Spidle Sets Up 2020 Run for 4-Title Glory
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2019
DETROIT – A change in divisions couldn’t slow Sean Spidle down.
The Flint Powers Catholic junior claimed his third straight MHSAA individual wrestling championship Saturday, defeating Tecumseh’s Joshua Hilton 9-6 in the Division 2 112-pound final. Spidle won titles in Division 3 the previous two years, at 103 in 2017 and 112 in 2018.
“It feels amazing,” Spidle said. “This is what I train for. I thought about this every single night. I have to give a lot of credit to my parents and coaches; they pushed me to be better every single day.”
Spidle took a 6-2 lead in the match and held off a late charge from Hilton, who scored a pair of takedowns in the final period. Spidle ran into the stands following his win, celebrating with family and friends as he has now given himself a chance to join the ranks of four-time champions.
“It’s time to train and get ready for it,” he said. “It’s awesome. It makes it even better that my friends and parents came to support. This is everything I wanted.”
285
Champion: Donovan King, Farmington, Sr. (51-2)
Fall, 4:39, over Jaren Johnson, Warren Lincoln, Sr. (37-2)
After missing his entire junior season with a torn knee ligament, King made up for lost time and rolled to his first Finals title.
He racked up three pins in his four matches, including in the final, to become Farmington’s first MHSAA champion since 1995.
“It feels great to come back to win this and be the third person to win states from Farmington High School,” King said. “It was very hard. I had to overcome a lot of pain during the season, my knee shifting out of place during a match. It’s just a mindset. I’m just glad I got through that this whole season.”
103
Champion: Jacob Brya, St. Johns, Fr. (42-2)
Decision, 9-2, over Jamison Zimmerman, Niles, Jr. (37-7)
In his first high school season, Brya showed that his youth success was no fluke.
The former MYWAY state champion’s run to an MHSAA championship included two pins and a four-takedown performance in the title match.
“I just kind of wanted to be conservative so I could win the match,” Brya said. “I didn’t want to do anything dumb so I could blow a lead, so I just kind of wrestled conservative and beat him off my feet.”
119
Champion: Vincent Perez, Tecumseh, Sr. (53-0)
Major Decision, 18-8, over Joe Haynes, Warren Woods-Tower, Soph. (34-8)
After finishing second his junior season, Perez wasn’t going to leave anything to chance Saturday night.
He scored nine points in the third period to turn a close match into a major decision and put an exclamation point on a perfect season.
“I didn’t come here just to win, I came here to dominate,” Perez said. “Third period, it was still a decision, and I wasn’t content with that. I wanted to dominate. I’ve been working all year to control, be aggressive and dominate. Last year, it didn’t work out so well, came up a little short. But this year, it’s a better taste leaving.”
125
Champion: Chaise Mayer, Warren Woods-Tower, Sr. (44-3)
Decision, 3-2, over Chayse Lajoie, Gaylord, Jr. (48-2)
After finishing as a Division 2 runner-up in 2016 and 2017, Mayer made it to the top of the podium, knocking off a two-time returning champion in Lajoie.
The two wrestlers traded a takedown and a reversal in the first period, and a Mayer escape in the second proved to be the difference as he rode Lajoie out for the entirety of the third period.
“It’s much deserved and well-earned,” Mayer said. “I’ve worked my whole life for this. To come so close so many times and not get it, I couldn’t let that happen again. It was just about being gritty and knowing I could do it. Knowing how to win.”
130
Champion: Kaleob Whitford, St. Johns, Sr. (42-2)
Decision, 6-0, over Nate Young, Holly, Jr. (51-7)
A dominant display in the top position capped a dominant overall tournament for Whitford, who had racked up a pair of pins and a major decision prior to the final.
He scored a takedown late in the first period of his match against Young, and rode him out through the end of the second.
“I feel accomplished,” Whitford said. “My dad was a state champion his senior year, my brother was a four-time state champ, so I had to keep the generation going. I didn’t really think about it. I tried to keep my mind clear. I don’t think about anything when I’m about to wrestle.”
135
Champion: Christopher Lilly, Croswell-Lexington, Jr. (52-7)
Decision, 6-3, over Matthew Tomsett, Madison Heights Lamphere, Sr. (52-3)
After watching his dad coach a pair of Finals champions in previous years, Lilly was determined to create a father-son moment at Ford Field.
Thanks to a three-takedown performance against Tomsett, he was able to do just that. Lilly was a Regional runner-up, and won each of his matches by three points or fewer, not making it easy on his dad, Cros-Lex coach Joe Lilly, and fans. But in the end, it was well worth it.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Christopher Lilly said. “I wanted to do that since I was little when I watched Donnie Corby win a state title and then I watched Collin Lieber win a state title. I wanted him to be in my corner, then (watch) me win a state title.”
