Holly's Gonzales Refuses to Lose, Again, in Repeat Title March
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
April 2, 2021
GRAND RAPIDS – Jacob Gonzales tasted defeat at the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals as a freshman, and he didn’t want to do that again.
So the Holly junior has decided not to lose. At all.
Gonzales claimed his second straight Division 2 championship Friday at Van Andel Arena, defeating St. Joseph’s Jacob Halsey 4-0 at 152 pounds. The win capped off a second-straight undefeated championship season for Gonzales (21-0), who is 76-0 over the past two.
“Just not holding back,” Gonzales said of the change in his mindset after his freshman year. “You let your nerves get to you, and you can’t wrestle the same. So, if you just let it go on the mat, you’ll have no regrets and you’re going to wrestle better. It helps just to stay focused and not let the nerves get to you.”
Gonzales was confident coming into the tournament, and, frankly, the season. He made the choice to wrestle at 152 pounds, as that’s where he wants to wrestle at Fargo Nationals, where he hopes to prove himself at “the next level.”
He still has a year to continue proving himself at the state level, even though he’s done plenty of that already, including in his win against Halsey (34-1), who entered the match unbeaten.
“You win it once, you’re like, ‘OK,’” Gonzales said. “But when you get it multiple times, it proves the hard work you put in year to year, that you’re getting better.”
103
Champion: Adam Polk, Pontiac, Fr. (11-1)
Decision, 5-3, over Cody Richards, Monroe Jefferson, Jr. (21-1)
Polk won the matchup between the two wrestlers on his feet to hand Richards his first loss of the season and claim a title in his first season.
“Defense and getting my positioning,” Polk said of the keys to the match. “I just wanted to score more and rack up more points.”
Polk wasn’t looking to the future and his possibilities, but the first title was something he said he envisioned.
“I worked hard this summer for it,” he said. “I just deserved it.”
112
Champion: Nolan Wertanen, St. Joseph, Jr. (36-0)
Decision, 9-4, over Adrian Rosas, Southgate Anderson, Sr. (21-1)
Wertanen exploded for a pair of takedowns in the opening period to take control in what was to became his second-straight Finals championship victory.
“Going into the tournament, I knew my toughest two matches would be probably my semis and the finals,” Wertanen said. “I think what did it for me is that I went out in my semis match and won 10-0, a dominant win, so having that, knowing against that caliber, I was there.”
Finishing the season unbeaten was a major motivation for Wertanen.
“I really wanted to come out this year and make a statement,” he said. “Last year, I took some losses that I shouldn’t have. I remember in February (2020), I took a loss and from that moment forward I was like, ‘This isn’t me. This is not how I want to represent St. Joe, and this is not how I want to represent myself.’”
119
Champion: Jack Parker, Spring Lake, Sr. (29-1)
Decision, 6-1, over Tayden Miller, Mason, Soph. (12-3)
Parker became the second champion all-time for Spring Lake, and first in 53 years.
“It’s pretty surreal,” he said. “I’ve never felt anything like this before. It’s the happiest day of my life.”
Parker took control of the match with a pair of first-period takedowns, and put it away in the third with a two-point nearfall.
“I kind of have the same strategy every match,” he said. “Work to my ties, make it my match, don’t react, make them react to what I’m doing.”
125
Champion: Joe Haynes, Warren Woods Tower, Sr. (24-1)
Decision, 5-1, over Aaron Lucio, Stevensville Lakeshore, Soph. (23-1)
Haynes closed out his illustrious career with a fourth-straight top-three finish, and second-straight individual title.
“It was a little more exciting – a closer match, definitely,” Haynes said of the difference between his second and first titles. “This is how it is, I guess.”
The score was tied at 1 late, and Lucio nearly made a big move, but Haynes countered it for a throw of his own to put the match away in its final seconds.
“I was looking for the pressure. I knew he wasn’t going to be able to throw me,” Haynes said. “So, I was just looking for the pressure to get my throw, and I went for it, because when there’s 30 seconds on the clock, 1-1, you have to go for it.”
130
Champion: Dru Wilson, Warren Woods Tower, Sr. (18-5)
Decision, 6-5, over Gage Race, Jackson Northwest, Soph. (20-5)
Wilson made it two titles in a matter of minutes for Tower, as he closed out his first Finals championship shortly after Haynes had captured his.
