Mumford's Smith Caps Career as Detroit PSL's 1st Finals Champ
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 5, 2022
DETROIT – Ja'Marcus Smith felt an immense sense of pride Saturday after becoming the first wrestler from a Detroit Public School to win an Individual Wrestling Finals title.
But he doesn’t plan to be the last to do it.
“It means so much to me,” the Detroit Mumford senior said. “Everything I worked for my freshman year, my 10th-grade year, my 11th-grade year, it’s finally paying off. There’s going to be more than me. There’s going to be a whole ’nother generation.”
Smith defeated Lowell freshman Carter Cichocki (32-5) by pinfall in the 103-pound Division 2 final at Ford Field. Smith was leading 10-1 before getting the pin with two seconds remaining in the third period.
As the referee's hand slapped the mat, the crowd roared. Suddenly, a collection of wrestling fans from all parts of the state joined together in cheering the achievement.
Smith placed fifth at 112 pounds a year ago, and admitted that he felt some pressure to accomplish the feat for his school and city.
“Everybody was on my back about it,” Smith said with a laugh.
112
Champion: Jackson Blum, Lowell, Fr. (37-3)
Fall, 3:02 over Connor Greer, Bay City John Glenn, Fr. (40-1)
Blum was dominant before finishing off his freshman year with a pinfall victory.
“I don’t think I surprised myself,” Blum said. “Obviously, he’s a really good wrestler, undefeated this year and only a freshman. But, just the way that we’ve trained all year and our schedule, I’ve been the most prepared I’ve ever been for this match.”
Blum attacked early and often in the match, and had amassed enough points for the technical fall prior to getting the pin.
119
Champion: Nolan Wertanen, St. Joseph, Sr. (53-0)
Decision, 7-3, over Tee Ward, Fremont, Soph. (49-3)
It took a couple shots to the nose, and a wrap that covered most of his face to get it done, but Wertanen left Ford Field as a three-time champion.
“Going into this match, I knew I was going to have a tough match, as always. It’s the state finals,” Wertanen said. “I wanted to make a point that I’m dominant. Unfortunately, I’ve never wrestled not being able to breathe entirely, so that was tough. But I got the job done.”
Wertanen won at 112 pounds in 2021 and 103 in 2020.
“If you would have told me a long time ago when I would get in every MYWA tournament, when I would get pinned and I was hiding under the bleachers, that I would be a three-time state champion, I would have been stoked,” he said.
125
Champion: Owen Segorski, Lowell, Fr. (28-11)
Decision, 6-1, over Bryce Shingleton, Linden, Jr. (45-3)
Despite wrestling in his first Individual Finals and falling behind, Segorski was unfazed.
“I felt good the whole time,” Segorski said. “I was never scared. I knew he was going to back up and keep diving in, so I just wanted to keep going forward and stay in my stance.”
He trailed 1-0 heading into the third period, but an escape, takedown and nearfall secured the victory and an individual title to go along with Lowell’s team championship won last weekend.
130
Champion: Louden Stradling, Gaylord, Jr. (24-1)
Decision, 3-2 (2OT), over Ramsy Mutschler, Lowell, Sr. (31-6)
Stradling avenged a loss from the week before, and needed to hold on into the final seconds of the second ultimate tiebreaker period.
“Last week I wrestled Ramsy, and it was a really close one,” Stradling said. “I couldn’t open up on him because his defense is amazing. This week, I took it slow, I focused on how to get out on bottom from him, and me getting out on bottom changed the match.”
Mutschler scored an escape early in the first ultimate tiebreaker period, and entered the second with a 2-1 lead. Stradling scored a reversal midway through the second, and held on for his first title.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Stradling said. “I plan on doing it again, but this year meant a lot to me.”
135
Champion: Aaron Lucio, Stevensville Lakeshore, Jr. (54-0)
Decision, 7-4, over James Link, Lowell, Sr. (38-6)
A year after finishing second in the Finals, Lucio broke through, finishing off an unbeaten season with his first title.
