DCC Wins Power-Packed Rematch in D1

By Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com

February 23, 2019

KALAMAZOO – Tony Greathouse has built one of the state’s elite wrestling programs at Brighton over the past six years. 

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the state’s most elite program currently resides in their division. 

Detroit Catholic Central defeated Brighton 34-19 on Saturday at Wings Event Center to claim its third straight Division 1 team wrestling title.  

“Especially this year, we took a big step up where we’re not just barely beating teams, we beat really good teams this year by 40 or 50,” Greathouse said. “Even this dual, even though we lost, the fact that we’re within 15 points of them – they might be the best team that’s ever come out of the state of Michigan. They’re pretty darn good.” 

Catholic Central (26-1) finished the decade with seven titles and one runner-up finish. It’s a feat no Division 1 team has ever accomplished.  

“You have to take your hats off to our guys; they work so hard,” said Shamrocks coach Mitch Hancock, who has led the program to each of those seven titles. “It’s not about me, it really isn’t. It’s about them and how hard they work. We have a standard at Catholic Central, and that standard is high. When you come to Catholic Central, you better be ready to work, you better be ready to perform in the classroom, pray to God and perform on the athletic field, and those guys live up to that standard every single day.” 

The Shamrocks rolled through the postseason, not giving up a team point through the District or Regional, and rolling to 63-6 (Clarkston) and 56-9 (Westland John Glenn) wins in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals. 

“We kind of look at it as, we don’t really have anything to prove,” Catholic Central senior Cameron Amine said. “We just have to keep getting better every day in the practice room and pushing each other in the practice room. And that nothing is ever given to us at all. You have to go out there and work for it and get it.” 

The dual started in the heart of Catholic Central’s lineup at 140 pounds, and the Shamrocks jumped out to a 29-3 lead despite it being a strong stretch of the Bulldogs’ lineup as well. 

Logan Sanom and returning Individual Finals champion Derek Gilcher each won major decisions at 140 and 145, respectively. Three-time individual champion Kevon Davenport won by decision for the Shamrocks at 152, followed by two-time champion Amine winning by major decision at 160.  

Brighton got on the board at 171, as River Shettler won by decision, but the Shamrocks rattled off four straight, starting with a decision from returning champion Easton Turner at 189. Brendin Yatooma (215) and Steven Kolcheff (285) also won by major decision, while Anthony Walker (103) won a decision. 

Brighton rattled off four straight wins from 112 through 130, getting a major decision from Mason Shrader, a pin from Sam Freeman and decisions from Ben Manly and Eddie Homrock.  

The Shamrocks closed the dual with another returning champion, Josh Edmond, winning by technical fall at 135. 

“We start at 140, good luck with that, right?” Hancock said. “You got Gilcher, Amine, Davenport, then you go up top to our big guys – we just put a lot of faith in our big guys up top. They’re just a really, really good team, and we were just a couple points better at every weight. To me, that’s just a level of toughness, a level of focus and just some conditioning.

“Hats off to Tony, he’s built a power over there at Brighton.” 

The matchups were ones Greathouse knew posed problems for his team coming in. 

“We knew coming in that we were going to have to win some matches that we probably weren’t supposed to win,” he said. “We were facing some pretty formidable opposition there. Overall, I thought we competed pretty hard, but they’re better than we are. We had to be better than them today, and we weren’t. We lost by 58 points to them last year in the state finals, today we lost by 15, so we made a 43-point improvement over the last 12 months, so I think that’s something to hang your hat on. We beat the Division 2 state champ (Lowell), we beat the Division 3 state champ (Dundee), so we had a pretty great season. I’m proud of them.” 

Hancock wasn’t just impressed with his stars, however, as his younger wrestlers came through for the team as well. 

“Anthony Walker I think was the key of the match, his big win down low,” Hancock said. “Logan Sanom, I’m not sure if people expected him to wrestle in that dual but he came out firing. Those two guys really stood out to me, and then up top Brendin Yatooma who beat (Luke) Stanton. Stanton is pretty dangerous on top, so for Yatooma to take him out the way he did was pretty cool.” 

