Brothers' Success Just Start for Beaverton
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 28, 2018
In a movie, this season and the future of the Beaverton wrestling program would be the epilogue, explained to us with words on the screen while triumphant music played.
When Eric and Kyle Cassiday won Division 4 individual MHSAA championships in back-to-back matches last season with their father Bryan – who had started the program four years earlier – coaching matside, the script could have been completed.
“It’s one of the top five moments of my entire life,” said Kyle Cassiday, now a senior at Beaverton. “(After my match) all I could focus on was Eric – he went through so much with injuries, so to see him win it was amazing.”
But while the Cassidays are certainly at the heart of the program, creating this program wasn’t just about them. And there are plenty more memories to be made.
“I wanted to provide an opportunity for the kids who had been through the youth program, and those that wanted to join, to at least experience what I experienced in high school wrestling,” Bryan Cassiday said. “We were all brothers, and I wanted them to get to be able to do that. We had a lot of help (from outside the program). We’ve had a lot of people helping to influence a lot of different kids. It’s been a wonderful experience.”
Bryan Cassiday is a Gladwin graduate who coached the youth program there. That included his sons Eric, Kyle and Jacob, who started when they were elementary and preschool age. Bryan continued to coach when the family moved to Beaverton, but there appeared to be a cap on how much time they could be involved with the sport and attend their new school, as Beaverton didn’t have a wrestling program.
When Eric was about to enter high school, the Cassidays started looking at options to transfer, going as far as having a family vote at the dinner table. Kyle voted for Beaverton. Little did he or his family know that was about to become an option.
“Some of the football coaches came to me and said, ‘What would it take to start a program?’” Bryan Cassiday said. “We put together some numbers on what it would cost, did some fundraising, and started one.”
For the kids, it was a relief.
“I was so happy,” Kyle said. “I didn’t want to leave my friends. They deserved to wrestle as much as we did. It was more than just for me.”
That first season, Beaverton had 12 or 13 wrestlers, Bryan Cassiday said, including a solid core of youth wrestlers who were finally able to stay at their home school, like Eric.
By Year 3 of the program, the three boys all were part of it, with Jacob as a freshman, Kyle a sophomore and Eric a junior.
Wrestling was and is a way of life for the Cassidays, who have a mat in the garage to train – or settle a dispute, even if that was rare and mostly in the past.
“It doesn’t matter what season it is, we’re always looking forward to wrestling,” said Jacob Cassiday, who was a Finals qualifier at 152 pounds a year ago. “We don’t wrestle much in the house. We broke a couple light fixtures, then that stopped.”
For Jacob, growing up as the youngest of four children (they have an older sister, Brooke, who is 21), allowed him to learn quite a bit.
“I’ve always been the smaller one, and I’ve always had to work hard,” he said. “I never had it easy, and they never did either. I was a little pudgy, and they helped me get into shape, then helped me with getting through wrestling. They taught me how to work hard. My oldest brother Eric had probably the best motivation I’ve ever seen. He was always in the weight room or on the mat or on the football field. There was no offseason. And, of course, they taught me how to be humble, because there’s always someone out there who’s better.”
The older brothers got to see each other plenty in practice, as Kyle was at 189 pounds and Eric at 215 a year ago.
“We’re both really competitive – we love to win, it’s what we strive to do,” Kyle said. “Halfway through the year, we started to change our perspective and realized we had a chance at winning. We would point each other to different techniques. Sometimes it got pretty intense, and we’d get pretty heated.”
Brotherly tensions aren’t something Dad worries much about spilling over, though.
“Really very rarely did they ever have problems,” Bryan said. “There was a point in the season when I was trying to get everybody on edge a little bit, and there were a couple times I had to separate them, but nothing out of control; you could just tell they were wanting it. Generally speaking, to be very honest, I’ve seen siblings that argue and fight – my kids don’t do that. They hunt together, they wrestle together, they do pretty much everything together.”
They eventually won Division 4 titles together. At last winter’s Finals at Ford Field, Kyle defeated TJ Rizor of Leroy Pine River 8-1 in the 189-pound final, while Eric followed with a 4-0 win against Chase Gibson of Bronson at 215.
