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.)
Dundee's Roberts Retires as 1st to 10 Finals Championships
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
March 9, 2022
Tim Roberts had an awakening.
After winning the Division 3 championship in 2007, his Dundee Vikings lost in three consecutive Finals matches. Each were excruciating losses – 30-27, 33-25 and 24-23.
“We had a good program,” Roberts said. “We were doing well. But there was a period there where we were in the running but not winning. In 2011, I think it was the pinnacle. I realized we had to be different.
“We’d get close every year and lose at the state tournament. Too many times we were close. I knew we had to do something different.”
Not many coaches would have had the guts to change a program that had the success of Dundee, but Roberts wanted something more. The results speak for themselves.
The Vikings recently captured their fifth consecutive Division 3 title and ninth since 2011. The latest championship gave Roberts 10 total. He is the first wrestling coach in state history to win 10 Finals titles.
“We’ve been really fortunate,” said Roberts, who announced at last weekend’s Individual Wrestling Finals that he was retiring after 23 seasons and more than 500 career wins at Dundee. “It’s pretty cool to be the first to 10. There’s a lot of great coaches on that list with a lot of championships. It represents a lot of hard work by a lot of people.”
Roberts went into this Finals weekend tied with another coach from Monroe County, Bill Regnier, with nine championships. Roberts was an assistant at Dundee when Regnier coached his final match for Bedford. He’s a coach that Roberts still holds in high regard.
“He’s the legend,” Roberts said. “In every conversation, every poll, every time you talk about, Bill Regnier is considered the best wrestling coach ever in the state. To be mentioned in the same sentence as him is something special. He really is the legend.”
Hudson’s Scott Marry tied Regnier for second place on the list with his ninth Finals title last weekend. Lowell’s R.J. Boudro won his eighth title. Mike Rodriguez won seven at Detroit Catholic Central and one at River Rouge, and Mitch Hancock has won eight at Detroit Catholic Central.
“I might have been the first to 10, but I won’t be the last,” Roberts said. “There are a lot of great coaches still coaching with a lot of championships. Scott Marry is not done winning state titles. He’ll be at 10 real quick. R.J. has won eight in eight tries.
“I don’t think 10 will stand long.”
Roberts’ run is remarkable, nonetheless. His Vikings won a District title all 23 years he was head coach and have won 30 straight overall. Dundee won its Regional in 22 of his 23 years.
Roberts doesn’t beat around the bush about Dundee’s goals every year. League championships are nice, District and Regional championships help fill up the trophy case. But, for the Vikings, winning the Finals championship is always the goal.
“That sounds arrogant, I know,” Roberts said, “but that’s the way it is. That is the goal every year. In all 23 years I coached, that was the goal.”
Roberts said his changes to the program around 2011 included adding strength training to the Dundee repertoire, and that was when Vikings coaches also started focusing more on the mental approach to the sport.
“After 2011, we hit our stride,” he said.
Roberts gives a lot of credit for the “Viking Way” to others in the program.
“Doing it this way starts long before the varsity level,” he said. “The kids club has to be strong. The middle school program has to be strong. You have to have a coaching staff on the same page and dedicated to all aspects of the team. It’s not one person, not even close.”
Roberts learned under Jim Wittibslager, who led Dundee to four straight Finals championships from 1995-98.
“That put me on a really good path,” Roberts said. “I learned how all of this works. Over time, you keep learning. You figure things out as you go. You have to build relationships with a lot of people because you can’t do this alone, not if you want to sustain success.”
Roberts has won numerous coaching honors, local and state, and was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Boys Coach of the Year in 2020. The honors are likely to continue after this season. Dundee defeated Alma 55-12 in the Division 3 Final to conclude another dominating season.
Roberts said he had an idea this would be his last coaching the Vikings.
“Coming into this season, I was pretty sure I was going to be done,” he said. “As the season went on, I realized that it would be. This isn’t a decision I took lightly. I’ve pretty much been doing this my whole adult life.”
Roberts said no one should expect Dundee to fall off the mountain. Six Individual Finals placers were underclassmen, and kids from the middle school team to the youth programs won multiple championships.
“There are a lot of good people in place and some good wrestlers coming up,” he said. “The youth club is doing really well. It’s just time. It’s time to let someone else who has the passion and drive to do this take over.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Dundee coach Tim Roberts shows his characteristic celebratory enthusiasm during last weekend’s Individual Wrestling Finals. (Middle) Bill Regnier, here in 2009, built a legendary career at Temperance Bedford. (Below) Roberts holds up his team’s 2020 Division 3 team championship trophy. (Roberts photos by Tom Hawley; Regnier photo courtesy of the Monroe News.)