New Heroes Emerge as Hornets Reign

February 28, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor 

BATTLE CREEK – Gabe Bennett made himself take a few deep breaths at the end of Saturday morning, then had a long talk with his dad, which helped. 

The New Lothrop senior has won a lot during his high school career, and placed at the MHSAA Individual Finals the last two seasons. But Saturday morning, although the Hornets moved on from their Division 4 Semifinal, Bennett lost his match – falling to 0-4 for his career for the final two rounds of team competition.

The afternoon’s championship match against Hudson would provide one last opportunity to help the Hornets with a title on the line. 

“If you win all the time, you don’t learn a whole lot. If you lose, that’s where you’re able to go back and learn from what you did and why you lost,” Bennett said. “I’ve taken all those times that I’ve lost, and I’ve learned something new – a new move to counter that, or to make my shots better, or whatever I needed to do to make myself better.

“Coming into this (Final) match, being a senior, this was my last one. (I thought) let’s go out with a bang. I did it.” 

Bennett’s one-point decision win at 130 pounds got the Hornets even after an early deficit and contributed to what turned into a 38-24 victory and title repeat for reigning champion New Lothrop (29-1), the top-seeded team in Division 4 entering the weekend.

That favorite status was part of how this weekend’s narrative differed from in 2014, when the Hornets came back over the final three weights to upset the then top-seeded Tigers, who had won a record five straight MHSAA team titles. 

Saturday’s win was less dramatic – New Lothrop clinched with two weights to wrestle. But this season as a whole was impressive in other respects – notably in how the Hornets dominated after graduating two individual champions who carried the load a year ago.

Bennett was one of four Hornets who won in Saturday’s championship match after falling in the Final a year ago. Junior Cole Hersch won by pin at 125 pounds to put the Hornets on the scoreboard, and Bennett’s 7-6 decision in the next bout evened the match score at 9-9. Sophomore Erik Birchmeier won by decision at 160 to give the Hornets a nine-point lead with six bouts left, and senior heavyweight David Robertson clinched the championship with a pin. 

“Last year it felt like we had to get it. We had that good group of seniors that had a chance the three years before that. … That was like their time,” New Lothrop coach Jeff Campbell said. “Last year felt like more pressure. This year, I don’t want to say I surprised, but I was just really excited and proud of our leadership and the way the guys stepped in and filled in after the amazing leaders we had last year graduated.”

“(Bennett had) lost heart-breakers. … So to have him be the one who really got momentum going for us is pretty special.” 

Junior Steven Garza II earned a key major decision at 140 pounds to follow Bennett and give New Lothrop a lead it would’ve give back. Senior Trevor Copes followed Garza with a pin to extend the lead to 19-9 halfway through the match.

Junior Caleb Symons was awarded a void at 215 pounds, and freshman Tommy Malloy followed Robertson’s clincher with a major decision at 103. 

Although Hudson (23-6) did fall in the Final for the second straight season, it made its seventh straight championship match despite entering the weekend seeded third. The Tigers edged second-seeded Decatur 39-33 in the morning’s Semifinal and climbed within a point of New Lothrop with four bouts remaining.

Senior Tyler Roberts and junior Kyle Johnson won by pins in the championship match for Hudson. Seniors Roddy Hamdan and Mitch Ely and sophomores Tylor Grames and Zak Lopinski won by decisions. 

“We were in a position a couple of spots where maybe we could make a legitimate run at it. But they’re pretty deep up top,” Hudson coach Scott Marry said. “I’m never going to fault my kids for their efforts. They gave everybody on the team, everybody in the community, their coaches, everything they’ve got, and that’s all I can ask.

“They goal is to win it, but sometimes certain things are out of your control. That was a very good team that beat us.” 

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PHOTO: (Top) New Lothrop’s Cole Hersch (right) works toward a pin in his 130-pound match Saturday afternoon. (Click to see more at 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.”

Charlevoix’s Landon Swanson, right, works to keep leverage against Perry’s Cameron Doody. 

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.”

Click for full results.

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.)