Performance: Eaton Rapids' Austin O'Hearon
February 16, 2018
Austin O’Hearon
Eaton Rapids senior – Wrestling
O’Hearon, the reigning Division 2 individual champion at 145 pounds, led Eaton Rapids to a Team District championship on Feb. 7 as the Greyhounds won their matches by a combined score of 147-3. He then went on to win his Individual District title at 160 pounds Saturday to earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
The Greyhounds standout claimed the Individual District title with a 6-4 championship match victory over DeWitt’s Sam York – O’Hearon is ranked No. 2 and York No. 3 at their weight in Division 2 by Michigan Grappler. O’Hearon also won their rematch this past Wednesday as No. 5 Eaton Rapids upset No. 2 DeWitt 31-26 to win a Team Regional title and advance to next weekend’s Quarterfinals for the first time since 2015. The Greyhounds are coached by Joe Ray Barry, a three-time MHSAA champion at Mason from 1997-99.
O’Hearon will bring a 176-17 career record into this weekend’s Individual Regional at Vicksburg, and he ranks third in Eaton Rapids’ illustrious history in both career victories and career takedowns with 369. He finished seventh in Division 2 at 112 pounds as a freshman and then seventh at 125 as a sophomore before claiming the title last winter at 145. He’s 41-1 this season with his only loss to Portland’s Owen Guilford after bumping up to 171 pounds; O’Hearon then handed Guilford his only loss this season in a rematch earlier this month. O’Hearon has opportunities to continue wrestling at the college level, but has planned on enlisting in the U.S. Navy – following his grandfather (Army) and father (Marines), who both also served – and would like to train to become part of the SEALs special operations force.
Coach Joe Ray Barry said: “His work ethic over the four years is what separates him from his competition – early morning workouts and late night runs. He’s in the corner for his team day in and day out, constantly pushing them to work harder than they do. He’s leading by example and stays focused.”
Performance Point: “(The season) has come along how I wanted it to,” O’Hearon said. “Everything’s falling into place. … It’s just because I work hard. There’s no substitute for hard work. I’ve just always believed that the harder I work, then success has to come with it. If you work hard at something for long enough, you’re bound to reach your goals. For me, one of the spots I lacked was strength. So my (physical education teacher) was talking to me one day, said I could come up (before school) Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and lift with him. So I was like, ‘Yeah sure, I’ll try it.’ I just liked it. It was nice. It woke me up in the morning. I noticed wrestling I was just getting a lot stronger, and so it just all fell into play how I wanted it to.”
Back to the Finals: “We knew going in (to Wednesday’s Regional) that we could win it. We were crunching the numbers, and everywhere that we crunched it looked good. We had some things that happened … but probably the biggest thing of the night was our heavyweight getting a pin against the kid he had lost to at Districts. After he got that pin, I knew that we were going to go to team states. … Everything as a team has fallen together. At the beginning of the season we were kinda distant; now it’s more team-based. We’re all trying to be better for the team. We’ve grown as a team. We’re real close right now. It’s just making everything go smooth and easy.”
We are E.R.: “My freshman year, I knew all the seniors, I knew all the juniors. I pretty much knew everybody. There were kids I’d wrestled with in the youth (programs), so we were already like family. And that’s what I think makes Eaton Rapids better than most teams, because we’re all real close and homegrown and we’re all pretty much family. We all wrestled together in the youth programs, and now we’re wrestling high school together.”
Thanks Coach Barry: “He’s just always pushed me to be the best that I can be. He helps me with technique. He still rolls around with me up at practice every once in a while. He’s getting old now and it’s hard, because he doesn’t like the beatings … (but) yeah, I love wrestling with him. He’s still quick. He’s still strong. I can’t say enough good things about him.”
My time to lead: Just the younger kids, I try to keep them motivated, show them it is possible to win a state title and to have your team be successful. You just have to stay positive. I just try to motivate the younger guys to stick with the program, because this is what a program is built on: our seniors helping out our younger guys. I remember when I was a freshman, the seniors would always help me out … so that’s just how I try to be this year.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2017-18 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2017-18 honorees:
February 9: Sophia Wiard, Muskegon Oakridge basketball - Read
February 2: Brenden Tulpa, Hartland hockey - Read
January 25: Brandon Whitman, Dundee wrestling - Read
January 18: Derek Maas, Holland West Ottawa swimming - Read
January 11: Lexi Niepoth, Bellaire basketball - Read
November 30: La'Darius Jefferson, Muskegon football - Read
November 23: Ashley Turak, Farmington Hills Harrison swimming - Read
November 16: Bryce Veasley, West Bloomfield football - Read
November 9: Jose Penaloza, Holland soccer - Read
November 2: Karenna Duffey, Macomb L'Anse Creuse North cross country - Read
October 26: Anika Dy, Traverse City Central golf - Read
October 19: Andrew Zhang, Bloomfield Hills tennis - Read
October 12: Nolan Fugate, Grand Rapids Catholic Central football - Read
October 5: Marissa Ackerman, Munising tennis - Read
September 28: Minh Le, Portage Central soccer - Read
September 21: Olivia Theis, Lansing Catholic cross country - Read
September 14: Maddy Chinn, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Eaton Rapids' Austin O’Hearon (left) works for a takedown this season. (Middle) O’Hearon’s arm is raised after he earns last season’s Division 2 title at 145 pounds. (Top photo and head shot courtesy of Eaton Rapids’ wrestling program; middle photo by HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
4-Time Champ Hopes Legacy Is Opportunity
March 2, 2019
By Jeff Chaney
Special for Second Half
DETROIT – Kevon Davenport hopes what he accomplished Saturday night at Ford Field will stretch far and wide in the Michigan wrestling community.
