Coffell Makes Mark with Amazing Return
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 12, 2019
With second overtime running out, and Goodrich’s realistic chances of winning a Division 2 wrestling championship in the balance, Blake Coffell knew he had to move.
The senior heavyweight diagnosed the situation in his head – an escape would likely force an ultimate tiebreaker, and since it was Lowell’s Tyler Delooff who had scored first in the match, Delooff would have the choice. That wouldn’t do, Coffell thought, as Delooff would probably get away and win the match.
So Coffell went big, sitting out to work toward a reversal rather than standing up. It worked, and as the final seconds ticked away, Coffell had picked up a key victory and kept Goodrich within striking distance of the five-time reigning champions.
“I was facing the whole crowd at the time,” said Coffell, remembering the moment from Feb. 23. “Hearing the noise from our side was just really insane.”
The dual meet eventually went Lowell’s way, and while the loss stung and initially dulled the insanity of that moment for Coffell, it couldn’t take away from all he had gone through to get there.
Almost four months earlier to the day, Coffell underwent surgery to repair severe damage to his knee. And practically every day in between, he worked and focused on being in that moment at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, despite how improbable it all seemed at first.
“We talked a lot about, ‘What’s your legacy going to be for Goodrich wrestling?’” Goodrich coach Ken Sirignano said. “We talk about the people in the past, and what we remember them for. Blake Coffell has a great legacy, coming back and doing what he did for the team.”
‘I know that scream’
On Sept. 28, Goodrich played Flint Hamady in a nonconference football game. The Martians were on defense, and Coffell, a defensive lineman, flushed the quarterback from the pocket. After what he had deemed a futile chase, he started to slow down, and that’s when he noticed an offensive lineman bearing down on him from behind.
“I’m a big guy, so I thought, ‘I’ll take him on,’” Coffell said. “I lowered my shoulder a little bit, but with him being up so much taller than me, he hit me up high. I planted, he hit me with all that speed and took me over my knee. I felt that pop instantly, and I started screaming. My friend tore his ACL last year, and I know that terrifying scream. Instantly, I knew what happened.”
Coffell had suffered a torn ACL, MCL, PCL, lateral and medial meniscus, and a fractured knee cap. His football season was clearly over, and the extent of the injury meant that wearing a brace and wrestling through it was also out of the question – especially with a scholarship to wrestle at Lake Erie College already in his future.
Surgery was the only option, even though it meant the two-time all-stater would likely miss his entire senior wrestling season.
“The first person I texted that night (were Lake Erie coaches Jeff Breese and Andrew Bearden),” Coffell said. “I told them about it and said, ‘Is this going to affect my scholarship?’ I got a text back in the morning and they said, ‘We still want you. Don’t worry about it. Get the surgery, and get ready for college.’
“Having him say that really just boosted me up, knowing that I had five more years of wrestling, and that I can be a national champ. I don’t have to be a state champ, I can be a national champ. Knowing I could wrestle in college kept me out of the depression for a while.”
On Oct. 25, Coffell underwent surgery to repair his knee.
‘I’ll be back for team states’
The Monday after surgery, Coffell couldn’t make it through the school day. It was midweek before he managed that feat.
“That’s when I crutched in (to Sirignano’s office) and said, ‘I’ll be back for team states,’” Coffell said. “He said that it would be great if I did, but that he couldn’t put all his faith on that.”
Sirignano explained to Coffell that he would hope for the best, but at the same time he would have to plan for the worst, something Coffell said he understood.
“We thought when he had surgery, that put him at not even four months from team state,” Sirignano said. “The fastest recovery we’ve ever had was James Penfold, who came back in four months the year before. We had no expectation that (Coffell) would make it back, so we kind of aligned our team in that way, which put everyone up a weight.”
While Coffell used Penfold’s quick recovery as motivation, sitting out as his teammates practiced and competed wore on him. He said that he was depressed, and that it even affected his school work for a while. But he remained plugged into the team.
“What I would do is I would go to practice for a while when I was still on crutches and watch all the new kids and try to help them,” Coffell said. “That’s when my friends got on me and said, ‘If you can’t practice, you might as well go lift.’ That’s how I took a lot of my anger out. That’s the only way I could take my anger out.”
To further complicate things, the doctor appointment Coffell had circled on his calendar four weeks prior to the MHSAA Finals had to be rescheduled because of the weather. And when he did make it in, the initial news wasn’t what he wanted to hear.
“I went into the room and sat down and was talking to him, he did some tests on my knee and said, ‘It’s looking great. You’re about halfway there,’” Coffell said. “I said, ‘I don’t have time to be halfway there.’”
