Ferris Wins More Than Bracket with 1st Finals Title
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
April 3, 2021
GRAND RAPIDS – Caden Ferris wanted family bragging rights.
His brother, Tyden Ferris, was a two-time runner-up at the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals, so with a win Saturday at the Division 4 championship meet, Caden would have one up on big brother.
The Delton Kellogg junior won those bragging rights and his first title with a thrilling 13-11 overtime victory against 2020 champion Camden Orr of New Lothrop in the 215-pound Final at Van Andel Arena.
“I was obviously very tired, but I was counting on that he was more tired than me,” Ferris said. “I just guess I had more will to win.”
Ferris (33-2) trailed Orr 7-1 at one point, and 10-7 late in the third period before getting a pair of takedowns to send the match to overtime, where he secured the winning takedown. As he was trailing early, Ferris said his thoughts floated to the sibling rivalry.
“I gotta beat my brother in something,” Ferris said of his thoughts. “He never got first.”
Ferris, who has committed to Central Michigan, came into the meet as the top seed, as he technically already defeated Orr in the Regional Final. Orr (24-2) injury defaulted that match, however. Despite missing the opportunity to wrestle Orr in the Regional, Ferris knew what he was up against.
“I knew he liked to shoot, and my favorite move the underhook, and I know he likes the fireman that counters that,” said Ferris, who placed eighth at 215 pounds as a freshman but didn’t wrestle in the Finals as a sophomore. “I practiced a lot of defense, mostly offense.”
103
Champion: Connor Younts, Clinton, Fr. (28-2)
Decision, 5-0, over Loreto Frangedakis, Capac, Sr. (19-4)
Younts already had quite a start to his high school career, helping to lead Clinton to a Team Finals trophy this past Tuesday. Now he can add an Individual Finals title after a dominant performance.
He pinned his first two opponents on the day, before shutting out the final two, 10-0 in the semifinals and 5-0 in the Final.
“I’m just excited,” Younts said. “I had to work hard all season. I thought I was going to make it here, and I knew I was going to do good. I thought I was going to win, and I did.”
Younts was one of an MHSAA-record 11 Clinton wrestlers in the Finals.
112
Champion: Coy Perry, Clinton, Fr. (31-1)
Decision, 3-2, over Connor Busz, Clinton, Soph. (26-5)
Perry battled a leg injury and his own teammate to claim an individual title in his first season.
The two wrestled each other four times this winter, with Perry coming out victorious in each matchup. A third-period takedown was the difference in the latest bout.
“It’s been close every time,” Perry said. “It’s tough. When it gets down to this point, it’s very emotional. It’s on your own, too, because obviously (Clinton coaches) can’t coach, so it’s on pretty much both of us to determine what we do.”
119
Champion: Aydan Sturtevant-Roesly, Hesperia, Sr. (25-4)
Decision, 2-1, over Zak Shadley, Clinton, Soph. (28-5)
Sturtevant-Roesly wasn’t sure how his season would go after dislocating his kneecap and tearing a ligament in his knee.
It went pretty well.
After finishing seventh at 103 as a sophomore and sixth at 112 as a junior, he reached the top of the podium with a hard-fought victory.
“I’ve been through a lot this season,” Sturtevant-Roesly said. “I wasn’t sure how this season was going to play out for me, but I came out and we did it. It’s everything. I’ve been working for this for a long time, and I really wanted it today.”
125
Champion: Randy Frailey, Hanover-Horton, Sr. (29-0)
Decision, 3-2, over Nik Shadley, Clinton, Fr. (28-2)
Frailey has been on the podium before, finishing eighth at 119 in 2019, but he always envisioned himself at the top of it. Thanks to a late second-period takedown, it’s now more than a vision.
“It’s like nothing else,” Frailey said. “I’ve always imagined this moment in my head a billion times. It really lived up to it, and it’s just amazing.”
After Frailey’s victory, he was able to stand matside and watch his teammate, Chris Sorrow, claim his own title at 135.
“It’s just amazing,” Frailey said. “We really fuel each other – he helps me, I help him. We’ve come up together, so it’s indescribable.”
130
Champion: Jesse Brumm, Vermontville Maple Valley, Sr. (32-2)
Injury default, 3:45, over Bronson Marry, Hudson, Jr. (25-1)
Brumm had a 5-0 lead in the match before Marry was injured and unable to continue.
It was the fourth all-state finish for Brumm, who was third at 130 in 2020, sixth at 119 in 2019 and runner-up at 112 in 2018.
“It’s always been a dream of mine,” Brumm said. “I’ve worked hard, and I think I deserve it. It’s a miracle to me. I’ve done everything I could for it.”
Marry was making his third-straight Finals appearance, as he was the champion at 112 in 2020, and runner-up at 103 in 2019.
