Mason County Central's Quinn Wins for Team, Family, Community
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
March 5, 2022
DETROIT – Standing across from Mason County Central’s Andrew Quinn on Saturday was the reigning Division 4 champion at 285 pounds, who also hadn’t lost in two seasons.
Despite a near-perfect record of his own, Quinn likely wasn’t the favorite to most. But he had other ideas.
The senior scored a reversal in the second period and quickly transitioned it into a pinfall against New Lothrop’s Isiah Pasik to earn his first MHSAA Finals title.
Dealing with a small team at Mason County Central, Quinn (51-1) credited the victory over Pasik (46-1) to his coaching staff, family, and friends who have all put time on the mat with him.
“I’ve got three older brothers up there watching me. They have pushed me my whole life,” Quinn said. “There’s tons of people that came to the wrestling room to help me out. We don’t have a big team, so I get to beat up on these guys (the coaches) every day.
“There’s tons of people to thank. I didn’t do it alone.”
103
Champion: Logan Gilbert, Martin/Climax-Scotts, Fr. (41-6)
Decision, 10-5, over Logan Mears, Union City, Fr. (45-5)
Gilbert knew what he needed to do to come away with the 103-pound title.
Having faced Mears three previous times this season, and winning all three, he just stuck to his game plan.
“I was just trying to stop the switch on bottom. (Mears) loves to hit that, and he’s really good at it. In neutral, he likes to hit the slot, but I tried to tie him up with my right arm,” Gilbert said. “I was ready for him.”
Gilbert kept the pressure and scored five takedowns during the match.
“I don’t think it has hit me yet,” Gilbert said of winning a title. “I don’t know what I am feeling right now, but it feels good.”
112
Champion: Jacob Bunn, Manchester, Sr. (46-2)
Decision, 5-2, over Trent Kimmel, Martin/Climax-Scotts, Sr. (37-3)
Making his fourth Finals appearance, Bunn finally got through to the top of the mountain.
“It’s something I have been working toward for 14 years now,” Bunn said. “I am just glad that I was able to get to the top in my senior year.”
It was a hard-fought win for the Manchester senior, as he held off a late surge from Kimmel.
“Even before the match, I just was thinking that it was another match and I couldn’t change up my style because it was a state final,” Bunn said. “I went out there and just didn’t let the pressure get to me and stayed focused.”
119
Champion: Shawn McGuire, Iron Mountain, Jr. (39-2)
Decision, 5-0, over Tyler Winch, Iron Mountain, Soph. (32-14)
It was a bittersweet championship victory for McGuire, the junior, as he dispatched of his Iron Mountain sophomore teammate for the title.
“It’s tough. It’s like your worst nightmare,” McGuire said. “I can never imagine going against my teammate, especially in a state final. It was difficult.”
McGuire controlled the match from start to finish, scoring a pair of takedowns and adding an escape while keeping Winch from getting on the scoreboard.
“It does feel great to be a champion. I’ve worked really hard for this,” McGuire said. “I’ve come close in the past and lost, but I just kept working toward this goal. It’s hard to put into words.”
125
Champion: Landyn Crance, Union City, Soph. (45-3)
Decision, 8-1, over Austin Marry, Hudson, Soph. (27-12)
As a freshman, Crance saw his chances at competing for a Finals title ended by COVID-19. This year, he made sure to make the most of his opportunity.
“Last year was devastating, having it all taken away from me because of COVID. But, I knew I just wanted to work harder this year to make up for it,” Crance said.
Crance started fast and never looked back, maintaining control of Marry throughout the six minutes.
“I knew I had to ride tight and stay on top,” Crance said. “I knew getting off the bottom would be difficult with (Marry), so I just had to keep control of him.”
130
Champion: Derek Mayle, Breckenridge, Sr. (38-3)
Major Decision, 14-1, over Dalton Birchmeier, New Lothrop, Fr. (31-13)
Mayle made sure his last match was one of his best.
The Breckenridge senior came within inches of a pinfall victory, but still came away with a 14-1 win.
