Individual Finals: From 16 to No. 1
March 3, 2012
AUBURN HILLS – A total of 56 individual wrestling champions were crowned Saturday at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
One was St. Johns senior Taylor Massa – and he earned his own story after finishing his career without a loss.
But there were plenty of others to tell. Following is one for each of the 13 other weight classes, starting with 189 pounds – the opening weight at this season’s Individual Finals – plus a mention of all 56 champions. Click for full results.
189
Among the many Jordan Thomas thanked after winning his third MHSAA title was the one opponent who beat him at the Palace during the last four seasons.
Thomas and St. Johns’ Massa led the opening march Saturday, around the mats where Massa dealt Thomas that loss, in the 145-pound Division 2 Final when both were freshmen.
From that day on, Thomas lost only once more. And he capped his championship career by knocking off the reigning Division 2 champ at his weight. In one of the first matches of the day – and arguably the best – Thomas edged Lowell senior Gabe Dean 5-1.
“This being my last match ever, there’s no redemption after this, so I knew I had to get this win,” said Thomas, who will wrestle next season at the University of Michigan.
He finished 45-0 this season and 217-3 for his career despite taking off a month this season after tearing a knee ligament. That continued to slow him Saturday, but he had been building for a strong finish since the day he fell to Massa 5-2 – a match he said paid off through the rest of his Greenville career.
“At high school it’s not about the win and loss, it’s about getting better,” Thomas said. “And I feel like that improved me as a person and a wrestler so much. I don’t regret it a bit.”
Dean, who also quarterbacked Lowell's Division 2 runner-up football team, finished 30-4.
- Division 1: Kevin Beazley did one better on his 2011 1-0 championship loss at 171 by downing Temperance Bedford junior Brandon Sunday 6-0. The Detroit Catholic Central senior finished 45-1.
- Division 3: In a battle of one-loss juniors, Morley Stanwood’s Steven Malloy handed a second to Oscoda’s Donavon Fouchey, 7-6, to finish 46-1.
- Division 4: New Lothrop senior Austin Severn pinned Dansville senior Lantz Miller in 1:49 to win a second straight championship and finish 51-2.
215
Prescott Line’s wrestling career came to an end Saturday. This fall, he’ll join the Southern Methodist University football team.
But the Oxford senior finished in the best possible way – with his second straight MHSAA individual championship. Line defeated Wayne Memorial’s Dimitrus Renfroe 5-1 in the Division 1 Final after also winning at that weight in 2011.
“Wrestling made me a better person. … (It develops) mental toughness, and it works on your one-on-one competition a lot,” Line said. “It’s a great sport.”
Line finished 49-0 this season and 184-23 over his four-year high school career.
- Division 2: Holly senior Shawn Scott finished a 52-0 season with a 3-1 win over St. Johns junior Payne Hayden.
- Division 3: Buchanan junior Gage Hutchison finished a 57-0 season by pinning Comstock Park senior Tyler Gruszka in 1:03.
- Division 4: St. Ignace junior Joe Ostman edged Springport senior Joe Ericson 4-3 to win the title and move to 44-0 this season. Ericson had just one loss entering the Final.
285
Fowlerville junior Adam Coon showed the result of moving up to 285 pounds this season after winning two MHSAA titles at 215. His Division 2 championship match ended with his tongue and lips spotted with blood.
But the result that mattered most remained the same – Coon won his third championship, 7-4 over Mason senior Adam Robinson, and will go into next season hoping to become the 17th wrestler in MHSAA history to win four Finals titles.
Coon faced Robinson four times this season on the way to finishing 50-0.
“Of course, at the state finals it’s going to be a little aggressive. So maybe there were head butts in there for both sides,” Coon said. “But you know what? That’s what wrestling is. It’s aggressive. … You’ve got to be able to take those.”
- Division 1: Rochester Hills Stoney Creek senior Nick Gajdzik became his school’s first champion and capped a 46-0 season with a 2-1 win over Temperance Bedford senior Logan Rimmer – who had only one loss heading into the Final.