“There will never be a way, honestly, to describe what happened,” Bryan said. “I couldn’t talk. I was having a hard time coping with it, to be honest with you. It’s hard to become a state champion. It was the culmination of the years and years of hard work and the passion they put into it. They continued to work, and they got paid in the end.”
Kyle said his championship wouldn’t have meant nearly as much had his brother not won. It’s something they’ll be able to talk about when they’re 40, he said.
But there’s more work to do for all of the Cassidays and the program as a whole. Eric, who is now a freshman at Saginaw Valley State University, comes back home to help his dad coach. Kyle is looking to repeat as a Finals champ, and Jacob wants to take the next step at Ford Field and make his way onto the podium.
The program itself has more building to do, but it does have a solid core heading into this year as Cameron Austin and Jack Owens (fifth last season at 171) join the younger Cassidays as returning Finals qualifiers. For now, the top priority, Bryan Cassiday said, is improving every day.
In just four years, Beaverton wrestling has started to make a name for itself. Growing that name, Kyle Cassiday said, would be an even greater accomplishment that the incredible end to last season.
“I’d be more proud of building a successful program than a championship because it’s an end result,” he said. “It will be creating something for more than just me. It would be for a lot of different people.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Kyle Cassiday celebrates as he’s signaled the winner of last season’s Division 4 championship match at 189 pounds. (Middle) Eric and Kyle Cassiday share an embrace after Eric followed up with the win at 215 at Ford Field. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Ferris Wins More Than Bracket with 1st Finals Title
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
April 3, 2021
GRAND RAPIDS – Caden Ferris wanted family bragging rights.
His brother, Tyden Ferris, was a two-time runner-up at the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals, so with a win Saturday at the Division 4 championship meet, Caden would have one up on big brother.
The Delton Kellogg junior won those bragging rights and his first title with a thrilling 13-11 overtime victory against 2020 champion Camden Orr of New Lothrop in the 215-pound Final at Van Andel Arena.
“I was obviously very tired, but I was counting on that he was more tired than me,” Ferris said. “I just guess I had more will to win.”
Ferris (33-2) trailed Orr 7-1 at one point, and 10-7 late in the third period before getting a pair of takedowns to send the match to overtime, where he secured the winning takedown. As he was trailing early, Ferris said his thoughts floated to the sibling rivalry.
“I gotta beat my brother in something,” Ferris said of his thoughts. “He never got first.”
Ferris, who has committed to Central Michigan, came into the meet as the top seed, as he technically already defeated Orr in the Regional Final. Orr (24-2) injury defaulted that match, however. Despite missing the opportunity to wrestle Orr in the Regional, Ferris knew what he was up against.
“I knew he liked to shoot, and my favorite move the underhook, and I know he likes the fireman that counters that,” said Ferris, who placed eighth at 215 pounds as a freshman but didn’t wrestle in the Finals as a sophomore. “I practiced a lot of defense, mostly offense.”
103
Champion: Connor Younts, Clinton, Fr. (28-2)
Decision, 5-0, over Loreto Frangedakis, Capac, Sr. (19-4)
Younts already had quite a start to his high school career, helping to lead Clinton to a Team Finals trophy this past Tuesday. Now he can add an Individual Finals title after a dominant performance.
He pinned his first two opponents on the day, before shutting out the final two, 10-0 in the semifinals and 5-0 in the Final.
“I’m just excited,” Younts said. “I had to work hard all season. I thought I was going to make it here, and I knew I was going to do good. I thought I was going to win, and I did.”
Younts was one of an MHSAA-record 11 Clinton wrestlers in the Finals.
112
Champion: Coy Perry, Clinton, Fr. (31-1)
Decision, 3-2, over Connor Busz, Clinton, Soph. (26-5)
Perry battled a leg injury and his own teammate to claim an individual title in his first season.
The two wrestled each other four times this winter, with Perry coming out victorious in each matchup. A third-period takedown was the difference in the latest bout.