“It’s an amazing experience,” Wilson said. “I’m just so excited right now, I don’t know what to say.”
Wilson held a 4-2 lead late, before he went crashing into the scorer’s table. He shook it off to get a takedown and wrap up the title.
“My calf hit the table pretty hard, but after like a couple seconds I didn’t really feel it because there was so much adrenaline going through my body,” he said. “It was just an amazing match. Good job on him, too. I’m so happy with myself right now. I put in so much work to get here.”
135
Champion: Zeth Strejc, Lowell, Sr. (23-3)
Decision, 7-6, over Caden Peterman, Greenville, Sr. (23-3)
In a rematch of the Regional Final, which Strejc won, the Lowell senior had to hold on late to pick up his first individual Finals title. Peterman scored a late takedown to pull within two, but Strejc didn’t allow any other points.
“I had a little bit better of a gameplan this time with him,” Strejc said. “I knew he was a really good mat wrestler. I knew he was going to be going for Granbys and the Pearsons there, so I just had to stay mentally tough.”
After winning a team title on Tuesday, and four more matches Friday, Strejc’s immediate reaction following the match wasn’t to take a break.
“I’m just ready to keep going,” he said. “What’s the next thing to do. I love the sport. I’ve been doing it since I was a little guy.”
140
Champion: Carter Hinson, Zeeland East, Sr. (25-0)
Decision, 4-3, over Joshua Hettrick, Dearborn Heights Annapolis, Sr. (21-3)
Hinson learned to appreciate the grind of wrestling this season, and when his final match ended with him claiming his first individual Finals title, he was able to celebrate the fruits of his labor.
“It’s all worth it,” he said. “I’ve struggled with wanting to go to practice in the past because it’s a grind, and some days you just don’t want to do it. So, when the final seconds ticked off the clock, it was just the greatest feeling.”
All the match’s scoring took place in the second period, as Hinson scored a pair of takedowns. He held Hettrick off in the final seconds to secure the victory.
“I wanted to make sure my position was in check,” Hinson said. “And it was really just rolling through my head that now I’m a state champ.”
145
Champion: Jackson Hoover, Edwardsburg, Sr. (21-4)
Decision, 7-2, over Jack Conley, Lake Fenton, Soph. (31-6)
Hoover didn’t even wait for the post-match handshake before sprinting to his coaches to celebrate his first individual Finals title.
“I just thought about all that hard work that not only I put in, but my teammates and my coaches to get to this point,” Hoover said. “I just can’t thank them enough.”
He also didn’t waste much time, as he was able to get the match’s first takedown in the opening minute.
“I’ve always tried to be the aggressor and try to push the pace and get to my shots,” he said. “That’s ultimately what happened in that match.”
160
Champion: Doak Dean, Lowell, Sr. (28-2)
Decision, 7-1, over Carson Crace, Lowell, Soph. (21-5)
Dean and Crace won a Finals title together earlier in the week, as they led Lowell to its eighth straight Division 2 team championship. But when they met on the mat in the Individual Finals, they decided to go at it.
“We talked before, and we just said we’re going to scrap it out,” Dean said. “I didn’t expect him to hold back; he’s been working real hard all year just like me. We’re teammates at the end of the day, and when we came off the mat, we’re still really good buddies. On the mat, we were just wrestling like we normally do.”
Dean won the match on his feet, getting a takedown in all three periods, and didn’t give up a point until a late escape for Crace in the third period.
“It’s special,” he said. “I think it represents more than just me being the best person on a bracket today and this year. It’s a testament to this team, the culture here, the community here, the support from our administration at the school. Everybody was in on this, it wasn’t just me out here today.”
171
Champion: Jacob Lee, Lowell, Sr. (22-1)
Decision, 7-5, over Kael Wisler, New Boston Huron, Jr. (24-3)
Lee scored a takedown in the final 30 seconds to put away a tight match.
“I knew he was going to come after me, and then I got a stalling call on the edge which is when I kind of flipped the switch,” Lee said. “I was like, ‘I’m going to go get this kid,’ because he wouldn’t be expecting that. I’m up by one point, so if I get a takedown, that seals the match.”