140
Champion: Avry Mutschler, Lowell, Sr. (37-2)
Decision, 5-2, over Nick Matusko, Chelsea, Jr. (45-1)
Mutschler felt that at previous MHSAA Finals he hadn’t wrestled at his best through the end of matches. This time, he finished the job.
The Lowell senior capped off a career that already included four team Finals championships with his first individual title, securing a takedown with nine seconds left to seal the match.
“Those last 30 seconds, every year that I’m here I tend to quit wrestling and I start hanging on and that’s when bad things happen,” Mutschler said. “I kept trying to remind myself, ‘You have to keep going forward, you have to keep moving your feet, you have to keep hand fighting when you’re trying to score, 0-0 in the first.’ That’s what I did, I got a takedown and I iced it.”
145
Champion: Caleb Fish, Eaton Rapids, Jr. (44-1)
Major Decision, 17-5, over Nick Gates, Marysville, Sr. (40-4)
Fish closed out a dominant tournament performance, earning his third major decision of the weekend and first championship.
A year ago, Fish was the runner-up at 135 pounds, and this year he wasn’t going to let anything get in his way.
“I felt pretty great,” Fish said. “I felt that I had control in my hands. He was not shooting his shot and I shot mine.
“It feels pretty darn great. I’ve worked hard. I took second last year and that really hurt, so I went even a step further and worked harder and finally got my success that I was working for.”
152
Champion: Austin Boone, Lowell, Jr. (31-4)
Fall, 2:57, over Devin Spears, Melvindale, Sr. (47-6)
Nobody bothered to send out a wrestler against Boone a week ago at the Team Finals as Lowell picked up its sixth straight championship. This is why.
The Lowell junior earned his third individual title in three tries, putting an exclamation point on his season with a second-period pin against Spears.
“It was a fun season,” Boone said. “I definitely think we had more fun in the room than we have in the past. Obviously it’s still working. It’s a great feeling to know that the team can celebrate along with you.”
160
Champion: Omari Embree, Warren Woods-Tower, Fr. (37-5)
Decision, 5-2, over Nelson Poet, New Boston Huron, Jr. (35-10)
Embree was tired after winning his first championship. But he found one more burst of energy to pull off a flawless backflip.
“At the time I was really tired, so it was hard,” he said. “But it just played out well. Everybody was yelling.”
Embree took an early lead in the match, and led 3-2 late in the third before another takedown sealed it.
“I felt in control,” Embree said. “I knew it was going to be close because obviously it’s the state finals, and we wrestled before in the Regional Semifinal, so he knew what I was going to do. I just knew I had to manage the match, and I managed the match really well.”
171
Champion: Ryan Ringler, Cedar Springs, Sr. (48-0)
Decision, 4-2, over James Penfold, Goodrich, Sr. (46-4)
Penfold was one of the few wrestlers to push Ringler this season, as this was a rematch of Ringler’s 3-2 win at the Goodrich Tournament of Champions.
Ringler was again able to come out on top Saturday, getting a takedown with 11 seconds remaining to claim his second straight title.
“I had a plan coming into it,” Ringler said. “I knew he was going to be a little more defensive. ... I just had to push the pace and get to my stuff.
“I love wrestling the great guys. It only makes you better, too. It’s great to have that rivalry between two guys.”
189
Champion: Sage Serbenta, Cedar Springs, Jr. (46-1)
Decision, 3-2, over John Shelton, East Grand Rapids, Jr. (46-2)
Neither wrestler had to go a full six minutes to get to the final, but it took every second to decide this Regional Final rematch.
Like he did in that Regional, Serbenta came out on top, getting in on a leg late and holding on to keep Shelton off the board.
“I knew what he was going to do. I knew he was going to switch his style up on me,” Serbenta said. “Last time, he didn’t take a single shot, so I knew he was going to start coming in, and he did. I knew he liked those underhooks, so I was trying to avoid those. I feel like I deserve (the title) with how much I work. … You realize that those last 30 minutes of practice when you don’t feel like practicing, those are when you practice.”
215
Champion: Taye Ghadiali, Warren Fitzgerald, Sr. (45-0)
Decision, 11-4, over Honour Kline, Goodrich, Sr. (52-2)
A dominant weekend for Ghadiali ended with a championship and an unbeaten season.
Ghadiali won by first-period pin in each of his first three matches, and used a pair of first-period takedowns to take control of his match with Kline.
“All the work that I’ve been doing through MYWAY – I wasn’t always good in MYWAY – I just kept working and working, I always wanted to be a state champ, and now today I am,” Ghadiali said. “My mindset was, after that semifinal match (a year ago), I just felt like I wasn’t setting up my shots, I was just shooting to shoot. I was always wrestling just to win and now my wrestling style, I wanted to dominate. I wrestled to score the most points I can.”