“It’s been close every time,” Perry said. “It’s tough. When it gets down to this point, it’s very emotional. It’s on your own, too, because obviously (Clinton coaches) can’t coach, so it’s on pretty much both of us to determine what we do.”
119
Champion: Aydan Sturtevant-Roesly, Hesperia, Sr. (25-4)
Decision, 2-1, over Zak Shadley, Clinton, Soph. (28-5)
Sturtevant-Roesly wasn’t sure how his season would go after dislocating his kneecap and tearing a ligament in his knee.
It went pretty well.
After finishing seventh at 103 as a sophomore and sixth at 112 as a junior, he reached the top of the podium with a hard-fought victory.
“I’ve been through a lot this season,” Sturtevant-Roesly said. “I wasn’t sure how this season was going to play out for me, but I came out and we did it. It’s everything. I’ve been working for this for a long time, and I really wanted it today.”
125
Champion: Randy Frailey, Hanover-Horton, Sr. (29-0)
Decision, 3-2, over Nik Shadley, Clinton, Fr. (28-2)
Frailey has been on the podium before, finishing eighth at 119 in 2019, but he always envisioned himself at the top of it. Thanks to a late second-period takedown, it’s now more than a vision.
“It’s like nothing else,” Frailey said. “I’ve always imagined this moment in my head a billion times. It really lived up to it, and it’s just amazing.”
After Frailey’s victory, he was able to stand matside and watch his teammate, Chris Sorrow, claim his own title at 135.
“It’s just amazing,” Frailey said. “We really fuel each other – he helps me, I help him. We’ve come up together, so it’s indescribable.”
130
Champion: Jesse Brumm, Vermontville Maple Valley, Sr. (32-2)
Injury default, 3:45, over Bronson Marry, Hudson, Jr. (25-1)
Brumm had a 5-0 lead in the match before Marry was injured and unable to continue.
It was the fourth all-state finish for Brumm, who was third at 130 in 2020, sixth at 119 in 2019 and runner-up at 112 in 2018.
“It’s always been a dream of mine,” Brumm said. “I’ve worked hard, and I think I deserve it. It’s a miracle to me. I’ve done everything I could for it.”
Marry was making his third-straight Finals appearance, as he was the champion at 112 in 2020, and runner-up at 103 in 2019.
135
Champion: Christopher Sorrow, Hanover-Horton, Sr. (25-1)
Decision, 9-3, over Dillon Raab, Bark River-Harris, Soph. (33-2)
After placing sixth as a junior and seventh as a sophomore – both times at 135 – Sorrow decided to go big this year.
A seven-point third period, including five points from nearfalls, gave him his first Individual Finals title.
“I wasn’t necessarily going for that, but if I saw an opening where his weight shifted, I just took it as far as I could,” Sorrow said. “I’m ecstatic.
“Like (Frailey) said earlier, we’ve been training since sixth grade for this. To come here and accomplish this in our senior year together, back to back, is just a great feeling.”
140
Champion: Cole Stone, Carson City-Crystal, Jr. (32-2)
Major Decision, 9-1, over George Ames, Clinton, Jr. (27-1)
After finishing sixth at 140 pounds as a sophomore, Stone committed himself even more to wrestling this past offseason, and it paid off with a dominant performance in the Finals.
He earned a takedown in each period and added nearfall points in the third to claim his first title against previously unbeaten Ames.
“I’ve been working hard all year,” Stone said. “I wanted to leave it all out there. I had nothing to lose. It was a great match. I just went in and tried to attack as much as possible. To come from sixth last year as a sophomore to a state champion, it’s surreal. I couldn’t have even imagined this. I’ve visualized this moment multiple times, and the feeling is still there.”
145
Champion: Caden Natale, Hudson, Sr. (27-1)
Decision, 4-3, over Kent McCombs, Clinton, Jr. (29-3)
Natale was making his third appearance in the Finals, coming off a championship performance at 130 in 2020 and a runner-up finish at 119 in 2019.
While he was wrestling with torn ligaments in his right knee, he took inspiration from a friend who had passed away to fuel him in a hard-fought battle against McCombs, who was a runner-up at 145 a year ago.
