Whitman, Trombley Join 4-Time Legends

By Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com

March 3, 2018

DETROIT – Brandon Whitman and Jarrett Trombley will both be headed to the state of North Carolina this fall.

Before leaving, however, they put on one more show Saturday night for wrestling fans at the MHSAA Individual Championships.

Lake Fenton’s Trombley and Dundee’s Whitman became the 23rd and 24th wrestlers in state history to win four Individual Finals titles, claiming their final Division 3 crowns in the end zone at Ford Field.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Whitman, who will wrestle at the University of North Carolina next year. “Ever since you were little you were watching some of these (four-time state champions). I watched Lincoln Olson (Davison) and I watched Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central) last year, I was on a bunch of teams with Ben, so it was nice to be up there with those people and know that your work was paying off.”

Whitman (47-0) defeated Richmond senior Colton McKiernan (40-3) at 215 pounds 6-0 in a rematch of last season’s 189-pound final. He also won at 189 as a sophomore and 171 as a freshman, and accumulated 202 victories in his Dundee career, adding two Team Finals championships as well.

On the weekend, Whitman was dominant, winning by forfeit in his first match before pinning his quarterfinal and semifinal opponents in 20 and 7 seconds, respectively.

“It just shows that the work I put in is more than the people that I compete with,” Whitman said. “I put in hours upon hours of work, and it shows. When you put in the work, good things will come.”

Trombley (59-0), who is headed to North Carolina State, was dominant as well at 130 pounds, winning by technical fall in each of his first three matches before defeating Dundee sophomore Christian Killion (34-9) 8-2 in the title match.

“It’s just amazing to get this accomplishment and be here with my friends and family and just celebrate,” he said. “Not many people have been here before.”

Trombley won titles at 112, 119 and 130 pounds his previous three seasons, and admitted there were some nerves before he headed out on the mat.

“I tried not to (put pressure on himself) but toward the start time of my match, I got a little bit more nervous and more nervous,” he said. “But it was definitely all worth it now.”

103

Champion: Hunter Assenmacher, Ida, Soph. (53-0)
Decision, 7-2 over Robbie Altland, Hart, Jr. (51-1)

Assenmacher said he’d been waiting for his MHSAA championship moment since he first stepped on a mat at 4 years old.

A year ago, he came up one match short. This year, however, nothing was able to slow him down as he rolled to an unbeaten season.

“I’m just so thankful for everybody who pushed me through the season and helped me get to where I am right now,” said Assenmacher, who jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first period.

“I knew I had to keep pushing the pace, but I didn’t want to give up something stupid, so I just kind of played it safe but made sure I wasn’t taking anything off of him.”

112

Champion: Sean Spidle, Flint Powers, Soph. (40-3)
Major decision, 12-3, over Tyler Swiderski, Dundee, Fr. (33-11)

With two titles in two seasons, Spidle knows the four-timer talk is going to start following him around. But he’s not ready to focus on that quite yet.

“I’m not going to really think about that,” Spidle said. “I’m just going to try to take it one match at a time. Sure the goal is to win states each year, but I’m just going to try to not think about that and take it one match at a time.”

Last year’s 103-pound champion jumped out to an early lead against Swiderski, and had a confident look on his face following a big move in the first period.

“I think the turning point was when I took him down and got back points,” Spidle said. “I felt pretty good throughout the match, but that really gave me a huge confidence booster.”

119

Champion: Dametrius Castillo, Alma, Fr. (38-6)
Decision, 3-2, over Kyle Schaaf, Clare, Jr. (52-3)

After helping Alma reach the Team Quarterfinals for the first time in school history, Castillo came up with some more history in the individual tournament, claiming the Panthers’ first title since 1993.

“It means that it doesn’t matter how big your school is or how small your school is, if you come out here to wrestle and work for it, you can come out here and win,” Castillo said. “I think now that we’ve shown everybody that we’re here to wrestle and we’re coming up big and bringing up a lot of people, it shows them they have a chance and makes them want work harder every day in practice.”

Castillo took a 3-2 lead late in the match, and held off a late headlock attempt by Schaaf.