- Division 3: Lakewood senior Garrett Hyatt finished his high school career by pinning Dundee junior Josh Marogen in the title match in 1:48. Hyatt was 46-3 this winter.
- Division 4: Hesperia senior Brett Martin capped a 53-0 season by outlasting Whittemore-Prescott freshman Ryan Prescott in a 4-3 decision.
103
Carson City-Crystal junior Kenneth Dittenber is getting used to finishing his season with a win. He’s ended the last two with an MHSAA Division 4 title at 103 pounds.
But Saturday’s clincher had a different spin. In 2011, Dittenber won his Final 5-4. This time, he pinned Shelby junior Austin Felt 56 seconds into the second period. It was a much better reward for a season filled with higher expectations.
“I just practiced a lot harder. I knew I was going to have a target on my back as a state champ last year,” Dittenber said. “I just wanted to wrestle everybody like I should."
- Division 1: Davison freshman Lincoln Olson capped a 46-0 season with a 16-5 major decision over Grand Haven freshman Camden Bertucci.
- Division 2: Goodrich senior Isaac Jewell closed his career with an 8-1 championship win over Hamilton junior Collin Welcher. Jewell finished 45-5 this winter.
- Division 3: Ida freshman Dakota Ball improved to 46-4 with a 2-0 win over Caro junior Shane Herrman.
112
Temperance Bedford junior Mitch Rogaliner had one opponent on his most wanted list this weekend. And he got his wish, drawing Holt’s Shayne Wireman in a Division 1 Semifinal.
Wireman had beaten Rogaliner 2-1 in last season’s 103-pound Final. But Rogaliner got him back Friday with a third-period pin before earning a 9-5 decision over Canton sophomore Ben Griffin in Saturday’s Final.
Rogaliner said he knew if he could beat Wireman, the championship should be his as well – and he used lessons learned last season to finish the run.
“You can’t let the nerves get to you. You can’t just go out there scared,” Rogaliner said. “You just have to lay it all out on the mat, and hope that your all can win it for you.”
Rogaliner finished 46-2 this winter.
- Division 2: St. Johns sophomore Zac Hall won his second MHSAA title, this time with an 8-1 win over Lapeer West junior Dean Somers. Hall finished 43-1 this season.
- Division 3: Remus Chippewa Hills junior Zack Cooper also won his second MHSAA title, improving to 60-2 this season with a 7-2 win over Allendale junior Luke Jensen.
- Division 4: Decatur senior Luke Bell improved to 54-10 this season and won the 200th match of his career in pinning Erie Mason freshman Logan Griffin in 2:38.
119
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern senior Tim Lambert had picked up a reputation as the best wrestler in Michigan never to win an MHSAA title.
He doesn’t have to hear that one anymore.
Lambert – who crushed the 200-career win milestone earlier this season – finished with one more, getting a takedown just before the buzzer to beat St. Johns freshman Logan Massa 5-3 in overtime. The Division 2 championship is the first for a Forest Hills Eastern wrestler, and capped a 58-0 finish for Lambert this season.
“There was definitely a lot of pressure. But I just came out to win, whether it was by two points or 10,” he said. “Logan’s a very tough wrestler. He’s going to have a great career. I knew it was going to be a grind until the end, no matter what. And that’s what it was.”
- Division 1: Davison sophomore Justin Oliver won his second MHSAA title and finished 44-2 this season with a 3-1 win over Hartland sophomore Austin Eicher.
- Division 3: Richmond senior Stephen Ireland edged Lake Fenton senior Todd Melick 10-7 to finish 24-3 this winter.
- Division 4: After losing in a championship match last season, Hudson sophomore Cole Weaver earned his first MHSAA title with a 6-0 win over Hesperia sophomore Zack Yates. Weaver was 51-0 this season.
125
Comstock Park senior Nick Ross admitted Saturday he came into this season overconfident after winning last season’s Division 3 championship at 119 pounds.
