DCC 'Vikings' Dominate in D1 Repeat
February 24, 2018
By Butch Harmon
Special for Second Half
KALAMAZOO – They are called the Shamrocks, but for this wrestling season a more appropriate nickname would be Vikings.
The Detroit Catholic Central wrestling team not only won the Division 1 team championship this season, it dominated everything that got in its way in the state of Michigan.
Catholic Central’s final hurdle came in the Division 1 team championship match, a 57 to -1 win over Brighton, which had one point deducted early in the match for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The victory against Brighton capped a three-match blitz through Finals weekend by a combined score of 173-5 over the two-day event.
If that sounds like something out of Viking lore, that is exactly what the Shamrocks planned.
“Well, our team motto in the tourney is `burn it down, burn the boats,’” said Catholic Central junior Joe Urso. “Like they say on the TV show ‘The Vikings,’ ‘burn their boats.’ We came into this tournament looking to burn it down.”
That was exactly what a group of Shamrocks were chanting after the final match of the dual clinched a second consecutive title, the sixth Division 1 team title in the past nine years for Catholic Central.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Catholic Central junior Kevon Davenport. “We came out and from one through 14 everyone did a great job. We have great team unity, and that is one of our strong points. We have fun, and we like each other like brothers.”
Davenport was one of three Catholic Central wrestlers who recorded pins in the Final. Joshua Edmond (135 pounds) and Aidan Wagh (171) joined Davenport (145) with falls.
A pair of Shamrocks added five team points apiece with technical falls: senior Benyamin Kamali and junior Cameron Amine, a pair of two-time individual champions, won at 119 and 160 pounds, respectively.
“This is unbelievable,” said Kamali, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Kamali points to the team’s work ethic as a key to producing those impressive results.
“We are the hardest-working team in the state,” Kamali said. “Nobody in the state works as hard as we do. We also have the best coaches in the country.”
Catholic Central coach Mitch Hancock has led the Shamrocks (29-1) to their six titles since 2010. Along with hard work, Hancock believes in testing his team against the best competition he can find.
“I believe iron sharpens iron,” Hancock said. “The common equation of all this year’s champions (Lowell, Dundee and Hudson as well) is the teams all put together such difficult schedules. We wrestled Lowell a few weeks ago, and we also wrestled Dundee and Hudson.”
Catholic Central’s lone loss this season came against Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward, ranked No. 8 nationally by one publication.
“We have been undefeated in Michigan the last two years,” Hancock said. “We have a great group of coaches who know how to lead young men. We also have great parents and great support from our school’s administration. We also have a great group of young men who focus on the team.”
Catholic Central received major decisions from Easton Turner (215) and Steven Kolcheff (285), who started the dual with four-point victories to put the Shamrocks up 8-0.
Brighton (33-4) put up several strong efforts, but came up just short in six matches that ended in decisions. At 189 pounds, Catholic Central’s Rory Cox edged Brighton’s Greyson Stevens 3-1 in overtime. At 130 pounds, Catholic senior Stone Moscovic edged Brighton’s Zach Johnson 3-2. The Shamrocks’ Devon Johnsen (112) and Dominick Lomazzo (125) both won 3-1 decisions over Ben Manly and Eddie Homrock, respectively. Also picking up wins by decision for Catholic Central were Daniel Rehfeldt (103), Derek Gilcher (140) and Urso (152).
“This was pretty special,” Moscovic said. “Last year was a big moment because we lost in the Quarterfinals my sophomore year. We just came in with a mission this year. This team is like one big family. Each of our teammates is like a brother. Our team is more of a brotherhood.”
Click for full results of the weekend’s Division 1 matches.
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Catholic Central’s Dominick Lomazzo celebrates his win at 125 pounds. (Middle) Brighton’s Luke Stanton and DCC’s Easton Turner lock up at 215 pounds. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Dundee's Swiderski Becomes 4th to Earn 4 Individual, 4 Team Finals Titles
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 5, 2022
DETROIT – Casey Swiderski took a moment Saturday for himself.
The Dundee senior and four-time Individual Wrestling Finals champion had already had his hand raised. He had already addressed the crowd and had a post-match celebration.
But as fans continued to rain applause down on him, Swiderski crouched off to the side of the mat and took it all in.
“It’s tough walking away from this,” Swiderski said following his pinfall victory against Kingsley’s Aiden Shier in the Division 3, 152-pound final. “That was it. That was my last high school match in the MHSAA season. It’s tough. It’s a lot of hard work and years. I’ve got college to go to, but that’s tough right there.”
Swiderski deserved the moment, as he finished off one of the most dominant and successful careers in MHSAA history.
