Coaching Cousins Build on Macomb Roots
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
January 18, 2018
MACOMB – Success must begin somewhere.
And for the Macomb Dakota wrestling program, its beginnings can be traced to a church in Mount Clemens nearly 25 years ago.
Ed Skowneski, a longtime educator in Macomb County who was a football star at Wayne State University during the 1970s, got with a few buddies and formed a youth wrestling program named the Bad Boys Wrestling Club.
This program would eventually produce six MHSAA champions and approximately 20 others who reached the Individual Finals. It also helped inspire two of those wrestlers to become coaches at the high school level.
Eddie Skowneski, Ed's son, leads the Macomb Dakota program ranked No. 3 in Division 1 this week by Michigan Grappler. Nephew Anthony Biondo assists top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central.
Before the Bad Boys – which would eventually evolve into Team All Sport – there were pockets in the county where the sport thrived, such as Fraser High where Al Kastl had built a strong program. But for the most part, Macomb County was a step or two behind nearby counties such as Genesee, Lapeer, Oakland and Wayne, where the sport had well-established programs like Clarkston, Davison, Detroit Catholic Central, Hazel Park, Lake Orion, Montrose, New Lothrop and others.
Skowneski teamed with people like Bob Palazzolo, Rick Julien – an assistant under Kastl at Fraser who later became Fraser’s head coach – and later, Vince Biondo, Skowneski’s roommate in college, to organize a competitive youth program.
“We had some good kids back then,” Skowneski said. “We had six state champions come out of there. We practiced twice a week at the church, but it was more like a hall or reception room. After one year we moved to Fraser, Mark Twain Elementary (School), where I was a principal. That made it easier, for travel and everything. We had our own mats in the school, and it started to grow.”
A team from Macomb County has yet to reach an MHSAA Division 1 Final, but they’re getting close. Last season Dakota reached a Division 1 Semifinal for the first time, and it was just the third time a Macomb County team had advanced that far in the top division/classification.
Two other county schools fared well last season, too, in other divisions. Warren Woods Tower lost in the Division 2 Final to Lowell, and Richmond won the Division 3 title.
Skowneski’s motivation to become a coach came from his son, Eddie, and, later, his nephew Anthony Biondo, Vince Biondo’s son. Eddie Skowneski got his start with the Bad Boys at age 9 with his cousin who is two years younger. The two became best friends and would become two of the county’s top wrestlers during the early to mid-2000s at Clinton Township Chippewa Valley.
Each would reach the Individual Finals three times. In 2003, Skowneski won the 140-pound title over fellow county wrestler Justin Petrone of Roseville, 1-0. Biondo was a three-time champion placing first at 103 in 2003, first at 112 the next season and first at 145 in 2006.
Skowneski would earn a scholarship to Michigan State University, where he was a three-year starter. Biondo went to University of Michigan and was a three-time NCAA Tournament qualifier. His best season came as a senior when he went 2-2 at the NCAAs and earned his 100th career win.
“Those Bad Boys days, those were some great times,” Anthony Biondo said. “It was a great group of kids. I just remember being in that church with Uncle Ed. I really wasn’t into wrestling when I started. I was into hockey and football. I started going there one day a week, and it just grew. My first year wrestling (at Chippewa Valley), I won the state title. It was just that one-on-one thing that I liked. My dad was a huge goal-setting type of guy, and I just kept at it.”
Their wrestling careers didn’t stop after graduation. Skowneski became an assistant coach at Fraser for one season then went to Warren DeLaSalle for two as an assistant before becoming the head coach at Dakota in 2012. Biondo is in his seventh season as an assistant coach at Detroit Catholic Central, the top-ranked team and reigning champion in Division 1.
Eddie Skowneski, 31, said he’s had a number of mentors throughout his wrestling career who have contributed to him becoming the coach he is today. His father is one, but he also said his high school coach John Jeffire at Chippewa Valley, St. Clair Shores Lakeview football coach Pat Threet and his college coaches all have had their influence.
When Ed Skowneski retired as school principal at Mark Twain in 2015, his son quickly found him a part-time job as his assistant at Dakota to keep him active.
“He’s always been a great coach,” Eddie said. “Coaching with my dad, it never really stopped. With him, it’s the little things. He always said, if you have good technique, you can beat someone who is more physical than you are. With my dad, he goes to each person and shows them the proper technique. With me, sure I want them to work and train hard. But I want my wrestlers to do it the right way.”
Ed Skowneski got out of coaching when his son went to high school. He said he had taken his son as far as he could and that it was better to have Eddie continue his progression with someone else as his coach.
Now that Ed’s back in it, coaching with his son no less, he couldn’t be happier.
“When he first got the job at Dakota, I thought of helping him but I just didn’t have the time,” Ed Skowneski said. “I’m enjoying it now. I’m not the head coach. He has the issues. I just work with the kids. It’s fantastic. It’s rewarding. We have a great group of kids and good parents.
“I look forward to the tournaments, which sometimes keeps me up at night. It’s nice that my son and I can do this together.”
Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS: Longtime coach Ed Skowneski stands with son Eddie (left) and nephew Anthony Biondo after a youth event when they were children. (Middle) Father and son hold up Eddie’s bracket sheet after he won the Division 1 championship at 145 pounds in 2006; to the right, they pose together during Biondo’s wedding. (Below) Ed Skowneski and Biondo, also before the latter’s wedding. (Photos provided by the Skowneski family.)
Perry's Persistence Pays Off Once More with 3rd Finals Championship
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2024
DETROIT – As his sophomore season was being derailed by injuries, Coy Perry vowed to keep going.
Two years later, he left Ford Field as a three-time Division 4 Individual Finals champion.
“It’s unreal, I don’t know,” Perry said. “It’s crazy.”
The Hudson senior defeated Blake Sloan of Manchester 1-0 in the 144-pound Final on Saturday to wrap up his high school career as a four-time placer. The one non-title year was 2022 when he finished seventh at 135 pounds in Division 3 while wrestling for Clinton, where he spent the first two years.
He won Division 4 titles at 112 in 2021 and 144 a year ago. He was also part of three team titles, winning with Clinton in 2021 and Hudson each of the past two years.
“Hopefully I’ll have kids one day, and it’ll be awesome to show them some of the stuff I’ve done,” Perry said. “Hopefully it sets an example for a lot of people, especially my brother (Colt, who placed second Saturday).”
Perry, who was one of four champs from Hudson, claimed title No. 3 by beating a good friend in Sloan, which is something he would rather not have had to do.
“I can’t explain how bad it is knowing he’s your friend, too,” said Perry, who had to defeat a teammate in the Final as a freshman. “You kind of have to change your entire offense, everything. It’s nuts. That’s not the first 1-0, either.”
106
Champion: Logan Gilbert, Martin, Jr. (52-3)
Decision, 5-2, over Jordan Zambron, Riverview Gabriel Richard, Fr. (45-7)
Gilbert put himself back on top of the podium after coming up one match short a year ago. He was the 103-pound champion in 2022.
“Especially after last year, it just drove me to get better and get back on top,” he said. “When I lost, I thought ‘Nobody thinks I’m a legitimate state champ,’ so I had to put my head down and go to work and prove to them that I’m still one of the top wrestlers in the state at lightweight. That’s a phenomenal wrestler I just wrestled, he’s going to be a state champ in the future, no doubt about it.”
113
Champion: Alex Rodriguez, St. Louis, Soph. (48-2)
Fall, 3:16, over Austin Garcia, Lawton, Jr. (47-4)
After finishing as runner-up a year ago, Rodriguez was emotional following his first Finals victory. After leaving the mat, he quickly met with his teammates to receive congratulations, and then sprinted to the Ford Field stands to find his dad.
“Last year I lost in the state finals, and it was a hard month after that,” he said. “I could barely sleep and stuff. Came back here tonight and did what I had to do.”
Rodriguez is at the center of St. Louis’ climb to the top of Division 4, as he and his teammates were team runners-up to Hudson a week ago. He’s been training in the Sharks’ room since he was in third grade.
“Just knowing that we’re a part of that, and what we can do, it’s huge,” he said.
120
Champion: Nicholas Sorrow, Hudson, Soph. (52-1)
Technical fall, 16-1 (4:18), over Colt Perry, Hudson, Soph. (22-8)
Sorrow didn’t mince words after claiming his second Finals title in as many tries. He’s coming for four.
“I’m trying to get four,” he said. “I’m looking ahead, I’m not going to look back.”
He had to get through his teammate to claim title No. 2, but said he and Perry are able to separate their friendship from the mat.
“It’s always tough wrestling a teammate,” he said. “Colt’s a good guy, we’re friends off the mat, we’re buds. But, for me, whenever we step on the mat, put the ankle bands on and shake hands, you kind of forget about all that.”
126
Champion: Julien Kimling, Hudson, Jr. (42-10)
Decision, 7-4, over Sammy Stewart, Manchester, Soph. (55-3)
It was an emotional title for Kimling, who lost his grandfather to cancer a year ago, something he learned while at the Finals his sophomore year.
So, despite facing a 2023 champion in Stewart, he wasn’t going to let anything get in his way.
“It means everything,” he said. “I was at this tournament last year when I found out my grandfather passed of cancer, right up in Section 124. And I told him I’d get it for him this year. I didn’t get there last year, I was fourth, and I told him I’d get it for him. This was all for him. All glory to God, God has kept me connected to my grandpa through it all. And I couldn’t have done it without them.”
132
Champion: Haylen Buell, Climax-Scotts/Martin, Soph. (45-4)
Fall, 2:24, over Logan Mears, Union City, Jr. (35-3)
Buell became the first wrestler to claim a title on the night, winning by fall early in the second period.
It was the first Finals title for the sophomore, who was runner-up at this weight a year ago.
“I was so excited,” he said. “I’m glad I didn’t freeze. It feels great, it was against the same team.”