The Detroit Catholic Central senior became the 26th wrestler to win four Individual Finals titles when he defeated Bay City Western senior Vic Schoenherr 7-3 to claim the 145-pound Division 1 championship.
But more importantly to Davenport is that he is the first Africa-American wrestler from the state to win four championships.
"In my opinion, the sport of wrestling is not a super diverse sport," said Davenport, who improved to 35-1 with the win. "There is not that many African-American wrestlers out there, and I wanted to come along and inspire people. Hopefully them seeing me be the first four-time African-American state champ, they can try and bring wrestling to the Detroit Public School system. I want to grow wrestling through my own community."
Like he has throughout his career, Davenport was on top of his game Saturday afternoon, staying in control against Schoenherr (49-1) and giving him his only loss of the season.
"I would have liked to perform a little bit better, but I won and I am grateful for that," Davenport said. "I felt like the only pressure that was on me was the pressure I was putting on myself.”
103
Champion: Kavan Troy, Rochester, Soph. (50-0)
Fall, 5:04, over Aden Williams, Davison, Fr. (24-5)
Last year Troy failed to qualify for the MHSAA Finals, but he didn't look at that as a negative. Instead, he used it as a positive for this season.
He worked hard in the offseason to add muscle on his frame, and he came back on a mission. That mission was complete when he pinned Williams to claim the 103-pound title.
"I never gave up," Troy said. "I kept working and lifting in the offseason. And football really made me stronger. I thought my technique was pretty good last year, but I was 100 pounds so I needed to put on muscle. This year I grew and got stronger."
112
Champion: Brenden Ferretti, Macomb Dakota, Soph. (53-0)
Major Decision, 10-2, over Zein Bazzi, Dearborn Heights Crestwood, Soph. (45-4)
Sometimes giving up the first points in a huge match can cause panic.
But not for Ferretti, who gave up the first takedown to Bazzi and then went on to earn a workmanlike 10-2 major decision victory and the 112-pound championship.
Ferretti gave a lot of credit to his workout partners in his team's practice room, and it was easy to see why.
"I have been working very hard this year, and I know that I have really good stamina," Ferretti said. "I believe I am never out of it, no matter what happens."
119
Champion: Nick Alayan, Macomb Dakota, Sr. (49-3)
Decision, 6-4, over Andrew Chambal, Davison, Jr. (38-3)
Most wrestlers remember the losses more than the wins.
And when they get the opportunity to avenge a past Finals championship loss against the same opponent the next year, it's hard to temper the drive for revenge.
That is what took place when Alayan and Chambal locked up for the 119-pound title. This year was Alayan's time, as he beat Chambal 6-4. Last year Chambal took the 112-pound title with a 7-1 win over Alayan.
"I had nothing to lose this year," Alayan said. "I was the underdog this year, and that felt great not having much pressure. This year me and my team worked a little bit harder to train for this."
125
Champion: Eddie Homrock, Brighton, Jr. (53-2)
Decision, 3-2, over Justin Triburcio, Macomb Dakota, Sr. (40-4)
When most wrestlers end their seasons, they start preparing for a little down time and some good food.
When Homrock walked off the mat Saturday evening after winning the 125-pound title with a hard-fought 3-2 win, he did a set of four sprints back and forth on the Ford Field turf.
"I always do sprints at the end of my matches, because it keeps me in better shape," Homrock said. "I have been wrestling forever, and doing those sprints right there is going to get me in better shape for tournaments that come up later."
130
Champion: Kyle Kantola, Hartland, Sr. (49-0)
Decision, 3-0, over T.J. Daugherty, Waterford Kettering, Jr. (40-1)
Kantola has had to wrestle a full six-minute match three times this season, and two of those came this weekend at Ford Field.
Kantola beat Detroit Catholic Central's Camden Trupp 6-0 in the semifinals, and then beat 2017 103-pound champion Daugherty in the final 3-0.
"I practiced hard knowing that I might have to go six minutes this weekend, and it happened twice," Kantola said.
