Standard Bearer of a 4-Time Champ

March 2, 2013

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

AUBURN HILLS – Adam Coon attended the MHSAA Individual Finals for the first time as a seventh grader, the son of a successful coach who knew what it took to grow a champion.

And Adam hoped to become one too. But he really wanted to know what it took to become the wrestler who carried the American flag during the athletes’ Grand March before the matches began.

“I told him the guys up there are the best in the state. So you’re probably going to have to be a four-timer,” Fowlerville coach Dan Coon recalled. “You better show yourself that you’re a four-timer and worthy to carry the American flag.”

Adam Coon did carry the flag into The Palace of Auburn Hills before Saturday’s Individual Finals. And only a few minutes later, he became just the 17th MHSAA wrestler to finish his high school career with a championship won every season.

Coon pinned Eaton Rapids senior Trent Hurd in 1:13 to win the championship at 285 pounds and finish this winter 55-0. He pinned every opponent he faced this season, and ended with a career record of 211-3 – with a 194-match winning streak dating to his freshman year that ranks as seventh-longest in MHSAA history.

All four of Coon’s championships came at either 285 or 215 pounds, making him also the first of that elite group to win his four at the heaviest weights.

Carrying in the flag was “a dream comes true.” But winning the titles was pretty great too.

“Since I got that first one, I was going to see if I could get the fourth,” Coon said. “I just got the opportunity, and I took advantage of it. Praise God, I got the fourth.”

Dan Coon has been the one to keep Adam grounded, especially with pressure mounting this season. Before they took the mat Saturday, Dad reminded son of something he’d heard: “The sun will always rise tomorrow. Just a whole lot brighter when you win.”

Adam’s other childhood dream had been to get a lot closer to seeing what that bright sun looks like. He’ll study aerospace engineering while wrestling at the University of Michigan, and has been set on designing a spacecraft to accommodate taller astronauts since finding out as a child that he’d probably end up too sizable to make the trip.

Dan is looking forward to watching what his son will accomplish next, be it on the mat or beyond while using the lessons he learned during these championship runs.

“Is he going to stop wrestling? No. It will never leave him now,” Dan Coon said. “He’s always going to be a wrestler.”

Eaton Rapids’ Hurd finished 43-12. Click for full results, and read below for recaps of each championship match and comments from all the winners.

103

Champion: Joe Garcia, Adrian, Jr. (31-1)
Fall, 2:53, over Ian Parker, St. Johns, Fr. (48-3)

Garcia was the MHSAA runner-up in 2011. He then came in fifth at his weight in 2012 – but didn’t get that longed-for chance to return to the championship match and come away with a win.

Until Saturday. An offseason of increased preparation and conditioning and a switch in strategy from that freshman Final gave him the edge to win his first MHSAA title.

“It lets me know my hard work paid off,” Garcia said. “My freshman year, I was more focused on defense. And this year, I focused more on the attack. I didn’t stop moving.”

112

Champion: Mason Smith, Clio, Soph. (55-4)
Fall, 3:30, over Zeth Dean, Lowell, Fr. (40-6)

Smith felt pretty good about his chances of coming into his first season, 2011-12, and winning an MHSAA championship. And he nearly got that opportunity, before finishing fourth at 103 pounds.

Now, thanks to some push by his coaches, he feels set up to make a run at finishing with three titles instead.

“Last year, I was really lazy. I didn’t want to do anything. I thought I’d just win,” Smith said. “My coach came at me pretty hard, all of them. None of them let me just sit around and do nothing like I did last year.

“(Now,) I’m going to come back hard and go for it.”

119

Champion: Bailey Jack, Lowell, Jr. (39-8)
Decision, 6-4, over Dean Somers, Lapeer West, Sr. (46-2)

Only 56 wrestlers in Michigan can say they finished the season with an Individual Finals win. And Jack will take it, especially coming off the disappointment of his Red Arrows losing to St. Johns in the Team Final a week ago.

Jack offered praise for Somers, a runner-up in 2012 – “He’s tough everywhere. You don’t make it to the Finals being a sissy,” – and thankful for the jumpstart he received to prepare for next winter.