The win capped off a hectic, but bountiful week for Lee and his Lowell teammates.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “I definitely take pride in the team state title more. That takes a lot of guys making a lot of sacrifices.”
189
Champion: Cody Brenner, New Boston Huron, Sr. (27-2)
Decision, 4-0, over Vincent Scaramuzzino, Croswell-Lexington, Sr. (26-1)
Brenner dropped a match to Scaramuzzino earlier in the season, and he wasn’t about to let that happen again. He took a 3-0 lead in the second period and rode Scaramuzzino out in the third period to claim his title.
“I wrestled him earlier in the season and I started to slack off later in the periods, and that’s how he was able to score his points,” Brenner said. “This match I was just working and working every single time, every minute of the period, every second of the match. I was just going after him.”
The advantage in the top position came from years of work, and studying.
“I’ve been practicing riding against tough guys since freshman year,” Brenner said. “I’ve been finding different angles, different ways to keep people down. Watching the NCAA guys, college guys and the pro guys, just watching them to see what they do to keep people down.”
215
Champion: CJ Crum, St. Johns, Sr. (36-0)
Decision, 4-2, over Ian Norscia, Southgate Anderson, Sr. (18-1)
Crum took a shot to the forehead late in the matchup of unbeatens but was able to hold Norscia off in the final seconds to secure the victory.
“It was really funny, all week we were working on if someone gets in on your legs, kick, kick, kick,” Crum said. “That’s really what happened at the end. I really got control with my inside ties and I just tried to own him.”
Crum scored a takedown in the first period and maintained his advantage through the match.
“It’s something I’ve been working for so hard for four years,” Crum said. “When you put so much time in on the practice mat and it finally comes through, it’s amazing.”
285
Champion: Keegan Nugent, Lowell, Sr. (29-0)
Decision, 8-2, over Jaylen Culver, Romulus, Sr. (23-2)
Nugent found himself trailing after a Culver takedown in the first 20 seconds, but he fought back and dominated the rest of the match to claim his first individual title.
“Pure joy,” Nugent said. “Pure joy having my whole community behind me. My brother and everyone just here to support me and help me grow as a person.”
Nugent joined the parade of Lowell individual champions.
“It’s way cooler to do it with teammates,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine being here by myself.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Holly's Jacob Gonzales, left, wrestles for his second-straight Division 2 championship Friday at Van Andel Arena. (Middle) St. Joseph's Nolan Wertanen, left, gains control at 112 pounds on the way to his repeat championship. (Below) Warren Woods Tower's Joe Haynes looks to take his shot during his Finals match at 125; he also won a second-straight title. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
DCC's Marines 'Finishes Business' of Perfect Season, 4th Title Pursuit
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2024
DETROIT – Even after he capped a remarkable wrestling career at Detroit Catholic Central on Saturday with a fourth-straight Division 1 Individual Finals title, Darius Marines was all business.
“It’s amazing,” Marines said. “My goal coming in here today was just to finish business. I’ve done this before, three times before, so this is nothing different. It’s just another business day. And I got it done.”
The Catholic Central senior was dominant in a 10-2 win against Roseville sophomore Jay’Den Williams at Ford Field, becoming the 36th Michigan wrestler to win four individual titles. Dundee’s Kade Kluce would become No. 37 later in the night.
Marines – who won at 145, 152, and 157 in his final two seasons and finished this one 50-0 – is the third Catholic Central wrestler to accomplish the feat. He also claimed title No. 6, as he and the Shamrocks had won their second-straight Team Finals title a week earlier.
He was one of five Shamrocks to win a title Saturday.
Williams entered the match unbeaten at 49-0 and was making his second-straight appearance in an Individual Final. He lost a year ago in the 144-pound final against Marines’ former CC teammate Clayton Jones.
“He’s a Greco guy, he did really good at Fargo (Nationals),” Marines said. “He got sixth at Fargo last year, so I knew he was going look for under-hooks and upper body things. My plan was just to stay out of his positions and get to my stuff, and that’s what I did.”
106
Champion: Steve Vaughn, Davison, Fr. (35-8)
Decision, 6-1, over Ethan Smith, Brighton, Soph. (47-7)
With a large contingent of his Davison teammates cheering him on matside, “Stevie” took control of the 106-pound Final with a first-period takedown, and never looked back.
