Dundee Ties Program Best with 4th-Straight Finals Win
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 30, 2021
KALAMAZOO – The Dundee wrestling team found itself in an unfamiliar position Tuesday evening: behind.
The Vikings were dominant all season. They feature eight wrestlers ranked No. 1 in their weight class, and lost just once – against Division 1 Finals champion Davison.
But thanks to wins from Whitehall’s Max Brown and Marco Moore, which sandwiched a long technology delay, Dundee had to spend nearly 30 minutes of the Division 3 Final trailing on the scoreboard.
It didn’t take nearly as long for the Swiderski brothers – Casey and Tyler – to erase the deficit, though, as they re-established a Dundee lead that was never relinquished in a 55-17 victory at Wings Event Center.
“I was saying it myself, ‘Here we are. We’re behind after two matches. Here we go,’” Dundee coach Tim Roberts said. “The guys responded and came back well. (Whitehall) was wrestling well. I give them a lot of credit; their guys came to compete. It was their first time in the Finals ever, and I think they made a good showing of themselves in how hard they competed and how they started that dual. I think they have a lot to be proud of, too.”
It’s the fourth straight title for the Vikings, and their 13th overall. It’s the second time Dundee has won four straight titles, as the program did as well from 1995-98 in Division 4 and Class C-D (1995). The program has entrenched itself as the best in Division 3 by advancing to the Finals each year since 2007, winning in eight of those 14 years.
"I’m just very grateful to be part of a program that’s done this well,” senior Stoney Buell said. “It puts a little more gratefulness on this year with COVID. I’m just beyond blessed for this opportunity and to be able to do it with a great bunch of guys.”
Dundee had a bye in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal, and defeated its longtime rival Richmond 72-6 in the Semifinals. It was the culmination of an entire season spent as a heavy favorite, but the team never lost focus.
“Our whole mentality and in practice, it’s all about having fun,” junior Casey Swiderski said. “It’s not about coming here and winning team state, it’s about putting points on the board, everybody does their job and then you win 55-17 in the Finals. That’s how it works.”
The season-long dominance didn’t mean it wasn’t a stress-free season for Roberts, as he spent the entire year trying to make sure his team was healthy above all else.
“We know we have a good team, we know we had a lot of talent on it, but we need them to keep their minds in the right place moving forward and still fighting for something,” Roberts said. “That was a lot of work building goals for these to keep chasing. The way they handled it, and the way they kept fighting all year, I’m really proud of them and the way they came through in a situation that was weird. They handled it really well.”
Whitehall kept things interesting for a while, though. Brown’s victory came in overtime against top-ranked Austin Fietz at 140 pounds and was followed by Moore’s decision at 145. Casey Swiderski won by technical fall at 152, followed by a major decision from his brother Tyler at 160. Dominick Lomazzo (171) and Buell (189) each won by fall to stretch Dundee’s lead to 21-6, but Whitehall pulled back to within four after Shane Cook (215) won by forfeit and Ira Jenkins (285) won by technical fall.
Dundee closed the match with six straight victories to clinch the title, getting pins from Kade Kulce (103), Braeden Davis (112), Kaden Chinavere (119), Logan Sander (125) and Aiden Davis (135). Trey Parker won by major decision at 130.
“We just told our guys to go out there and compete and give their best effort,” Whitehall co-coach Justin Zeerip said. “At the end of the day, if they gave their best effort, I knew they could be happy with themselves. We just wanted to go out there and wrestle them hard. That was a really big match for Max, that kid’s been ranked No. 1 all year, so for Max to go out there and win it in overtime, I thought he looked really, really good today.”
Brown, Cook and Jenkins each won three matches on the day for Whitehall, which defeated Hart 41-23 in the Quarterfinals and Alma 37-29 in the Semifinals.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the kids,” Zeerip said. “Our first two matches today, they wrestled really, really hard. Even in the Finals. Dundee, they have such a historical program, and even though we didn’t win the match, I was really happy with our kids’ effort and how hard they fought out there.”
PHOTO: (Top) Dundee celebrates its fourth-straight Division 3 title. (Middle) Whitehall's Max Brown works to gain control during his match at 140 pounds. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Rematch of Champs Brings Classic Conclusion to D1 Finals
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
March 5, 2022
DETROIT – It was fitting that Josh Barr versus Manuel Rojas was the last bout of the night at Saturday’s Division 1 Individual Wrestling Finals, because that’s the match everyone was most excited to see.
Two of the best in the country at 171 pounds, with a combined four state titles between them, Davison’s Barr emerged victorious with a 5-2 win over Detroit Catholic Central’s Rojas, with all eyes on them.
“This is what I’ve been talking about for a long time. I couldn’t wait to be part of something like this. Practically main eventing the state championships against one of the best wrestlers in the state, it’s amazing,” Barr said. “Having all these people around watching, it was awesome.”