“I knew he was going to try and throw it,” Castillo said. “I was just waiting for it to lock him up and hold on so I didn’t get a stalling call. I just knew I had go out there and still be offensive and not get a stalling call to win.”

125

Champion: Dakota Greer, Howard City Tri-County, Sr. (43-2)
Decision, 9-2, over Reese Wallis, Montrose, Sr. (49-2)

After finishing off his third championship and a marvelous high school career, one could forgive Greer for taking some extra time behind the mat following his 9-2 win against Wallis.

“Right now, I’m just resting,” he said. “Trying to get my breath, trying to take it all in.”

Greer didn’t rest much on the mat, controlling his match from start to finish and adding to the 119-pound title he won a year ago and the 103-pound title he won in 2015.

“It was just a matter of figuring him out,” Greer said. “He was more of a defensive wrestler that was staying away from me, so it was more of just once I kind of figured it out and felt comfortable out there, I was in control for sure.”

135

Champion: Stoney Buell, Dundee, Fr. (43-4)
Decision, 6-1, over Trevor Robinson, Shepherd, Jr. (42-4)

On the night his teammate won a fourth Finals title, Buell took his first step toward accomplishing the feat as well.

“Brandon (Whitman) just told me don’t wrestle the crowd, just wrestle the opponent,” Buell said of the pre-match advice he received. “‘You’re not facing the crowd, you’re facing your opponent. And just have fun. Be thankful.’”

Buell took control of the match with near-fall points in the second period.

“I felt more comfortable, but I probably should have attacked more,” Buell said. “Just to separate the match and let him know that I’m the best in the state right now.”

140

Champion: Mason Breece, Birch Run, Sr. (57-3)
Decision, 2-1, over Nick Felt, Shelby, Jr. (50-5)

For 5 minutes and 58 seconds, Breece couldn’t break through Felt’s defense. But in those final seconds, the Birch Run senior saw an opening and took it.

“I knew I was running out of time, and I just had to score,” Breece said. “He put himself in a bad position and I capitalized. As soon as I got that lock locked up and I was ready for it, he just made a mistake and I caught it.”

Breece’s late takedown finished off a strong career that, up until Saturday night, was missing one key piece.

“I’ve been a contender for a couple years now,” he said. “And it feels great to finally get what was coming my way.”

145

Champion: Alex Roberts, Richmond, Sr. (36-5)
Decision, 5-3, over Sean Trombley, Lake Fenton, Jr. (48-2)

Alex Roberts doesn’t give up many points, so when a five-point move opened some breathing room for him, he knew the title was his to lose.

“I felt comfortable,” Roberts said. “I know that I’m hard to score on, and if I was going to give up anything, it wouldn’t be enough for him.”

Roberts finished sixth a year ago and fourth as a sophomore. After Saturday’s win, his post-match emotion was palpable.

“I can’t even describe it,” he said. “I wanted to be a state champ since I was a little kid, and finally the hard work paid off.”

152

Champion: DJ Daniels, Caro, Jr. (58-2)
Fall, 3:45, over Zachary Bellaire, Dundee, Sr. (42-8)

Daniels didn’t have the opportunity to stop Bellaire from winning the 140-pound title a year ago, but he was still plenty motivated to take on the guy who took home the bracket he wanted in 2017.

“He won my chart last year, so there was a little bit of vengeance there,” Daniels said. “I knew the match would be won on our feet, and apparently it was.”

Daniels took advantage of a Bellaire shot attempt, catching the returning champion and taking him to his back late in the second period where he finished off the match with a pin.

“It felt great,” Daniels said. “There’s nothing like it. You don’t even think about it until it’s over.”

160

Champion: Jackson Nevadomski, Lake Fenton, Sr. (43-2)
Fall, 2:59, over Tylor Orrison, Dundee, Sr. (44-4)

Nevadomski made a B-line to the Lake Fenton cheering section to celebrate with his family after claiming his first championship.

“They’ve done everything for me to get to this point – parents, coaches and friends,” Nevadomski said. “I just figured they should be the first to celebrate for me.”

Nevadomski had defeated Orrison, the 2017 145-pound champion, in the Regional Final two weeks ago, and took some notes while he did, which led to the second-period pin.