138
Champion: Cole Marry, Hudson, Sr. (48-8)
Decision, 5-0, over Jacob Gillison, Benzie Central, Sr. (46-9)
Marry claimed his first Finals title and 150th career win with the victory. He broke the match open in the second period with a pair of nearfalls.
“I just went out there wanting to have fun and wanting to go get it,” said Marry, who has been part of the past three Team Finals titles at Hudson. “It feels awesome. I came out here with my buddies, our coach told us to come out here with the same mentality that we had last weekend, which I think we all did.”
150
Champion: Montana Connell, Union City, Jr. (41-8)
Decision, 6-2, over Gabriel Erwin, Bronson, Soph. (42-7)
Connell was an afterthought heading into the postseason, sitting outside the rankings. He didn’t advance to the Individual Finals a year ago, after going 0-2 here as a freshman.
So, following his unanticipated victory, he was understandably emotional.
“It just meant a lot the whole time,” said Connell, who allowed himself to believe he could win it all after winning his second-round match against Grason Weber of Leslie. “That was a really big win for me and helped me mentally get here.”
157
Champion: Gavin Schoff, Niles-Brandywine, Sr. (49-0)
Decision, 1-0, over Layne Knisely, Bronson, Soph. (51-7)
It wasn’t until a year ago when he placed third at the Individual Finals that Schoff allowed the thought of being a Finals champion enter his head.
Now it’s a reality.
“I never thought I’d be a state champ,” Schoff said. “It was never even in my thought when I was younger, like a freshman, I never thought I’d be able to make it to this high of a level. I saw him at Regionals, but I was able to pin him in the first. He knew that I wanted to go upper body with him, so he wasn’t staying in the tie-up at all.”
165
Champion: Sebastian Martinez, Riverview Gabriel Richard, Jr. (54-0)
Major decision, 9-1, over Fulton Stroud, Iron Mountain, Sr. (36-3)
Martinez stayed on pace to become the state’s 38th four-time champion, claiming his third Finals title in as many years.
He won at 145 as a freshman and 157 a year ago. Stroud, meanwhile, was a runner-up at 165 in 2023.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Martinez said. “There’s a lot of pressure to be a four-timer, but it’s a good step toward that goal and I’m just grateful I got to be here and compete.”
Winning four is something Martinez said started to enter his head after his freshman year, but the pressure is something he welcomes.
“You can only make diamonds in pressure, so it’s good,” he said.
175
Champion: Brady Jess, Charlevoix, Jr. (54-1)
Major decision, 13-2, over Caleb Lane, White Pigeon, Sr. (49-2)
Jess wasn’t going to hide it after winning his first Finals title: This is tough work, even when you win in a dominant fashion.
“I’m really tired, but it felt good,” Jess said. “I don’t even know, it felt unreal.”
He actually trailed in the match, 2-0, as Lane got a takedown 36 seconds in. But Jess countered with eight points to close the period and was on his way to a major decision.
190
Champion: Colton Symons, New Lothrop, Sr. (47-5)
Fall, 2:46, over CJ Copeland, Lakeview, Jr. (46-6)
Winning matches at the Individual Finals is a tradition for the Symons family. Now Colton gets to join his older brother Caleb as a Finals champion, even using a cradle to get the pin, something else that ran in the family.
“It’s something my brothers were really good at, so I knew if I got on top, that’s the move I had to go for,” Symons said before rattling off what his brothers had accomplished before him. “Four team state championships, two runner-ups, one state championship and I think nine all-state appearances. I think I felt (pressure) my entire life. When people are successful before you, you want to do the same, and I always want to do better.”
215
Champion: Landon Swanson, Charlevoix, Sr. (49-2)
Decision, 9-3, over Cameron Doody, Perry, Sr. (47-5)
Not long after watching his good friend Jess win a title, Swanson got the chance to do it himself, and he made the most of the opportunity.
“My adrenaline was through the roof,” Swanson said. “It’s crazy. He’s been my best friend since I can remember, so it’s great having us both win one.”
The Central Michigan football signee broke the match open by scoring seven points in the third period.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “Senior year, finally getting there after being here for the third time, it’s just amazing to come out on top, finally.”
285
Champion: Zachary Hayes, Bangor, Sr. (51-1)
Decision, 4-0, over Chaz Underwood, White Pigeon, Jr. (43-8)
Hayes and Underwood had met multiple times during the season, so the Bangor senior knew what to expect and how dangerous his opponent from White Pigeon could be.
“Really all upper body,” Hayes said. “Getting under the arms, trying to do lat drops, headlocks, stuff like that.”
The match was scoreless going into the third period, but Hayes got an early escape and a stalling point before a late takedown closed the victory.
“Once I got my point, I think I really thought I could secure the match,” he said. “I’m pretty good in the up position, and I feel like I can stay up. I was pretty confident by that point.”
PHOTOS (Top) Hudson’s Coy Perry, right, wrestles Manchester’s Blake Sloan during Saturday’s 144-pound title match. (Middle) Charlevoix’s Landon Swanson, right, works to keep leverage against Perry’s Cameron Doody. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)