With his victory, and Dundee’s team title win a week earlier, Swiderski became the fourth wrestler in state history to win four team titles and four individual titles. He joined Davison’s Brent Metcalf (who will be one of his coaches at Iowa State), Lowell’s Austin Boone and his former teammate, Stoney Buell.
“It’s amazing,” Swiderski said. “When you put in all the hard work and the belief, this is the bonus day right here. This comes with it. It’s an awesome thing.”
Swiderski (45-0) was leading comfortably in the second period of the final when Shier was able to get his first burst of offense on a deep shot. Rather than give up the takedown, however, Swiderski turned it into his own pinning combination.
He finished the tournament with three pins and one technical fall. None of his matches went beyond the second period.
103
Champion: Talan Parsons, Ovid-Elsie, Soph. (37-1)
Major Decision, 9-0, over Landon Sopha, Yale, Fr. (53-2)
A year after coming one match short of his ultimate goal, Parsons wasn’t going to be denied Saturday.
“This was my biggest goal,” Parsons said. “Last year I was so close, and it hurt a lot to make it all that way and not take first. So I put in all the work to make my way back and win it this year.”
Parsons jumped on Sopha early and controlled the match throughout, adding a takedown, nearfall and reversal as the match went on to win with a major decision.
112
Champion: Kade Kluce, Dundee, Soph. (41-6)
Decision, 5-4, over Easton Moran, Yale, Sr. (51-3)
Kluce was a returning Finals champion, having won at 103 a year ago. But he wasn’t happy with how things started this season, and the emotions were evident as he celebrated his second title.
“I just felt grateful I got the opportunity to come here and wrestle,” said Kluce, who suffered a knee injury in the summer that lingered into the beginning of the season. “I lost six matches this year, three times as much as I did last year. I don’t know, I just didn’t feel proud of myself until now.”
Kluce fell behind 2-0 as Moran picked up an early takedown, but he battled back and a takedown with 37 seconds remaining won him the match.
119
Champion: Braeden Davis, Dundee, Jr. (41-2)
Technical Fall, 3:32, over Connor Busz, Clinton, Jr. (48-3)
Davis has not wrestled into the third period at the Individual Finals.
He’s a three-time champion.
“I’ve just been able to bonus my way through states the past three years, and I’m really grateful,” Davis said. “I’m really happy that I’m able to do things like that.”
Davis, who has already committed to Penn State, won at 103 pounds in 2020 and 112 in 2021. Saturday’s match was his first final to make it out of the first period, but it came against an opponent in Busz who was a runner-up a year ago.
As a three-time individual and team champion, Davis has a chance to match Swiderski’s achievement next season.
125
Champion: Cameron Chinavare, Dundee, Soph. (39-2)
Fall, 3:14, over Fabian Facundo, Alma, Fr. (38-4)
After an early-season match between these two was airtight, Chinavare – who won that first match 4-3 – was expecting another battle.
“I know I had to go out there and keep my feet moving,” Chinavare said. “I knew he was going to come at me. I dragged him right there at the end and took him to his back. I wasn’t expecting a pin at all, but it fell right into place, I guess.”
Chinavare led the match 2-0 after the first period, and before he was able to get the takedown and pin.
130
Champion: Zachary Gibson, Lake Odessa Lakewood, Sr. (39-0)
Major decision, 11-0, over Caiden Pelc, Portland, Sr. (34-7)
Gibson and Pelc had met three times throughout the season, with Gibson winning each matchup.
He wasn’t worried about Pelc figuring him out, though.
“I had something new against him every time,” Gibson said.
The title was the second straight for Gibson, who won at 125 pounds a year ago. This was his first at Ford Field.
“It’s way different,” he said. “Way bigger, way more exciting.”
135
Champion: Aidan Bernard, Montrose, Sr. (46-1)
Decision, 8-1, over Logan Sander, Dundee, Sr. (35-7)
After winning his first Finals title, Bernard couldn’t contain his emotions.
“I’m so happy,” he said. “I’ve been wrestling since I was 9, and this is all I’ve wanted for the past nine years. I’ve been close – my sophomore year I took third. Last year I thought I was going to have it, but I was in really bad shape because of COVID. This year, I really (worked hard) and I had great coaching staff, great family, great friends who pushed me and supported me. I’m just really grateful for the moment.”
Twice during his Finals match, Bernard’s injured knee flared up. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him.
“I knew I was going to keep going,” he said. “I told my parents and my friends, even if I break something early in the match, I’m going to keep going.”
