Published: July 29, 2008 10:21 am      

All-State memorable for Marlow father-son

Mike Peck named coach of the year and Jacob Peck follows with win

Norman — NORMAN — It was a banner night for the Pecks but not so much for the Small West All-State wrestling team.

Mike Peck was honored as the Coach of the Year prior to the All-State Wrestling match in Norman Friday night in front of his peers and colleagues. Then it was OSU signee Jacob Peck who gave the West something to cheer about when he notched his team’s first win of the night with a 7-2 decision over Tyler Evans of Cushing. Drew Weske had his opportunities to pull out a win but came up short in an emotional 3-1 loss to Dalton Johns of Tonkawa as the East would post a 37-13 win in the small school dual. In the large school dual, the West posted a 28-19 victory.

“It’s a great honor to wrestle at All-State,” Peck said. “In Marlow, you get your name on a shirt and there was only two of us that made it to All-State and it was in wrestling. It’s a huge honor.”

The 140-pounder’s night was made all the more special when his father was named Region V Wrestling Coach of the Year and then singled out as the state Coach of the Year.

“That’s awesome, there is no other coach out there that deserves it more,” Peck said. “He’s a Hall of Fame coach.”

The elder Peck was roaming the sideline during the match, assisting Ed Evey of Kingfisher. Placing two wrestlers in the All-State dual has become a rite of passage for the powerhouse Outlaw program but with his retirement and the opportunity to watch his son wrestle at the high school level for the last time, the evening was a tad more special for the highly decorated coach.

“It was really a shock,” Mike said. “I didn’t know I was nominated for the Region V Coach of the Year until I saw it in a newsletter. I’ve been very fortunate with great kids and great parents. I figured they heard I was retiring and they decided to give me something.”

It was a slow night on the West side following the presentation of the award as the East jumped out to a commanding 24-0 lead after the first five matches. Peck stepped up to stop the bleeding, both figuratively and in actuality, with the decision over Evans.

Leading 2-1 in the first period, Peck was forced to the sideline with a bloody nose. Once the match resumed, it was Evans knotting the score up at two with an escape early in the second period. Peck answered with a takedown and added a point on an escape to give him a 5-2 advantage. The future Cowboy sealed the win with two more points late in the match.

“Nothing against Evans, he is a three-time state placer, but his style is more defensive and it’s hard to score points,” Peck said. “When I escaped, I knew I had it under control.

“I have been working out in Stillwater twice a day. I’m not in great shape, but I was more prepared than some other guys in here.”

Peck’s win closed the deficit to 24-3 but the East regained momentum with wins in the next four matches. One of those matches came at the expense of Weske at 160.

Weske fell behind 2-1 in the second period and twice was poised to score two points on Johns for a takedown, only to come up short each time. The last opportunity came in the final seconds of the match.

“I pulled a lot of weight,” Weske said. “He was tough, but I shouldn’t have lost.

“It was great to be here, it’s All-State. I’m honored to be a part of it, it’s just disappointing that I lost.”

The next action for area athletes will be Thursday night when Trey Eason of Velma-Alma takes part in the small school All-State basketball game. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on the campus of Carl Albert High School.