“It means a lot,” Lucio said. “I knew I put the work in. I knew I could get it done. I knew that my coaches told me to stay tough in close matches, and if that would happen, I would win.”
Lucio scored an early takedown in the match, and never trailed, but he used a three-point third period to give himself some space before Link scored an escape in the final minute.
“More points were on the board than I thought,” Lucio said. “But as I opened up and I got to feel him and he could feel me, I knew I could get to his legs a lot easier.”
140
Champion: Jacob Brya, St. Johns, Sr. (42-0)
Decision, 1-0, over Carsen Richards, Goodrich, Sr. (45-3)
After a positive COVID-19 test ended his junior season and a potential run at four individual titles, Brya came into his senior season with something to prove – after a nudge from his dad.
“I was sitting around for a while, then my dad started yelling at me,” Brya said. “Ever since then I’ve been doing two-a-days and lifting all the time. I just feel like I have more motivation than I’ve ever had.”
Brya won at 112 pounds in 2020 and 103 in 2019. He held a slim 1-0 advantage in Saturday’s final, but rode Richards out to get the victory.
It was the third time the two had wrestled this season, and while each match was close, Brya was able to win the battle while on top, giving him the confidence to do it again.
145
Champion: Zamuel Thompson, Stevensville Lakeshore, Sr. (51-3)
Decision, 8-6, over Timmy Simons, Gibraltar Carlson, Jr. (37-4)
Thompson joined his sister, Sydney, of Eaton Rapids in winning a Finals title (110 pounds), becoming the first brother-sister combination to win MHSAA wrestling titles in the same season.
“It’s amazing,” Zamuel Thompson said. “I didn’t even know she was going to do it until three or four weeks ago. That made my day.”
In his own match, Thompson needed a third-period takedown to hold off Simons.
“I knew I shouldn’t have let him take me down in the first place,” Thompson said. “I was wrestling sloppy. Just conditioning we’re doing, I knew that in the end I would get him, there was no doubt in my mind. It was just a matter of when.”
152
Champion: Micah Hanau, Stevensville Lakeshore, Sr. (52-2)
Decision, 3-2, over Julius Polk, Pontiac, Sr. (36-2)
Hanau felt he was too reckless his junior season, which didn’t allow him to repeat as an individual champion.
But he was well under control Saturday as he was able to wrap up a second title.
“I feel great,” Hanau said. “I wrestled the match I wanted to. Last year, I didn’t do how I wanted because of how (out-of-control) my wrestling style was. I took time to control that, and I feel like I won the match I planned on winning.”
Hanau was the champion at 130 pounds in 2020.
160
Champion: Jacob Gonzales, Holly, Sr. (49-0)
Decision, 7-3, over William Bradley, Paw Paw, Sr. (51-2)
Gonzales became a three-time individual champion with his victory. The Holly senior won at 152 pounds in 2021 and 2020.
“It’s everything I wanted,” Gonzales said. “I wanted four, I had to settle for three, but history isn’t easy.”
Gonzales was in control for most of the match, but Bradley was able to put a little scare into the Holly fans near the end. Gonzales was less scared.
“I knew he was a funky wrestler,” Gonzales said. “I knew I was going to have to be flexible and ready for everything he threw at me, and I was.”
171
Champion: Brayden Gatreau, Gaylord, Jr. (42-1)
Major decision, 10-2, over Derek Badgley, Mason, Soph. (49-3)
Gatreau turned up the heat in the third period, making what was a tight match a major decision.
“I felt great,” he said. “I worked towards my cardio all season. I knew that, no matter what, I’m working harder than anybody else. At the end of the day, it comes down to who wants it more, and I want it more than anyone else in this state. No matter what time, I’m going to close out the match and I’m going to win it.”
Gatreau scored six points in the third period, including a takedown and nearfall during the final 20 seconds.
