Hudson Earns Way Back Onto Familiar Stage, with Familiar Result

By Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com

February 26, 2022

KALAMAZOO – The Hudson wrestling team is not used to not wrestling on the state’s biggest stage.

The Tigers, who made 12 straight MHSAA Division 4 Team Finals from 2009 through 2020, winning eight times along the way, did not advance to the championship match a year ago and had last won one in 2019.

But in dominating fashion, Hudson climbed back atop the Division 4 throne Saturday night at Wings Event Center with a 47-13 title match win over familiar championship rival New Lothrop.

The Tigers earned their trip back to the Final with impressive wins over LeRoy Pine River in the Quarterfinals and St. Louis in the Semifinals.

"These boys have been through some real trials, not just the wrestling season, but life in general," Hudson coach Scott Marry said. "And not just these kids, but all kids."

Things began to look up for Hudson in the fall, and have continued through the winter.

"We just won a football state championship, and most of them were on this wrestling team that just won this," Marry said. "They are just so excited about the competition, and it's almost like they are reborn." 

Hudson wrestlingReborn and driven, as the Tigers won the first two matches of the Final with Logan Sallows and Cameron Kimble decisions at 189 and 215 pounds, respectively.

But the Hornets, who are no strangers to wresting for state titles, showed some resolve in the next three matches as Isiah Pasik won by fall at 285 pounds, Blake Wendling won by major decision at 103 pounds and Daven Lockwood won by decision at 112.

From there it was all Hudson, which won the dual's final nine matches.

"Last year was the biggest struggle with COVID," said senior 152-pouinder Bronson Marry, a winner in his match by fall. "Two years ago wrestling had just got done before COVID hit, and last year we went through all the precautions with the masks and everything, and we weren't even sure we were going to be able to wrestle, let along compete for a state title. This year was just amazing. I have been waiting for this feeling for a long time."

New Lothrop coach Jeff Campbell was impressed.

"You just get so accustomed with Hudson winning state titles, it didn't kind of register," said Campbell, whose team ended its year with a 23-3 record. "I am happy for their community, and I am happy for them. I have a lot of respect for everything that they do. Coach Marry and their whole staff – my son is a youth wrestler, so I see what they are doing at a lot of youth meets. They put the work in."

And now the Tigers are back on top.

"We are all blessed," said Scott Marry, whose team ended with a 22-4 record. "In Hudson we believe in Hudson-trained. We believe in three-sport athletes, and these kids bought into that."

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Hudson’s Cameron Kimble, left, works toward a decision at 215 pounds Saturday at Wings Event Center. (Middle) The Tigers celebrate their first Finals title since 2019. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)

Bluhm Continues Building on Trenton Tradition in 5th Decade as Coach

By Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com

December 22, 2022

TRENTON – What Tom Bluhm likes about wrestling also happens to correlate perfectly into what his program at Trenton has been about as of late. 

Greater Detroit“It’s one-on-one,” Bluhm said. “You can’t hide and you can’t make excuses. That’s what I’ve always liked about it.”

Excuses aren’t in the vocabulary of the Trenton program that’s been presided by Bluhm for going on 46 seasons.

Last season, the Trojans went 22-9, solid on the surface but incredible when considering Trenton had only 14 wrestlers on the team and forfeited just one weight class. 

Again, Bluhm and his group weren’t interested in excuses. They just forged ahead with what they had.

“There’s no planning for it,” he said. “It’s just something that happens. It makes it tough to run practices. It’s not like you have a room of 30 or 40 guys where you can group them into three based on weight and get after it.”

Numbers haven’t traditionally been a problem for Trenton under Bluhm, who said his 1978 team had 100 wrestlers competing for spots on varsity and 50 freshmen. 

In recent years, the lack of a program at the middle school level has negated opportunities to develop a feeder system, so Bluhm just hopes for the best when tryouts come around in November. 

Bluhm and current wrestler Nolan Diroff stand in front of the program's record board.Bluhm said it’s become an increasing scenario where athletes come out for the wrestling team who have never before wrestled in their lives. 

Bluhm said one example was a sophomore who came out for the team last year, quickly learned the sport and ended up winning 36 matches.

“His mother supposedly called the AD last year saying he needed something to do because he was driving her crazy,” Bluhm said. “So he came out for wrestling.”

Nolan Diroff, a senior who primarily wrestles in the 189-pound weight class, but has also wrestled at higher weights, said the limited number of wrestlers on the team rarely comes up as a topic.

“I can’t really say that anybody has complained about not having a lot of people,” he said. “Nobody on the team complains when they get moved around in the lineup. We wrestle where Coach needs us to wrestle. We do whatever he says to try and win matches.” 

Diroff said in a strange way, having a limited roster has made who is on the team better wrestlers because it has forced them to be versatile athletes who can compete at multiple weights.

“He’s kind of built us up to realize that and wrestle wherever he needs us,” he said. “He tries to get us as many matches as possible. It makes us better wrestlers and makes the team better.”

This year, there is a slight increase in the numbers. 

Bluhm said there are 17 out for the team, including the first girl wrestler during his tenure. 

“She fits right in,” Bluhm said. “She gets in there and does everything the boys do.”

Bluhm entered this season fourth on the MHSAA all-time coaching wins list for wrestling, carrying an 812-416-2 record with five seasons at Taylor Center before taking over at Trenton beginning with that 1977-78 winter.

Despite the struggles with numbers, Bluhm still very much gets a lot out of coaching after more than five decades.

He drives a little less than an hour to Trenton and back every day from his home in Northville, and said he’s stayed at Trenton out of his love and respect not only for the kids, but their parents.

“He tells a bunch of other stuff and random stories,” Diroff said. “Never ones that you really roll your eyes at. They are always enjoyable and shows you how long he’s been around.”

And when Trenton wrestles this season, the Trojans will do what they always do: Fight on with no excuses. 

“I enjoy coaching,” Bluhm said. “I’ve always said show me some rules, and I’ll play.”

Keith DunlapKeith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Trenton wrestling coach Tom Bluhm coaches Connor Charping during the 2016 Individual Finals. (Middle) Bluhm and current wrestler Nolan Diroff stand in front of the program's record board. (Top photo by High School Sports Scene; middle photo courtesy of Nolan Diroff.)