But that overconfidence dissolved with two losses and a fourth-place finish in Comstock Park’s first tournament – and was replaced by more intense practice and extra workouts.
Ross never lost again. He capped a 49-2 season Saturday with an 8-4 win over Ida senior Dan Sorter.
“It was a great wake up call. I wanted to real quick,” Ross said of rebounding from the early losses.
“The second (MHSAA title) is definitely tougher. You’ve got a big old ‘X’ on your head. Everyone is after you.”
- Division 1: After losing by a point in last season’s Final, Howell senior Alex Calandrino beat Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior Mitch Hrnyak 8-4 and finished the season 42-1.
- Division 2: St. Johns junior Jacob Schmitt, a runner-up last season, beat Holly junior Mason Cleaver 11-1 to finish 46-2.
- Division 4: Watervliet sophomore Brock Thumm outlasted Marlette senior Matt Mata, handing Mata his first loss with a 10-9 decision that improved Thumm to 47-5.
130
Detroit Catholic Central junior Ken Bade knew what was necessary to win big at this season’s Finals.
Last season he earned the title at 125 in part by surviving two one-point decisions. But this time, he advanced with two technical falls and a pin before downing Oxford sophomore Mike Willits 6-1 in the Final.
“I said it earlier in the tournament: It’s all confidence and not cockiness. And you just need to work as hard as you possibly can,” said Bade, who finished 50-1. “This week was the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life.
“There was only one goal in mind and that was a state championship, and I got it done.”
- Division 2: Holly junior Anthony Gonzales scored at least 10 points for the third straight match, this time outlasting Allegan sophomore Kyle Simaz in a 10-9 decision. Gonzales finished 48-3.
- Division 3: Otsego senior Alberto Lopez won his second straight nail-biter, following an overtime Semifinal victory with a 3-2 title-clincher over Fremont senior Theron Blake. Lopez finished 51-2.
- Division 4: New Lothrop junior Jacob Perrin moved to 52-3 with a 5-3 win over Niles Brandywine junior Chanc Ravish.
135
Traverse City St. Francis senior Isaiah Schaub and White Pigeon senior John Tullos both entered Saturday’s Division 4 Final with one loss apiece.
But Schaub also already had one MHSAA championship. He added a second with an 11-4 decision capped by a final three points just before the third-round buzzer.
“I kept on attacking,” Schaub said. “It’s not like I haven’t. I just kept on attacking like Coach told me to.”
Schaub finished 51-1. He also won at 130 pounds in 2011.
- Division 1: Canton sophomore Alec Pantaleo defeated Detroit Catholic Central sophomore Malik Amine 9-6 to finish the season 53-3.
- Division 2: St. Johns junior Brant Schafer, the runner-up at 125 last season, handed Muskegon Reeths-Puffer senior Cody Stenberg his first loss, 10-8 in overtime. Schafer finished 37-1.
- Division 3: Richmond freshman Devin Skatzka opened his high school Finals career by edging Leslie sophomore Zehlin Storr 5-4 to finish 44-8.
140
St. Johns junior Ben Whitford already had won two Illinois individual championships, and helped St. Johns to an MHSAA team title last weekend.
He finished his first season back in Michigan by beating the same opponent he faced in the team Final – Lowell senior and reigning individual champion Gabe Morse.
Whitford handed Morse just his second loss of this season, 11-4. A week ago, Whitford beat Morse 11-9.
“In the first match, I kept getting out of position. That’s how he was able to score,” Whitford said. “This time, (I stayed) in a good position, had to stay on his head, get him tired, keep working him.”
Whitford finished 37-0. Morse finished 40-2.
- Division 1: Portage Central senior Angelo Latora capped his career with a 3-1 win over Jenison senior Trent Samuels. Latora finished the season 53-1.
- Division 3: Richmond senior Garett Edwards handed Fremont junior Johnny Wiggers his first loss, 6-5 in overtime. Edwards finished 48-6.