After some discussion, the doctor informed Coffell he would be cleared to wrestle with a brace.
“I was about to fall down and cry,” Coffell said. “He said to take it easy for the first week and wear a knee brace, and that if I didn’t take it off, I was cleared to wrestle. I hugged him. I was emotional at the time. I remember walking out of there and closing the door and basically screaming. I was so pumped to have that doctor’s note saying I was cleared for wrestling with a brace. I sent a picture of that note to the whole team.”
Sirignano was shocked.
“I was like, that doesn’t even make sense,” he said. “We had three weeks, so we had to see what kind of shape he could get into. It was rough at first; that first week was rough. He had to kind of change the way he wrestled a big, so we were kind of figuring it out as we went.”
Coffell’s clearance also came in time for the Individual District, but that was an idea that wasn’t discussed for long.
“My trainer at my school, she didn’t think I was ready, and I kind of agreed,” Coffell said. “That wasn’t the goal. The goal was to be there walking out of that tunnel in Kalamazoo. That was the goal. That's what I said I would do. If I get hurt trying to pursue an individual state title, that wasn’t the goal. I wanted our picture on the wall.”
The return
Coffell’s return did come earlier than anticipated, however, as the Goodrich coaching staff decided they could need him to defeat Croswell-Lexington in the Team Regional. Coffell had already planned to weigh in that day, so he could have the two-pound allowance at the Team Finals. During his recovery, he had weighed as much as 315 pounds.
“I was eating my sub after weighing in, drinking Pedialyte, drinking water and (Sirignano) comes up to me and says, ‘You’re wrestling today,’” Coffell said. “He said, ‘If you hold your knee or mess with your knee and it looks like it hurts at all, we’re going to pull you.’”
As Coffell started warming up, the anticipation swelled in the crowd. When he checked in and stepped on the mat, it exploded. When he won by pin in the first period, Goodrich had all of the momentum it needed to make it through.
“It was one of those things where no one really expected him to wrestle,” Sirignano said. “When we put him on the mat, the crowd just went crazy. That was as crazy as I heard our crowd all year.”
Coffell also received a void that night, and with three wins at the Team Finals, he finished the season 5-0. Two of those wins – over Delooff (fifth) and Brian Soto of Niles (seventh) – came against wrestlers who would go on to place at the Individual Finals.
While the caliber of opponent he defeated was impressive, it was how it happened that impressed Sirignano most.
“I think the most amazing thing about it was that on three weeks, he won in double overtime against the Lowell kid,” Sirignano said. “Blake was exhausted, I’m sure he was, but I don’t know if it was just mental toughness or what.”
Coffell said the pride of making his improbable return was overshadowed by the team’s loss in the championship match. But it is something he recognized.
He had to endure some more sadness the following week, as he was forced to watch the Individual Finals when he knew he belonged at that level.
“I think I cried both days when everyone started leaving,” Coffell said. “I went and sat up in one of the top rows away from everyone else. I had my head down, and I was crying. Knowing we could have had three finalists, eight qualifiers and eight placers if I wrestled.
“That’s when I started thinking again, ‘You’ve got college.’”
After going through a whirlwind of emotions and physical exertion over a four-month span, Coffell learned plenty about himself – mostly that he was never alone.
“Ken says that if I didn’t wrestle, we wouldn’t have had that shot, but it wasn’t just me that stepped up. It was the whole lineup,” Coffell said. “It was Sam Fisher going down to 152, Honour (Kline) going down to 189. Ryan Angelo, our 103-pounder, he got so much better. Having all those hard workers behind me, it really boosted me. Knowing all these guys are always going to be family, that just makes me really grateful to have Goodrich wrestling.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Goodrich’s Blake Coffell looks to the fans after his win during the Division 2 Final against Lowell at Wings Event Center. (Middle) Coffell wrestles DeWitt’s Anthony Munoz during a Semifinal. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
In the Long Run, Daniels Finishes On Top
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 2, 2019
DETROIT – DJ Daniels didn’t have many close calls this season, but the Caro senior 160-pounder had a couple on his way to a second straight Division 3 championship – one on the mat, and one off.
Daniels won a battle of undefeated wrestlers Saturday at Ford Field, defeating Seth Konynenbelt of Hudsonville Unity Christian 6-4 in the championship match.
To qualify for that final, Daniels not only had to win three matches Friday, he also had to take an impromptu 2-mile run through downtown Detroit to make it just in time for his semifinal match.