PHOTO: Flint Powers Catholic’s Sean Spidle works to gain control during his Division 2 championship match at 112 pounds. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Lowell's Boone Ends as 2nd 8-Time Champion
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 7, 2020
DETROIT – Brent Metcalf. Austin Boone.
That’s it. That’s the list.
Boone, a senior at Lowell, became the second wrestler in MHSAA history Saturday to win four individual titles while being part of four team titles, as he defeated Gaylord’s Chase LaJoie 4-3 at 145 pounds during the Division 2 Individual Finals at Ford Field.
Metcalf, who eventually became an NCAA champion and competed on the international stage, was the first to accomplish the feat, achieving his at Davison from 2002-05.
“It’s cool,” Boone said. “Like I’ve been telling everybody else, I’m not really thinking about it too much. It’s kind of cool, but I don’t pay attention to stuff like that.”
He and Mendon’s Skyler Crespo became the 27th and 28th four-time individual champions in MHSAA history, nearly simultaneously.
Boone (41-0), who had defeated LaJoie by major decision a week earlier in the Team Finals, had to stave off a late reversal attempt Saturday.
It was a matchup of multiple-time champions, as LaJoie (38-2) had won as a freshman and sophomore. It was also a matchup of Division I talents, as Boone has signed with Penn State, and LaJoie will continue his career at Cornell.
“It’s a great match; it’s my closest finals match I’ve had,” Boone said. “He’s a great wrestler. He’s going to do great things in college. Today I got him.”
103
Champion: Nolan Wertanen, St. Joseph, Soph. (46-2)
Decision, 4-3, over Grant Stahl, Mount Pleasant, Fr. (39-3)
Wertanen couldn’t compete a year ago in the Finals, as he fractured his wrist shortly before the postseason started. He made up for lost time Saturday.
“I’ve been waiting my entire life to do something like this, ever since I started wrestling when I was 4,” Wertanen said. “To go out there and do something my dad could never do – I've just always wanted to win a state championship, and last year it sucked because I couldn’t, because I was hurt. Coming out here and winning it like this, especially after having a few losses that I shouldn’t have earlier in the year, it just feels great.”
112
Champion: Jacob Brya, St. Johns, Soph. (41-0)
Major decision, 19-7, over Jack Parker, Spring Lake, Jr. (44-3)
For the second straight year, Brya put on a dominant display at the Individual Finals. After winning the title at 103 a year ago, Brya had a pair of first-period falls and a technical fall on his way to Saturday’s final, which he dominated from the beginning.
“I wasn’t as nervous this year,” Brya said. “It wasn’t that much different, but I still wasn’t as nervous this year.”
Brya is already thinking of the possibility of joining the growing list of four-time champs.
“I want to be a four-timer,” he said. “That’s why I train two-a-days four days a week.”
119
Champion: Joe Haynes, Warren Woods Tower, Jr. (49-3)
Major decision, 11-2, over Trevor Marsman, Cedar Springs, Jr. (52-2)
Haynes came up one match short of a Finals title a year ago, but he wasn’t about to be denied again.
He wasn’t scored on in his first three matches of the tournament, and dominated the final, allowing only two escapes.
“I just needed to stay in good position and score when the opportunities came,” Haynes said. “I felt like I didn’t want to repeat last year, that was more of the pressure. I didn’t feel like I was the No. 1 kid – rankings don’t matter. I just go in every match thinking everyone’s the same.”
125
Champion: Andrew Hughes, Charlotte, Sr. (50-1)
Decision, 9-5, over John Henry Sosa, Gaylord, Sr. (41-3)
Hughes became Charlotte’s first Finals champion since 1997, knocking off the weight’s top-ranked wrestler.
He was dominant on his feet, setting the tone with a first-period takedown, and adding three more throughout the match.
“I’ve worked my whole season, my whole life for this,” Hughes said. “It just feels huge. I tried to get as early of a lead as I could and keep building on it, really break him. … I feel like I did it for my city, so this is big.”
130
Champion: Micah Hanau, Stevensville Lakeshore, Soph. (41-4)
Decision, 4-1 (OT), over Zeth Strejc, Lowell, Jr. (27-14)
Hanau was very nearly rolled early in overtime, but he was able to not only counter the move and stay alive but fight for the winning takedown.
“I just couldn’t control his hand-fighting – it was hard to keep him off my legs,” Hanau said. “I was able to keep him down and score. It’s fun. There's a lot of pressure, but it’s great to win.”
135
Champion: Shane Williams, Stevensville Lakeshore, Sr. (44-2)
Decision, 6-3, over Nick Matusko, Chelsea, Sr. (48-1)
Two weeks ago, Matusko knocked off Williams in the Regional final.
