Hudson Makes Big Stage Home Again in Division 4 Championship Repeat

By Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com

February 25, 2023

KALAMAZOO – The Hudson wrestling team is never afraid of the big stage. 

In fact, the Tigers thrive on it.

Hudson claimed its second-straight Division 4 team championship Saturday at Wings Event Center with an impressive 58-12 win over Bronson in the Final. 

The Tigers have won 10 team titles in head coach Scott Marry's 35 years of leading the program.

Marry said aside from a lot of hard work, it's a simple formula for the small school and community in southern Michigan.

 "We love  each other – I love my kids, and they love me," Marry said. "I love my coaching staff, and when you wrestle out of the environment like that, it settles in and it's really powerful. Everyone calls it momentum, but it's really love."

The love and momentum were on full display Saturday in Kalamazoo, especially in the championship match against Bronson. 

After falling behind 6-0 from a pin at 215 pounds, the Tigers ran off a string of nine straight wins. And among those nine straight wins, Hudson had seven pins. 

Starting the streak was senior heavyweight Aidan Rackowski with a pin in 2 minutes, 44 seconds. 

Pinning their opponents is a consistent theme for Hudson at the Finals. 

Bronson’s Matthew Blankenship, right, and St. Louis’ Ramon Anguiano lock up at 285 in a Semifinal.During the Tigers’ 62-18 win over Iron Mountain in the Quarterfinal, 51-12 win over Martin/Climax-Scotts in the Semifinal and the championship victory over Bronson, Hudson had a total of 17 pins. 

"We just work on a lot of subconscious brain work in the room," Marry said, "And visualization and creativity. And that manifests itself; it's powerful. Believe it or not, kids nowadays really do want to learn. They want to be loved, and they want to be taken care of." 

The 17th and final pin of the weekend for Hudson came from senior Logan Sallows at 190 pounds. 

Sallows a returning Individual Finals placer.

"We push hard at practice," said Sallows, who is the second-ranked 190-pounder in Division 4 by Michigan Grappler. "We always want to get better as a team, always. Everyone is family, and we continue to push ourselves until we hit our limits." 

And those limits are high. 

Although it ran up against one of, if not the best team in Division 4 year in and year out, Bronson coach Chad Butters was proud of his team's run this year.

The third-seeded Vikings defeated Manchester in the Quarterfinals 39-19, then second-seeded St. Louis in the Semifinals 38-29. 

"We felt really good coming in here," said Butters, whose team ended with a 39-2 record. "I thought we wrestled really well against Manchester. Then against St. Louis, we showed a lot of toughness and grit. 

"Against Hudson, we knew we would have to pull off some upsets; that just didn't happen," he added. "They overwhelmed us. They wrestled their match. They did what they do best."

Bronson got its wins in the Final from Matthew Blankenship at 215, Carson Norton at 157 and Jacob Britten at 175.

"I am so proud of my young men," Butters said. "I am proud of their heart. We just fell short."

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Hudson’s Nicholas Sorrow works toward a pin in his 113-pound match during the Division 4 Final. (Middle) Bronson’s Matthew Blankenship, right, and St. Louis’ Ramon Anguiano lock up at 285 in a Semifinal. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)

Performance of the Week: Dundee's Braeden Davis

March 10, 2023

Braeden DavisBraeden Davis ♦ Dundee
Senior ♦ Wrestling

Davis capped his high school wrestling career with his fourth Individual Finals championship Saturday at Ford Field, in the process also becoming just the fifth wrester to be part of four team and four individuals Finals championships in MHSAA history as Dundee clinched its sixth-straight Division 3 team title the previous weekend at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo. 

In defeating Grand Rapids Catholic Central's Michael Wilson 3-1 in the Division 3 138-pound championship match, Davis finished 41-0 this winter and added to previous titles at 119 in 2022, 112 in 2021 and 103 in 2020. He also finished with a combined record of 147-6. Davis will continue his career at Penn State, the reigning NCAA Division 1 champion and winner of that title nine of the last 11 seasons. 

@mhsaasports 🤼POW: Braeden Davis #performanceoftheweek #wrestler #champion #individual #team #record #dundee #vikings #congrats #MHSAA #highschoolsports #tiktalk #interview #TikTok#mistudentaid #fyp ♬ Beat Automotivo Tan Tan Tan Viral - WZ Beat

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2022-23 Honorees

March 2: Gabriel Sanchez-Burks, Ann Arbor Pioneer swimming - Report
Feb. 23:
Grace Sobczak, Marquette swimming - Report
Feb. 16:
Kaitlynn Demers, Gibraltar Carlson competitive cheer - Report
Feb. 9:
Indya Davis, West Bloomfield basketball - Report
Feb. 2:
Braydon Sorenson, Onekama skiing - Report
Jan. 26:
Shayna Hruska, Iron Mountain wrestling - Report
Jan. 19:
Kayla Tafanelli, Warren Woods-Tower bowling - Report
Dec. 20:
Brenden Paden, Riverview Gabriel Richard hockey - Report
Dec. 16:
Tuff Scott, Holton bowling - Report
Dec. 9:
Macey Fegan, Standish-Sterling basketball - Report
Dec. 2:
Treyton Siegert, Gladwin football - Report
Nov. 24:
Lily Witte, Dexter diving - Report
Nov. 17:
Navea Gauthier, Shelby volleyball - Report
Nov. 10:
Derek Huisman, Holland Christian soccer - Report
Nov. 3:
Thomas Westphal, New Baltimore Anchor Bay cross country - Report
Oct. 27:
Justin Wickey, Colon football - Report
Oct. 20:
Owen DeMuth, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood tennis - Report
Oct. 13:
Mia Melendez, Ann Arbor Greenhills golf - Report
Oct. 6:
Shawn Foster, Grand Ledge football - Report
Sept. 30:
Hannah Smith, Temperance Bedford swimming - Report
Sept. 22:
Helen Sachs, Holland West Ottawa cross country - Report
Sept. 15:
Nina Horning, Lake Orion volleyball - Report
Sept 8:
Arturo Romero, Muskegon Oakridge soccer - Report
Sept. 1:
Austin King, Midland Dow tennis - Report
Aug. 25:
Olivia Hemmila, Troy Athens golf - Report

PHOTO Dundee's Braeden Davis wrestles Grand Rapids Catholic Central's Michael Wilson for the 138-pound championship in Division 3 this season. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)