He added a reversal and another takedown in the third to claim his first title in his first opportunity.
“It feels great man,” Vaughn said. “I’ve been working my whole life for this. I’ve been thinking this the whole year. Ever since I came in, I’ve been working, grinding.”
113
Champion: Wyatt Lees, Detroit Catholic Central, Soph. (49-5)
Fall, 1:42, over Matthew Quigley, Traverse City West, Fr. (46-4)
Lees made it two-for-two at Ford Field, quickly working for a pin to claim his second Finals title. He won his first a year ago at 106 pounds.
“It’s fun,” he said. “It felt really good.”
While he has two more to win, Lees now has his sights set on joining Marines as the next four-timer at Catholic Central.
“That’s always been my goal since setting foot at CC,” he said.
120
Champion: Archer Anderson, Clarkston, Jr. (32-5)
Decision, 10-8 OT, over Preston Lefevre, Clarkston, Jr. (33-6)
After finishing runner-up a year ago, Anderson wasn’t going to let anything stand in his way of coming out on top. Not even a 5-2 third-period deficit against his teammate.
Anderson rattled off three takedowns in the final period and added another in overtime to claim his first Finals title.
“I was just trying to score points,” he said. “I was just trying to score points and come back from the tilt he got me in.”
He said wrestling a teammate in the Final made things more nerve-racking.
“It makes it worse,” Anderson said. “We’ve wrestled each other so many times. The more you wrestle a kid, the tighter the match is going to get. It shows.”
126
Champion: Grayson Fuchs, Detroit Catholic Central, Fr. (42-6)
Decision, 8-5, over Bohdan Abbey, Hartland, Soph. (57-1)
The moment wasn’t too big for Fuchs, who wrestled his first Final at Ford Field against an unbeaten returning Finals champion in Abbey.
“I had a lot of confidence I was going to win a state title,” Fuchs said. “There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to be at the top of that podium. I was confident.”
Fuchs was able to build an early lead and hold Abbey at bay down the stretch.
“It was vital that I got a takedown at the beginning and got some points up,” he said. “I know that with my head and hands defense, he wouldn’t be able to score on me. It was important for me to get those first points, and that tilt was big.”
132
Champion: Dallas Korponic, Hartland, Soph. (53-5)
Decision, 6-4, over Josh Vasquez, Grandville, Jr. (36-3)
Korponic trailed 3-2 in the third period before seeing an opening and taking it.
With 51 seconds remaining in the match, Korponic was able to reverse Vasquez and put him to his back, taking the lead with a four-point move that wound up winning him his first Finals title.
“He’s a funky kid, and I knew I was going to have to wrestle the whole match, and one of those times he was going to roll and I was going to take advantage of it,” Korponic said. “He got too low on me, and basically all I had to do was step over him for a headlock.”
Korponic held Vasquez off at the end, shooting a single leg and holding on as the final seconds ticked off.
138
Champion: Wyatt Hepner, Grosse Pointe South, Jr. (48-0)
Decision, 1-0, over Sam Agnello, Utica Eisenhower, Sr. (38-3)
Hepner knew points would be at a premium in this Regional rematch, and a second-period escape wound up being the only point scored, proving him right and making him Grosse Pointe South’s first Finals champion.
“It feels pretty awesome to say,” Hepner said. “I’m making history, which is awesome, and just having an impact on the Grosse Pointe South wrestling community. Hopefully we’ll just enlarge it and keep it growing.”
Hepner came close a year ago, finishing runner-up at 126 pounds.
144
Champion: Justin Gates, Davison, Sr. (41-2)
Technical fall, 25-10 (4:21), over Tanner McDunnah, Davison, Jr. (33-8)
Gates finished his career as a three-time Finals champion and four-time finalist.
He won at 103 as a freshman and 138 as a junior, while taking second as a sophomore.
“It feels great,” he said. “The work I put in every day, the work my teammates put in and helped me with every day, all my coaches, my family – I just want to thank them, I wouldn’t be able to do it without them. It’s just bittersweet leaving it all out there, that’s my last high school match I’ll ever wrestle, and I just tried to enjoy the moment and be present in it.”