And now he is a champion, after being a runner-up a year ago.
"I knew I didn't want to be second again, so I just kept pushing every day to be on top," Kantola said. "Now it feels good."
135
Champion: Josh Edmond, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (37-2)
Decision, 7-3, over Brody Kemper, Grand Blanc, Jr. (41-5)
Even though he had just secured his second straight championship, Edmond walked off the mat a bit upset at himself.
He was happy to be a champion again, but not thrilled about the way he wrestled.
"I didn't score enough points," Edmond said. "I wanted to dominate, and I didn't even get a major decision so I think I underachieved."
And that is how the best become the best.
"I wanted to dominate this tournament, and every other match I got bonus points," Edmond said. "I'm happy, though."
140
Champion: Derek Gilcher, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (32-2)
Decision, 7-2, over Marc Shaeffer, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (21-5)
All season and offseason you drill with your teammates, so it is never easy to take on a teammate in a match.
Make it an MHSAA Finals match with a title on the line, and that makes the task even harder.
In what can be described as the ultimate challenge match, Gilcher defeated Shaeffer 7-2 to earn his second straight title.
"It is always hard to see someone on your team, especially at the state finals," Gilcher said. "It's different, because he knows everything that I do and I know what he likes."
152
Champion: Cam Amine, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (37-0)
Major Decision, 11-3, over Jaden Fisher, Lake Orion, Sr. (49-2)
In what was one of the top matches at last year's Finals, Amine lost a heart-breaker to Davison's Alex Facundo, erasing his chance to become a four-time champion.
Amine used that loss to hone his already elite skills and push his endurance to the limit. And that paid off this year, as Amine capped a perfect season with a major decision victory over Fisher for his third title.
"It was the whole motivation coming into this year," Amine said. "That drove me every day to get better. (Last year) he got me in that match, and I had to get better so that would never happen again.
"Being a three-time champion is a great accomplishment. When I first came in as a freshman I wanted to be a four-time champion, and that didn't happen so I used that as motivation."
160
Champion: Alex Facundo, Davison, Soph. (37-2)
Decision, 9-3, over Devin Trevino, Clarkston, Sr. (45-5)
Facundo's path to greatness is still intact, but it wasn't easy Saturday evening.
After cruising through his bracket with two technical falls and a pin, Facundo met a game Trevino and grinded out a 9-3 win.
"It feels good to be a two-time champion, but I wanted to win by at least a (technical fall in the final); that was my goal," Facundo said. "I like to set goals, so I was a little frustrated with myself. I am not really satisfied with my win, but that will just make me work harder."
171
Champion: River Shettler, Brighton, Sr. (50-2)
Decision, 2-1 (2OT), over Dylan Wellbaum, Lake Orion, Sr. (47-2)
Shettler said he will take it.
He won his first Finals title when he was awarded a stalling point in double overtime, after finishing runner-up last year.
Wellbaum made it to the championship match after failing to qualify for the Finals last year.
"That kid came out of nowhere this year," Shettler said. "He was unranked, and he comes out there and wrestles (well). We both wanted the same thing. We both wrestled awesome, and I have mad respect for him."
189
Champion: Easton Turner, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (38-3)
Decision, 4-0, over Cal Stefanko, Davison, Sr. (31-3)
Turner's left shoulder was wrapped tightly in a brace, protecting what he thought to be a torn labrum that kept causing his shoulder to pop out.
But Turner fought through the injury and won his second straight title.
"I was constantly getting yelled at by Coach to toughen up, toughen up," Turner said. "And I just fought through it."
215
Champion: Brendin Yatooma, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (39-3)
Fall, 3:16, over Kyle Scott, Hudsonville, Sr. (47-4)
With this weekend's tournament starting at the 285-pound weight class, Yatooma put an exclamation point on an impressive Finals by the Detroit Catholic Central wrestlers.
Yatooma was crowned the seventh champion for the Shamrocks, and he did it in impressive fashion.
"I just went out there and did what I had to do," Yatooma said. "I have to thank my coaches for pushing me so hard. All the timed miles that we ran, all the in-the-holes we did. And in practice, I want to thank my partners, Steven Kolcheff and Easton Turner."
285
Champion: Steven Kolcheff, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (36-3)
Decision, 4-0, over Mahdi Hazime, Dearborn Fordson, Sr. (47-5)
Kolcheff said he may have left something on the mat when he wrestled for a Finals title last year. The Detroit Catholic Central junior lost a tight decision and knew he could do better.
He showed Saturday he was right, winning his first championship.
"I wasn't working as hard as I could," Kolcheff said. "This year I came back and coaches pushed me as hard as I could (go). They broke me a couple times in the practice room, but that paid off a lot."
PHOTO: Kevon Davenport’s arm is raised after the Detroit Catholic Central senior earned his fourth MHSAA Finals championship Saturday. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)