“This was the last match of my life, so I just wanted to go out and have fun and end it on a bang,” Mayle said. “I wanted to make sure that I didn’t leave anything on the mat.”
Mayle overwhelmed Birchmeier, whom he had seen before in Regional competition. Still, the New Lothrop freshman fought hard to see the full six minutes.
“I was pretty confident, but I didn’t want to take the match lightly,” Mayle said. “I just needed to stay disciplined and keep attacking.”
135
Champion: River Roberson, Hesperia, Sr. (45-2)
Decision, 10-7, over Payton Rogers, Hudson, Sr. (33-7)
In one of the more back-and-forth matches of the Division 4 Finals, Roberson grinded out a 10-7 win.
“It’s hard to believe, but it’s an amazing feeling,” Roberson said. “I’ve worked so hard for this, it’s hard to believe it’s actually happened.”
Roberson found himself in a nearfall situation early in the match, but battled back to take control. Once he got it, he didn’t allow Rogers to get it back.
“When (Rogers) got the first takedown, it kind of made me nervous. But, I knew what I have been through to get here,” Roberson said. “My coaches put me through a lot of intense training to be ready for matches like this.”
140
Champion: Manus Bennett, Marlette, Jr. (43-0)
Decision, 2-0, over Bronson Marry, Hudson, Sr. (27-3)
In a matchup of two past champions, Bennett scored a takedown in the second period to find a way past Marry.
“A lot of it was just mental technique for me. I knew if I could get the takedown, I am really good at riding legs,” Bennett said. “I knew he was a good wrestler. I just had to not allow him to work his strengths, and find a way to work mine.”
The 103-pound champion in 2020, Bennett used his riding ability and endurance to hang on for his second title.
“Wrestling is the longest six minutes of your life. Two minutes can feel like years,” Bennett said. “Seeing that clock finally hit zero, it was a lot of relief.”
145
Champion: Sebastian Martinez, Riverview Gabriel Richard, Fr. (33-4)
Decision, 4-1, over Dillon Raab, Bark River-Harris, Jr. (34-3)
Martinez became the first Finals champion in the young history of the Gabriel Richard program by scoring a pair of key takedowns.
“I am starting a new legacy for future Pioneers coming to this school,” Martinez said of being the first champion. “This program is going to be something great, and I am just glad I got to be the first.”
Leading 2-1 entering the third period, Martinez didn’t get passive. He made an aggressive shot on Raab and earned a powerful takedown to lock up the victory.
“I was just trying to hold on, but the best defense is a great offense,” Martinez said. “I decided to take the shot in the third and managed to get the takedown to really secure the win.”
152
Champion: Parker Stroud, Iron Mountain, Sr. (41-6)
Decision, 11-9, over Josh Collins, Hemlock, Sr. (41-5)
Stroud ended his prep wrestling career with a championship, but wasn’t too thrilled with his performance in an exciting 11-9 victory over Collins.
“It feels pretty good, but I didn’t really wrestle my best. It takes a little away from it, but it still feels good to be a champion,” Stroud said.
Stroud was getting a number of takedowns, but Collins would respond with reversals and threaten to take the victory. It took an explosive takedown from Stroud to get the go-ahead points in the closing seconds.
“I was wrestling pretty well, but I wasn’t getting much done on top,” Stroud said. “I just managed to get the score in the end.”
160
Champion: Shenard Foster, Detroit Loyola, Sr. (17-0)
Decision, 5-4, over Gavin Wilmoth, Traverse City St. Francis, Sr. (39-3)
After losing in overtime of last year’s championship match, Foster was determined to not let that happen again this year.
The Detroit Loyola senior used his explosiveness and athleticism to top Wilmoth, last year’s 152-pound champion.
“It feels great. I fell short last year, so it feels great to win (a title) this year,” Foster said. “It motivated me a lot, because I knew I could do it.”
Foster was able to score two takedowns in the match while adding an escape. That’s all he needed, as Wilmoth was unable to get him to the ground.
