After Amputation, Wesaw's Return to Wrestling Provides Purpose, Self-Confidence
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
March 13, 2026
DOWAGIAC – Weski Wesaw found a purpose three years ago once he began competing for the Dowagiac wrestling team.
Wesaw, a senior and the Chieftains' varsity starter at 150 pounds this winter, overcame a traumatic and life-altering event in junior high school to become a Regional qualifier on the mats.
During the summer before seventh grade, Wesaw was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, an aggressive primary bone cancer most common in children, teens and older adults.
"I found out I had bone cancer in my knee. The doctors told me I had two options,” Wesaw said. “They gave me the option to keep my leg ... or I could choose amputation.
“My aunt chose to keep her leg when she had cancer, and it spread throughout her body and she passed away due to it.”
Wesaw's desire to be active and participate in sports were two more big reasons he chose amputation.
"I had dreams and goals so I leaned towards amputation because they told me it was the only way I could compete in sports, was with its removal or a prosthetic," Wesaw said.
Wesaw went through rehabilitation but struggled for a long period with a bit of depression while adjusting to his new normal.
"I had always been an athlete. I played everything as a kid – lacrosse, football, baseball and wrestling,” Wesaw said. “Being a kid, then not being able to do things you once did, that's very difficult. Your friend group changes a bit too."
During his sophomore year, Wesaw and one of the school's athletic directors approached Dowagiac's varsity wrestling coach Colin Burandt with the idea of Wesaw trying wrestling again.
Burandt was aware of Wesaw at an early age when he participated in Dowagiac's Youth Wrestling Club.
"After everything happened to Weski, he was kind've reclusive a little bit. He felt kind've out of place as a freshman, but he came into his sophomore year with more drive and approached me about joining the team,” Burandt said. “We just got after it, and it's been awesome seeing how he has developed a new purpose through the sport."
Wesaw admits that wrestling has changed his outlook on everything.
"Wrestling has had a big impact on my life. I wanted a purpose to come to school,” Wesaw said. “I had competed in MyWay when I was a kid with two legs, and I knew how to wrestle. Going back into it with just one leg was similar to learning to ride a bike again."
One of the biggest adjustments Wesaw had to make was learning how to shoot using his own style.
"Instead of using your knee to shoot, I had to figure out my own way to be able to move and slide through perfectly,” Wesaw said “When I'm on the mat, I just do what my mind tells me to do. I can adapt and match my opponent's energy. It's been a long process that has taken all the way up to my senior year to get the hang of things. Now I've gotten to the point where I can leave everything out on the mat.”
Wesaw finished with a win-loss record of 23-18 this season. He earned third place at the Division 3 Individual District Tournament at Dowagiac. The top four place finishers in each of the 14 weight classes advanced to the Belding Regional, where he was eliminated in the second round.
"Having the home crowd cheering for me in Districts was huge. I was really nervous,” Wesaw said. “Before every match I just told myself that I got this, and I left everything out there on the mat. My goal was to get to the state meet, and I fell just a bit short of that goal. I gave it my all, and the determination to reach my goal is what really drove me."
Wesaw also played a key factor as Dowagiac won its ninth-straight Team District title before losing in Team Regionals.
"I get butterflies just thinking about the big meets. We've been successful because everyone on this team brought something different to the table," Wesaw said.
"Self-confidence is a very important thing in wrestling. I have become much more confident in myself thanks to the great support I've received from my friends, family and the community. I just have to give a lot of thanks to them along with my coaches who have accepted me for who I am and made me into the person I am today," Wesaw said. "I approach everything I do with 100-percent effort so I have no regrets. I want to look back and know I have made a big impact on this program."
Wesaw was one of Dowagiac's most versatile grapplers and comes from a wrestling family.
"My dad was a wrestler and my uncle wrestled and later became a boxer. Even my little sister is on our wrestling team," Wesaw said. "My uncle (Eric Ortiz) has really helped me with my moves and helping me to think straight and remain calmer in my matches.”
Wesaw plans to continue wrestling in college and plans to pursue a double major in business and engineering.
One of his biggest inspirations is Anthony Robles.
Robles is an American wrestler who attended and competed for Arizona State, where he won a national championship in the 125-pound division in 2011 despite being born with just one leg. His story helped spawn the movie “Unstoppable.”
"Coaching someone like (Wesaw) is really no different than coaching anyone else,” Burandt said. “My approach is that every kid on our team is different. With Weski, his style is tailored to what he can do on top and offensive moves. With him there aren't necessarily challenges, but he just has to do what fits him best like working for a lot of reversals in a match.
“He's developed a pretty good shot from when he first began. Our strategy is for him to be aggressive in that first period. He's quick, very resilient, battles through the latter periods and is stronger than many of his opponents. Confidence in his ability, game planning and executing that plan and being a team player are some of his other assets.