Brighton defeated Davison 31-24 in the Semifinals, while Catholic Central defeated Westland John Glenn 56-9. 

Gilcher, Davenport, Amine, Turner, Yatooma, Kolcheff, Walker and Edmond each won three matches on the weekend for the Shamrocks, while Freeman and Homrock each won three matches for Brighton. 

Click for full results.

PHOTOS: (Top) Kevon Davenport was one of nine bout winners for DCC in the Division 1 Final on Saturday. (Middle) Brighton's Greyson Stevens, left, and DCC's Easton Turner wrestle at 189 pounds. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)

Willobee Makes Prediction Come True, Exceeds Seed to Become Champion

By Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com

March 2, 2024

DETROIT – With a mouthful of blood and a cowboy hat perched on his head, nothing could take away the joy of Gaylord sophomore Zane Willobee.

As the sixth seed in the 157-pound weight class of the Division 2 Individual Finals, not many would have anticipated him walking away with the championship Saturday at Ford Field.

But he did just that.

In a physical match, Willobee (29-3) took down Clio’s D’Marion Erlenbeck (28-6) by an 11-5 score to claim his first Finals championship.

“It was a stressful match, but I talked to my coaches before the match and they just stressed to keep my mind calm and give all glory to God,” Willobee said. “When I was out there, I was just trying to stay calm and capitalize on my opportunities. This is an amazing moment and one that I owe to a lot of people.

The Finals matchup at 157 wouldn’t have been one many saw coming as Erlenbeck was the fifth seed up against the sixth-seeded Willobee.

“Since Regionals I had been telling my coaches that it would be me and (Erlenbeck) in the Finals,” Willobee said. “I just knew that is how it would play out. You can’t focus on seeding this time of year. It’s about going out, performing, and having fun.”

The Finals matchup was a rubber match between the two, as each had narrowly defeated the other earlier this season. The difference Saturday was a pair of takedowns and near fall points for Willobee in the second and third periods.

After the match, the two competitors shared an embrace as they congratulated one another on their respective seasons.

“Erlenbeck is a wonderful competitor, and I give all my respect to him,” Willobee said of his opponent. “We’ve had some great matches, and he’s a wonderful competitor and an even better man.”

106
Champion: Jarrett Smith, Lowell, Soph. (39-1)
Major Decision, 15-4, over Cole Cichocki, Lowell, Fr. (26-12)

Smith found his first championship experience to be somewhat bittersweet. The sophomore had to face off with freshman teammate Cichocki for the crown.

Smith piled up six takedowns on his way to a 15-4 victory.

“I wish we could both win. It’s tough. One of us gets the title and one of us doesn’t, but we both worked really hard,” Smith said of wrestling his teammate in the final. “We both deserve it. We kind of thought we might meet up. We are both confident in our abilities, and our coaches have given us the tools to win.”

The two were hotel roommates this weekend and didn’t let the competition ruin their friendship.

“He’s one of my best friends,” Smith said of Cichocki. “He did better as a freshman than I did. You have to give him a lot of props. What he did is really impressive.” 

113
Champion: Devan Garcia, Battle Creek Harper Creek, Fr. (47-1)
Major Decision, 12-4, over Cristian Haslem, St. Clair, Soph. (49-1)

Garcia was hoping to be on the offensive in Saturday’s 113-pound final.

Instead, it was his defensive ability that ended up earning him the title.

Garcia stuffed a pair of takedown attempts from Haslem and turned them into near falls as well. That gave him more than enough cushion to win the championship.

“I actually wanted to get in my attacks, but I pretty much scored on all his shots, so that’s the way it works out sometimes,” Garcia said. “I practiced those positions all the time, so I felt ready for them when they happened. To have it happen in the state championship feels great.”

The first stuff came in the first period to help Garcia start off with a 5-0 advantage. Haslem fought back to make it 5-3, but a second stuff from Garcia put him ahead 10-3 in the third.

