Clinton Joins Elite Group of Mat Champs
March 19, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Team wrestling has become the most difficult MHSAA sport for new contenders to break into the championship elite.
From 2010-19, 10 schools combined to win the 40 Finals championships over four divisions. Divisions 2, 3 and 4 all saw a decade’s worth of titles split between just two teams.
In Division 4, Hudson or New Lothrop had won actually the last 11 Finals championships before this season. Those two teams arrived at Wings Event Center last month again as the top two seeds, respectively, in Division 4.
And that might have made the victory march by third seed Clinton – the MHSAA/Applebee’s “Team of the Month” for February – even more memorable, if that’s possible.
Clinton defeated New Lothrop 32-26 in its Semifinal on Feb. 29 and came back a few hours later to defeat the Tigers 36-27 to clinch its first Finals championship in the sport – and first MHSAA Finals championship in any boys sport in school history.
The Redskins finished this season 31-5 in dual matches.
“These 28 kids get that forever, no matter what happens in their lifetime,” said Clinton co-coach Jeff Rolland, who finished his seventh season and second running the program with Casey Randolph. “(It’s) something they get to have together as a group.”
Clinton had been building to this. The Redskins advanced to Wings with their fifth Regional title over the last seven seasons. They reached the cusp of school history a year ago, wrestling in the title-deciding match for the first time before finishing Division 4 runners-up with a 45-19 loss to the Tigers.
This time, Clinton brought 13 Individual Finals qualifiers to Kalamazoo – and they went on to fare well again the following weekend at Ford Field. Nine of the 13 reached the podium with top-eight places at their weights in Detroit.
Sophomore Logan Badge won his second individual championship and finished a 37-0 run with the title at 189. Junior Brayden Randolph (171) and sophomore Kent McCombs (145) were individual runners-up at their weights, Randolph for the second-straight season. Freshman Connor Busz (third at 103), sophomore Chase Packard (eighth at 112), sophomore George Ames (third at 135), junior Spencer Konz (third at 160), junior Jack Voll (sixth at 215) and junior Will Felts (sixth at 285) also placed.
Clinton had entered the 2019 Team Finals weekend as the top seed in Division 4 on the way to finishing runner-up, and actually finished No. 1 in Division 4 in the final Michigan Grappler rankings this winter before ending up with the third seed.
“I guess that’s the key – you want to be the number three seed in Division 4. Hudson did it last year (and won),” Rolland said. “Bottom line, the top four teams (in Division 4) were even. I think all of the coaches said that. (The three seed) might have helped our kids refocus.”
Past Teams of the Month, 2019-20
January: Caro girls basketball - Report
December: Hartland girls basketball - Report
November: Bridgman girls cross country - Report
October: Allegan boys tennis - Report
September: Ishpeming Westwood girls tennis - Report
PHOTOS: (Top) Clinton teammates and coaches congratulate Connor Busz after his win at 103 pounds against Hudson on Feb. 29 that clinched the Division 4 team championship. (Middle) The Redskins celebrate their first Finals title. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Hudson Holds On To Top Spot in D4
February 24, 2018
By Jeff Chaney
Special for Second Half
KALAMAZOO – Life isn't always easy on top.
The Hudson wrestling team found that out this year.
The reigning Division 4 champion had to deal with a few no-shows, as well as some tough injuries. But in the end, the Tigers were able to overcome and win their seventh MHSAA title by beating old foe New Lothrop 34-22 in the championship match Saturday evening at the Wings Event Center.
"We had some things go against us this year," said coach Scott Marry, whose team completed its season with a 20-5 record. "We lost some kids because their heart wasn't in it, and they backed out. There were three or four that did that. And of course we lost (starting heavyweight Isiah) Kizek at the start of the season with mono, and then he had an AC separation in his shoulder. Then last Saturday is his first match, he dislocates his elbow, so we wrestled our backup here all day – kid we taught how to wrestle three months ago."
It worked, even in a loss.
Hudson heavyweight Alex Price fell to Individual Finals qualifier Cameron Dusenberry in the championship dual's second match, 3-1 in sudden victory.
But the Tigers seemed to thrive on the emotion of the hard work Price put in, as they won eight of the 14 matches wrestled. More importantly, three of those wins were by pin, and one was by major decision.
And when two evenly matched teams face off, bonus points are very important.
One of those pins came from undefeated reigning individual champion Jordan Hamdan in the 140-pound match.
"This is a crazy feeling; it's always good to see all of our hard work pay off," Hamdan said. "We have always practiced for this, and we always will. We had a lot of struggles this year, and all the hard practices. It is such a good feeling to win."
But like they have all weekend, the Hornets showed heart in the Final.
For the second straight year, New Lothrop was seeded sixth in the eight-team tournament. And for the second straight year, the Hornets wrestled their way to the season’s last match.
"We are back to chasing these guys again," said New Lothrop coach Jeff Campbell, whose team won three straight Division 4 titles before finishing runner-up to Hudson the last two seasons. "They are ahead of us, and we have a lot of work to do. There was a lot of parity in Division 4 this year, so it didn't matter when the seeds came out. We could wrestle this tournament again, and we could have two different teams wrestle here."
Perhaps. But Hudson and New Lothrop have now met five straight times in the championship match.
"Jeff Campbell and his team have done this two years in a row," Marry said. They seeded them sixth, and they come through that bottom bracket. They fight hard, they are a lot like our kids and we have the utmost respect for New Lothrop. I take my hat off to them."
New Lothrop ended its year with a 25-4 record.
Click for full results of the weekend’s Division 4 matches.
PHOTOS: (Top) Hudson’s Scott Torres works toward a major decision during Saturday’s championship match. (Middle) New Lothrop’s Cameron Dusenberry celebrates his win at 285. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)