The great split is no more.
The 1996-97 school year marked the end of Alaska's traditional four-season sports calendar. One of the results of changing that calendar was splitting the wrestling season of small- and large-schools and angering wrestling coaches across the state.
For the most part, the split season meant the small schools wrestled from the end of September to mid-December, while the large-schools wrestled from October to February. The exception to that came in 2000-01 and 2001-02, when the wrestling season was split into a fall season and a spring season. Schools chose which season to wrestle. Each season was open to schools of all sizes.
This year, the small- and large-schools will be run together for the first time since 1996-97. In 1996-97, the season ran from Jan. 20 to April 19. This year, the season runs from Oct. 1 to Dec. 15.
While nearly all of the peninsula coaches had some problems with the new season, the overwhelming response was positive.
Small schools like Nikiski, Seward and Ninilchik will now be able to wrestle large-school neighbors Homer, Skyview, Soldotna and Kenai for the entire season, not just for a few weeks.
"Being able to compete around here will be a really nice thing," said Ninilchik coach Kevin Zimmerman. "Before, we were always headed to Anchorage."
The new season also allows the large schools to cut down on travel. Skyview will travel off the peninsula just three times this season the North/South Tournament in Wasilla, the Northern Lights Conference tournament at Colony and the state tournament at Chugiak.
"Last season, we traveled off the peninsula at least every other weekend, if not more," Skyview coach Nelson Gardner said.
One complaint some coaches had is that the season is a little on the short side.
"It's a double-edged sword," said Homer coach Mike Illg. "What I mean by that is it doesn't seem like enough time to adequately prepare some of your wrestlers."
And the other edge of that sword?
"Going from October to February, you'd have to deal with Thanksgiving and Christmas break," Illg said. "That'd be three weeks without competition. Kids would be traveling with their families and losing conditioning.
"A huge component in wrestling is staying in shape. ... It doesn't matter if you know every move in the book if you can't last six minutes."
The short season can be especially costly for schools that advance deep into the football playoffs, like state football champion Soldotna.
"Those guys aren't going to get as many matches," Soldotna coach Bill Carlson said of his athletes that wrestle and play football. "If they're trying to set records, like takedowns, they're kind of at a disadvantage."
With the peninsula schools hooking up more often on the peninsula, though, Gardner said fans should see some good competition.
"I think things have kind of evened out here," Gardner said. "Kenai's picked it up, Homer's looking good, Soldotna will be tough, Nikiski's got tough kids and I always expect Seward to have tough kids."
The following is a closer look at the peninsula's wrestling squads:
Cook Inlet Academy
The CIA program continues to grow under third-year head coach Chuck Kopp. Kopp had three wrestlers in his first year, four in his second and now six this season. Kopp also said he is happy to welcome assistant coach Matt Streiff to the program, a Soldotna High School graduate who was a runner-up at state.
The team will be led by Zac Cialek, a senior at 152 in his third year of wrestling. Kopp said he expects Cialek to be in the finals at the conference tourney.
Kopp also said sophomore Cody Dutcher (140, 145) was the team's most improved wrestler last year and has continued his rapid improvement. Kopp is looking forward to seeing how Dutcher does in the conference.
Junior Derrick Bunts (112) is now in his third year of wrestling and Kopp said Bunts should be ready to peak this year after growing out of some beginner mistakes.
CIA also has three freshmen: Michael Horton (189), Robbie Smithwick (171) and Cody Munn (171).
"Wrestling is hard work," Kopp said. "I'm always so pleased to see young men come out and make the sacrifice and pay the price it takes to go on the mat and compete. It does build character."
Homer
Illg will be in his first year as head coach after serving as an assistant the past six years. Tela O'Donnell, an Olympic wrestler in 2004, also will help coach Homer.
"This is where she started wrestling," Illg said. "The fact that she's back up in the Homer high mat room means a lot as far as experience, technique and her positive personality."
Homer will be led by junior Ben Daigle, who placed fifth at 112 at state last season. Illg also said he expects big things from senior and two-time state qualifier Tris Brymer (152, 160) and senior Tom Appelhanz. Junior Robbie Brymer (140) was one match away from placing in state last year.
Illg also welcomes back seniors John Bouman (160) and Katie Connor (112). Bouman was a state qualifier his freshman year and returns for his senior year, while Connor took last year off due to a shoulder injury. Illg said juniors Eric Weinfurter (160), Zach Hinsberger (160, 171), Zack Mayes (145) and Brittany Wyatt (112, 119) are all close to qualifying for state.
Illg also expects a contribution from his underclassmen: sophomores Billy Edge (171, 189) and Eli Garvey (103) and freshmen Larry Croft (189, 215), Dimond Edge (119), Ve Locklar (125), Logan Patrick (140), Mitch Wyatt (145), Brandon Smith (135), Ben Harville (285) and Joe Millwood (285).
Kenai Central
In his third year at the helm of the Kardinals, David Boyle has 23 in the mat room and hopes to keep building the program.
"We qualified six for state last year, the same number as the previous year," Boyle said. "To qualify eight or nine this year would be an achievement for us."