189
Champion: Adam Haselius, Jackson Northwest, Jr. (45-1)
Decision, 7-2, over Kael Wisler, New Boston Huron, Sr. (54-2)
Haselius won the match on his feet, getting three takedowns to Wisler’s zero. And as the match was ending, he was still pushing for a pin, despite having it wrapped up.
“Can’t let up, that’s letting the other guy into the match,” Haselius said. “I have to keep grinding no matter what the score is. It’s the feeling of accomplishment.
“This right here is what you work for. It feels so good to finally complete that goal. To finally reach that high point. I just wrestled my match; it’s a great feeling.”
215
Champion: Carter Blough, Lowell, Sr. (37-2)
Decision, 4-0, over James Campbell, Mattawan, Sr. (36-1)
As Blough walked off the mat following his first individual title, he was mobbed by his family.
“That’s crazy,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this since I was like 6. It couldn’t be any better. This is what I’ve been wanting since I started wrestling. This is the best moment of my life right here.”
Blough got an early takedown in the first period, and while there wasn’t much scoring afterward, he appeared to be in control throughout.
“I just had to be careful, cautious,” Blough said. “I was just being stingy on top. Just keeping my hips up so he couldn’t hit any big moves, and I knew the match was mine.”
285
Champion: Ira Jenkins, Whitehall, Sr. (51-0)
Fall 0:38, over Joshua Cook, Ferndale, Sr. (52-1)
Jenkins had a dominant run through the tournament, pinning each of his opponents, including the final three in the opening minute.
“I just knew I had to go out there and do what I do,” Jenkins said. “I was just taking it one thing at a time, and I guess that’s what it ended up being.”
It was the second-straight individual title for Jenkins, who pinned through the 285-pound bracket in Division 3 a year ago.
“Being able to pin through the state tournament two years in a row, that’s pretty cool, I think,” Jenkins said.
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Mumford’s Jamarcus Smith works toward a pin in his 103-pound championship match Saturday at Ford Field. (Middle) St. Johns’ Jacob Brya maintains a hold on his way to winning at 140. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Roberts Drives Dundee to Chase Dream
January 8, 2019
By Doug Donnelly
Special for Second Half
DUNDEE – The thing that keeps Dundee wrestling coach Tim Roberts motivated isn’t another dual meet victory, matching up with state powerhouse Hudson in a conference meet or hanging another banner inside the Vikings’ gymnasium.
Those things are nice, but what keeps Roberts going in his 20th season as the Dundee head coach is a certain two-time MHSAA Finals-qualifying wrestler from the mid-1980s who won 120 matches for Dundee but ultimately fell short of his goals.
That wrestler was Roberts.
“I’m always trying to prove myself, and I’m always trying to get better,” Roberts said. “When I think of myself as that kid who didn’t place at state, I do much better because I keep that hunger and desire. I need to learn more. I’ve got to get better at this.”
Roberts is already pretty good at what he does – a hall of famer, says Hudson coach Scott Marry, a seven-time MHSAA championship-winning coach himself.
“Coach Roberts is one of the best coaches I’ve ever coached against,” Marry said. “He gets his kids ready mentally and physically. You better have your team ready if you’re going to wrestle Dundee.”
Earlier this season, Roberts reached a career milestone – 500 career wins. He’s led Dundee to six Finals titles and six runner-up finishes, 19 District and 18 Regional titles. He’s coached 32 Individual Finals championship wrestlers and more than 140 all-staters. Under his leadership, Dundee also is approaching 20 Lenawee County Athletic Association titles.
The numbers don’t tell the full story about Roberts, however.
“I could write a book about Tim and how great a coach he is,” said Dundee athletic director Tom Oestrike. “His coaching profile speaks for itself, but what is even more impressive are the type of young men he has helped build in his career – men of selflessness, character and discipline.”
When Roberts wrestled at Dundee, he was a 98-pound freshman who grew to compete in the 126-pound weight class as a senior.
“We were a solid program at the time, (but) winning state was an impossible dream back then for sure,” Roberts said.
