Belleville Twins March to Finals Together
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
March 2, 2016
BELLEVILLE – Caleb Brown continues to be haunted by what he considers a grim disappointment in his Belleville wrestling career.
Last season, Brown lost during what those in the wrestling fraternity call the “blood round.” This is the consolation round, a match for fourth place, at the Individual Wrestling Regionals. Brown lost by one point in the 152-pound weight class to an opponent he had defeated earlier in the season and, thus, missed qualifying for the MHSAA Finals.
He was devastated but not consumed by it. For one, that was his junior season. Brown rededicated himself during the offseason. He continued to run cross country to keep his weight down and also increase his endurance.
This season Brown broke through barriers, claiming the Wayne County and Division 1 Regional championships at 152.
As proud as he is of reaching this point, it’s made even more special by the fact that he’ll enter The Palace of Auburn Hills on Thursday with his twin brother Chris. Chris Brown competes at 130. Last season he qualified for the MHSAA Finals at 119 and won a first-round match before losing his next.
“It’s really cool,” Caleb said. “I missed out last year. Being a senior, it’s cool.
“(Winning the regional) didn’t hit me right away. I was just talking about it with my teammates, and that’s when it hit me. I was really focused on winning the match.”
Caleb is 44-4 this season and will face Kyle Minor of Roseville in Thursday’s first round.
Chris is 47-2 and will go against Lee Grabowski of Brighton.
The Browns say having a twin who competes in the same sports is an advantage, if for no other reason than it enhances one’s competitive nature.
They both started wrestling in middle school by chance.
“We played football in the beginning,” Chris said. “The coach told us to wrestle to keep in shape. I was terrible in the beginning. But we’ve never been known as quitters. I like the individualism. You can’t use the excuse your team lost it for you.”
Once they entered high school, the Browns gravitated even more toward the sport. But it wasn’t until their sophomore season that they became proficient at it.
For Chris, there was one match that showed he could compete against the best.
“My sophomore year was my first on varsity,” he said. “I went against a ranked opponent, and I won by a point. That was huge for my confidence.”
Coinciding with the Browns’ rise was the return of Derek Phillips as coach. Phillips started coaching in 1994 and stayed 11 seasons before taking time off to help raise two children. He remained within the school district as a teacher, but the time commitment of teaching and coaching together was not conducive to spending quality time with his sons.
In 2013, Phillips returned. He has been a mentor for the Browns and a third senior MHSAA Finals qualifier, David Tooley (215).
Phillips was the one who encouraged the Browns to compete in cross country.
“It goes hand in hand,” Phillips said of the two sports. “I love it. They come into the wrestling season in shape. All three have over 100 wins and all three are good students. They’re a coach’s dream.”
Tooley is a little different. It’s not because he plays football instead of competing in cross country. And it’s not because he’s a three-sport athlete (also plays baseball). It’s his warm-up routine that causes many to take a second look, scratch their heads or both.
It’s more than a routine. It’s a dance. Sort of. He got the idea from watching a wrestler from Southgate Anderson who competed against his brother, Mark Tooley, when the elder Tooley wrestled for Belleville in 2011.
“It’s like no other,” David Tooley said. “It’s an active movement. It’s like a dance, and it’s a little embarrassing.”
Whatever works.
The Browns’ warmup routines are a little less flamboyant, but they do get a kick out of watching their teammate go through his routine. Chris likes to listen to music just before his matches. Caleb prefers listening to his coach, receiving last-minute instructions.
Away from the mat, the Browns are constantly challenging each other. Take running, for example.
“We try to one-up each other,” Chris said. “We’ve always been competitive. I’m faster than he is, when we run cross country. We’re not too far apart though.”
Caleb judges a person’s speed all together differently.
“He might beat me in cross country,” he said. “But if it’s a true test of speed, I’m faster.”
Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Chris Brown works to gain control during one of his Division 1 Regional matches Feb. 20. (Middle) Caleb Brown, Chris Brown, David Tooley.(Below) Caleb Brown works an opponent toward a potential pin during one of his Regional matches. (Top and below photos by Douglas Chapman.)
Roseville's Williams Earns Elusive Title with Explosive Finals Flourish
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 1, 2025
DETROIT – Jay’Den Williams almost got too amped up Saturday.
The Roseville junior, who had much of Ford Field in awe with his big-move ability, nearly got put to his back in the 165-pound title match at the Division 1 Individual Wrestling Finals.
But he shook it off on his way to a 23-8 technical fall victory against Temperance Bedford’s Zach Miracle to claim his first championship.
“You see, I got too excited,” Williams said with a laugh. “I was excited and tried to force things. But my energy went up after that.”
Williams finished off a perfect season (53-0) after placing second the past two Finals. He became Roseville’s first champion since Bobby Nash won in 2009.