140
Champion: Ryker Johnecheck, Williamston, Sr. (38-2)
Decision, 5-1, over Peter Pena, Milan, Jr. (21-2)
Johnecheck never planned to be flashy in claiming his third-straight individual title. He just wanted to be efficient.
He was certainly that as he controlled his match with Pena throughout.
“I think it’s one of those matches where it’s the state finals, I’m not going to go take any unnecessary risks,” he said. “I just went out there, wrestled smart. He can catch people, so my big thing was be smart, get a comfortable score, and take what’s there, and I think that’s what I did.”
Johnecheck won at 125 in 2020 and 130 in 2021.
“It’s not what I expected coming in as a freshman,” Johnecheck said. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet, that I’m going to be one of those guys in 10 years that they’re looking up (in the gymnasium) and say, ‘Oh, I knew him.’”
145
Champion: Aiden Davis, Dundee, Jr. (43-0)
Decision, 11-5, over Mason Cantu, Hart, Sr. (48-2)
Despite being a returning champion, Davis said he felt the pressure was on Cantu coming into their Finals match. So the Dundee junior picked his spots to finish off his unbeaten season and come away with another title.
“I’ve been here before. I sort of know the environment,” Davis said. “And I had to stay cool, calm and collected throughout the whole match.”
Davis won at 135 pounds a year ago, and was runner-up at 125 in 2020. Cantu was a Division 4 runner-up at 135 pounds in 2020.
160
Champion: Connor Owens, Flint Powers Catholic, Jr. (18-0)
Decision, 5-2, over Nick Marienfeld, Napoleon, Sr. (54-1)
Owens didn’t like the feeling of not winning a Finals title a year ago, when he finished runner-up at this weight. So he decided this season to simply not lose.
“This is dreams coming to reality right here, man; this is nuts,” he said. “This is my biggest wrestling dream ever, and I’m just in shock right now. That feeling of losing, whether in the state finals or not, when you’re a true competitor, you have to hate losing more than you love winning, and you just have to refuse to lose.”
The match was tied heading into the third period, but an escape and a takedown gave Owens the victory.
171
Champion: Kevin McKiernan, Richmond, Sr. (40-9)
Decision, 4-3, over Jake Nelson, Howard City, Sr. (38-8)
McKiernan is the youngest of five brothers, and all made a Final for Richmond. He’s now the third McKiernan to win a title.
“It means a ton,” he said. “You can’t be the only brother to not make it to the Finals. Then you’re the end of every joke. But it means a ton.”
McKiernan took third in his region, but battled through this bracket to get his first title. He scored a late first-period takedown to take his first lead, and never relinquished it.
“It’s the coaches standing in the corner, the practice partners in the room, all of that adds up to state titles,” McKiernan said. “I think this is just proof of that again.”
189
Champion: Jacob Munger, Alma, Sr. (43-2)
Decision, 11-5, over Logan Badge, Clinton, Sr. (36-6)
For the second time in as many weeks, Munger defeated Badge, this time claiming his first title, and denying Badge his fourth.
“All my coaches, they say to stay with the positive, remember what worked the last match and bring it to this match,” Munger said. “I stayed with the positive … I knew I had a great gas tank and brought that over. It’s just all positive.”
Munger led 6-3 heading into the third period, and added two more takedowns in the third to pad his lead.
Badge was a three-time champion in Division 4, winning at 189 in 2020 and 2021, and 215 in 2019.
215
Champion: Hunter Huguelet, Gladwin, Sr. (46-1)
Fall, 1:54, over Adam Garcia, Alma, Sr. (32-7)
Huguelet thought for a long time about what he could do to win his first individual title.
It didn’t take him that long to do it.
The Gladwin senior capped off his career with a first-period pin.
“That was great,” Huguelet said. “I just was focusing for the last two hours, all day today and last night, and I just came in ready to go. It feels amazing. It’s more than what I thought.”
285
Champion: Levi Harber, Montrose, (44-4)
Fall, 3:51, over Eli Marshall, Watervliet, Sr. (42-3)
Harber was dominant throughout the tournament, pinning each of his first three opponents in the opening minute.
His Finals match took a little longer, but ultimately had the same result.
Harber had Marshall on his back in the first period as well, but it didn’t result in a pin, and that wasn’t necessarily even the plan.
“I’m going to be honest, I threw that cradle to get some comfort points between me and him,” he said. “So, I wasn’t expecting a pin. He was getting pretty close, but I was not in the position that I felt I could pin him properly.”
PHOTOS (Top) Dundee’s Casey Swiderski is applauded after concluding his high school career with a fourth Division 3 individual championship. (Middle) Alma’s Jacob Munger, left, works toward a win at 189 pounds. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)