“My coach and I got stuck in the People Mover and they finally got it turned back on, but they shut it down when we got to the next stop, and we were about 2.1 miles away,” Daniels said. “So we just started jogging, hoping we’d get here in time. I was in the hole when we arrived, then I put my shoes on and got down here and I was on deck. My quads hurt a little bit, but other than that I was ready to go.”
Daniels won that semifinal match 7-1 against Trenton Blanchard of Whitehall. One day later, a more well-rested Daniels took the mat and completed his 56-0 season.
“It’s amazing,” Daniels said. “If this is the end of my career, it’s definitely how I wanted it to be.”
He had to hold off a valiant effort by Konynenbelt (48-1), who nearly turned Daniels to take a lead in the second period and came close to tying the match with a takedown in the final seconds on the edge of the mat. Daniels held him off, however, to get the win.
“I knew the situation, I knew we were right on the line,” Daniels said. “He had my leg, and I knew if I could just get his feet out of bounds, we would go back to neutral, and I’d be all right. That’s all I told myself.”
285
Champion: Mike Nykoriak, Algonac, Sr. (48-1)
Decision, 4-3, over Brock Kuhn, Michigan Center, Sr., (46-2)
Nykoriak became the first Finals champion for Algonac since 1999, getting a third-period takedown and holding on for the win.
“I knew he scored first points, and heavyweight matches go into triple overtime, so he would have had first choice,” Nykoriak said. “I knew I had to get a takedown for it to work.
“Just seeing every day at practice, the alumni coming to practice, all the old coaches who come every day to work with us because they believe in us, and they believe in me. I’m just happy I was able to make them proud.”
103
Champion: Casey Swiderski, Dundee, Fr. (46-2)
Technical Fall, 5:17 (23-7), over Hunter Keller, Richmond, Soph. (27-6)
Swiderski, ranked No. 9 in the country at 106 pounds according to FloWrestling, finished off a dominant season with a dominant performance in his first Finals.
The freshman won three of his matches by technical fall, including the final against Keller, who he had defeated a week earlier to help Dundee claim a second straight Division 3 team title.
“I felt good,” Swiderski said. “I had kind of a tough weight cut, but I got energy in me and I scored points; that’s what I wanted to do. It’s just more matches. It’s fun.”
112
Champion: Hunter Assenmacher, Ida, Jr. (50-3)
Decision, 6-2, over Jordan Rodriguez, Chesaning, Jr. (44-4)
Assenmacher won his second straight Division 3 title after winning a year ago at 103 pounds.
It was Rodriguez, however, who drew first blood, getting a first-period takedown and taking a 2-0 lead. Assenmacher regrouped, though, and scored the match’s final six points to come away with the victory.
“It felt good to get back out there again in the finals; it was a good atmosphere,” Assenmacher said. “This time I definitely felt more prepared and more calm. I kind of felt like I belonged there, so it kind of helped me to stay relaxed when I was wrestling.”
119
Champion: Jake Elasivich, Montrose, Soph. (50-7)
Decision, 10-4, over Brendan Connelly, Yale, Jr. (48-10)
Elasivich battled through a tough bracket, which saw the No. 1 seed and a returning champion fall before the semifinals.
The Montrose sophomore controlled his match against Connelly, winning the battles on his feet and allowing just four escape points against him. It was just 6-4 late, however, before he earned another takedown to seal the win.
“I felt confident because I’m always on my attacks, always getting a takedown,” Elasivich said. “I felt confident I could pull one more out for the win. I just wanted to keep doing the same things I had been doing – keep my energy high and my pace high, just work the kids and in the end get the win.”
125
Champion: Corey Gamet, Michigan Center, Sr. (47-0)
Decision, 10-4, over Macintyre Breece, Birch Run, Jr. (49-5)
Gamet finished a perfect senior season with the win against Breece, but he was disappointed an incredible run of not allowing an offensive point all season did come to an end.
“I’m not happy about being reversed or being scored on offensively,” Gamet said. “But once we got on our feet and I got that takedown, I knew there was nothing he could do – nobody can take me down. I felt like I was in a good spot.”
Gamet is now a three-time Finals champion, having won Division 2 titles in 2016 and 2017 while at Parma Western.
130
Champion: Josh Rankin, Michigan Center, Sr. (40-4)
Decision, 4-2, over Luke Mahaney, Williamston, Soph. (33-8)
After Gamet walked off the mat victorious, Michigan Center made it two in a row, as Rankin claimed his first Finals title.
“That’s the best feeling in the world – it means that much more,” Rankin said. “Having your best friend out there before you, then you win it right after. We even hit the same celebration.”
Rankin said Mahaney did a good job of countering his go-to moves, something he had to react to in the moment.