Boyle said last year his squad got off to a slow start, but this year the team is working hard and coming together right away.
He gave some of that credit to Jaron Dambacher, a senior captain and returning state placer who will wrestle at 160. Other key seniors for the Kardinals will be Justin Hensler (152), Wes Quade (189), Devin Boyle (152) and Cody Booth. Boyle also said junior John Hughes (130), junior Chris Osbekoff (125) and freshman Kyle Rogers (171) will be key wrestlers for the team.
Nikiski
In his third year of leading the program, Lucas Peless will be joined this year by co-head coach Adam Anders. Nikiski's program is in building mode Peless had six wrestlers his first year, 12 his second and is up to 22 this year.
"More kids is more fun," Peless said.
Because the program is still in building mode, the Bulldogs are very young, with 14 freshmen or sophomores.
"We're working on leadership, and we do have some rising to the challenge," Peless said. "We also have some young kids rising to the challenge."
Peless said his experienced wrestlers are sophomore and returning state qualifier Matt Parker (112), freshman Karl Bucholz (152) and senior Ancel Ware (140).
Ninilchik
Zimmerman, who has been the coach since 2000, is happy to see the numbers on his program go up. Bolstered by a freshman class of four, there are 10 wrestlers in the mat room this season. Zimmerman said that group is headed up by freshman Ross Skjold.
The team will be led by senior Austin Vanderford, who won state at 152 last year and was the lone state champion from the Kenai Peninsula. This year he will wrestle at 160.
"If he stays injury free, he's still one of the best wrestlers anywhere in the state at any weight," Zimmeran said.
Other key wrestlers for the Wolverines will be sophomore Bradley Humphreys (135), junior Tylor Sutherland (125) and junior Quinn Bennett (145).
Seward
In his 13th year as the head coach, Ronn Hemstock is seeing numbers in his program like he has never seen before. The Seahawks started out with 32 wrestlers in the room. They are down to 25 now.
Hemstock gave credit to assistant coach Justin Ennis, a former state champ for the Seahawks, for pumping up the junior high program.
"If it weren't for his feeder activities, the numbers wouldn't be this high," Hemstock said.
Seward won a state title in 1999-2000, but the Seahawks have yet to win a Kachemak Conference crown.
"We're looking forward to hopefully making another run at a region title," Hemstock said. "We lost last year to ACS in a squeaker."
Leading the charge will be Hemstock's four senior captains. Brandon O'Brikis made the state finals last year and will wrestle this year at 215 or 285. Koal Backlund (152, 160), Matt Nyholm (145) and Alan Logan (189) also have state experience.
Seward took 13 wrestlers to state last year and had three medalists. The other two were junior Dylan Beck (152, 160) and sophomore Shane Douglas, who wrestled last year at 103 but is up to 125 this year.
Other wrestlers Hemstock mentioned were freshman Aaron Sorenson (130), senior Jonas Romero (215, 285) and junior Kaiia Hubbard (112).
Skyvview
Neldon Gardner has been the head coach at Skyview since 1990 and is the only head coach the school has ever had. He has about 25 wrestlers in his room now, which is typical for the last couple years but down from the peak of the program.
"We should do OK, depending on where it all shakes out," Gardner said. "I felt like we had a solid team last year, but we were hurt by injuries and grades. We definitely have the kids to be in the top 10 (at state), or possibly the top five if everybody performs to their ability and is healthy and eligible."
Senior Michaela Hutchison (119) won a state title her sophomore year, and seniors Eddie Buffington (189, 171) and Alex Janorschke (125, 130) also have state experience.
Gardner has plenty of other solid wrestlers to fill the lineup with senior Pat Sheridan (160, 171), junior Kenny Mahan (189), sophomore Bryce Wilson (112, 103), sophomore Monica Hutchison (112, 103), sophomore Rhett Jackson (135), sophomore Jared Thomas (140), sophomore Fred Pollard (145, 152), senior Tyler Job (152) and senior Claude Mraz (215).
Soldotna
Bill Carlson has been coaching for nine years at SoHi. He was the co-head coach last year and this year is the head coach.
"This year is looking like the best year so far," Carlson said.
The Stars lost just one state qualifier to graduation. Carlson also said the team has had significant additions due to wrestlers moving into the area and due to a nice freshman class.
Senior Les Baker (285) finished third in the state last year and senior Mathew Streiby (215) is a three-time state qualifier who finished sixth in state last year. Senior Steven Burlison (152) has qualified for state three times, while senior Ethan Waters (171) and sophomore Nathan Streiby (285) have qualified once. Juniors Cody Sanders (140), Kraig Morris (145) and Jesse Carlson (160) have been alternate state qualifiers.
SoHi also gets help from senior transfer Wes Mills (135), a three-time state qualifier at Palmer who was third at state in 2006 and fourth at state in 2007. Junior Wesley Koch (119) was a state qualifier at Wasilla, while senior Matthew Tondre (125) was a state qualifier in Washington.
Freshmen Cody Carroll (112) and Keith Porter (130) both where borough champions, while Carlson also expects solid contributions from sophomore Chase Jenson (171) and freshman Krystal Perry (103).
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