- Division 4: New Lothrop junior Clayton Simons added his second-straight MHSAA title and moved to 33-5 for the season with a 7-2 win over Reading senior Nick Rubley.
145
Midland Bullock Creek senior Scott Flowers admitted it would’ve been nice to face a different opponent in Saturday’s Final than Hemlock senior Justin Tomasek.
They both came from the Tri-Valley Conference Central, and the championship match was their fourth against each other this season. Flowers won this time 4-0 to even their record against each other to 2-2.
“If I don’t know (what an opponent) is going to do, I can wrestle my own style instead of changing my style to fit his style,” Flowers said. “(But) it also helped too.”
Flowers, who posted a third place in 2011, finished 51-7. Tomasek finished 45-4.
- Division 1: Flint Carman-Ainsworth senior Jake Weissend closed out a 58-0 season with a 1-0 decision over Portage Central sophomore Dominic Latora.
- Division 2: Allegan senior Taylor Simaz capped his career and a 57-1 season with his second MHSAA title. He beat Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern senior Gabe Stepanovich 15-5 after also claiming the 125-pound championship in 2010.
- Division 4: Addison junior Jared Bruner edged Springport freshman Jacob Cooper 4-2 to finish 36-5.
152
Saturday’s Division 1 152-pound Final was one of the most anticipated of the entire Individual Wrestling Finals. And not because Brighton junior Aaron Calderon was on the card.
Detroit Catholic Central senior Alec Mooradian was seeking to become only the 16th wrestler in MHSAA history to win four individual championships. Instead, Calderon won his first – and became part of history for what he didn’t allow to happen.
Mooradian scored first before Calderon hung on and spun out of a late potential takedown to win 3-2.
“I wasn’t too worried because he had everything to lose and I had everything to gain. That kinda helped take all the pressure off,” Calderon said. “I just thought, he was just another kid my age. I can be just as strong. I can be just as fast. I can be just as good.”
Calderon finished this season 56-2. Mooradian ended 44-3.
- Division 2: Lowell senior Andrew Morse won his second MHSAA championship and closed out a 34-0 season with a 4-2 win over St. Johns senior Travis Curley.
- Division 3: Lakeview senior Jordan Betham improved to 56-2 this season with a 14-6 win over Dundee junior Todd Olson.
- Division 4: Hudson senior Joel Varney finished his high school career with his second straight MHSAA title thanks to a pin in 2:20 of Sand Creek junior Nick Garza. Varney finished 47-2.
160
The only disappointment on Hudson senior Devan Marry’s MHSAA championship resume came last season, when he lost in the 160-pound Final after previously winning titles at 152 and 135.
On Saturday, he made sure to pick that one up too.
Marry also has been a big part of four MHSAA team championships. So make that seven total for the future Eastern Michigan wrestler, who claimed his last with a 10-4 decision over Sand Creek senior Sam Mehan – who beat Marry 7-5 in last season’s 160 Final.
“It’s that much more special to go out on a last hurrah,” Marry said. “I’m just happy to have such good classmates and all the classes below me coming together. Not only did it show last weekend, but it showed here how hard we work and how it finally pays off at the end.”
Marry finished 47-2. Mehan finished 52-2.
- Division 1: Davison sophomore Jordan Cooks defeated Grand Blanc senior Christian O’Guinn to finish the winter 34-2.
- Division 2: St. Johns senior Jordan Wohlfert closed his career with a second straight MHSAA title, this time thanks to a 16-5 win over Allegan senior Andrew Kelley. Wohlfert finished 47-1.
- Division 3: Napoleon senior Lelund Weatherspoon capped his senior season with his second straight MHSAA title, defeating Grant senior Ryan Connell to improve to 49-1. Weatherspoon won 152 in Division 4 last season.
171
Click for a separate piece on St. Johns’ Taylor Massa and his perfect high school career.
