have snagged the top spot on my list. Three teams from Wasilla High won state championships, and each of those squads could have easily been the top story from 2012. The loss of the Valley’s struggling junior hockey franchise, the Alaska Avalanche, was also a consideration.

But the addition of turf in the Valley will continue to have a positive impact every year, and we’ll look back to win it all began — 2012.

The following list includes nine other top storylines from 2012.

2. Warriors continue championship run

Just like I did last year, I have to combine separate state championships into one story on the list. Led by head coach Gary Howell, the Wasilla girls track and field, and cross-country running squads continued their storm through the state. In the spring of 2012, Howell’s track team won its second straight state title. Morgan Dampier, who now runs for Division I Sacramento State, earned three individual titles and Wasilla won a pair of relay events en route to the championship.

“I could not be more proud of what everyone did today,” Dampier told me by cellphone that day. “Everyone really put their hearts into it.”

Fast forward to the fall of 2012, and the Warriors girls captured another state, this time on the cross-country trails.

“We worked as a team, we worked hard all season,” Wasilla senior Jenna Ford said that afternoon. “This is perfect.”

It was also a perfect way for Howell to close his coaching career at Wasilla High, seeing his athletes earn their third straight state championship.

“I certainly can’t think of a better way, and I can’t think of a better group to go out with,” Howell said.

3. Avs slide out of town

Based on the impact in different areas — sports, community and business — the sale and move of the Valley’s former junior hockey franchise, the Alaska Avalanche, could have easily been the top story of 2012.

Rumors of the inevitable demise of the organization filled local hockey rinks for more than a year, and despite record-breaking play on the ice, pathetic attendance numbers signaled the teams impending doom. In April, it was made official. The team, formerly owned by Mark Lee, a local Realtor, was sold to a group in Pennsylvania, the Johnstown Sports Partnership. The Avs relocated to Johnstown, Pa., leaving their old home at Palmer’s MTA Events Center in favor of the 4,000-seat Cambria Country War Memorial Arena, a facility made popular by the famous hockey movie “Slap Shot,” which was filmed there.

“I wish the Mat-Su area would have taken ahold of the team. It just didn’t work here,” Lee said after confirming the sale. “I kept hoping if we add this, add that, maybe people would come.”

4. Wasilla girls net another crown

Wasilla used a 56-33 win over West Valley in March to win its second straight state basketball championship at third since 2007. Junior Alexis Imoe scored 22 points for the Warriors and senior Alyssa Hutchins added 15.

“We all play really good together. We’re like family,” Wasilla senior Pherrari Brumbaugh said that day. “We’re just really encouraging and positive. We all wanted the same things. Our goal was to win a state title, and we did it.”

5. Palmer football takes undefeated mark deep into season

The Palmer Moose may have fallen a step short of their ultimate goal, but before suffering a loss to South Anchorage in the state semifinals, Palmer was enjoying one of the best seasons seen by a Valley football program in a number of years. The Moose finished 8-0 during the regular season for the first time since 1996 and won its first conference title since 2003. Palmer also notched its state-record 18th playoff appearance, and competed in the postseason for the 13th straight year. Longtime Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen also moved into a tie for second place on the state’s all-time career wins list.

6. Hockey player highlights list of Division I commitments

A handful of local athletes realized their Division I dreams in 2012. One local athlete, former Palmer High standout Jared Hanson, earned a chance to skate for one of the top programs in college hockey. Hanson, who left Palmer High after his sophomore year to skate for the Lincoln Stars of the Junior A Tier I United States Hockey League, committed to play for Colorado College.

“It’s every kid’s dream growing up,” Hanson said by cellphone in 2012.

Hanson’s teammate in Lincoln, former Wasilla High standout Matthew Friese, committed to play Division I hockey at Alaska-Fairbanks.

Colony girls basketball standout Mary Klapperich also realized her lifelong dream of earning the chance to play Division I basketball when she signed her National Letter of Intent to play for Southern Utah.

“I’m really excited. I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a really long time,” Klapperich said recently.

Former Wasilla standout Morgan Dampier also signed her NLI to join the track and field team at Division I Sacramento State.

7. Wasilla seniors win Gatorade awards

Wasilla High was the home of a pair of athletes who earned the Gatorade Player of the Year award for their respective sports. Dampier was named the state’s top athlete in girls’ track and field. Connor Devine was named the state’s top player in boys’ basketball. Both are currently Division I athletes. Dampier is at Sacramento State. Devine, who signed his DI NLI in 2011, is now at South Dakota State. Dampier and Devine are among eight Wasilla High graduates to win a Gatorade Player of the Year award.

8. Local wrestlers win state gold

Four local wrestlers etched their names into the record books in 2012. In February during the 4A state championships, Wasilla’s Abe Fox and Tyler Adams, and Colony’s Ty Farber each captured a state crown. In December, Houston’s Luke Wagner won his second straight state championship at the 123A meet.

Adams wrestled in what I viewed as undoubtedly the best match of the 2012 4A finals. In the only match of the finals that featured a pair of defending state champions, Adams outlasted Soldotna’s Auston Tennis and scored the 9-7 victory.

“Two seniors duking it out in the match. It was an honor to be in that match,” Adams said after the win.

Fox also won his second straight title, beating Kodiak’s Francis Llorente at 120 pounds. Farber beat Service’s Derek Zorea at 220.

In the small-schools meet, Wagner beat Mt. Edgecumbe’s Paul Johanson in the 220-pound final for the second straight year.

9. Houston basketball program the surprise among coaching changes

Every year there are coaching changes, but there was a surprise in 2012. Former Houston boys basketball coach Dave Porter, regarded as one of the better hoops mentors in Southcentral Alaska, opted to step down from his position.

“It is time for a break. I need to rejuvenate,” Porter said after making his decision public. “I don’t want to walk out disliking the game. I love the game of basketball and want to come back with a renewed energy.”

Former Wasilla cross-country running and track coach Gary Howell also decided to take a break from coaching.

10. Record-breaking season for local players

A number of local prep football records were shattered during the 2012 season. Colony senior quarterback Rob Lorentz broke a school single-season record for passing with his 1,977 yards. He also threw for 530 yards during the season finale against North Pole. It’s the second most yards in a single game in state history. A pair of his top targets also broke school records. Daniel Bilafer set a school record with 61 catches and Antonio Bush set the school mark with 851 receiving yards. At Wasilla, Cash McGregor set a school record with 40 catches.

•••••

Well folks. There are 10 of my top stories for 2012, a year we’ll otherwise remember as the year of turf.