Gates had high praise for his teammate, McDunnah, who was his roommate for the weekend.
“There’s nothing like losing the state finals that will give you that sting that you need to put a little extra work in,” Gates said. “Tanner is the type of kid to just out-work everybody. I’m sure he’s going to use that as extra motivation. I’ll expect him to be on the top of the podium next year for sure.”
150
Champion: Mason Stewart, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (50-3)
Decision, 3-1, over Vinnie Abbey, Hartland, Sr. (50-5)
Stewart lost a heartbreaker at the 2023 Finals and had a bit of a flashback when Abbey – also a Finals runner-up a year ago – looked to have secured a takedown in the final seconds to force overtime.
After officials discussed the call, however, it was ruled that Stewart had successfully fought him off, and the match was over.
“It was the best feeling in the world, honestly,” Stewart said. “I was in the same exact position a year ago, lost in the Finals, the guy reversed with short-time left, and it was one of the worst pains I’ve felt in my life. I knew that was never going to happen again. I wasn’t going to let that happen to myself. I just had to win.”
165
Champion: Zak Knapp, Brighton, Sr. (50-4)
Major decision, 13-1, over Zachary Taylor, Gibraltar Carlson, Jr. (52-1)
Knapp wasted little time taking control of this match, putting up eight points in the first period en route to his first Finals title.
“Every day in the room, I was just putting in the work,” he said. “I was super excited to be out here. I took it all in, I put my mind to being a state champ. I was pacing back and forth saying, ‘I’m the champ. The champ is here.’ I was ready for everything, and I stepped onto the mat, I was just going to go out there and give it my all and do whatever I can.”
175
Champion: Dylan Scott, Waterford Kettering, Sr. (38-2)
Decision, 5-3 OT, over Micah Roper, Oxford, Sr. (40-4)
Scott considers himself more of a defensive wrestler, but when overtime came around, he knew he had to be on the offensive.
His aggressiveness paid off, as he was able to get the winning takedown to claim his first Finals title.
“Honestly, I’m a big defensive guy,” he said. “But throughout this year and other seasons, I’ve always lost by a takedown. My coach told me, ‘Takedowns win matches.’ So, right then and there, I had to make it count.”
Scott’s defense did come in handy late in regulation, however, as Roper was able to get in on his legs with the score tied at 3. But Scott was able to fight him off and force sudden victory.
190
Champion: Brock Trevino, Clarkston, Sr. (25-1)
Fall, 1:57, over Adam Bazzi, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, Sr. (42-3)
Trevino said he wrestles by feel, so when he felt he had Bazzi in a compromising position, he went with it, even though it was a move with which he wasn’t really familiar.
“It was pure luck, I don’t really drill that move ever, but it worked,” Trevino said. “It was a feel thing, you know. I get comfortable in positions, and that’s usually how I win. I’m not very technical, I just wrestle for positioning.”
After the win, Trevino busted out an air guitar, leg-kick celebration that was fitting of his wrestling style.
“My coach was just like, ‘C’mon, it’ll be sick,’” Trevino said.
215
Champion: Connor Bercume, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (43-3)
Decision, 5-3, over Logan Tollison, Grand Ledge, Soph. (48-4)
Bercume successfully defended his title at 215 pounds to become a two-time Finals champion.
“It feels pretty good,” he said. “I’m really not happy with the way I performed in the Final, but happy to have won.”
Bercume got an early takedown in the match and looked to be on his way to cruising, but Tollison settled into the match and gave him a fight until the final whistle.
285
Champion: Ryan Ahern, Rockford, Sr. (49-1)
Major decision, 17-6, over Anton Barynas, Jenison, Jr. (46-6)
Ahern weighed in at 211 pounds for the weekend, but that didn’t stop him from dominating the division and claiming his fourth all-state finish and first Finals title.
“It feels really good to finally get a win in the state Finals,” he said. “I feel like I’ve always been super motivated, but just throughout the years I’ve gotten better and better with great practice partners. Every year, I’ve had a bunch of different guys to practice with, and different coaches.”
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Catholic Central’s Darius Marines has his wrist raised in victory after clinching his fourth Individual Finals championship Saturday. (Middle) Davison’s Justin Gates, right, wrestles teammate Tanner McDunnah en route to claiming his third title. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)