D2 Preview: Champions Could Meet Again
March 2, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A pair of reigning MHSAA individual champions met in Saturday’s Division 2 Team Final pitting Lowell and St. Johns.
They could meet again this weekend to determine the 140-pound title.
The Redwings' Ian Parker just got the best of the Red Arrows’ Zeth Dean, 3-0, although Lowell ended up the team champion at Central Michigan University. But the last time they both competed at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Parker left with the 125-pound title and Dean won at 130.
They are two of 10 contenders we’ve broken out below among many to watch this weekend at the Division 2 Individual Finals. Follow all the matches beginning with Thursday's first round on a subscription basis live on MHSAA.TV, and click here for results at MHSAA.com. And come back to Second Half this weekend as we’ll interview all 14 title winners.
112: Cameron Mahlich, Ionia junior (38-2) – Last season’s champion at 103 finished only second at his Regional last month, but his only other loss this season came in December.
112: Austin Franco, Stevensville Lakeshore senior (43-0) – Franco fell 14-10 in last season’s Final at this weight to Gaylord’s Dominic LaJoie (see below) and it was Franco’s only loss; he defeated Mahlich (see above) in the Regional this time.
119: Dominic LaJoie, Gaylord junior (58-0) – Undefeated at this point for the second time in three seasons, LaJoie is going for his third individual championship after winning 112 a year ago.
125: Lucas Hall, Lowell senior (28-0) – Fresh off being part of a third-straight team championship last weekend, Hall can finish his high school career with a third-straight individual title after winning at 119 last season; he’ll wrestle next at Michigan State University.
140: Zeth Dean, Lowell senior (29-5) – He won last season at 130 pounds and was runner-up at 112 as a freshman, and he'll go on to compete for Harvard.
140: Ian Parker, St. Johns senior (45-2) – After helping the Redwings back to the Division 2 Team Final, Parker can end a champion once more on his way to continue at Iowa State.
145: Austin Melton, DeWitt senior (51-1) – The 2014 champion at 135 narrowly missed a second title last winter, falling 7-5 in the Final at 140; he’s the top seed at 145 this weekend.
189: Max Dean, Lowell senior (33-0) – The cousin of Zeth and younger brother of graduated Lowell star Gabe, Max has starred as well, winning 171 as a sophomore before missing last season with an injury. Like Gabe, he'll next suit up at Cornell.
215: Landon Pelham, Tecumseh senior (50-0) – Last season’s third-place finisher at this weight is the favorite this time and will continue his career after at Central Michigan.
285: Isaiah Espinoza, Adrian senior (43-1) – He made an unexpected run to runner-up at this weight last season, finishing with a record of only 18-7, but won’t surprise anyone this time.
Other 2015 runners-up: Gaylord senior Trevor Giallombardo (112, 53-5, 103 in 2015), Warren Woods Tower junior Elijuh Weaver (112, 54-1, D1 103 for Roseville in 2015), Owosso senior Emilio Campos (112, 39-6, D3 103 for Corunna in 2015) Parma Western junior Luke Raczkowski (135, 45-4, 130 in 2015), Parma Western senior Chase Veydt (140, 39-4, 135 in 2015), Eaton Rapids senior Clayton Higelmire (215, 41-2, 215 in 2015).
Also undefeated: Riverview senior Brandon Garcia (152, 51-0), Warren Lincoln junior Jelani Embree (171, 43-0), Cedar Springs junior Patrick DePiazza (285, 49-0).
More of note: Parma Western freshman Cory Gamet (103, 11-1), Ortonville Brandon senior Brendan Ladd (130, 52-3), Goodrich senior Nathan Ellis (135, 48-3), Ortonville Brandon senior Bryan LaVearn (140, 53-2), Sparta senior Joel Rees (152, 45-1), Warren Lincoln senior Deirrien Perkins (160, 37-1).
The MHSAA Wrestling Finals are presented by the Michigan Army National Guard.
PHOTO: Lowell’s Zeth Dean and St. Johns’ Ian Parker, right, locked up during last weekend’s Division 2 Team Final. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Hudson Makes Big Stage Home Again in Division 4 Championship Repeat
By
Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com
February 25, 2023
KALAMAZOO – The Hudson wrestling team is never afraid of the big stage.
In fact, the Tigers thrive on it.
Hudson claimed its second-straight Division 4 team championship Saturday at Wings Event Center with an impressive 58-12 win over Bronson in the Final.
The Tigers have won 10 team titles in head coach Scott Marry's 35 years of leading the program.
Marry said aside from a lot of hard work, it's a simple formula for the small school and community in southern Michigan.
"We love each other – I love my kids, and they love me," Marry said. "I love my coaching staff, and when you wrestle out of the environment like that, it settles in and it's really powerful. Everyone calls it momentum, but it's really love."
The love and momentum were on full display Saturday in Kalamazoo, especially in the championship match against Bronson.
After falling behind 6-0 from a pin at 215 pounds, the Tigers ran off a string of nine straight wins. And among those nine straight wins, Hudson had seven pins.
Starting the streak was senior heavyweight Aidan Rackowski with a pin in 2 minutes, 44 seconds.
Pinning their opponents is a consistent theme for Hudson at the Finals.
During the Tigers’ 62-18 win over Iron Mountain in the Quarterfinal, 51-12 win over Martin/Climax-Scotts in the Semifinal and the championship victory over Bronson, Hudson had a total of 17 pins.
"We just work on a lot of subconscious brain work in the room," Marry said, "And visualization and creativity. And that manifests itself; it's powerful. Believe it or not, kids nowadays really do want to learn. They want to be loved, and they want to be taken care of."
The 17th and final pin of the weekend for Hudson came from senior Logan Sallows at 190 pounds.
Sallows a returning Individual Finals placer.
"We push hard at practice," said Sallows, who is the second-ranked 190-pounder in Division 4 by Michigan Grappler. "We always want to get better as a team, always. Everyone is family, and we continue to push ourselves until we hit our limits."
And those limits are high.
Although it ran up against one of, if not the best team in Division 4 year in and year out, Bronson coach Chad Butters was proud of his team's run this year.
The third-seeded Vikings defeated Manchester in the Quarterfinals 39-19, then second-seeded St. Louis in the Semifinals 38-29.
"We felt really good coming in here," said Butters, whose team ended with a 39-2 record. "I thought we wrestled really well against Manchester. Then against St. Louis, we showed a lot of toughness and grit.
"Against Hudson, we knew we would have to pull off some upsets; that just didn't happen," he added. "They overwhelmed us. They wrestled their match. They did what they do best."
Bronson got its wins in the Final from Matthew Blankenship at 215, Carson Norton at 157 and Jacob Britten at 175.
"I am so proud of my young men," Butters said. "I am proud of their heart. We just fell short."
PHOTOS (Top) Hudson’s Nicholas Sorrow works toward a pin in his 113-pound match during the Division 4 Final. (Middle) Bronson’s Matthew Blankenship, right, and St. Louis’ Ramon Anguiano lock up at 285 in a Semifinal. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)