“When I was on top I got a couple wings in, so I knew if I could get on top and get those wings in, then I just needed to switch them up a little, so we worked on that in practice the last couple weeks,” he said. “We worked on running the chicken wing and coming over with a half. I guess it worked out for me.”

171

Champion: Owen Guilford, Portland, Jr. (40-1)
Major decision, 10-1, over Robert Granberry, Remus Chippewa Hills, Sr. (45-6)

Guilford said there wasn’t a special strategy heading into his title match. But when you’ve had as much success as he has this season, it’s best to not stray too much from what’s worked.

“Just trust your training,” Guilford said. “That’s what Coach has instilled in me. We knew we could win that match, so just trusted our training, stuck together and pulled it off in the end.”

Guilford had a big lead heading into the final period, and remained calm to claim his school’s first title since 2000.

“Maybe if anything, stay cautious, don’t try anything stupid,” he said. “It only takes one move to lose in wrestling.”

189

Champion: Ethan Weatherspoon, Napoleon, Jr. (54-0)
Decision, 6-4 (SV), over Brockton Cook, Birch Run, Jr. (56-5)

Weatherspoon hasn’t been in many tight matches this season, but when he found himself in a dogfight against Cook on the state’s biggest stage, he dug deep enough to pull out the win.

“It was just all in my head for a second,” Weatherspoon said. “Being in a big championship match, you just have to relax. That’s what I started to do, and that’s when I started getting my rhythm.”

Weatherspoon was able to get a takedown early in the sudden-victory overtime, but Cook led early, putting a scare into the unbeaten wrestler.

“I just told myself, ‘Hey, you gotta do it,’” he said. “’All that work you put in, I’m getting what I put out.’ I was not about to stop right there.”

285

Champion: Tyler Marino, Richmond, Sr. (31-5)
Decision, 5-1, over Tyden Ferris, Delton Kellogg, Sr. (45-2)

Marino was one match short of his championship goal a year ago, but the motivation that created helped push him over the top in his final season.

“It feels great, coming from being second last year to winning it this year; it’s all I’ve been training for and it feels amazing,” Marino said. “You just have to make yourself calm before the match. I just listen to music, keep myself calm and do what I do.”

Marino won four low-scoring matches on the weekend, something he’s excelled at all year.

“I’m always attacking and trying to draw the stalling calls,” he said. “I do active stalling. Active stalling is a huge part of wrestling. You’re moving, but you’re really not trying to score, you’re just showing the ref that you’re doing what you’ve got to do.”

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PHOTOS: Dundee's Brandon Whitman (left) and Lake Fenton's Jarrett Trombley receive salutes from the Ford Field crowd after becoming the latest four-time MHSAA Finals champions Saturday. (Middle) Whitman and Trombley take a quick photo together during a quieter moment. (Top photos by HighSchoolSportsScene.com, middle photo by Michelle Campbell.)

Senior Pair's Selfless Leadership Crucial to Benzie Central's Historic Run

By Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com

March 3, 2023

It is pretty well-known now that a historic wrestling run by Benzie Central came to an end in a Division 4 Quarterfinal last weekend.

Northern Lower PeninsulaPerhaps equally known is the Huskies qualified 11 grapplers for the Individual Finals taking place today and Saturday at Ford Field.

But not many are familiar with the story of senior athletes Wyatt Noffsinger and Austin Smith — the undisputed motivational leaders of the team — and their personal Benzie wrestling history.

The story began when Noffsinger was an eighth grader.  He took a trip with a friend and his father to watch the MHSAA Finals. And it is ending this weekend with Noffsinger and Smith watching — and cheering on — their teammates at the championship event.

Noffsinger and Smith did not qualify for this weekend’s competition. Noffsinger fell one point shy in his 175-pound bracket at the Individual Regional. And Smith graciously had opted to give up his spot in the postseason lineup to Noffsinger.

Last year Smith was among 12 Benzie wrestlers who advanced to Regionals. And injuries kept Noffsinger off the mat.

“It’s a proud moment for me as a coach,” said 10-year veteran coach Josh Lovendusky. “These two guys haven’t missed a practice in the postseason because they knew they had to be there for the team to help them train so they can be ready for the Finals.

