D1 Preview: Champs Close Careers
February 26, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Winners of a combined nine MHSAA Division 1 individual wrestling championships will graduate this spring.
But that group can add six more to their collective total at this weekend’s Finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
See below for 10 contenders to watch this weekend, plus others who enter the tournament undefeated or coming off runner-up finishes in 2013. Follow all the matches beginning with Thursday's first round on a subscription basis live on MHSAA.TV, and click here for results at MHSAA.com. And check back with Second Half later Saturday night for full coverage from the Finals, including comments from all 14 champions.
112: Benny Gomez, Holt junior (47-1) – Cruised through his sophomore season undefeated at 47-0 and won the 103-pound title, and is back as the favorite one class heavier and with only one loss.
125: Lincoln Olson, Davison junior (41-1) – Going for a third MHSAA title after winning 103 as a freshman and 112 as a sophomore; brings a 133-3 career record into the weekend.
135: Austin Eicher, Hartland senior (35-1) – Defeated teammate Jacob Gorial to win last season’s championship at 130 and looking good to make it two straight titles with a combined record of 87-2 over the last two seasons.
140: Justin Oliver, Davison senior (43-1) – Finished only third at 135 last season after winning titles at 112 and 119 his first two of high school, respectively; he has lost only five times during his career.
145: Malik Amine, Detroit Catholic Central senior (30-3) – Finished fifth, second, and then first, at 140, his first three seasons, respectively, and also has been a key contributor to three straight DCC team champions.
171: Jordan Cooks, Davison senior (38-3) – Claimed the championship at 160 the last two seasons after finishing third at 145 as a freshman; can go over 40 wins for the third season of his varsity career.
171: Drew Garcia, Detroit Catholic Central senior – Looking to finish his career with four championship match berths and three straight individual titles after winning this weight in 2013; beat Cooks 3-1 in overtime in Saturday’s Team Final.
189: Shwan Shadaia, Rochester senior (40-3) – Took a couple more losses than during last season’s championship run, but can finish in a similarly dominating way after making the jump from seventh place to first as a junior.
215: Jordon Brandon, Westland John Glenn senior (50-2) – Returns seeking to finish his career with a championship after falling just shy in the 2013 Final at 215, a 5-4 overtime loss.
285: Parker Tillman, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior (42-0) – Three-time MHSAA qualifier lost a tough championship match 3-0 last season but hasn't fallen since; he’s 83-4 over his final two seasons so far.
Other 2013 runners-up: Farmington Hills Harrison junior Michael Volyanyuk (112, 37-6, 103 in 2013), Martin Rodriguez, Holt senior (119, 42-1, 125 in 2013), Davison senior Matthew Miller (135, 33-7), Hartland junior Jacob Gorial (145, 54-1, 130 in 2013), Livonia Franklin senior Jordan Atienza (160, 60-1, 152 in 2013).
Also undefeated: Birmingham Brother Rice senior Shon Powell (171, 13-0), Grand Haven senior Dakota Juarez (160, 38-0), Detroit Catholic Central senior Nick Bennett (152, 39-0), Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior Parker Tillman (42-0, 285), West Bloomfield senior Ross Bahro (130, 48-0), Canton senior Alec Pantaleo (145, 49-0), Ypsilanti Lincoln senior Jordan Markey (135, 54-0).
More of note: Walled Lake Central freshman Ben Freeman (103, 39-1), Detroit Catholic Central junior Trevor Zdebski (119, 23-2), Ypsilanti senior Kyle Abdellatif (130, 52-2), Brownstown Woodhaven senior Derek Hillman (189, 46-2).
PHOTO: Davison’s Justin Oliver celebrates his win during Saturday’s Division 1 Team Final. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Rising Cadillac Dreaming Bigger Entering 5th Season Back on Varsity Mat
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
December 20, 2024
When Luke Phillips was a seventh grader, Cadillac High School did not have a wrestling team.
Cadillac Middle School didn’t either. Phillips, now a senior at Cadillac, started wrestling in a community youth program started by his father, Chad, and Eli Hoffert, Paul Hanus and Mark Cronkhite.
The youth program grew from 34 to 93 participants after its inception in 2016. Today there is not yet an official middle school team, but there sure is a high school team. Hoffert is now the head coach of Vikings, and he’s assisted by Hanus and Chad Phillips. Cronkhite was also on the Vikings’ coaching staff two seasons.
Cadillac returned to the mats with Hoffert at the helm five years ago — after last offering the sport in 2007. And now the Vikings are rolling along after capturing the school’s first District team wresting championship last season.
“It was a big year for us,” said Hoffert, a former Vikings wrestler himself. “It’s amazing. I want to train these kids so they can be as good as they can be and be better than I ever was and break school records and keep progressing, not just obviously in wresting, but with life.”
The Vikings graduated key seniors last year but have strong underclassman this winter including key freshman. They are 10-0 heading into this weekend’s tournament at Sault Ste. Marie.
Luke Phillips and sophomore Payton Sampson have hopes and dreams of getting on the podium at this year’s Division 2 Individual Finals. They also have hopes of bringing their team along with them through District and Regional competitions.
Phillips already has made school history. He became the first Cadillac wrestler to place at the Individual Finals, finishing eighth last season at 165 pounds. He wants much more this time around. He’s currently wresting at 190 after bulking up for football purposes but is planning to get down to 175 soon.
“It’s really special to me,” he said of earning Cadillac’s first Finals placing. “Obviously, I couldn’t have done it by myself. It took a lot of extra time and hard work from my coaches and teammates and the community that supported me.”
Phillips, a team captain for the third-straight year, is shooting to top the 150-win career mark long before the championship meet in March and rack up 160 or more total career victories. He’s at 122 now.
“I want to go and win a state championship, and winning Regionals with the team would be nice as well,” Phillips said. “It’s what I’ve been working for since I was 5 when I started wrestling.”
The Vikings’ team bond is growing with each day, the captain and coach pointed out.
“We have a lot of hard-working guys, and we’re one tight-knit group,” Phillips said. “It has been really important to our success not just as our team but in the community and our social lives and we have each other at all times – we all want what is best for our team.”
Phillips won both his matches this week as Cadillac knocked off Division 2 No. 9 Cedar Springs 41-33 and Charlevoix 69-4. Last weekend, the Vikings captured first place in a tournament at Montague. Earlier this year, they won a tournament at East Kentwood.
Hoffert is striving to grow a winning culture while helping kids get better at wrestling and health and fitness.
“When it’s wrestling season, it’s all wrestling,” said Hoffert, whose first coaching job was an eight-year run at Lake City. “It consumes us, and that’s the way it’s got to be to be a top-level program.”
The Vikings have postseason success on their minds but hope to claim the Big North Conference title first. Perennial champion Gaylord could be an obstacle.
The Vikings’ locker room board reads “Beat Gaylord” at the top.
It’s something Hoffert and Phillips have yet to do.
“Gaylord has always had a solid program that has won the majority of Big North championships and a lot of District championships and even Regional championships,” Hoffert said. “They are the hammers in the north.”
Topping Gaylord for conference and District titles this year would please the senior captain.
“I want to go out with a bang,” Phillips said. “It means a lot.”
Tom 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) An official raises Luke Phillips' arm in victory after his match this season against Charlevoix. (Middle) Cadillac coach Eli Hoffert, left, stands with Phillips. (Below) The Vikings' Payton Sampson works toward a takedown in his match against the Rayders. (Photos by Kristi Hoffert.)