“I felt pretty good – you could definitely tell they prepared for me a little bit more,” Rankin said. “I try to be as versatile as I can, but there are some things that you just do that people figure out. I think they definitely figured some of my stuff out and prepared for it a little bit better.”
135
Champion: Jonathon White, Dundee, Sr. (39-9)
Decision, 1-0, over Tyler Swiderski, Dundee, Soph. (28-11)
White and Swiderski have seen a lot of each other in the Dundee wrestling room over the past two years, and it showed on the mat as the only point scored was a White escape.
“Throughout the year we were battling at tournaments,” White said. “I had a hunch at the beginning of this tournament that I would wrestle him in the finals. It was awkward, but I just tried to stay calm and do what I had to do to win.”
The victory capped off a great postseason for White, who also clinched Dundee’s team championship victory against Richmond the week prior.
“It’s not a bad two weekends,” he said. “To be back-to-back team state champs then finally come home with my individual, it means the world. I’ve worked so hard to become a state champ, and my dream came true.”
140
Champion: Hayden Bastian, Richmond, Sr. (32-5)
Decision, 6-2 (2OT), over Christian Killion, Dundee, Jr. (44-6)
With the chance to choose bottom in the ultimate tiebreaker, Bastian felt confident. But before he could get there, he saw an opening.
Bastian caught Killion on a shot and took him to his back, breaking a 2-all tie and claiming his first Finals championship.
“Ultimate overtime, I felt I would have had that as well, but the (back points) just helped and it worked out really well,” Bastian said. “I played through the whole campaign, and I feel like I did well against the final boss.”
145
Champion: Trevor Robinson, Shepherd, Sr. (45-2)
Fall, 4:42, over Max Halstead, Grayling, Jr. (41-4)
With a pair of runner-up finishes already under his belt (2016 and 2018), Robinson was determined to finish his career on top of the podium.
He was in control of his finals match, and put it to rest in the third period with a pin. It was the most dominant performance of the weekend for the top-seeded wrestler.
“Honestly, I didn’t have any pressure, I just felt I was better than everyone and I had enough tools to win it all,” Robinson said. “It feels amazing. It’s crazy. I was just a little freshman a few years ago, and it just flies by. It feels amazing – the best feeling ever.”
152
Champion: Stoney Buell, Dundee, Soph. (45-8)
Decision, 1-0, over Sean Trombley, Lake Fenton, Sr. (50-2)
Buell continued his perfect Finals record, claiming a second straight title in a hard-fought match.
The only point scored was an escape, and Buell, who won at 135 a year ago, had been expecting that it wouldn’t be easy.
“He’s a three-time finalist, so I knew he was really good, really strong,” Buell said. “I really like my single, and I knew he wasn’t going to let me get that, so I really had to get two hands to it. I couldn’t finish one, and I had that stalling call, so I just had to keep going and going and going.”
171
Champion: Owen Guilford, Portland, Sr. (48-0)
Fall, 2:22, over Dillon Kroening, Gladwin, Jr. (50-2)
Guilford had a dominant weekend, racking up two falls and two major decisions. He capped it off with an early-second period pin to claim his second straight title and finish a perfect season.
A year ago, he became Portland’s first champion since 2000, and now he is the school’s first two-time champion.
“It feels pretty good,” Guilford said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my coaches, the support staff, my family and friends. And a big shoutout to Kyle Hines for, ever since second grade, being my practice partner all the way through. I can’t take any of this credit.”
189
Champion: Kendel Taylor, Madison Heights Bishop Foley, Sr. (37-4)
Decision, 9-3, over Kayleb Venema, Whitehall, Jr. (45-3)
After taking fourth in his region, Taylor wasn’t on many people’s radar heading into this weekend. But he pulled off more than one upset to defy the odds and claim the title.
With his victory, Taylor became Foley’s third Finals champion and first since 1971.
“It feels absolutely amazing,” Taylor said. “I can’t believe it. Coming in as a freshman trying to wrestle, then coming in as a senior and winning a state title, it’s like night and day. It’s amazing. I love it.”
215
Champion: Brockton Cook, Birch Run, Sr. (54-3)
Decision, 3-0, over Luke Davis, Richmond, Jr. (43-6)
In a Regional Final rematch, it was once again Cook coming out on top.
A single escape was the difference in the match late into the third period, but Cook was able to get a takedown and seal the win.
“I got that stalling call, and I was like, ‘If I’m going to get stalling, I might as well shoot now,’” Cook said. “I wasn’t going to get another stalling call to tie up the match. I took my shot and it worked, I guess.”
PHOTO: Caro’s DJ Daniels has his arm raised in victory after finishing an undefeated season with a Division 3 title. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)