“They don’t have to be there — they put their team first,” he continued. “They’re giving up their time to make sure their teammates are successful.

Smith and Noffsinger help as officials at a youth wrestling tournament this week. Noffsinger and Smith represent what the Huskies – who made their first-ever appearance at Team Finals weekend – are all about, according to Lovendusky, who now shares his coaching duties with co-coach Cody Vandonkelaar.

“It is what we’ve been trying to embody this entire season,” Lovendusky said. “Coaching for as long as I have, I have never seen somebody as selfless as these two individuals have been this season.”

Smith may get the honor of being the most selfless. He voluntarily gave up his slot wrestling at 144 pounds for his friend Noffsinger, nicknamed “Cheddar.”

Teams may send only 14 competitors into the individual tournament (not counting the girls division). Benzie’s postseason roster was developed by team vote, and Smith was originally selected. After stewing on it for a few days and recalling how Noffsinger – who wrestles at 175 pounds – didn’t get a shot at Districts or Regionals last year, Smith approached Vandonkelaar about making the change.

“I only felt right that we both get three chances at (the postseason),” Smith said of his decision. “I don’t get four and he only gets two.

“I just thought it would be fair if we both went three for three.”

Both Smith and Noffsinger are thrilled the coaches made the roster change, especially since it resulted in a nail-biting finish in the “blood round” – the round that determines the final two qualifiers who will advance or be done. As luck would have it, Noffsinger faced a teammate in his Finals-qualifying match hosted by Charlevoix, and lost by one point.

“Cheddar exceeded my expectations, to be honest,” Smith said.  “It came down to one point. 

“I was on the end of my seat, and whoever lost I’d feel bad for and whoever won I’d feel awesome for,” Smith continued.  “He came up a little bit short, and I am just happy he got a shot to go.”

Noffsinger is at the top of his class academically and led the Huskies to academic all-state recognition this year. The three-sport star is grateful Smith yielded his spot. 

“Austin didn’t have to do that,” Noffsinger said. “I wasn’t expecting it.

 Smith celebrates a match win, while Noffsinger attempts to break free from an opponent. “It completely says a lot about who he is as a man … who he is as a friend,” he continued. “I was so grateful.”

Without Smith, Noffsinger is quick to point out, he would not have had the chance to fulfill the dream of competing at the Finals that began with that eighth-grade trip.

“Knowing that I was going to have the last shot to make it was a huge sense of relief and gratitude for him as a friend to give me that opportunity,” Noffsinger said. “I wanted to win really bad and make it.

“And the same time, it hurts knowing if you do win, you’re going to take a teammate’s shot at making it – and it really hurt knowing your dream was gone,” Noffsinger said of falling one point short. “It is still cool because we made it as a team, and it will be awesome to be down there for the experience and the amazing atmosphere.”

Lovendusky is quick to point out the two seniors represent much more leadership than any coach could ever request.

“These two individuals are the unsung, motivational leaders of this team,” Lovendusky said.  “At the team states neither one of them wrestled, but they were the absolute loudest. 

“They made sure the team was ready to go,” Lovendusky continued. “You can’t ask for better senior leadership than kids giving everything they have even though they didn’t have the opportunity to wrestle, and they were a pivotal part of what our team did.”

Smith and Noffsinger have one more leadership task to complete when the Individual Finals are over. They’ll lead the charge into the Brazilian steak house that’s become a tradition for the Huskies team.

They’re looking forward to the large serving of steak on a skewer.  And they will celebrate this year’s team making history.

“It’s all-you-can-eat meat, and it’s an awesome experience,” said Noffsinger.

Tom SpencerTom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.

PHOTOS (Top) From left: Benzie Central co-coach Cody Vandonkelaar, Wyatt Noffsinger, Austin Smith and co-coach Josh Lovendusky show off the program’s hardware won this winter. (Middle) Smith and Noffsinger help as officials at a youth wrestling tournament this week. (Below) Smith celebrates a match win, while Noffsinger attempts to break free from an opponent. (Photos courtesy of Jill Robinson and Shane Iverson.)