- Division 1: Detroit Catholic Central sophomore Drew Garcia outlasted Utica Eisenhower junior Charlie Myers in a 5-2 decision that pushed Garcia’s final record to 43-3.
- Division 3: Comstock Park senior Dillon Francisco improved to 52-1 in handing a major decision to Houghton Lake junior Dalton Bailey, 11-0.
- Division 4: St. Ignace junior Galloway Thurston won an 8-2 decision over Shelby senior Mason Courtright to finish this season 52-2.
PHOTO of Greenville's Jordan Thomas. See more photos from the Finals and all season at High School Sports Scene.
Dundee's Kluce Finishes Undefeated Ford Field Run as 4-Time Champ
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2024
DETROIT – It’s not often a previous three-time champion finds himself as an underdog going into a state final.
However, Dundee’s Kade Kluce was up against top-seeded Drew Hansen of Gladstone in the Division 3 126-pound title match Saturday at Ford Field.
Kluce just reminded himself that he has never lost at the venue, and ended up grinding out a 2-1 tiebreaker victory over Hansen to claim his fourth title.
“I like to tell myself in my head that I am a three-time state champ and I can do this. I can do anything, nobody is beating me (at Ford Field),” Kluce said after the match.
Both scored an escape point in the second and third periods, respectively. The final came down to the tiebreaker rounds after neither scored in overtime.
Kluce (30-9) managed to wiggle out an escape in the closing seconds of the first tiebreaker round. He then just needed to stay on top of Hansen (46-2) for 30 seconds, which he did.
“Mentally I was starting to break, but I really put it through my head that I needed these 30 seconds. I needed to keep him down. I’d have been disappointed the rest of my life if I had given that up; that’s what kept me going,” Kluce said.
With the victory, Kluce became the 37th wrestler in MHSAA history to win four Individual Finals titles. He did so winning in four weight classes – 103 in 2021, 112 in 2022, 120 in 2023 and this time at 126.
On top of that, Kluce became the sixth wrestler in MHSAA history to win four individual titles and four team wrestling titles. He is one of four Dundee wrestlers on that exclusive list.
“It feels great. You really can’t explain it,” Kluce said of making history. “I feel like I’m on top of the world right now. There’s no feeling like it.”
Kluce won one of six champions for Dundee on the night.
106
Champion: Mason Katschor, Dundee, Fr. (46-6)
Major Decision, 11-2, over Kaleb Reece, Frankenmuth, Jr. (47-2)
Katschor has watched plenty of Finals from the stands at Ford Field. On Saturday, he finally got the chance to compete under the spotlight, and he didn’t disappoint.
Katschor scored four takedowns to pick up an 11-1 victory.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Katschor said of competing for a Finals title. “It felt really good out there. I felt like I could go out and do anything. I definitely want to do this again.”
113
Champion: Talan Parsons, Ovid-Elsie, Sr. (45-1)
Decision, 8-4, over Haydn Nutt, Dundee, Soph. (37-8)
Parsons has plenty of experience at Ford Field. As a two-time runner-up and a 2022 champion at 103 pounds, the senior wanted to go out on top once again.
Standing in his way was the 2023 106-pound champion.
Nutt opened the match with a 3-0 lead in the second period, but Parsons managed to capitalize on a scramble and secure near fall points to go up 5-3. Parsons wouldn’t trail again.
“He’s a tough kid, but I have worked on scrambling my entire life,” Parsons said of the turning point. “I went out there, sat the corner, got a leg in. I’ve practiced that for years, it seems like. I’ve practiced that exact scenario in practice, and it paid off. To be able to execute, and go out with a state title, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
120
Champion: Dale Gant, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Soph. (44-2)
Decision, 6-3, over Braden Broderick, Dundee, Soph. (16-2)
Gant is two-for-two.
The Catholic Central sophomore earned his second championship Saturday, adding to his 113-pound title won in 2023.
“A lot of people look up to you (as a state champion), and there’s pressure with that, but I just tried to work hard and make the people that have supported me proud,” Gant said.
