Lowell Bests Rival in Familiar Matchup
February 27, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
MOUNT PLEASANT – Lowell needed 13 matches Saturday to clinch another of what has become an annual MHSAA Finals back-and-forth with rival St. Johns.
But senior Lucas Hall, in his final high school team match, needed only 26 seconds to put the finishing pin on his team’s third straight Division 2 championship.
Lowell added a sixth MHSAA title to a body of work already ranking it among the most successful wrestling programs in state history, outlasting the Redwings 37-22 despite the teams being deadlocked with three matches remaining.
Hall’s pin at 125 pounds was sandwiched between a pin by junior Sam Russell at 119 and a decision by freshman Avry Mutschler at 130 that together gave the top-ranked Red Arrows the final 15 points of the day – literally – as the back-and-forth nature of the tussle caused it to finish last of the four Finals and multiple matches after two had concluded.
“It’s really been us multiple years going back and forth at it. It’s tough. It’s not going to be easy; everyone knows that,” Hall said. “We’ve had good times, we’ve had bad times with St. Johns. To be honest, it’s just going after it, trying to go for the win. Rivalry wins are the best wins.”
Lowell finished 22-3 and entered the weekend the top seed to go with its top regular-season ranking. St. Johns (28-5) was ranked third heading into the postseason but seeded second this weekend.
The Redwings opened a 7-0 lead after two matches, and the Red Arrows tied the score with two straight wins. St. Johns then earned a decision, and Lowell tied it again with a decision – but in doing so started a 15-0 run keyed by some deft maneuvering at the heavier weights by coach R.J. Boudro.
Junior Eli Boulton has wrestled at 215 pounds but got in at the 189-pound match and came away with a pin. After a decision win by senior Logan Blough at 215, senior Max Dean moved up two weights to 285 – giving up about 100 pounds but beating 5-4 St. Johns senior Jake Gnegy, a likely contender at next weekend’s Individual Finals.
Dean wrestled heavyweight for the first time this season in Friday’s Quarterfinal win over Sturgis.
“I like challenges. Coach came to me with the idea and I was all about it, and I was just really excited and glad I could get it done for my teammates,” Dean said. “Credit (Gnegy), he was really strong. I knew I had to wrestle the match a certain way and didn’t want to be under him or anything like that. I thought it would be a lot of fun.”
But despite Lowell’s 22-10 lead at that point, it wasn’t the end.
St. Johns battled back with back-to-back pins by sophomore Brendan Zelenka and junior Emilio Sanchez at 103 and 112, respectively, to tie the score again – setting up the closing run by Russell, Hall and Mutschler.
All five of Lowell's seniors won their matches in the Final as the Red Arrows won nine of 14 matches total.
“Everybody just expects us to do this. What no one knows is how hard these kids work and how hard it is to win a state title with the expectations that we have,” Boudro said. “Our seniors, every senior did what they were expected to do. It was just an awesome win. We wrestled above expectations, I felt like.”
The same could’ve been said for the Redwings, perhaps, for a couple of reasons. St. Johns missed Finals weekend completely last season, losing to eventual Division 2 runner-up Eaton Rapids in the Regional Final.
The Redwings had to beat both No. 7 Eaton Rapids and No. 2 DeWitt to reach CMU this weekend – and nearly had enough to finish with a fifth championship in seven seasons.
“One thing that this team has not done all year, is we haven’t given up. Things may not go our way, but it doesn’t discourage us. We keep battling hard, we keep wrestling tough,” St. Johns coach Derek Phillips said. “The way last season ended left a sour taste, so we all wanted to wrestle tough and get back here. But we didn’t talk about it much this year. This year we just focused on getting better and having fun. … We didn’t win, but I thought we had a successful season where the guys got better, had fun, and the team, we grew.”
Lowell cruised to a 52-18 win over Sturgis in its Quarterfinal on Friday, while St. Johns advanced with a 49-23 win over Dearborn Heights Annapolis. The Redwings then beat third-seeded Gaylord in a Semifinal, 55-11, while Lowell outlasted fourth-seeded Goodrich 35-27.
Hall, Max Dean, Mutschler, junior Bryce Dempsey and senior Danny Kruse all won all three of their matches on the weekend for Lowell. Zelenka, junior Bret Fedewa and senior Ian Parker won all three of their matches for the Redwings – Parker winning the most intriguing individual matchup of the Final, 3-0 over Lowell senior Zeth Dean. Both are reigning individual champions and will be in the 140 bracket next weekend.
The MHSAA Wrestling Finals are presented by the Michigan Army National Guard.