Barr (28-1), a junior, set the tone right away with a takedown in the first period to lead 2-0.
Rojas (37-3) managed an escape in the first and another in the second to even the match at 2-2. Barr would answer with an escape to start the third and then drive home the win with a takedown in the final minute to earn his third title.
“It means a lot,” Barr said of his third championship. “It means what we’re doing is right, it’s working. Going to bed early, waking up early, eating clean. It all adds up.”
Rojas had just two losses in-state during his senior season, both coming to Barr over the last eight days. Barr edged Rojas 4-3 in last weekend’s Division 1 Team Final while leading Davison to a 29-21 victory.
“I think it just shows my character. I got right back to it last week. Winning that team state title was cool, but as soon as I got in my car, it was over,” Barr said. “I started training again right away. I knew (Rojas) was going to be sitting here waiting for me, so I got right back to it.”
103
Champion: Conor McAlary, Hudsonville, Fr. (45-1)
Decision, 4-2 (OT), over Ozia Wilson, Macomb Dakota, Fr. (47-1)
In a thrilling finish, McAlary scored a takedown in sudden victory to hand Wilson his only loss of the season.
“I knew going into this match that I had to take (Wilson) into deep waters to win this match,” McAlary said. “Heading into overtime, my coach told me this is right where we wanted to be. I knew I had it.”
The first two periods were scoreless, but McAlary got a takedown in the third to counter a pair of escapes from Wilson. It then came down to a quick takedown from McAlary in OT to earn the state title.
“I still can’t believe it,” he said. “The goal is always to win, but sometimes you can’t really wrap your head around it even after you win. I don’t really know what to feel. It’s wild.”
112
Champion: Caleb Weiand, Macomb Dakota, Jr. (48-0)
Decision, 3-1, over Mariano Lopez, Holt, Jr. (35-5)
After suffering his only loss of the 2021 season in a championship match, Weiand was determined not to suffer the same fate this year.
“Losing in the state finals was the worst feeling I ever had. I didn’t want to experience that again,” Weiand said.
His takedown in the first period proved to be the difference, as he held off a game Lopez over the final minutes.
“I just had to stay tough,” Weiand said. “I knew I could ride him out for most of the period. I feel very confident on top.”
119
Champion: Drew Heethuis, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (32-3)
Decision, 4-1, over Justin Gates, Davison, Soph. (30-4)
In a match that featured a pair of 2021 champions, Heethuis scored a takedown in the first period and a reversal in the second to secure his second title.
“It’s awesome. I had a couple of bumps in the road earlier in the year, and I wasn’t in the right mindset,” Heethuis said. “Over the past couple of months, because of my coaches, I was able to dial it in for the last half of the year. It feels great.”
The two met in last week’s Division 1 Team Final, with Heethuis grinding out a 2-1 victory over Gates.
“We wrestled last weekend and I knew it would be a tough match this time, too,” Heethuis said. “I knew that if I was able to get into a good attack in the first, it would be key.”
125
Champion: Cade Horwath, Davison, Jr. (30-0)
Decision, 10-5, over Fritz Mueller, Macomb Dakota, Sr. (40-7)
Horvath earned his 100th career win and locked up his third championship while also capping his second-consecutive undefeated season.
“This one means a little more,” Horwath said of his third title. “We had some team adversity this year, so it took a lot of hard work by the team to get everyone at their best.”
Horwath scored two takedowns early in the first period to set the tone and never trailed in the match.
“Honestly, I just wanted to have fun and score some points,” Horwath said. “It was a nice environment, being able to wrestle in front of my family and fans.”
130
Champion: Clayton Jones, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (36-3)
Decision, 9-2, over Elijah Bunn, Rockford, Jr. (42-2)
Jones secured his first championship with a dominant effort at 130 pounds, earning a 9-2 win over the top-seeded Bunn.
“I’m just thinking that all the hard work that we’ve been putting in got (me) the state championship,” Jones said.
Jones came out aggressive with an early takedown in the first and added two more in the second to keep in control.
“I made sure to get the first takedown,” Jones said. “I came out the gates and just kept going at him, going at him.”
135
Champion: Aidan Smith, Brighton, Sr. (44-1)
Decision, 8-4, over Caleb Youngblood, Romeo, Sr. (26-4)
Smith added his name to Brighton’s championship history with a hard-fought win.
“I have waited for this for a very long time,” Smith said. “I had previous teammates ahead of me that won state titles, and that was a lot of pressure on me. I just feel like all of that pressure has been lifted.”
Smith never trailed, as he scored the opening takedown and sprinkled in a few more throughout the bout.
“I knew the match was going to be tough. I just had to wrestle all six minutes hard,” he said. “I felt like I was getting into my attacks really well, and I just kept chain wrestling. I was really happy with my performance.”