“It’s a great bounce-back, morally, for me,” Jack said. “Now I can go into the offseason working just as hard as I did this year.”

125

Champion: Zac Hall, St. Johns, Jr. (48-0)
Technical Fall, 23-8, over JacQuan Moore, St. Clair Shores Lakeshore, Sr. (44-4)

Over the course of just a few minutes Saturday, Zac Hall put himself on the cusp of making some incredible history next season.

Not only will Hall be shooting to become the 18th wrestler to win four MHSAA championships. He’ll also try to become perhaps only the second (more research to come) to win four individual titles and wrestle for four team champions as well.

Hall had previously won his individual titles at 112 and 103. Davison’s Brent Metcalf won individual titles from 2002-05 and was on team champions as well all four seasons.

“One kid’s ever done it, so that’s a pretty incredible class to be put with,” Hall said. “(But) you get here at the Palace, anything can happen. … You’ve just got to be smart, keep your head.

“I had three matches where I thought I was going to pin the kid. Kids fight at another level when you get here. They don’t get easier.”

130

Champion: Jacob Schmitt, St. Johns, Sr. (51-0)
Fall, 0:47, Christian Schoenherr, Bay City Western, Soph. (42-8)

Schmitt admitted his final high school season flew by this winter. He’ll continue to wrestle at the college level – for Northwestern – but first has finished a legacy that stacks up with the best.

He capped the weekend with his third MHSAA individual title – he also won 103 in 2010 and 125 last season – to go with four team championships. Schmitt also was runner-up at 112 as a sophomore.

“It went quick this year, but I’m happy with the way I went out. With a pin in the first period, I couldn’t be happier,” he said. “I would say (this season) started out rough for us, with those losses. (St. Johns finished 22-4). But we kept it together as a team, pulled through at the end, great teammates pushing each other all the time.”

135

Champion: Logan Massa, St. Johns, Soph. (42-2)
Fall, 2:45, over Steve Bleise, Chelsea, Jr. (45-1)

Massa knew something about competing in an MHSAA Final – he finished runner-up at 119 last season. But the coach in his corner knew a little bit more.

Brother Taylor Massa returned to The Palace to sit in Logan’s corner, a year after the former finished his high school career as the 16th to win four MHSAA titles.

“He’s knows the environment real well. He helps me out a lot,” Logan said.

“I wasn’t going to let (last year) happen again. I trained harder, and I was just going to train as hard as I could until I got it.”

140

Champion: Kyle Simaz, Allegan, Jr. (61-1)
Major Decision, 22-13, over Adam Nichols, Lapeer West, Sr. (50-5)

“We got one folks; good deal,” a relieved Simaz said after capping his third MHSAA Finals appearance with his first win.

Simaz had finished runner-up at 130 pounds last season and at 119 in 2011. And not long into Saturday’s championship match, Nichols nearly pinned him.

But by staying on his feet – Simaz’s strength – he turned the tide of the match quickly in his favor.

“I was really disappointed to start the match off like that. That’s a bad note. But luckily we came though that and pulled off a victory,” Simaz said.

“I’ve been waiting a long time to get one of these, so I’m very relieved. I feel like a lot of stuff came off my shoulders.”

145

Champion: Ben Whitford, St. Johns, Sr. (37-0)
Technical Fall, 22-7, over Casey Burandt, Niles, Sr. (31-2)

Whitford also celebrated winning a fourth state-level championship Saturday. He clinched his second MHSAA title to go with his championship last season at 140 and two he won while living in Illinois as a freshman and sophomore.

He keeps up with some friends he wrestled with while in Illinois. But he’s definitely a Michigan guy now, and signed to join U-M next season.

“It’s a weird feeling that it’s all over,” Whitford said. “For the last two years, I don’t think I would’ve improved more, had better friends, or been able to do the things we’ve done without the guys around me. And I’m just proud to be back in St. Johns.”

152

Champion: Josh Pennell, St. Johns, Sr. (40-0)
Fall, 1:44, over Fritzel Findeisen, Niles, Sr. (49-6)

Pennell has been a significant part of St. Johns’ program through all four team championships, and finished third individually the last two seasons after placing second at 119 as a freshman.