120
Champion: Carter Cichocki, Lowell, Jr. (28-9)
Decision, 3-2, over Dominic Gumtow, Warren Woods Tower, Jr. (47-3)

After finishing runner-up at 113 pounds last year, Cichocki found himself two minutes from being a state champion.

Leading 3-2 to open the third, Cichocki knew if he could ride out his opponent for two minutes, the elusive title would be his.

Cichocki did just that, staying in control to overcome a 2-0 deficit and take home the championship.

“Things were different this year. Since my freshman year, I’ve tried to just see this as another match. I just stuck to what works for me and what I do best,” Cichocki said of handling the pressure of the third period. “It feels good to be a champion.”

126
Champion: Ricardo Saenz, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, Jr. (49-3)
Decision, 7-1, over Jaron Bensinger, Gaylord, Soph. (38-2)

Saenz wasn’t going to leave any doubt. The Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice junior shot out of a cannon to start the 126-pound final, scoring a takedown in the opening seconds of the bout.

From there, Saenz controlled Bensinger most of the way.

“I just kept telling myself that (Bensinger) wasn’t ready, and I was doing that to get myself motivated,” Saenz said. “I was thinking about starting the match like that all day and all season. I’ve been preparing for this moment, and I wasn’t going to let it get past me. It feels amazing to have it come to fruition.”

After taking a 2-1 lead through the first, Saenz rode out Bensinger in the second and then scored a reversal in the third with near fall points to cap off the title.

132
Champion: Jackson Blum, Lowell, Jr. (35-1)
Fall (4:54) over Trenden Bashore, DeWitt, Jr. (38-1)

Blum finds himself on the verge of being a four-time Finals champion, as the Lowell junior collected his third title with a third-round pin.

Blum recorded 11 takedowns in the match before securing a pin while ahead 23-9.

“I knew that my pace is really high, so I knew if I kept it on him, I would just keep getting to him more and more,” Blum said. “It was a tough first period, but I just trusted in my ability and stuck to the plan.”

Blum was the 112-pound champion as a freshman and the 120-pound champion as a sophomore. 

138
Champion: Tee Ward, Freemont, Sr. (53-1)
Decision, 3-1, over Landon Thomas, St. Joseph, Jr. (48-1)

With the 138-pound championship bout tied 1-1 and a blood stoppage allowing Ward to get a break, he got into the music.

“We had a little bit of a break, and the song in the background just got me rolling,” Ward said. 

Ward would come out of the stoppage and scored a takedown with 28 seconds remaining to go up 3-1. Ward then rode out Thomas to collect his first championship.

“I knew I had to get that takedown and ride things out from there. With five seconds left, I felt him sprawl out, and that was the best feeling of my life,” Ward added. “There’s so many emotions, but this is the best.”

144
Champion: Owen Segorski, Lowell, Jr. (34-6)
Decision, 5-1, over Jeffrey Miller, Jackson Northwest, Soph. (47-3)

Segorski had been on both ends of being in a state final. He was the 125-pound champion as a freshman, but then finished runner-up at 138 pounds as a sophomore.

This time around, the junior came back much more confident and it showed in a 5-1 win.

Segorski scored takedowns in each of the first two rounds and never let Miller get in any offense. 

“It feels really good,” Segorski said of adding a second title. “I thought I should have won it last year, but I just didn’t perform and let the pressure get to me. It’s difficult to repeat, there’s a lot of pressure and it feels like you have to win. But, to be able to come back this year, I felt a lot more confident and I knew I was the better wrestler.”

Wayland’s Lane Button, right, works against Freeland’s Fabian Facundo in the 150-pound title match.

150
Champion: Lane Button, Wayland, Jr. (48-0)
Decision, 4-2, over Fabian Facundo, Freeland, Jr. (45-1)

A battle of two undefeated wrestlers came down to the final minute.

Button tried to push a hard pace in the 150-pound final, and it paid off with a takedown with 1:05 remaining in the third. The takedown was enough to push Button to the title.

“I was pacing (Facundo) out the whole time, and I knew I was going to get it,” Button said of the match-winning takedown. “As soon as things got neutral, I knew I was going to get it.”