PHOTO: Lowell and St. Johns met in the Division 2 Final for the fourth time in five seasons Saturday. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Preview: 1,120 Reasons to Spend This Weekend Among State's Finest at Ford Field
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 29, 2024
Because that’s how many wrestlers will compete for one of 70 championships. Because two have an opportunity to join one of the most exclusive clubs in Michigan high school sports. Because the girls division, in its third year, has added another jolt of excitement to one of our grandest season-ending events.
Those are just a few reasons to check out the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals this weekend at Ford Field.
The Grand March on Friday begins at a10 a.m., with wrestling through semifinals that evening. Wrestling begins again at 9 a.m. Saturday with championship matches at 3:30 p.m.
Among the 1,120 competitors taking the mats Friday and Saturday, Detroit Catholic Central’s Darius Marines and Dundee’s Kade Kluce will attempt to join 35 others who have won four Finals championships. Nine more contenders are wrestling for a possible third title.
Tickets may be purchased from Ford Field. All matches will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv, and we’ll talk to all 14 champions in each division for our coverage published later that evening and overnight. See the MHSAA.com Wrestling page for more information and to follow results this weekend.
Following are glances at just some of the many contenders who will compete this weekend.
Division 1
113 Wyatt Lees, Detroit Catholic Central sophomore (43-5) – After opening his career last season with a championship at 106, Lees moved up a weight and is the top seed at 113 this weekend.
126 Bohdan Abbey, Hartland sophomore (51-0) – Last season’s champion at 113 is a combined 95-3 over his first two and another top seed this weekend.
132 Josh Vasquez, Grandville junior (33-2) – He missed out on last season’s 120 title with an overtime loss in the final, but returns as the top seed at his new weight.
138 Wyatt Hepner, Grosse Pointe South junior (44-0) – Last season’s runner-up at 126 hasn’t lost since that deciding match and is another top seed this weekend.
144 Justin Gates, Davison senior (35-2) – The top seed at this weight is seeking to finish his career with a third Finals title after winning 138 last year and 103 as a freshman, and finishing runner-up at 119 as a sophomore.
157 Darius Marines, Detroit Catholic Central senior (43-0) – As noted above, he’s one of two candidates for the four-championship club, having won previously at 145, 152 and 157 pounds.
215 Connor Bercume, Detroit Catholic Central junior (37-3) – Last season’s champion at this weight also is the top seed for the second-straight season.
285 Ryan Ahern, Rockford senior (44-0, 190 last year) – The top seed at this weight is looking to finish with his first title after finishing seventh at 160 as a freshman, third at 189 as a sophomore and runner-up at 190 last winter.
Other 2023 runners-up: 113 Brice LeFleur, Saline sophomore (16-2, 106 last year); 120 Archer Anderson, Clarkston junior (28-5, 113 last year); 150 Mason Stewart, Detroit Catholic Central senior (44-3, 138 last year); 157 Jay’Den Williams, Roseville sophomore (46-0, 144 last year); 150 Vinnie Abbey, Hartland senior (45-3, 157 last year).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 106 Steve Vaughn, Davison freshman (29-8); 120 Archer Anderson, Clarkston junior (28-5); 150 Mason Stewart, Detroit Catholic Central senior (44-3); 165 Zachary Taylor, Gibraltar Carlson junior (49-0); 175 Dylan Scott, Waterford Kettering senior (34-2); 190 Brock Trevino, Clarkston senior (21-1);
Also undefeated: 126 Jace Morgan, Rochester Adams junior (39-0); 144 Zephan Catalina, Northville senior (34-0); 157 Hector Jimenez, Portage Central senior (37-0); 285 Richardo Wourman, Livonia Stevenson senior (42-0).
Division 2
113 Cristian Haslem, St. Clair sophomore (46-0) – The top seed at his weight is a combined 92-2 over his first two seasons after finishing runner-up at 106 last winter.
120 Brady Baker, Stevensville Lakeshore junior (28-4) – Last year’s champion at 106 jumped up two weights this winter and is a combined 76-6 over the last two seasons.
120 Malachi Kapenga, Hamilton junior (39-1) – Another 2023 champion at this weight, Kapenga won at 113 a year ago and also finished fifth at 103 as a freshman.
132 Jackson Blum, Lowell junior (28-1) – He’s a top seed again this weekend as he seeks a third title to go with his championship at 120 last year and 112 as a freshman.
138 Brody Orcutt, Goodrich senior (34-0) – He’s the top seed at this weight after finishing third at 132 a year ago, and the bracket includes two more undefeated contenders and a Finals runner-up from 2022.
144 Owen Segorski, Lowell junior (27-6) – The 125 champion in 2022 finished runner-up at 138 last winter and is the top seed at his weight this weekend.