But the Michigan State recruit felt like it was inevitable that like many of his teammates, he’d get an individual title too. And in his final high school match, he made that hope come true.

“It’s long overdue, I felt like. And what a better year than senior year,” Pennell said. “I wasn’t going to stop until I had a state title.

“I thought about (the last few years) a lot. I was able to come back and wrestle and win my match for third. Those were all very close matches, and all I thought about was winning it and winning those close matches.”

160

Champion: Devon Pingel, North Branch, Fr. (40-3)
Decision, 10-5, over Jordan Sullivan, Coopersville, Sr. (39-3)

Pingel explained that he’d wrestled on a similarly large stage before –prior to high school, when he won a tournament in Tulsa, Okla.

But he was excited about the opportunities that could come with finishing his first trip to The Palace with an MHSAA title as a freshman.

“I learned to push myself a lot harder,” Pingel said. “I wanted to be a four-time state champ. I got a start to it.”

171

Champion: Angus Arthur, St. Johns, Soph. (46-3)
Decision, 5-2, over Brett Dempsey, Mattawan, Sr. (55-1)

It’s fair to say Arthur, for one of the few times this season, was the underdog in his championship match. Dempsey finished third at 171 in 2012 and hadn't lost this winter.

But it’s been a fun two weeks for the Redwings, given their team title won in Battle Creek. And Arthur felt confidence in the preparation he’d received facing some of the toughest teams in the state this season.

“I felt like I was (the underdog). (But) I didn't really look at the record,” he said. “I knew I could win, and I just went out there.”

189

Champion: Payne Hayden, St. Johns, Sr. (45-1)
11-9, Decision, over Garett Stehley, Lowell, Jr. (30-1)

For once, Hayden said, he felt “great” at the end of an MHSAA Finals.

He’d had plenty of success before, making the Semifinals his first two seasons and finishing runner-up at 215 a year ago. But ending number one was an entirely different experience.

“Every year, I’ve had seven losses no matter what age. (But) I’ve always been right at the top of the podium,” Hayden said. “It feels good right now to finally get that chip off my shoulder.”

Hayden finished undefeated in Michigan this winter. His lone loss came to Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward’s Domenic Abounader, who he’ll wrestle with next season at U-M.

215

Champion: Brian Moran, Fowlerville, Sr. (56-0)
Decision, 11-5, over Taylor Kornoely, Lowell, Sr. (36-1)

The unfortunate circumstance of Saturday’s final Division 2 match was that one senior was going to finish his final season with a loss and just shy of winning his first MHSAA title.

Moran led 6-4 with a period remaining before pulling away. And the emotion of the moment wasn’t lost on the Gladiators’ standout, who lost to teammate Adam Coon at this weight in the 2010 championship match and finished fourth at his weight last season.

“Since I’ve been in fourth grade, I’ve put my heart and soul in this sport. And to leave this sport at that type of note, on top, it’s amazing," Moran said. "I’ve been striving for this my whole high school career. I don’t care if it’s a state title. I feel like I just won the Olympics."

PHOTO: Fowlerville senior Adam Coon has his arm raised after winning his fourth MHSAA title Saturday at The Palace of Auburn Hills. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)

D1 Preview: Returning Stars Fill Lineup

March 5, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

This weekend’s Individual Finals Division 1 brackets are absolutely loaded with stars, featuring eight champions and six runners-up from 2019’s showcase at Ford Field.

But the best part over the next two days will be watching how 210 more wrestlers seeking similar stardom work to break in against such an experienced group of elite performers.

Below, we look at 10 contenders to watch in Division 1, plus list all of the top seeds heading into this weekend. We no doubt missed a few who will end up among the biggest headliners Saturday – but come back to Second Half early Sunday as we’ll interview and report on all 56 champions.

The “Grand March” on Friday begins at 11 a.m., with five rounds wrestled throughout the day including the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Wrestling picks back up with consolation rounds at 9 a.m. Saturday, and concludes with the championship matches that afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

Follow all matches on a subscription basis live on MHSAA.tv, and click here for results at MHSAA.com.