“I’m building up a lot of awards, a lot of records, and I got a little brother (Kyrie), he’s going to be coming in,” Williams said. “I want him to be the one to beat it, so I’m going to set it high.”
Williams won all four of his matches on the weekend by technical fall, ending the first three in the first period, before going 1 minute, 22 seconds into the second against Miracle.
He came out aggressive in the Final, getting three takedowns in the opening 1:16 before hitting a seven-point throw late in the period and drawing a large reaction from the crowd.
Not long after that, Miracle (57-4) was able to score a takedown and nearly get nearfall points, but that was all the offense he’d be able to get as Williams closed the match out with a pair of takedowns in the second period.
“It feels amazing,” Williams said. “Coming out here, being able to win a state title in front of all these people, knowing that you just came off a runner-up, it feels amazing.”
106
Champion: Cyrus Woodberry, Detroit Cass Tech, Fr. (51-2)
Decision, 2-1 (OT), over Jameson Wood, Brighton, Soph. (45-3)
Woodbury became the first Finals champion in Cass Tech history with a dramatic overtime victory.
After riding Wood out in the first 30-second frame, he scored an escape 12 seconds into the second to claim the victory. All three points in the match were scored on escapes, as neither wrestler was able to break through the other’s defense.
“It’s indescribable – it’s great,” Woodbury said. “I always thought I’d be here. I didn’t know how much time was left on the clock, I just thought about all the years I prayed for this, and just had to become a dog.”
113
Champion: Layne Martin, Rockford, Soph. (48-3)
Major Decision, 16-4, over Brice Lafleur, Saline, Jr. (47-3)
Martin fell behind early in the first period before putting on a dominant performance on his way to a first Finals title.
He scored the final 15 points in the match, helping make up for what he felt was a disappointing freshman year, which ended with him outside the top eight.
“I was just like, ‘Stay calm,’” Martin said. “I knew I could get some of my offense, work him on top. (A second period nearfall) was really big, really good for my mind to know I could give up a few points if I needed to.”
120
Champion: Wyatt Lees, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (38-5)
Decision, 3-0, over Ryan Totten, Detroit Catholic Central, Soph. (47-11)
Lees got all he could handle from his teammate, clawing his way to a third-straight Finals title. He had won at 106 in 2023 and 113 in 2024.
“It kind of sucks having to wrestle your teammate,” Lees said. “I think both of us out there didn’t care who it was, we were going to wrestle the same. At the end of the day, we’re still brothers. We both know what the other person wants. It’s been the same match the last three weeks, kind of.”
The only points in the match were scored when Lees got a takedown midway through the first period. The two Shamrocks fought to a draw from there, but it was enough for title No. 3.
126
Champion: Archer Anderson, Clarkston, Sr. (46-2)
Decision, 14-9, over Deacon Morgan, Rochester Adams, Soph. (45-6)
A year after wrestling one of his Clarkston teammates to claim his first Finals title, Anderson had to square off with a club teammate Saturday.
As he did in 2024, the Clarkston senior came out on top in this one, winning the final two periods 10-3 to pull away for the victory.
“As a freshman, I didn’t really expect it to go like this,” said Anderson, who was runner-up at 113 as a sophomore. “Funny joke, I go to the same club as (Morgan), so he is a teammate. I can’t get away from teammates. I think I spent the night at his house like a week ago. We knew – I knew he was going to be at the Finals. He’s great; he’s probably going to be a champion next year.”
132
Champion: Bohdan Abbey, Hartland, Jr. (49-1)
Technical Fall, 18-3, over Dominic Perez, Davison, Sr. (27-12)
Abbey returned to the top of the podium with a dominant performance. The junior was a champion at 113 as a freshman before finishing second at 126 a year ago.
“It was a hurting feeling for a while, so it’s good to kind of get my get-back, but not really,” he said. “But it feels good. I made sure I took in the moment and didn’t take it for granted this year.”
Abbey finished with four technical falls in the tournament.
138
Champion: Jace Morgan, Rochester Adams, Sr. (47-0)
Major Decision, 10-0, over Preston Lefevre, Clarkston, Sr. (48-2)
Morgan closed out a perfect season with a dominant performance Saturday. A takedown 37 seconds into the match set the tone, and he kept pushing the rest of the way against LeFevre, who was also a runner-up a year ago.
“Throughout my whole career, they’ve been with me, my teammates, helping me and pushing me,” Morgan said. “They’ve been helping me get better, helping me get to this point and achieving what I have today.”
Morgan became the first Adams wrestler to win a title since 1999.
144
Champion: Grayson Fuchs, Detroit Catholic Central, Soph. (42-2)
Major Decision, 14-2, over Tanner McDunnah, Davison, Sr. (34-9)
In a matchup of finalists from a year ago, Fuchs put his foot on the pedal and didn’t let up.
The now two-time Finals champion scored a takedown 13 seconds into the match, and only allowed a pair of escapes against McDunnah, who was runner-up at this weight a year ago as well.