“I just had to stay smart. I am used to wrestling guys that are taller than me. (Wilmoth) was my height, so I just had to be aggressive. I knew he couldn’t stop my shots,” Foster said.
171
Champion: Cole Hopkins, Evart, Jr. (54-0)
Major Decision, 15-7, over Noah Etnyre, Lutheran Westland, Jr. (48-5)
Hopkins completed an unbeaten junior season and avenged his lone loss in the 2021 Finals by scoring a major decision in the 171-pound championship match.
“That is the greatest feeling in the world,” Hopkins said. “Since that day (last year’s loss), it’s been eating me alive. Every time I wake up, that’s what I have been thinking about and it made me go harder.”
It was all about the takedowns for Hopkins, as he repeatedly got Etnyre to the ground. He scored a quick takedown in the first and never trailed in the match.
“I just had to not wrestle scared,” Hopkins said. “I had been here before, so that gave me the confidence to wrestle that much harder and get the job done.”
189
Champion: Drew Allgeyer, Bark River-Harris, Jr. (40-4)
Decision, 9-5, over Cameron Kimble, Hudson, Sr. (43-2)
It wasn’t always easy for Allgeyer, but he led throughout the match to kick off the Division 4 Finals and earn his first championship.
“It feels amazing,” Allgeyer said. “I am on top of the world.”
Allgeyer secured some early takedowns, but Kimble put up a game effort with a reversal in the second period to keep things interesting. In the end, Allgeyer pushed a pace that Kimble couldn’t quite match.
“When I was warming up, I just kept telling myself that these six minutes were going to be mine,” Allgeyer said. “That’s the way that I wrestle every single match.”
215
Champion: Caden Ferris, Delton Kellogg, Sr. (49-0)
Major Decision, 10-2, over Grayson Orr, New Lothrop, Jr. (47-6)
Caden Ferris will be a name the Orr family is likely never to forget.
The Delton Kellogg senior won a second consecutive title at 215 pounds with a dominant 10-2 win over Grayson Orr on Saturday.
Last year, Ferris defeated Grayson’s brother, Camden Orr, in the 215-pound final by a score of 13-11 in OT.
“It’s pretty cool,” Ferris said of winning another title. “I’m feeling pretty good about it. I was pretty focused on winning.”
PHOTOS (Top) Mason County Central’s Andrew Quinn, standing, celebrates his win at 285 pounds Saturday at Ford Field. (Middle) Marlette’s Manus Bennett, top, works toward a win at 140 pounds. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Perry's Persistence Pays Off Once More with 3rd Finals Championship
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2024
DETROIT – As his sophomore season was being derailed by injuries, Coy Perry vowed to keep going.
Two years later, he left Ford Field as a three-time Division 4 Individual Finals champion.
“It’s unreal, I don’t know,” Perry said. “It’s crazy.”
The Hudson senior defeated Blake Sloan of Manchester 1-0 in the 144-pound Final on Saturday to wrap up his high school career as a four-time placer. The one non-title year was 2022 when he finished seventh at 135 pounds in Division 3 while wrestling for Clinton, where he spent the first two years.
He won Division 4 titles at 112 in 2021 and 144 a year ago. He was also part of three team titles, winning with Clinton in 2021 and Hudson each of the past two years.
“Hopefully I’ll have kids one day, and it’ll be awesome to show them some of the stuff I’ve done,” Perry said. “Hopefully it sets an example for a lot of people, especially my brother (Colt, who placed second Saturday).”
Perry, who was one of four champs from Hudson, claimed title No. 3 by beating a good friend in Sloan, which is something he would rather not have had to do.
“I can’t explain how bad it is knowing he’s your friend, too,” said Perry, who had to defeat a teammate in the Final as a freshman. “You kind of have to change your entire offense, everything. It’s nuts. That’s not the first 1-0, either.”
106
Champion: Logan Gilbert, Martin, Jr. (52-3)
Decision, 5-2, over Jordan Zambron, Riverview Gabriel Richard, Fr. (45-7)
Gilbert put himself back on top of the podium after coming up one match short a year ago. He was the 103-pound champion in 2022.