“This means a lot to me. I put a lot into it,” Button said of going unbeaten. “I quit football just to focus on wrestling, and the work paid off.”

165
Champion: Nathan Dobson, Greenville, Sr. (41-4)
Decision, 5-4, over Harrison Meekhof, Allendale, Sr. (45-4)

Dobson knew the key to beating Meekhof based on previous matchups – he had to get more takedowns.

Dobson managed to do that in the 165-pound final, scoring takedowns in the second and third periods to hold off Meekhof and win the championship.

“I just knew I needed to get takedowns today. Every time it’s me and (Meekhof), it’s a takedown battle. I knew if I got the takedowns, I would get the victory,” Dobson said. “It’s the craziest thing I have ever felt. I can’t even dream this. It’s amazing.”

175
Champion: Kendall Drake, Holly, Sr. (50-2)
Decision, 7-4, over Derek Badgley, Mason, Sr. (40-3)

Drake had never placed at the Finals prior to Saturday; now he is a champion.

The senior overcame a 3-0 deficit to pick up a 7-4 win.

“Last year I got hurt in Districts, but all I have ever wanted was to win this tournament,” Drake said. “All summer I was practicing five days a week, going against the best guys I could find. I wanted to be confident in myself, so when this day came, I knew I could win this match.”

Drake nearly scored the opening takedown of the match but was ruled out of bounds. However, he didn’t let that get to him and worked his way to three takedowns in the victory.

“It didn’t matter, I was going to be ready to overcome any obstacles that came in my way,” Drake said of the slow start. “I wasn’t going to let anything dictate the match but myself.”

190
Champion: Ty Bensinger, Gaylord, Sr. (37-1)
DQ, over Easton Phipps, Goodrich, Sr. (27-1)

The 190-pound final in Division 2 didn’t end the way anyone wanted.

Phipps, the 2023 champion, led 1-0 in the second period when he picked up Bensinger to get him to the ground. However, Bensinger ended up landing on his head and the match was immediately stopped, as Bensinger went unconscious briefly according to his coach.

Medical staff on site checked on Bensinger and ruled he couldn’t continue. That led to Phipps being disqualified, giving the title to the Gaylord senior.

“These two have wrestled many times, and it’s always been a close match. (Phipps) certainly didn’t do it intentionally, it was just an unfortunate accident,” Gaylord coach Jerry LaJoie said.

215
Champion: Logan Demarest, Bay City John Glenn, Sr. (44-1)
Decision, 3-2, over Case Johnson, Greenville, Jr. (52-3)

Staying active and staying on the move is what allowed Demarest to come away with the 215-pound title Saturday.

After giving up a takedown to Johnson in the second period, Demarest fought his way to an escape to cut the lead to 2-1.

To open the third, Demarest did the same, earning an escape to even the match at 2-2. Then he kept the pressure on and forced a stalling point to be called in his favor, which proved to be the difference.

“I’ve got family and friends that have supported me all the way. They are the ones that got me here,” Demarest said of the title. “I was thinking about them and just kept doing whatever I could to keep pushing the pace.”

285
Champion: James Mahon, Goodrich, Jr. (44-3)
Decision, 9-8, over Parker Williams, Zeeland East, Sr. (46-3)

There were a lot of fireworks in the 285-pound final, as Mahon fought off Williams, 9-8.

Williams had a 5-0 advantage on the 2023 champion in the first period, but Mahon fought back to even things up at 5-5.

The match would be tied 7-7 in the third before Mahon dug deep and scored a takedown with 31 seconds remaining that proved to be the difference.

“I knew I could take him down. I knew I needed something, and I found it,” Mahon said of the late takedown. “It’s a really cool feeling (to repeat). There was a lot of pressure, and I’m almost glad it’s over.”

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (top) Gaylord’s Zane Willobee, left, and Clio’s D’Marion Erlenbeck ready for the restart of their match at 157 pounds Saturday. (Middle) Wayland’s Lane Button, right, works against Freeland’s Fabian Facundo in the 150-pound title match. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)