190 Easton Phipps, Goodrich senior (21-0) – The reigning champion at this weight is the top seed this weekend, looking to repeat after winning last year’s title in an ultimate tiebreaker.
285 James Mahon, Goodrich junior (37-2) – He’s another top seed for the Martians and another reigning champion returning to the same bracket after winning 285 last year with a last-minute takedown.
Other 2023 runners-up: 120 Carter Cichocki, Lowell junior (23-9, 113 last year); 215 Joey Scaramuzzino, Croswell-Lexington senior (42-4, 215 last year).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 106 Jarrett Smith, Lowell sophomore (32-1); 120 Carter Cichocki, Lowell junior (23-9); 126 Ricardo Saenz, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice junior (45-2); 150 Fabian Facundo, Freeland junior (40-0); 157 Jared Boone, Lowell senior (27-8); 165 Harrison Meekhof, Allendale senior (42-3); 175 Derek Badgley, Mason senior (35-2); 215 Logan Demarest, Bay City John Glenn senior (40-1).
Also undefeated: 132 Trenden Bashore, DeWitt junior (35-0); 138 Adam Polk, Pontiac senior (27-0); 138 Landon Thomas, St. Joseph junior (45-0); 150 Lane Button, Wayland junior (44-0); 175 Jack Mills, Carleton Airport senior (36-0).
Division 3
113 Haydn Nutt, Dundee sophomore (32-7) – He’s a top seed for the second-straight season after opening his career by winning the championship at 106 a year ago.
120 Dale Gant, Grand Rapids Catholic Central sophomore (40-2) – He also started his career last season with a championship, finishing first at 113.
126 Drew Hanson, Gladstone senior (42-1) – A third-place finisher all of his first three seasons, he’s the top seed at this weight, making him the main obstacle in Kluce’s quest for a fourth title.
126 Kade Kluce, Dundee senior (24-9) – He’s looking to cap a career that’s included championships at 103, 112 and 120 pounds.
132 Cameron Chinavare, Dundee senior (32-2) – He’s the top seed at this weight and seeking a third championship after winning at 125 as a sophomore and 126 as a junior.
157 Kole Katschor, Dundee junior (38-6) – Another Dundee top seed, he’s the reigning champion at 150 after winning last season’s title match in overtime.
215 Elizin Rouse, Kingsford senior (32-1) – He’s seeking a second-straight championship at this weight after winning last year’s in overtime as well.
285 Bennett VandenBerg, Constantine senior (48-0) – He’s the top seed at this weight after finishing on the other side of Rouse’s overtime win at 215 a year ago and also placing sixth at 189 as a sophomore.
Other 2023 runners-up: 113 Mason Haines, Dundee sophomore (25-12, 106 last year); 113 Talan Parsons, Ovid-Else senior (42-1, 113 last year); 132 Gavyn Merchant, Kingsley senior (17-0, 126 last year); 138 Michael Wilson, Grand Rapids Catholic Central junior (14-0, 132 last year); 144 Blake Cosby, Dundee sophomore (37-1, 144 last year); 165 Tyler Schofield, Olivet senior (53-0, 157 last year); 175 Gavin Craner, Whitehall junior (47-0, 175 last year for Belding).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 106 Mason Katschor, Dundee freshman (40-6); 138 Michael Wilson, Grand Rapids Catholic Central junior (14-0); 144 Blake Cosby, Dundee sophomore (37-1); 150 Donny Beaufait, Dundee sophomore (34-8); 165 Tyler Schofield, Olivet senior (53-0); 175 Gavin Craner, Whitehall junior (47-0); 190 Cole O’Boyle, Alma senior (44-0); 215 Jack Ward, Belding senior (50-2).
Also undefeated: 150 Darnell Mack, Whitehall senior (47-0); 215 John Petersen, Hillsdale junior (35-0).
Division 4
106 Logan Gilbert, Martin junior (45-3) – He’s the top seed at this weight after finishing runner-up at the same in 2023 and winning 103 in 2022.
113 Alex Rodriguez, St. Louis sophomore (41-2) – He also is returning as the top seed at the weight at which he finished runner-up last season.
120 Nicholas Sorrow, Hudson sophomore (45-1) – He won 106 to begin his career last year and is the top seed at his weight for the second straight.
126 Sammy Stewart, Manchester sophomore (51-1) – He also opened his career with a championship last season, at 113, and is the top seed in his bracket this weekend.
132 Haylen Buell, Climax-Scotts/Martin sophomore (38-4) – Last year’s runner-up at this weight is the top seed this time.