Saturday’s match was a far cry from a week ago, when Fuchs won a tight decision at the Division 1 Team Finals.
“I was pushing the pace more, getting to my ties,” Fuchs said. “Last week, I was more wrestling into his ties and he was holding onto me. This time, I was just moving my feet more, getting my ties, my shots, moving him. I was moving my hands and my feet more, that was pretty much it.”
Fuchs, who won at 126 a year ago, got to the Finals with a trio of technical falls in the opening three rounds.
150
Champion: Dallas Korponic, Hartland, Jr. (50-4)
Decision, 1-0, over Julius Pacheco, Davison, Soph. (34-9)
Korponic claimed his second-straight title with a second-period escape holding up as the match’s lone point.
“It feels pretty good getting a second one,” he said. “It means just as much as the last one. I’ve been working all year for it, so it felt good. I know my conditioning was going to work for me. I was looking for another opportunity to score, but also just keeping that win.”
Korponic, who won at 132 pounds as a sophomore, cruised to the Finals, winning by technical fall in each of his first three matches.
157
Champion: Braylenn Aulbach, Rockford, Sr. (49-2)
Decision, 9-8, over Kyle Jelinek, Davison, Sr. (31-7)
Aulbach battled back in the third period, scoring seven points after falling behind 7-2. Jelinek suffered a leg injury late in the match, but continued on.
“He was dealing with something with his knee, which sucks,” Aulbach said. “It’s kind of mean, but you have to take advantage of that kind of thing. He’s long. I struggled to get to his legs, and he’s easily going to grab mine. I think it just comes down to pace.
“As a freshman, I never really thought I’d get to this point. This year, it was really like, ‘Wow, I can do it.’ To get it done and beat a good kid, it’s a dream come true.”
175
Champion: Michael Baldwin, Saginaw United, Sr. (33-2)
Decision, 7-6 (UTB), over Luke Johnson, Oxford, Sr. (45-4)
After splitting their matches in the District and Regional Finals, Baldwin and Johnson put on a classic Saturday night.
Baldwin won on a technical point, as Johnson grabbed his singlet in a last-gasp move during the ultimate tiebreaker period.
“It’s unreal,” Baldwin said. “My family’s here, it feels like half of my city is here. It’s like we did it, we finally did it. It’s the first year with the new school, I’m the first-ever state champ. I set the standard, doing the right things, leaving it all out on the mat. I want another kid to come through and do the same thing.”
Johnson had forced overtime with a third-period takedown, and held off a Baldwin attempt at the buzzer.
190
Champion: Lee Krueger, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (41-8)
Major Decision, 11-0, over Thomas Jaynes, Romeo, Jr. (53-7)
Krueger has watched as so many Catholic Central wrestlers have won Finals titles, so to join that group was a special moment.
“It’s surreal,” he said. “Four years I’ve been here and watched guys I’ve looked up to do it, and now it’s finally my time and I did it. It’s completely surreal. As a freshman I was like a JV, borderline varsity guy, but my coaches and my teammates pushed me all the way up to where I am now.”
Krueger broke open what was a tight match with a takedown and nearfall late in the second period to take an 8-0 lead into the third.
215
Champion: Connor Bercume, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (48-0)
Major Decision, 10-2, over Sean O’Keefe, Brighton, Sr. (38-2)
Bercume closed out his illustrious Catholic Central career with a third Finals title. He also helped the Shamrocks win the past three Division 1 team titles.
“It feels pretty awesome,” he said. “I can’t believe how blessed I am to be part of this team for four years and have all these great teammates. I just feel really honored to be part of such a great program with such a great legacy.”
The Harvard-bound senior scored three takedowns in the first period to blow the match open, and controlled O’Keefe over the final four minutes to win title No. 3.
285
Champion: Logan Tollison, Grand Ledge, Jr. (45-0)
Decision, 8-1, over Anton Barynas, Jenison, Sr. (35-5)
After finishing as runner-up at 215 a year ago, Tollison had offseason surgery on his shoulder.
Those setbacks set up an incredible comeback, and he finished off an unbeaten season Saturday with his first Finals title.
“I’ve worked hard this season, so I deserved it, I think,” he said. “I was really driven, especially since I had to take six months off after I had shoulder surgery, so I had to really get after it when I got back.”
Tollison led 2-0 heading into the third period against Barynas, who was the runner-up at 285 a year ago. But the Grand Ledge junior scored a pair of takedowns in the final two minutes to pull away for the victory.
PHOTOS (Top) Roseville’s Jay’Den Williams, right, locks the legs of Temperance Bedford’s Zach Miracle during their championship match at 165 pounds Saturday. (Middle) Saginaw United’s Michael Baldwin, top, takes Oxford’s Luke Johnson to the mat at 175 pounds. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)