“Especially after last year, it just drove me to get better and get back on top,” he said. “When I lost, I thought ‘Nobody thinks I’m a legitimate state champ,’ so I had to put my head down and go to work and prove to them that I’m still one of the top wrestlers in the state at lightweight. That’s a phenomenal wrestler I just wrestled, he’s going to be a state champ in the future, no doubt about it.”
113
Champion: Alex Rodriguez, St. Louis, Soph. (48-2)
Fall, 3:16, over Austin Garcia, Lawton, Jr. (47-4)
After finishing as runner-up a year ago, Rodriguez was emotional following his first Finals victory. After leaving the mat, he quickly met with his teammates to receive congratulations, and then sprinted to the Ford Field stands to find his dad.
“Last year I lost in the state finals, and it was a hard month after that,” he said. “I could barely sleep and stuff. Came back here tonight and did what I had to do.”
Rodriguez is at the center of St. Louis’ climb to the top of Division 4, as he and his teammates were team runners-up to Hudson a week ago. He’s been training in the Sharks’ room since he was in third grade.
“Just knowing that we’re a part of that, and what we can do, it’s huge,” he said.
120
Champion: Nicholas Sorrow, Hudson, Soph. (52-1)
Technical fall, 16-1 (4:18), over Colt Perry, Hudson, Soph. (22-8)
Sorrow didn’t mince words after claiming his second Finals title in as many tries. He’s coming for four.
“I’m trying to get four,” he said. “I’m looking ahead, I’m not going to look back.”
He had to get through his teammate to claim title No. 2, but said he and Perry are able to separate their friendship from the mat.
“It’s always tough wrestling a teammate,” he said. “Colt’s a good guy, we’re friends off the mat, we’re buds. But, for me, whenever we step on the mat, put the ankle bands on and shake hands, you kind of forget about all that.”
126
Champion: Julien Kimling, Hudson, Jr. (42-10)
Decision, 7-4, over Sammy Stewart, Manchester, Soph. (55-3)
It was an emotional title for Kimling, who lost his grandfather to cancer a year ago, something he learned while at the Finals his sophomore year.
So, despite facing a 2023 champion in Stewart, he wasn’t going to let anything get in his way.
“It means everything,” he said. “I was at this tournament last year when I found out my grandfather passed of cancer, right up in Section 124. And I told him I’d get it for him this year. I didn’t get there last year, I was fourth, and I told him I’d get it for him. This was all for him. All glory to God, God has kept me connected to my grandpa through it all. And I couldn’t have done it without them.”
132
Champion: Haylen Buell, Climax-Scotts/Martin, Soph. (45-4)
Fall, 2:24, over Logan Mears, Union City, Jr. (35-3)
Buell became the first wrestler to claim a title on the night, winning by fall early in the second period.
It was the first Finals title for the sophomore, who was runner-up at this weight a year ago.
“I was so excited,” he said. “I’m glad I didn’t freeze. It feels great, it was against the same team.”
138
Champion: Cole Marry, Hudson, Sr. (48-8)
Decision, 5-0, over Jacob Gillison, Benzie Central, Sr. (46-9)
Marry claimed his first Finals title and 150th career win with the victory. He broke the match open in the second period with a pair of nearfalls.
“I just went out there wanting to have fun and wanting to go get it,” said Marry, who has been part of the past three Team Finals titles at Hudson. “It feels awesome. I came out here with my buddies, our coach told us to come out here with the same mentality that we had last weekend, which I think we all did.”
150
Champion: Montana Connell, Union City, Jr. (41-8)
Decision, 6-2, over Gabriel Erwin, Bronson, Soph. (42-7)
Connell was an afterthought heading into the postseason, sitting outside the rankings. He didn’t advance to the Individual Finals a year ago, after going 0-2 here as a freshman.
So, following his unanticipated victory, he was understandably emotional.
“It just meant a lot the whole time,” said Connell, who allowed himself to believe he could win it all after winning his second-round match against Grason Weber of Leslie. “That was a really big win for me and helped me mentally get here.”