140
Champion: Dylan Gilcher, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (39-0)
Decision, 7-1, over Evan Herriman, Davison, Jr. (20-4)
A quiet and composed Gilcher won his third championship at a third different weight class Saturday.
After winning at 112 pounds in 2020 and 135 pounds in 2021, Gilcher controlled his match from start-to-finish to earn the 140-pound crown.
This Finals matchup was a rematch from the 135-pound final in 2021. Gilcher won that 3-0. These two also met in last weekend’s D1 Team Final, a 7-5 victory for Gilcher.
“I had him last week and last year. I’ve been wrestling him since we were little, growing up. He was always kind of bigger than me, so he could beat me up a little bit,” Gilcher said. “It feels good.”
145
Champion: Nathan Jerore, Brownstown Woodhaven, Sr. (38-1)
Decision, 8-4, over Owen Payne, Davison, Sr. (15-2)
After seeing previous title bids ended prematurely by injuries and the pandemic, Jerore now can call himself a Finals champion.
“I literally can’t believe it. I wanted it so bad. It’s been taken from me for so long,” Jerore said. “Injuries and COVID, it’s been crazy, but I just kept working toward this goal.”
Jerore scored four takedowns in the match and was relentless on his feet against Payne.
“I knew he was going to be tough, but I knew that if I was as tough as I can be, anyone that I wrestled I could break,” Jerore said. “That’s what happened.”
152
Champion: Darius Marines, Detroit Catholic Central, Soph. (35-4)
Decision, 1-0, over Tatum Bunn, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (25-12)
For the second consecutive season, Marines had to face a teammate in a championship match.
For the second consecutive season, Marines came out victorious.
“It’s unfortunate, but it had to happen,” Marines said of facing a teammate in the final again. “(Bunn) was one of my best friends on the team. It kind of hurt. But, I had to set all that stuff aside.”
The match didn’t have much action. Marines rode out Bunn in the second period and then earned an escape in the third for the lone point.
“I felt pretty good (after the second period),” Marines said. “I’ve worked my whole life for this, so it feels pretty good (to win).”
160
Champion: Rollie Denker, Temperance Bedford, Sr. (55-2)
Decision, 3-1, over Brayden Mirjavadi, Romeo, Jr. (41-4)
A takedown in the closing second of the third period broke a 1-1 tie and gave Denker his first championship.
Mirjavadi got an escape in the second to take a 1-0 lead, and Denker answered with an escape of his own to start the third. He then turned up the heat late in the match to earn his title.
“I knew late in matches, we all get tired, but I knew (Mirjavadi) would be the exception, so I had to keep going and eventually I just got him,” Denker said.
189
Champion: Remey Cotton, Davison, Jr. (27-3)
Decision, 7-4, over Aidan Wardell, Midland Dow, Sr. (44-4)
Cotton got a takedown early in the bout and built a 5-1 lead in the second period before hanging on for the victory.
“I’ve trained for this my whole life,” Cotton said of the win. “Being able to come out here and get it done just feels amazing.”
Along with his first championship, Cotton also avenged a prior loss to Wardell to cap off his season.
“I practice every day to win every match,” Cotton said. “If I lose one match, I just look forward to the next one to be able to move that to the past.”
215
Champion: Jimmy Colley, Davison, Sr. (32-2)
Decision, 14-7, over Avery Dickerson, Hartland, Sr. (45-2)
Colley collected his second consecutive championship at 215 pounds in a wild scramble of a match.
“It feels great to come back here and end your career as a state champ two times in a row, as well as a team champ two times in a row,” Colley said. “It shows you are one of the best.”
The two contenders traded position often, but it was Colley who found himself with the advantage more consistently. He led 8-5 after two periods and then handled his business in the third.
“We both had that same funky style, and we always put on an exciting match,” Colley said. “You never know what (Dickerson) is going to do. It looks like we are just rolling around sometimes.”
285
Champion: Joshua Terrill, Holt, Sr. (43-2)
Decision, 6-2, over Giulian Bodiu, Canton, Sr. (28-1)
After finishing runner-up in 2021, Terrill grinded his way to a championship.
“I just kept telling myself to not be content. I wasn’t content, and I just won a state title,” Terrill said.
After a scoreless opening period, Terrill turned up the aggression and scored a pair of takedowns in the second period to take control. He credited his coaches for his strong finish.
“This means a whole lot to me, but this really goes to my coaches,” Terrill said. “None of this is about me, it’s about the coaches that got me here.”
PHOTOS (Top) Davison’s Josh Barr (right) and Detroit Catholic Central’s Manuel Rojas contend for the 171-pound title Saturday at Ford Field. (Middle) Woodhaven’s Nathan Jerore, left, works toward a win at 145 pounds. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)