"Weski is a great teammate, and everyone loves him. The other kids see his hard work and resiliency. They just view him as another guy on the team, and he's no different than anyone else. His mindset is great. He never makes excuses, and he just goes after it and figures things out on the way."
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Dowagiac’s Weski Wesaw, in orange, works toward a pin during a tournament this season. (Middle) Wesaw, top position, works on a move against a practice partner during the week of Individual Regionals. (Below) Wesaw, far left, stands on the podium after earning a second-place finish at the Greater Berrien County Invitational. (Match and podium photos courtesy of Dowagiac’s athletic department. Practice photo by Scott Hassinger.)
D1 Preview: Powerful Pair Seeded to Meet for Finals Rematch
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 24, 2022
Three of the past five seasons have seen Davison and Detroit Catholic Central face off for the Division 1 championship. That could play out again this weekend at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo.
They are once again the top two seeds in the division with Quarterfinals – matchups below – set to begin at 2:15 p.m. Friday. Davison won last season’s championship match 29-24 over the Shamrocks, and defeated DCC this regular season 32-31 on Jan. 28.
#1 Davison (16-4) vs. #8 Warren Woods Tower (7-8)
#4 Macomb Dakota (22-3) vs. #5 Temperance Bedford (30-4)
#3 Hartland (28-1) vs. #6 Holt (21-3)
#2 Detroit Catholic Central (12-3) vs. #7 Grandville (15-3)
Semifinals will start at 9:30 Saturday morning, with the championship match at 3:45 p.m.
Tickets for Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals will be sold by the Wings Event Center box office. All matches for all three rounds also will be viewable on MHSAA.tv with subscription.
Below is a look at all eight teams competing in Division 1, listed by seed. (Girls Finals qualifiers are noted with “G” with weight class, as those classes differ from the other Individual Finals brackets.)
#1 DAVISON
Record/rank: 16-4, No. 1
League finish: Second in Saginaw Valley League
Coach: Zac Hall, second season (28-4)
Championship history: Nine MHSAA championships (most recent 2021), six runner-up finishes.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 119 Justin Gates (25-2) soph., 125 Caden Horwath (23-0) jr., 125 Kyle Jelinek (27-10) fr., 130 Brendan Maybee (23-9) sr., 135 Cameron Freeman (19-7) sr., 140 Evan Herriman (15-2) jr., 145 Owen Payne (9-1) sr., 152 Max Callahan (15-5) jr., 160 Kyle White (25-4) sr., 171 Josh Barr (21-1) jr., 189 Remy Cotton (20-3) jr., 215 Jimmy Colley (25-2) sr., 285 Zane Richardson (29-4) sr.
Outlook: Davison won last season’s championship – its first since 2006 and with five runner-up finishes in between – with eight starters expected to be in the lineup again this weekend. Gates (103), Horwath (119), Barr (160) and Colley (215) all are reigning Individual Finals champions – Barr and Horwath are both two-time title winners – while Herrman was last season’s runner-up at 135 and Freeman, Maybee and White were Finals placers.
#2 DETROIT CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 12-3, No. 2
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central
Coach: Mitch Hancock, 15th season (326-53)
Championship history: Fifteen MHSAA championships (most recent 2020), three runner-up finishes.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Nathan Walkowiak (29-6) fr., 112 Simon Dominguez (25-13) soph., 119 Drew Heethuis (25-3) jr., 130 Clayton Jones (29-3) jr., 130 Anthony Walker (25-9) sr., 135 Mason Stewart (27-3) soph., 140 Dylan Gilcher (32-0) jr., 140 Jake Matigian (31-9) fr., 145 Steven Shellenberger (21-13) jr., 152 Tatum Bunn (20-11) jr., 152 Darius Marines (29-4) soph., 160 Cameron Adams (24-8) jr., 171 Manuel Rojas (32-1) sr., 189 Connor Bercume (29-8) fr.
Outlook: DCC has wrestled in five straight Division 1 championship matches – winning four straight from 2017-20 – and this lineup is anticipated to return despite only three senior starters. That hardly means there’s less experience than most. Heethuis (112), Gilcher (135), Marines (145) and Rojas are reigning individual champs, with Gilcher and Rojas wrestling next weekend for their third titles. Walker, Jones and Bunn also are returning Finals placers.
#3 HARTLAND
Record/rank: 28-1, No. 3
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association (overall)
Coach: Kyle Summerfield, first season (28-1)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2016, five runner-up finishes
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Jake Gillespie (38-3) soph., 112 Patrick Wlodyga (36-8) sr., 119 Easton Culver (22-6) fr., 125 Liam Wiitanen (31-9) jr., 135 Vinnie Abbey (36-4) soph., 140 Gabe Cappellano (39-4) jr., 145 Justin VanVaerenbergh (39-2) sr., 152 Nick Dimitroff (19-1) jr., 160 Nick Rochowiak (31-4) jr., 171 Brayden Bobo (37-3) jr., 189 Chase Kern (39-4) jr., 215 Avery Dickerson (4-1) sr., 255-G Eliana Bommarito (17-6) sr.