157
Champion: Gavin Schoff, Niles-Brandywine, Sr. (49-0)
Decision, 1-0, over Layne Knisely, Bronson, Soph. (51-7)
It wasn’t until a year ago when he placed third at the Individual Finals that Schoff allowed the thought of being a Finals champion enter his head.
Now it’s a reality.
“I never thought I’d be a state champ,” Schoff said. “It was never even in my thought when I was younger, like a freshman, I never thought I’d be able to make it to this high of a level. I saw him at Regionals, but I was able to pin him in the first. He knew that I wanted to go upper body with him, so he wasn’t staying in the tie-up at all.”
165
Champion: Sebastian Martinez, Riverview Gabriel Richard, Jr. (54-0)
Major decision, 9-1, over Fulton Stroud, Iron Mountain, Sr. (36-3)
Martinez stayed on pace to become the state’s 38th four-time champion, claiming his third Finals title in as many years.
He won at 145 as a freshman and 157 a year ago. Stroud, meanwhile, was a runner-up at 165 in 2023.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Martinez said. “There’s a lot of pressure to be a four-timer, but it’s a good step toward that goal and I’m just grateful I got to be here and compete.”
Winning four is something Martinez said started to enter his head after his freshman year, but the pressure is something he welcomes.
“You can only make diamonds in pressure, so it’s good,” he said.
175
Champion: Brady Jess, Charlevoix, Jr. (54-1)
Major decision, 13-2, over Caleb Lane, White Pigeon, Sr. (49-2)
Jess wasn’t going to hide it after winning his first Finals title: This is tough work, even when you win in a dominant fashion.
“I’m really tired, but it felt good,” Jess said. “I don’t even know, it felt unreal.”
He actually trailed in the match, 2-0, as Lane got a takedown 36 seconds in. But Jess countered with eight points to close the period and was on his way to a major decision.
190
Champion: Colton Symons, New Lothrop, Sr. (47-5)
Fall, 2:46, over CJ Copeland, Lakeview, Jr. (46-6)
Winning matches at the Individual Finals is a tradition for the Symons family. Now Colton gets to join his older brother Caleb as a Finals champion, even using a cradle to get the pin, something else that ran in the family.
“It’s something my brothers were really good at, so I knew if I got on top, that’s the move I had to go for,” Symons said before rattling off what his brothers had accomplished before him. “Four team state championships, two runner-ups, one state championship and I think nine all-state appearances. I think I felt (pressure) my entire life. When people are successful before you, you want to do the same, and I always want to do better.”
215
Champion: Landon Swanson, Charlevoix, Sr. (49-2)
Decision, 9-3, over Cameron Doody, Perry, Sr. (47-5)
Not long after watching his good friend Jess win a title, Swanson got the chance to do it himself, and he made the most of the opportunity.
“My adrenaline was through the roof,” Swanson said. “It’s crazy. He’s been my best friend since I can remember, so it’s great having us both win one.”
The Central Michigan football signee broke the match open by scoring seven points in the third period.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “Senior year, finally getting there after being here for the third time, it’s just amazing to come out on top, finally.”
285
Champion: Zachary Hayes, Bangor, Sr. (51-1)
Decision, 4-0, over Chaz Underwood, White Pigeon, Jr. (43-8)
Hayes and Underwood had met multiple times during the season, so the Bangor senior knew what to expect and how dangerous his opponent from White Pigeon could be.
“Really all upper body,” Hayes said. “Getting under the arms, trying to do lat drops, headlocks, stuff like that.”
The match was scoreless going into the third period, but Hayes got an early escape and a stalling point before a late takedown closed the victory.
“Once I got my point, I think I really thought I could secure the match,” he said. “I’m pretty good in the up position, and I feel like I can stay up. I was pretty confident by that point.”
PHOTOS (Top) Hudson’s Coy Perry, right, wrestles Manchester’s Blake Sloan during Saturday’s 144-pound title match. (Middle) Charlevoix’s Landon Swanson, right, works to keep leverage against Perry’s Cameron Doody. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)