135
Champion: Christopher Sorrow, Hanover-Horton, Sr. (25-1)
Decision, 9-3, over Dillon Raab, Bark River-Harris, Soph. (33-2)
After placing sixth as a junior and seventh as a sophomore – both times at 135 – Sorrow decided to go big this year.
A seven-point third period, including five points from nearfalls, gave him his first Individual Finals title.
“I wasn’t necessarily going for that, but if I saw an opening where his weight shifted, I just took it as far as I could,” Sorrow said. “I’m ecstatic.
“Like (Frailey) said earlier, we’ve been training since sixth grade for this. To come here and accomplish this in our senior year together, back to back, is just a great feeling.”
140
Champion: Cole Stone, Carson City-Crystal, Jr. (32-2)
Major Decision, 9-1, over George Ames, Clinton, Jr. (27-1)
After finishing sixth at 140 pounds as a sophomore, Stone committed himself even more to wrestling this past offseason, and it paid off with a dominant performance in the Finals.
He earned a takedown in each period and added nearfall points in the third to claim his first title against previously unbeaten Ames.
“I’ve been working hard all year,” Stone said. “I wanted to leave it all out there. I had nothing to lose. It was a great match. I just went in and tried to attack as much as possible. To come from sixth last year as a sophomore to a state champion, it’s surreal. I couldn’t have even imagined this. I’ve visualized this moment multiple times, and the feeling is still there.”
145
Champion: Caden Natale, Hudson, Sr. (27-1)
Decision, 4-3, over Kent McCombs, Clinton, Jr. (29-3)
Natale was making his third appearance in the Finals, coming off a championship performance at 130 in 2020 and a runner-up finish at 119 in 2019.
While he was wrestling with torn ligaments in his right knee, he took inspiration from a friend who had passed away to fuel him in a hard-fought battle against McCombs, who was a runner-up at 145 a year ago.
“I lost a good friend not too long ago,” said Natale, who also had a third-place finish as a freshman. “I wore a shirt last year, wore a shirt this year. I got blood time and I was like, ‘I need to do this. It’s not just for me right now, it’s for him.’ It was an old club team of ours, Inflict Wrestling, and that’s what I do. I just keep going and I inflict damage, and I just pulled it out because I was just better on my feet.”
152
Champion: Gavin Wilmoth, Traverse City St. Francis, Jr. (34-1)
Major Decision, 14-2, over AJ Baxter, Clinton, Sr. (28-3)
Wilmoth took a giant leap forward this season, going from not making the podium as a sophomore, to Finals champion as a junior.
“He was someone standing in the way of my goal, and I had to beat him,” Wilmoth said. “I was coached up well for this match, and I just went out and hammered.
“It’s a relief. I’ve been looking forward to this since like seventh grade. It’s a weight off my shoulders, and it feels great.”
Baxter was also a runner-up at 103 as a freshman and fifth at 119 as a sophomore.
160
Champion: Spencer Konz, Clinton, Sr. (26-3)
Decision, 3-1 OT, over Shenard Foster, Detroit Loyola, Jr. (15-2)
In the third postseason matchup between the two, it was Konz who came away with the most important victory.
The match was tied at 1-1 deep into overtime, and the Clinton senior fought off a leg attack from Foster to come up with a takedown on the edge of the mat and get the victory.
“I just pulled his arm out and I felt the Merkel,” said Konz, who added his title to a pair of third-place finishes and an eighth-place finish in his career. “I grabbed it, and they gave me two for it.”
Foster is the only wrestler at Loyola, and finished seventh at 140 a year ago while wrestling for Harper Woods.
171
Champion: Brayden Randolph, Clinton, Sr. (31-1)
Decision, 8-3, over Cole Hopkins, Evart, Soph. (22-1)
After years of coming close, Randolph was able to add an individual title to his two team trophies. He finished as runner-up at 171 and 160 the past two seasons, and was third at 160 as a freshman.
He was dominant on his way to securing his title, pinning his first three opponents in 37 seconds, 1:19 and 2:33.
“This year I’ve been through so much, especially family-wise – I lost my grandpa in November,” Randolph said. “This one was for him. Just getting over adversity through COVID and all that, it means a lot to come out here and do what I love to do, and that’s wrestle.”
189
Champion: Logan Badge, Clinton, Jr. (32-1)
Decision, 3-1, over Hunter Belew, Delton Kellogg, Sr. (33-4)
Badge moved one step closer to becoming a four-time champion, as he wrapped up a dominant day with his third individual title.
He won at 189 as a sophomore and 215 as a freshman. On Saturday, he cruised to first-period pins in his first three matches, winning in 43 seconds, 1:22 and 1:12. Belew, who placed fifth at 171 as a junior, presented a different challenge, but one that Badge was able to overcome.