119 Brandon Ferretti, Macomb Dakota junior (30-1) – The reigning champion at 112 is the top seed this time at 119 and enters with a combined 83-1 record over the last two seasons. His only loss was to Division 2 top seed Joe Haynes of Warren Woods Tower, by sudden victory in Ferretti’s third match of this season. Ferretti also finished third at 103 as a freshman.

119 Kavan Troy, Rochester junior (44-5) – Last season’s champ at 103 moved up two weights and took a few losses, but is in position to make a big statement early with a possible chance of facing top seed Ferretti in the second round. Troy finished 50-0 a year ago, bringing his combined record the last two seasons to 94-5.

135 Eddie Homrock, Brighton senior (40-3) – Homrock moved up from fourth at 125 as a sophomore to champion a year ago, and will enter his last high school Finals as the top seed in his bracket. His only in-state defeat this season came in December to Lowell’s Austin Boone, who is going for a fourth title in Division 2. Homrock will continue at Michigan State.

140 Josh Edmond, Detroit Catholic Central senior (39-0) – A three-time finalist, Edmond will attempt to win a third championship to go with last year’s title at 135, another at 135 in 2018, the 130 title in 2017 and a Division 2 runner-up finish at 135 as a freshman. The top seed in his bracket, he’s a combined 156-3 over four seasons and wrestling for his second undefeated campaign. He will continue at Missouri.

145 T.J. Daugherty, Waterford Kettering senior (31-0) – Daugherty fell just short of claiming a second championship last season, falling 3-0 to undefeated Kyle Kantola of Hartland in the 130 title match. That was Daugherty’s only loss of 2018-19, and he hasn’t been defeated since. He won the title at 103 as a freshman.

160 Derek Gilcher, Detroit Catholic Central senior (41-2) – Gilcher is wrestling for a third title after winning 140 last season, 135 as a sophomore and finishing fourth at 119 as a freshman. Two wins this weekend will give him 150 for his career, and he enters as the top seed. His only in-state loss this winter was to Davison’s Alex Facundo, the top seed at 171.

171 Alex Facundo, Davison junior (35-2) – Facundo is the top seed at this weight and on a possible four-title track, with championships at 160 last year and 152 as a freshman. He has 18 wins by pin and 11 by technical fall this season and already has committed to continue his career at Penn State after graduation.

215 Brendin Yatooma, Detroit Catholic Central senior (41-1) – The reigning champion at 215 will go for another title and third Finals placing after also taking eighth at 189 as a sophomore. He’s undefeated against in-state competition this winter and a combined 80-4 overall over the last two, and enters as the top seed.

285 Steven Kolcheff, Detroit Catholic Central senior (42-2) – Kolcheff also is attempting to finish his high school career with a repeat and finished runner-up at this weight as well as a sophomore. He’s not the top seed, with his only in-state loss this season to top-seeded Jake Swirple of Livonia Franklin in sudden victory after beating Swirple by decision three weeks earlier.

285 Jake Swirple, Livonia Franklin senior (55-1) – As noted above, Swirple is the top seed at this weight, coming back from a 3-2 loss to Kolcheff on Feb. 1 to defeat him at their Regional 3-2. Swirple was third at this weight last winter and eighth as a sophomore, and he’s 161-14 combined over the last three seasons.

Other 2019 runners-up: 112 Aden Williams, Davison sophomore (31-8, 103 in 2019); 119 Zein Bazzi, Dearborn Heights Crestwood junior (45-4, 112 in 2019); 125 Andrew Chambal, Davison senior (38-5, 119 in 2019); 130 Brody Kemper, Grand Blanc senior (28-1, 135 in 2019); 145 Marc Shaeffer, Detroit Catholic Central senior (29-12, 140 in 2019).

Additional No. 1 seeds: 103 Caden Horwath, Davison freshman (39-2); 112 Dylan Gilcher, Detroit Catholic Central freshman (36-3); 125 Andrew Chambal, Davison senior (38-5); 130 Brody Kemper, Grand Blanc senior (28-1); 152 Josh Barr, Davison freshman (35-0); 189 Greyson Stevens, Brighton senior (38-4).

Also undefeated: 119 Manuel Leija, Lansing Eastern senior (31-0).

PHOTO: Brighton’s Eddie Homrock has his arm raised in victory by the official after his Finals win last season at Ford Field. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)