Saturday’s match saw Gant win thanks to three takedowns and staying off his back.
“It was about letting the match come to me and not force anything,” Gant added. “I just had to stay calm and stay composed and be ready for anything that came my way.”
132
Champion: Cameron Chinavare, Dundee, Sr. (39-2)
Decision, 3-2, over Connor Younts, Clinton, Sr. (55-3)
Chinavare recorded his third championship, but had to grind out this final. He scored a takedown in the first period and then a quick escape in the second to go up 3-0.
However, Younts earned an escape in the third and got another point on a hands-to-the-face violation by Chinavare.
Still, the Dundee senior made sure he closed out his prep career on top, avoiding any late takedown attempts.
“There’s always a lot of pressure when you come here as a defending state champion, but I just managed to overcome it and wrestle my match,” Chinavare said. “I’ve got some of the best teammates to train with that push me every day, so I am prepared for a tough match.
138
Champion: Michael Wilson, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Jr. (18-0)
Decision, 5-4, over Buddy Leonard, Alma, Jr. (43-2)
Wilson wasn’t even sure if he’d make it to Ford Field at times this season.
The Grand Rapids Catholic Central junior dealt with some serious injuries, keeping him from getting to wrestle for a large part of the year. But his persistence and resilience showed Saturday.
“I’ve worked my butt off to get to this moment, and I’ve had to go through a lot of adversity to get here,” Wilson said. “I lost part of my finger at the beginning of this year, I’ve got a sprained LCL, but to me it was all about mindset. I kept my head up and kept working hard, and it feels great to get that championship. I really feel like I have earned it.”
Wilson scored a pair of takedowns in the first period that proved to be the difference.
144
Champion: Blake Cosby, Dundee, Soph. (44-1)
Decision, 7-0, over Jonathan Krebs, Lakewood, Sr. (39-3)
A runner-up as a freshman, Cosby wasn’t going to let that happen again Saturday.
“That loss last year drove me crazy, so I made sure I put the work in this year,” Cosby said. “It feels really good to win this year. I really challenged myself this season, and I think I knew what to expect this time around.”
Cosby scored takedowns in each period and added an escape in the second. From there he was able to keep Krebs on the ground and prevent a comeback.
150
Champion: Trey Parker, Dundee, Sr. (34-13)
Ultimate Tie-Breaker, 3-2, over Donny Beaufait, Dundee, Soph. (40-9)
Parker suffered a tiebreaker loss to teammate Beaufait in the Regional when he wasn’t able to escape him in the extra frame. The two found themselves in the same position with the Finals title on the line.
Parker needed an escape with 13 seconds remaining, and he managed to get it. Then, in the ultimate tie-breaker, Parker won the toss and elected to start on the bottom, where he managed another escape to win.
“We were in the same position (at Regionals) and I made sure that if I ever got caught in that same position again, I would fix it,” Parker said. “It feels great. It feels amazing. I can’t really describe it.”
Parker’s late escape shifted the momentum.
“I just had to get out. I couldn’t look at the time. It was one move at a time and just get out,” Parker said. “It was more mental than anything. I believed I could get out, and I did it.”
157
Champion: Kole Katschor, Dundee, Jr. (45-6)
Decision, 5-1, over Jeremy Griffith, Yale, Sr. (46-4)
As a previous Finals champion, Katschor was mentally prepared for what he had to do to win a second title.
The junior turned up the pressure after a scoreless first period, scoring takedowns in both of the final two to secure a 5-1 victory.
Katschor won the 150-pound title as a sophomore.
“My nerves weren’t too high, because I have been in this position before. I thought I wrestled all right. I thought I could have opened it up more and got more offense in, but overall it feels great to win the title again,” Katschor said. “My hard work has been paying off.”
165
Champion: Tyler Schofield, Olivet, Sr. (57-0)
Decision, 8-3, over Lee Braun, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Sr. (42-5)
Schofield was heavily motivated after finishing runner-up at 157 pounds last winter.