“I lost a good friend not too long ago,” said Natale, who also had a third-place finish as a freshman. “I wore a shirt last year, wore a shirt this year. I got blood time and I was like, ‘I need to do this. It’s not just for me right now, it’s for him.’ It was an old club team of ours, Inflict Wrestling, and that’s what I do. I just keep going and I inflict damage, and I just pulled it out because I was just better on my feet.”
152
Champion: Gavin Wilmoth, Traverse City St. Francis, Jr. (34-1)
Major Decision, 14-2, over AJ Baxter, Clinton, Sr. (28-3)
Wilmoth took a giant leap forward this season, going from not making the podium as a sophomore, to Finals champion as a junior.
“He was someone standing in the way of my goal, and I had to beat him,” Wilmoth said. “I was coached up well for this match, and I just went out and hammered.
“It’s a relief. I’ve been looking forward to this since like seventh grade. It’s a weight off my shoulders, and it feels great.”
Baxter was also a runner-up at 103 as a freshman and fifth at 119 as a sophomore.
160
Champion: Spencer Konz, Clinton, Sr. (26-3)
Decision, 3-1 OT, over Shenard Foster, Detroit Loyola, Jr. (15-2)
In the third postseason matchup between the two, it was Konz who came away with the most important victory.
The match was tied at 1-1 deep into overtime, and the Clinton senior fought off a leg attack from Foster to come up with a takedown on the edge of the mat and get the victory.
“I just pulled his arm out and I felt the Merkel,” said Konz, who added his title to a pair of third-place finishes and an eighth-place finish in his career. “I grabbed it, and they gave me two for it.”
Foster is the only wrestler at Loyola, and finished seventh at 140 a year ago while wrestling for Harper Woods.
171
Champion: Brayden Randolph, Clinton, Sr. (31-1)
Decision, 8-3, over Cole Hopkins, Evart, Soph. (22-1)
After years of coming close, Randolph was able to add an individual title to his two team trophies. He finished as runner-up at 171 and 160 the past two seasons, and was third at 160 as a freshman.
He was dominant on his way to securing his title, pinning his first three opponents in 37 seconds, 1:19 and 2:33.
“This year I’ve been through so much, especially family-wise – I lost my grandpa in November,” Randolph said. “This one was for him. Just getting over adversity through COVID and all that, it means a lot to come out here and do what I love to do, and that’s wrestle.”
189
Champion: Logan Badge, Clinton, Jr. (32-1)
Decision, 3-1, over Hunter Belew, Delton Kellogg, Sr. (33-4)
Badge moved one step closer to becoming a four-time champion, as he wrapped up a dominant day with his third individual title.
He won at 189 as a sophomore and 215 as a freshman. On Saturday, he cruised to first-period pins in his first three matches, winning in 43 seconds, 1:22 and 1:12. Belew, who placed fifth at 171 as a junior, presented a different challenge, but one that Badge was able to overcome.
“Right now, just one more state title to go,” Badge said. “The team is going to be going good for the next couple years; we have a great program. It’s pretty sweet because the guys that are coming are going to help our lineup even more, and we have 11 in the Finals.”
285
Champion: Isiah Pasik, New Lothrop, Jr. (25-0)
Fall, 1:16, over Jake Fischer, Beaverton, Sr. (33-7)
Pasik moved up the podium with a dominant day. He cruised into the Finals with pins in 54 seconds, 3:35 and 1:41 before pinning Fischer in a rematch of the Regional Final.
In the championship match, Pasik was able to get an early takedown and take Fischer to his back in the opening minute before turning him again to earn the fall.
“I felt pretty good,” Pasik said. “I thought I wrestled pretty strong.”
Pasik was coming off a third-place finish at 285 as a sophomore.
PHOTOS: (Top) Delton’s Kellogg’s Caden Ferris, right, faces off with New Lothrop’s Cam Orr at the Division 4 Finals on Saturday at Van Andel Arena. (Middle) Detroit Loyola’s Shenard Foster, in blue, and Clinton’s Spencer Konz battle at 160 pounds. (Below) Clinton’s Logan Badge, right, gains control on the way to his third Finals championship. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)