“Right now, just one more state title to go,” Badge said. “The team is going to be going good for the next couple years; we have a great program. It’s pretty sweet because the guys that are coming are going to help our lineup even more, and we have 11 in the Finals.”
285
Champion: Isiah Pasik, New Lothrop, Jr. (25-0)
Fall, 1:16, over Jake Fischer, Beaverton, Sr. (33-7)
Pasik moved up the podium with a dominant day. He cruised into the Finals with pins in 54 seconds, 3:35 and 1:41 before pinning Fischer in a rematch of the Regional Final.
In the championship match, Pasik was able to get an early takedown and take Fischer to his back in the opening minute before turning him again to earn the fall.
“I felt pretty good,” Pasik said. “I thought I wrestled pretty strong.”
Pasik was coming off a third-place finish at 285 as a sophomore.
PHOTOS: (Top) Delton’s Kellogg’s Caden Ferris, right, faces off with New Lothrop’s Cam Orr at the Division 4 Finals on Saturday at Van Andel Arena. (Middle) Detroit Loyola’s Shenard Foster, in blue, and Clinton’s Spencer Konz battle at 160 pounds. (Below) Clinton’s Logan Badge, right, gains control on the way to his third Finals championship. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
D1 Preview: Champs Close Careers
February 26, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Winners of a combined nine MHSAA Division 1 individual wrestling championships will graduate this spring.
But that group can add six more to their collective total at this weekend’s Finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
See below for 10 contenders to watch this weekend, plus others who enter the tournament undefeated or coming off runner-up finishes in 2013. 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 check back with Second Half later Saturday night for full coverage from the Finals, including comments from all 14 champions.
112: Benny Gomez, Holt junior (47-1) – Cruised through his sophomore season undefeated at 47-0 and won the 103-pound title, and is back as the favorite one class heavier and with only one loss.
125: Lincoln Olson, Davison junior (41-1) – Going for a third MHSAA title after winning 103 as a freshman and 112 as a sophomore; brings a 133-3 career record into the weekend.
135: Austin Eicher, Hartland senior (35-1) – Defeated teammate Jacob Gorial to win last season’s championship at 130 and looking good to make it two straight titles with a combined record of 87-2 over the last two seasons.
140: Justin Oliver, Davison senior (43-1) – Finished only third at 135 last season after winning titles at 112 and 119 his first two of high school, respectively; he has lost only five times during his career.
145: Malik Amine, Detroit Catholic Central senior (30-3) – Finished fifth, second, and then first, at 140, his first three seasons, respectively, and also has been a key contributor to three straight DCC team champions.
171: Jordan Cooks, Davison senior (38-3) – Claimed the championship at 160 the last two seasons after finishing third at 145 as a freshman; can go over 40 wins for the third season of his varsity career.
171: Drew Garcia, Detroit Catholic Central senior – Looking to finish his career with four championship match berths and three straight individual titles after winning this weight in 2013; beat Cooks 3-1 in overtime in Saturday’s Team Final.
189: Shwan Shadaia, Rochester senior (40-3) – Took a couple more losses than during last season’s championship run, but can finish in a similarly dominating way after making the jump from seventh place to first as a junior.
215: Jordon Brandon, Westland John Glenn senior (50-2) – Returns seeking to finish his career with a championship after falling just shy in the 2013 Final at 215, a 5-4 overtime loss.
285: Parker Tillman, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior (42-0) – Three-time MHSAA qualifier lost a tough championship match 3-0 last season but hasn't fallen since; he’s 83-4 over his final two seasons so far.
Other 2013 runners-up: Farmington Hills Harrison junior Michael Volyanyuk (112, 37-6, 103 in 2013), Martin Rodriguez, Holt senior (119, 42-1, 125 in 2013), Davison senior Matthew Miller (135, 33-7), Hartland junior Jacob Gorial (145, 54-1, 130 in 2013), Livonia Franklin senior Jordan Atienza (160, 60-1, 152 in 2013).
Also undefeated: Birmingham Brother Rice senior Shon Powell (171, 13-0), Grand Haven senior Dakota Juarez (160, 38-0), Detroit Catholic Central senior Nick Bennett (152, 39-0), Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior Parker Tillman (42-0, 285), West Bloomfield senior Ross Bahro (130, 48-0), Canton senior Alec Pantaleo (145, 49-0), Ypsilanti Lincoln senior Jordan Markey (135, 54-0).
More of note: Walled Lake Central freshman Ben Freeman (103, 39-1), Detroit Catholic Central junior Trevor Zdebski (119, 23-2), Ypsilanti senior Kyle Abdellatif (130, 52-2), Brownstown Woodhaven senior Derek Hillman (189, 46-2).
PHOTO: Davison’s Justin Oliver celebrates his win during Saturday’s Division 1 Team Final. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)