“I wasn’t bad at wrestling. I was pretty good. Compared to the guys we have now – I wasn’t as good as them. I thought I was pretty good, but I didn’t accomplish the goals that I wanted to.”
After high school, he enlisted in the Army. It was during that time that he got the coaching bug. He realized he wanted to help young student athletes learn how to get the most out of their careers.
“When I was in the military, I learned a lot about building myself into something and I wanted to share that information,” he said. “I thought about wrestling a lot and how I really didn’t accomplish the goals that I would have liked to, and I wanted to help other people. I had this desire to try to help. I felt like I had a knack for it.”
After his first year as an assistant coach, Dundee changed wrestling head coaches and Jim Wittibslager got the job. Roberts asked him if he could stay on as an assistant.
Wittibslager is a hall of fame coach in his own right. He compiled a record of 333-36-3 in two stints as the Dundee head coach. The Vikings won four straight MHSAA Finals titles during his tenure, from 1995-98.
“We went from a team 4-21 with zero state qualifiers, and by the fifth year we were state champs with 14 state qualifiers,” Roberts said. “It was quite a building process. It was lot of fun to go through and learn. Winning state went from an impossible dream to something that ‘Oh yeah, we could do this.’ We built ourselves into that level.”
Coaching with Wittibslager was a career-changer for Roberts.
“That was crucial in my development in how to coach,” he said. “I thought I had a knack for helping people and I had a little talent in that area, but I learned so much about what it takes, the work ethic and how to win and how to think like a winner.”
Admittedly, Roberts isn’t the same coach he was two decades ago. The sport has evolved significantly.
“I don’t coach now like I did 20 years ago, I’ll say that,” he said. “You grow with the times or you get left behind.”
What hasn’t changed during that time is Roberts’ attention to detail, his passion for coaching the right technique and getting his team ready for meets. Practices now include time in the weight room, warming up with some gymnastics moves such as back handstands, leaps and cartwheels; and, of course, technique.
“We still do conditioning,” he said. “We do quite a bit of that.”
Roberts believes one thing that sets wrestlers apart from each other is how far they can push themselves on the mat – when they reach the point where they feel they don’t have any more strength or ability, they find it.
“The only way you know if you can (push yourself) is by getting (to that point). That, as much as anything, will win you matches,” he said.
Maintaining that success has never been easy. Dundee typically has about 20 wrestlers out each year, a comparably low number to some other high-level programs. But that is where Roberts does his best work. Coaching at the high school level, he said, isn’t about coaching extraordinary athletes – it’s about coaching the average ones.
“It’s been an endless process for 20 years to keep trying to get better at this,” he said. “Average people are who you are coaching. That’s what coaching high school is, I think, learning how to work with the average person. Then, once in a while, you get to work with the exceptional person and that’s fun.”
Despite the enormous success during his 20 seasons at Dundee, Roberts has experienced the same highs and lows as any other coach.
“Lots of highs and lows,” he said. “Lots of times of feeling great, then you get humbled. Then you start feeling great again and then humbled again.”
Roberts coached Dundee to a Division 4 championship in 2001 and Division 3 titles in 2007, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018. Last year’s team was ranked nationally and had 14 Individual Finals qualifiers.
“Every one of those (championships) is like the best day of my life,” Roberts said. “Every time. It’s such a great feeling in the end that it all came together, and everything did work, and you did get it all done. A lot of things have to go right. It’s not easy.”
Roberts, 50, isn’t planning on stepping away from coaching any time soon. He’s also not stopping to think about reaching 500 career wins any time soon. He’d rather think about that high school wrestler who missed out on winning a state championship – but has had a remarkable impact on so many others.
“That’s for when you are done (coaching),” he said. “Right now, I’m still trying to get better and trying to work on my weaknesses as a coach and always seeking out how I can be better at this. When you’re done is when you get to reflect.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTO: Dundee wrestling coach Tim Roberts and his team celebrate one of the many successful moments during his two decades leading the program. (Photo by David Schankin.)