Outlook: Summerfield, a past Hartland standout, took over the program this season after longtime coach Todd Cheney retired as the fourth-winningest in MHSAA history. Summerfield has totaled more than 150 coaching wins including at Linden before coming to Hartland, and his team’s only loss this winter was to No. 10 Brighton. The Eagles haven’t given up a point over three postseason matches. Bobo, Dickerson, Kern, Abbey and Dimitroff all are returning Finals placers.
#4 MACOMB DAKOTA
Record/rank: 22-3, No. 4
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red
Coach: Ed Skowneski, 10th season (269-60)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Ozia Wilson (42-0) fr., 112 Caleb Weiand (42-0) jr., 112 Orion Wilson (10-2) jr., 119 Drew Astorga (30-9) jr., 125 Fritz Mueller (36-6) sr., 140 Jake Ferguson (29-12) jr., 140 Austin Alkazir (38-6) sr., Aiden Criteser (35-8) jr., 215 Anthony Coleman (35-8) jr.
Outlook: Dakota has won seven straight Regional championships and nine in 10 seasons under Skowneski. Weiand was the individual runner-up at 103 last season, while Orion Wilson is a two-time Finals placer and Alkazir joined them last winter. Alkazir also is one of only three senior starters, with seven juniors anchoring a lineup that should be tough again next season.
#5 TEMPERANCE BEDFORD
Record/rank: 30-4, No. 5
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference
Coach: Kevin Vogel, 11th season (255-59)
Championship history: Eleven MHSAA championships (most recent 2001), seven runner-up finishes.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Vincent Cole (34-12) soph., 119 Brock Jandasek (38-12) jr., 125 Nathan Gerber (28-10) jr., 145 Jack Nigh (27-13) jr., 152 Tyler Boerst (37-6) jr., 160 Rollie Denker (50-2) sr.
Outlook: After a season away, Bedford is back at Finals weekend for the second time in three years and fifth time under Vogel. The Kicking Mules advanced this time with a 40-27 Regional Final win over No. 9 Westland John Glenn. Senior Randy Boisselle (35-4 at 171) was a Finals placer last season and is one of eight on the team with at least 30 wins.
#6 HOLT
Record/rank: 21-3, No. 8
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference Blue
Coach: Stan Granger, first season (21-3)
Championship history: Four MHSAA championships (most recent 2008), two runner-up finishes.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Jacob Harris (29-11) soph., 112 Ryan Mosher (28-8) jr., 112 Mariano Lopez (31-4) jr., 130 Jason Jones (19-7) sr., 135 Ralph Thompson (30-12) sr., 160 Alex Russell (25-7) sr., 189 Nathan Bremer (14-4) sr., 215 Cole Newman (30-13) jr., 285 Joshua Terrill (38-2) sr.
Outlook: Granger is a past Holt standout and served as an assistant under longtime coach Rocky Shaft since 1998 before taking over the program. The Rams downed No. 10 Brighton 45-29 in a Regional Semifinal on the way to Kalamazoo. A junior-heavy lineup last season has become a group anchored by seven senior starters plus five more juniors. Terrill was the runner-up at 285 last season, while Bremer, Mosher, Jones, Thompson and Russell also were Finals placers.
#7 GRANDVILLE
Record/rank: 15-3, No. 6
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Coach: Bubba Gritter, 12th season (187-76)
Championship history: Two MHSAA championships (most recent 1993), three runner-up finishes.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 112 Josh Vasquez (35-3) fr., 119 Jaxon Sanchez (27-9) soph., 135 Justin Gorman (23-4) jr., 171 Max Herrema (22-9) soph., 285 Jordan Kaat (32-3) sr., 105-G Beyonkah Rincones (10-11), fr.
Outlook: Grandville is returning to the Finals for the first time since 2017 and fourth time under Gritter, after claiming a 34-25 win over No. 7 Rockford in the Regional Final to advance. Sanchez and senior Anthony Taylor (23-10 at 152) were Individual Finals placers in 2021.
#8 WARREN WOODS TOWER
Record/rank: 7-8, unranked
League finish: Fifth in MAC Red
Co-coaches: Greg Mayer, 22nd season (409-266) and Russell Correll, ninth season (172-70)
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2017.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Dominic Gumtow (27-4) fr., 112 Daniel Staniszwski (15-8) soph., 130 Tyler Daniel (28-10) sr., 135 Aidan Ede (22-10) fr., 145 Josh Howey (24-2) sr.
Outlook: The Titans are headed to Finals weekend for the seventh-straight season, but this time in Division 1 after previously making the trip in Division 2. Daniel and Howey were Finals placers last season, and they are two of four senior starters for an otherwise younger group – eight underclassmen help fill the lineup.
PHOTO Hartland, here against Westland John Glenn, is the No. 3 seed this weekend in Division 1. (Photo by Douglas Bargerstock.)