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.)
Repeat Reaffirms Clinton's Spot Among Annual Contenders
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 30, 2021
KALAMAZOO – The Clinton wrestling program took its place at the top of Division 4 a year ago, claiming the first Finals title in school history.
On Tuesday, it emphatically announced that it’s here to stay.
Clinton rolled through its competition throughout the day, topped off with a 55-9 win against New Lothrop at Wings Event Center, to claim its second-straight Division 4 title.
“I think now people know that we’re the real deal,” Clinton co-coach Jeff Rolland said. “We solidified what we did last year. We’ve got a lot of young kids – there's only four guys in our lineup every day that aren’t going to be here next year. We did this without three all-staters in our lineup from last year. We have a lot of depth. We have more coming. I think people know that we’re for real now. It’s not a one-year deal or whatever.”
Clinton was dominant throughout the postseason, and closed it out the same way, winning 76-6 in the Quarterfinal against Ravenna and 59-9 in the Semifinal against Leslie. That’s despite what Rolland said was a performance in the Semifinal that was less than the team’s best. But Clinton has reached the point where it can win even when it’s not at the top of its game.
“Since my freshman year we were chasing it and we fell short, then we fell short again my sophomore year,” senior Landis Gillman said. “My junior year we really picked it up, and we got into the mindset that we wanted it. We became a family. We’ve just been striving and pushing ourselves to the limits to reach this point.”
And in case there was any doubt remaining about the program’s status, Clinton has won its titles against the two programs that had dominated the division for more than a decade prior – Hudson (2020) and New Lothrop.
“Last year was big because we had to go through both,” Rolland said. “New Lothrop, if they’re not the most storied program in the state, I don’t know who is. We’ve got nothing but respect for that team, those guys. It makes it special when you beat a team like that, for sure.”
It was Gillman who started Clinton off with a bang in the Finals, as he bumped up to 140 pounds and won by major decision against New Lothrop’s Andrew Krupp in a matchup of wrestlers ranked in the top three.
Clinton won the first six matches of the dual, five by major decision – by Gillman, Kent McCombs (145), AJ Baxter (152), Spencer Konz (160) and Logan Badge (189) – and one with a first-period pin from Brayden Randolph (171).
“Landis had a day today,” Rolland said. “He went through some kids today. That was big. He’s up a weight class. He’s very, very good as you saw. But a major starting out, I think our kids fed off that. I’m so proud of that kid. He’s a senior, he spent two years on the bench, waited his turn, and now he’s got his shot.”
New Lothrop picked up its two wins in the dual at 215 and 285, as Grayson Orr won a 4-3 decision, followed by a second-period fall from Isiah Pasik.
Clinton closed the dual out with six straight wins, however, as Connor Younts (103) and Ethan Younts (135) each won by pin, Nik Shadley (125) won by technical fall, and Coy Perry (112) and Zak Shadley (130) won by decision. Connor Busz (119) won by forfeit.
“We did what we needed to do; we wrestled those kids hard,” New Lothrop coach Jeff Campbell said. “They sent a kid out at every weight that was a very talented wrestler, a very experienced wrestler who was well-coached, and we had to compete hard against them, and every single kid did. We just didn’t have as much ammunition as they did today. But I was really, really proud of our effort. We made plenty of mistakes, but we definitely made every point get earned, and that’s all we can try to do.”
The championship match appearance was the first since 2018 for the Hornets, who had made five straight starting in 2014 and have won 15 team titles.
“It’s an expectation – from the youth level up, we try to put ourselves in a position to do well,” Campbell said. “I think it’s great for our younger guys, and those younger guys that got to step onto the mat. It’s another one of those years when we lose a good crop of seniors. I told them out here, ‘You seniors, your legacy isn’t whether or not you win or lose this last match or you win or lose a state title yourself. It’s what did you teach the kids along the way? Even when you didn’t know they were watching, what were you doing? How hard were you working? Were you cutting weight the right way? Did you compete in these matches when you were the underdog fearless and wrestle hard?’ They showed that today.”
New Lothrop defeated Bark River-Harris 54-20 in the Quarterfinal, and received a bye in the Semifinal, as both Hudson and Schoolcraft were disqualified for putting in a wrestler at an ineligible weight in their Quarterfinal.
Gillman, McCombs, Baxter, Randolph, Badge, Connor Younts, Perry, Busz and Zak Shadley each picked up three wins on the day for Clinton.
PHOTOS: (Top) Clinton’s Landis Gillman wrestles New Lothrop’s Andrew Krupp during Tuesday’s Division 4 Final. (Middle) Clinton celebrates its repeat championship. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)