D1 Final: 'We wanted this matchup'
February 25, 2012
BATTLE CREEK – A week after the 2011 wrestling season ended, Detroit Catholic Central coach Mitch Hancock brought his team’s Division 1 runner-up trophy into the Shamrocks’ wrestling room.
He had one of his seniors paint “1 point” underneath it. The message was clear.
After losing by a point to Oxford in last season’s championship match, DCC was going to do everything possible to make that point up this winter. They did that Saturday – and a whole lot more.
The top-seeded Shamrocks’ avenged that Oxford loss by taking down the Wildcats 47-9 in easily the most lop-sided of Final matches at Kellogg Arena.
“Our goal was to dominate the whole weekend, and we came out here and did it,” DCC 189-pound senior Kevin Beazley said. “We were excited (to face Oxford). We wanted this matchup. That’s what we were hoping for. We wanted to take care of business.”
The championship was DCC’s ninth and second in three seasons. And as for that dominance, consider:
- The Shamrocks (25-3) outscored their three Finals weekend opponents by a combined score of 172-21.
- They won 18 matches by pin – for 108 of those points.
- Beazley wrestled for a combined 1 minute, 42 seconds in his three wins.
- Sophomore 130-pounder Ken Bade won two matches by pin and the third by technical fall.
“To win by the score of 47-9, I think makes a statement,” Hancock said. “To win 11 out of 14 matches, I think is pretty impressive.”
It’s tough to argue that. But Oxford’s advancement to the Final was impressive in its own right.
Oxford entered Finals weekend as just the No. 6 seed and with half its line-up new coming off last season’s championship. The coach running the show, Brandon Rank, also was in his first season as the head guy after earning a promotion from assistant.
The Wildcats (20-6) knocked out No. 2 seed Brighton and No. 3 seed Davison at Kellogg, after also beating two top-10 teams to win the Regional. Rank said it best: no one expected Oxford to make it to the championship match except for those wearing the team’s navy blue and gold.
“I’m proud of my kids, the way they battled. The two dual meets to get here showed we belonged here,” Rank said. “It was obvious. We belonged here.”
Click for match-by-match results from the Final, Semifinals and Quarterfinals. See more photos at High School Sports Scene.
Flashback 100: Legendary Actor Played Multiple Sports Roles at Country Day
April 30, 2025
Robin Williams’ iconic performances in films such as "Good Will Hunting," "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Dead Poets Society," and the television series "Mork & Mindy" earned him widespread acclaim. Over the course of his career, he received numerous prestigious awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, six Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five Grammy Awards for his stand-up comedy.
Williams graduated from Redwood High School in Larkspur, Calif., and briefly attended Claremont Men’s College before deciding to pursue a career in acting. Prior to moving to California at age 16 — following his father’s retirement — he lived in Michigan, where he attended Detroit Country Day High School. There, he served as class president and was a member of both the wrestling and junior varsity football teams.
Born in Chicago in 1951, Williams spent his early childhood in Illinois before relocating to Bloomfield Hills at the age of 12. His early involvement in sports later echoed in his film roles, including his portrayal of former high school quarterback Jack Dundee in "The Best of Times," and wrestling coach T.S. Garp in "The World According to Garp."
Williams died in 2014 at the age of 63, leaving behind a legacy of unforgettable performances and immense creative talent
Previous "Flashback 100" Features
April 23: Legacy Program Provided Start for Pioneering NBA Official Schroeder - Read
April 11: Rice's Championship-Winning Ways Started at Flint Northwestern - Read
March 28: Youngquist's Times Still Among MHSAA's Fastest - Read
March 18: After 40 Years, Coles' Shot Remains Among Century's Most Famous - Read
March 7: Walled Lake Northern's Hellebuyck Reigns as NHL's Elite Netminder - Read
Feb. 27: Zeerip's Mat Stats Remain Rarely-Challenged Chart Toppers - Read
Feb. 21: Before TV Stardom, Kerwin Excelled as All-State Skier - Read
Feb. 14: Detroit Central Star Voted into Pro Football Hall of Fame - Read
Feb. 6: Multi-Sport Star Look Becomes Super Bowl Officiating Legend - Read
Jan. 31: Johnson Family Put Magical Stamp on Michigan High School Hoops - Read
Jan. 24: Future Hall of Famers Face Off First in MHSAA Class A Final - Read
Jan. 17: First-Ever WNBA Draft Pick Rocked at Salem, Won Titles at Tennessee - Read
Jan. 10: Despite Launching Before 3-Point Line, Smith Still Tops Scoring List - Read
Jan. 3: Edison's Jackson Earns Place Among State's All-Time Elite - Read
Dec. 20: Future Olympian Piper Leads Grosse Pointe North to Historic Heights - Read
Dec. 13: The Other Mr. Forsythe in Michigan School Sports - Read
Dec. 6: Coleman's Legendary Heroics Carry Harrison Through Repeat - Read
Nov. 29: Harbaugh Brothers' Football Roots Planted in Part at Pioneer - Read
Nov. 22: 8-Player Football Finals Right at Home at Superior Dome - Read
Nov. 15: Leland Career Helps Set Stage for Glass' International Stardom - Read
Nov. 8: Future Baseball Pro Led Escanaba's Legendary Football Title Run - Read
Nov. 1: Michigan High School Baseball Trio Provide World Series Voices - Read
Oct. 25: Before Leading Free World, Ford Starred for Champion GR South - Read
Oct. 18: Mercy Links Legend Becomes World Golf Hall of Famer - Read
Oct. 11: Fisher Races to Finals Stardom on Way to U.S. Olympic First - Read
Oct. 4: Lalas Leaves High School Legacies on Ice & Pitch - Read
Sept. 27: Tamer's History-Making Run Starts in Dexter, Continues to Paris - Read
Sept. 20: Todd Martin’s Road to Greatness Starts at East Lansing - Read
Sept. 13: James Earl Jones, Dickson High Hoops to Hollywood Legend - Read
Sept. 6: Pioneers' Unstoppable Streak Stretches 9 Seasons - Read
Aug. 30: Detroit dePorres Rushes to 1995 Class CC Football Championship - Read
PHOTOS Clockwise from left: Robin Williams is pictured as part of his Country Day wrestling team, competing on the mat, and then No. 72 on the JV football team. (Photos courtesy of Detroit Country Day yearbooks.)