This time, the Lakeshore senior had a plan to turn things around.
“I think I needed to escape on bottom, because he rode me out for two periods,” said Williams, who picked up his 150th career win. “He would just stop my leg when I stood up, so I worked on that the past two weeks. It helped me out a bit that I got out right away.”
140
Champion: Nate Young, Holly, Sr. (49-1)
Decision, 4-2, over Chris Haynes, Eaton Rapids, Sr. (45-2)
After coming up one match shy of winning a Finals title a year ago, Young was thrilled to get to the top of the podium this year.
Even if the match didn’t feature the amount of points he is accustomed to racking up.
“Last year I came up a little bit short, and it always hurt knowing I was right there but didn’t quite get it done,” Young said. “So, it feels great to come back and finish what I started. I come into every match thinking that I just want to have fun and score points. Obviously, I didn’t score many points, but I still had fun.”
152
Champion: Jacob Gonzales, Holly, Soph. (55-0)
Fall, 5:52, over James Fotis, Lowell, Sr. (29-6)
Gonzales’ unbeaten season and Finals championship dreams were on the ropes in the third period, but the Holly sophomore came up big when it counted most.
Trailing 6-2 late in the match, Gonzales took Fotis to his back and was able to get the pin to claim his title.
“It was pretty amazing,” Gonzales said. “Throughout the whole match, I was thinking about how I was going to score points. I knew I needed a big move, so I went for it. I saw his legs were too close together and he wasn’t moving as he should have, and I capitalized.”
160
Champion: Caleb Fish, Eaton Rapids, Sr. (46-0)
Decision, 2-1 (UTB), over Colton Blaha, Owosso, Sr. (54-2)
After cruising through his first three matches with pins, Fish found himself in a battle against Blaha.
Fish exploded for an escape from the bottom position in the first period of ultimate tie-breaker, and held on in the second to claim his second straight title.
“In my head I was thinking, ‘I ain’t letting him up,’” Fish said. “Holding him down was my train of thought. I knew he wasn’t going to be ready for me to blow off the bottom as fast as I did. It just comes from the heart. Eaton Rapids has only had a few two-timers, so that was my dream.”
171
Champion: Omari Embree, Warren Woods-Tower, Soph. (29-2)
Decision, 3-2, over Cody Brenner, New Boston Huron, Jr. (48-3)
Embree didn’t think he wrestled his best in the Regional final when he lost to Brenner.
He made sure that wouldn’t be the case Saturday as he claimed his second Finals title in as many tries.
“I knew he wasn’t a better athlete than me – a better wrestler than me,” Embree said. “I didn’t wrestle my match when I wrestled him in Regionals. I wrestled my match, now I’m the champ when it mattered. I wanted to just stay low and focus on me.”
189
Champion: Tristan Vance, Clio, Sr. (19-3)
Decision, 8-6, over John Shelton, East Grand Rapids, Sr. (50-1)
Vance held off a late headlock attempt from Shelton, but it was close.
The Clio senior, who missed most of the season with a back injury, was able to stay off his back and not give up a takedown as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
“I gotta get my hips down; I gotta stay flat,” Vance said of what was going through his head. “I wasn’t giving up any back points, no way. I knew I had to get to my offense and not play his game. Do what I do best, and that’s how it goes.”
215
Champion: Hunter McCall, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, Sr. (47-1)
Major decision, 9-1, over Keegan Nugent, Lowell, Jr. (35-8)
McCall put an exclamation point on a year-long quest to getting to the top of the podium with a dominant Finals performance.
He was third a year ago, which motivated him to take the next step this season.
“This is something I’ve been working for ever since I started,” McCall said. “I always wanted to be the best, always wanted to be on top. I fell short – I fell real short the last few years. I had five coaches telling me, ‘Hunter, you can be the best. You can go out there and win it.’ I just bought into what they said day in and day out. I haven’t stopped wrestling. I’ve been wrestling for 365 days straight since I lost last year.”
285
Champion: Jack Gilchrist, Mason, Sr. (45-2)
Decision, 8-2, over Joe Harper, Imlay City, Sr. (46-2)
Gilchrist said the beatings he took early in his career in the Mason wrestling room paved the way for Saturday’s triumph.
He spent time in practices with 2018 Finals champion Riley Smith, who helped shape his career.
“It’s amazing to follow my best friend Riley who was a state champ two years ago,” Gilchrist said. “He worked with me every day. He was way better than me, he would pin me in 30 seconds, but he would work with me every day. I get to work with all these guys, I’m just fortunate. (Harper) is a Greco guy, so he was trying to throw me or toss me, but it did not work.”
PHOTO: Austin Boone’s arm is raised Saturday after he became the second wrestler in MHSAA history to win four individual and four team Finals championships. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)