The senior did everything he could to be prepared for Saturday, and it showed as he capped off an unbeaten season.
“I didn’t like the outcome last year, so I knew coming into this year that I had something to prove,” Schofield said. “I worked my butt off this summer and this winter, and it paid off. I was extremely confident coming into the match. I know that if I wrestle my match, there’s nobody that can beat me.”
Schofield led throughout the match and had a takedown in each period.
175
Champion: Gavin Craner, Whitehall, Jr. (54-0)
Major Decision, 10-2, over Bryce Randolph, Clinton, Soph. (54-3)
It was a new year and a new look for Craner.
After finishing runner-up at 175 pounds in 2023 for Belding, Craner returned to Ford Field on Saturday looking to capture that same title, this time for Whitehall.
Craner put on a strong performance, scoring five takedowns on his way to a 10-2 win.
“I’ve been (at Ford Field) and it can be scary, but you just have to keep your composure,” Craner said. “I’ve worked really hard to be strong on my feet. That’s where most of the match takes place. If you get takedowns, you win matches.”
190
Champion: Cole O’Boyle, Alma, Sr. (48-0)
Decision, 3-1, over Stephen Petersen, Hillsdale, Sr. (41-5)
O’Boyle kept his strategy for the 190-pound final pretty simple.
“All I needed was a takedown, and I knew I’d win that match,” he said.
That proved to be true.
O’Boyle scored a takedown in the second period after trailing 1-0, giving him a 2-1 advantage that he wouldn’t relinquish. O’Boyle added an escape point in the third for insurance to cap off an unbeaten season.
“I’ve been working hard all year, grinding. I owe this all to my coaches. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to do this,” O’Boyle said. “It means so much to me (to go undefeated). To have this all come together in my senior year, it means the world.”
215
Champion: Jack Ward, Belding, Sr. (54-2)
Decision, 2-1, over Elizin Rouse, Kingsford, Sr. (35-2)
After seeing a one-point lead slip away in the closing seconds of a 2023 semifinal, Ward was determined to not let that happen again.
Up 2-1 going into the third period, Ward rode out Rouse for two minutes to secure his first championship, defeating the reigning 215-pound champ in the process.
“Last year I was up one in the semifinals, and I lost it. I thought that was my chance to win a state title. It was heartbreaking, but that heartbreak really made me better,” Ward said. “It’s come full circle. Last year I was in so much pain. This year, it’s just a dream.”
Ward got a takedown in the second period, but Rouse was able to escape. That’s when Ward knew he’d have to dig deep in the third and stay on top.
“Our team really stresses your lungs and being in shape. I knew going into this match, nobody can go six minutes with me. I knew it was going to be a grind. I knew what the task was ahead of me. I just grinded it out and won,” Ward said.
285
Champion: Bennett VandenBerg, Constantine, Sr. (54-0)
Decision, 3-0, over Wyatt Spalo, Reed City, Jr. (46-4)
The disappointment of a runner-up finish in 2023 stuck with VandenBerg for a full year.
But he was finally able to let go of that moment Saturday as he grinded out a 3-0 win.
“I worked my butt off all year. Throughout the summer, throughout the fall, all the winter, just to get to this point. It’s the best feeling in the entire world. I can’t describe it,” VandenBerg said. “It’s like going from -100 to 100. There’s no way to explain it.”
One of the biggest hurdles for VandenBerg on Saturday was his head gear. Early in the match, he couldn’t keep it on his head, even attempting to go to a second set. However, he shook it off and managed a third-period takedown to secure the win.
“My one focus was just win the match. I wasn’t going to let anything get in the way. It was a minor issue, but I made sure I pulled through,” VandenBerg said.
PHOTOS (Top) Kade Kluce’s arm is raised in victory after clinching his fourth Individual Finals championship Saturday. (Middle) Alma’s Cole O’Boyle, right, works for an opening against Hillsdale’s Stephen Petersen. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)