138 Landyn Crance, Union City senior (45-4) – The reigning champion at 132 is seeking his third title after also winning 125 as a sophomore.
144 Coy Perry, Hudson senior (42-6) – He’s also seeking a third individual title as the reigning champion, and top seed, at this weight after winning 112 as a freshman at Clinton.
165 Sebastian Martinez, Riverview Gabriel Richard junior (50-0) – He’s won championships at 145 and 157 pounds over the last two seasons and is a combined 122-7 for his career entering as the top seed in this bracket.
Other 2023 runners-up: 144 Blake Sloan, Manchester sophomore (47-5, 138 last year); 165 Fulton Stroud, Iron Mountain senior (32-2, 165 last year).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 138 Cole Marry, Hudson senior (41-8); 150 Austin Marry, Hudson senior (35-7); 157 Gavin Schoff, Niles Brandywine senior (45-0); 175 Brady Jess, Charlevoix junior (48-1); 190 Lucas Sischo, Bark River-Harris senior (35-5); 215 Landon Swanson, Charlevoix senior (43-2), 285 Zachary Hayes, Bangor senior (47-1).
Girls Division
100 Madison Nieuwenhuis, Plainwell sophomore (14-0) – The reigning champion at this weight is the top seed heading into her second Finals.
110 Sky Langewicz, Algonac junior (8-1) – She’s won championships at 105 and 110 pounds her first two seasons.
110 Nakayla Dawson, Westland John Glenn sophomore (5-0) – Last season’s champion at 105 pounds is the top seed in her new weight class this weekend.
120 Faith Burgess, Grand Blanc junior (22-0) – She’s the top seed at her weight after winning 115 a year ago.
125 Serenity Hayes, Whittemore-Prescott junior (24-3) – She’s wrestling for a second championship in her second season after winning 135 in 2023.
130 Angelina Pena, Milan senior (12-2) – The top seed at this weight is seeking to add a third MHSAA championship after winning at 120 pounds as a sophomore and 130 last season.
135 Margaret Buurma, Fowlerville junior (20-1) – She’s also a top seed and looking to repeat as a champion after winning at 125 pounds last season and 115 as a freshman.
155 Maddie Hayden, Caledonia sophomore (7-0) – The top seed at this weight is also the reigning champion at 155 after winning her final by two points a year ago.
190 Sabrina Nauss, Brighton senior (5-0) – The first female to win an Individual Finals match at Ford Field two years ago is heading to her last MHSAA tournament as a top seed again and seeking to add to her titles at 190 last season and 170 in 2022.
235 Madasyn Frisbie, Belding junior (2-1) – She took the next step from runner-up in 2022 to champion at 235 last season as she defeated this weekend’s top seed at their weight.
Other 2023 runners-up: 105 Natalie Gibson, Remus Chippewa Hills junior (14-2, 105 last year); 115 Sunni LaFond, Gaylord junior (26-6, 110 last year); 130 Isabella Cepak, South Lyon East junior (7-1, 120 last year); 125 Jamie Cook, DeWitt junior (27-2, 125 last year); 125 Tyler Swanigan, South Lyon East senior (8-1, 130 last year); 145 Rihanna Venegas, Riverview Gabriel Richard junior (10-0, 145 last year); 170 Heaven Cole, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix junior (14-1, 170 last year); 190 Gabriella Allen, Marcellus senior (22-2, 190 last year); 235 Lillianna Garcia, Grand Blanc senior (16-2, 235 last year).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 105 Tricia Pyrzewski, Gladwin senior (38-4); 115 Sunni LaFond, Gaylord junior (26-6); 125 Tyler Swanigan, South Lyon East senior (8-1); 140 Belicia Manuel, Romeo sophomore (19-0); 145 Rihanna Venegas, Riverview Gabriel Richard junior (10-0); 170 Amarisa Manuel, Romeo senior (16-0); 235 Lillianna Garcia, Grand Blanc senior (16-2).
Also undefeated: 110 Cheyenne Frank, Oxford sophomore (12-0); 130 Cambrie Lawrence, Benzie Central senior (18-0); 145 Hailee Budrick, Rockford senior (8-0); 155 Krysta Luce, Chesaning senior (17-0); 235 Karina Witmer, Madison Heights Lamphere sophomore (5-0).
PHOTOS (Top) Darius Marines, left, has his hand raised in victory as he helps Detroit Catholic Central to a Division 1 Semifinal win Saturday at Wings Event Center. (Middle) Dundee’s Kade Kluce, standing, works toward a victory to open the Division 3 Final that afternoon. (Below) Brighton’s Sabrina Nauss, left, begins her Team Quarterfinal match Friday. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)