D1 Preview: Heavy-Duty Contenders
March 2, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Often, the most intriguing bouts heading into a weekend of wrestling at The Palace of Auburn Hills are scheduled somewhere in the middle weights.
But this weekend, arguably the best matchup could come in a rematch among the heaviest competitors in Division 1.
Keep an eye out for returning finalists Dan Perry of Lapeer and Ali Wahab of Dearborn Heights Crestwood locking up again at 285 pounds after Perry won 3-2 in last season's championship match to finish undefeated and hand Wahab his only loss of 2014-15.
They are two of 10 contenders we’ve broken out below among many to watch this weekend at the Division 1 Individual Finals. 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 come back to Second Half this weekend as we’ll interview all 14 title winners.
112: Max Johnson, Davison senior (27-0) – The champion at this weight in 2014 slid to fifth last season, but he’s coming off helping Davison to the team runner-up finish last weekend and is considered the favorite again.
112: Mike Mars, Westland John Glenn sophomore (48-2) – Last season’s champion at 103 pounds has lost to only Warren Woods Tower’s Elijuh Weaver, who Mars beat in last season’s Final, and another favorite at this weight in New Baltimore Anchor Bay’s Jack Medley.
119: AJ Facundo, Davison sophomore (28-9) – Last season’s champion at 112 might have a few more losses than other contenders, but he was one of the few to win all three of his matches at last weekend’s Team Final and beat an equally-impressive field to emerge a year ago.
135: Ben Freeman, Walled Lake Central junior (38-0) – Last season’s champion at 125 has only one high school loss, which came when he was a freshman and still went on to win the Division 1 title at 103.
140: Dylan Steward, Grand Ledge senior (45-1) – Steward won the Division 1 championship at this weight last season despite a loss at his Regional, and his loss this season came in December to another reigning champion, Dresden Simon of Dansville.
145: Nathan Atienza, Livonia Franklin junior (53-0) – Atienza may have surprised only a bit last season reaching the 140 Final with four losses, but he’s the top seed and favorite this time around.
160: Blake Montrie, Temperance Bedford senior (47-1) – After winning the championship at 152 last season, in overtime, Montrie has again lost only once, to Dundee’s Sean Sterling in December.
215: Luke Ready, Brighton senior (37-1) – The reigning champion at this weight is also, predictably, the top seed this time and is the only competitor at his weight with fewer than three losses.
285: Dan Perry, Lapeer senior (50-2) – As noted above, Perry won one of the most exciting matches of the 2015 Finals and can expect something similar in his final high school match before continuing at University of Michigan next season.
285 – Ali Wahab, Dearborn Heights Crestwood senior (57-0) – He fell to Perry in last season’s Final only 3-2, and it was his only loss of the season; Wahab can finish with a little revenge on his way to continuing his career at Old Dominion.
Other 2015 runners-up: Southgate Anderson junior Donte Rivera-Garcia (125, 51-2, 112 in 2015), Bay City Western junior Noah Schoenherr (130, 45-2, D2 119 in 2015), Dearborn Fordson senior Abe Ajami (140, 38-3, 130 in 2015), Kalamazoo Loy Norrix senior Nick May (189, 47-0, 189 in 2015).
Also undefeated: Ann Arbor Pioneer junior Rayvon Foley (103, 54-0), Bloomfield Hills senior Kajuan Caldwell (145, 23-0), Utica Eisenhower senior Owen Donovan (145, 45-0), Hartland senior Sage Castillo (152, 55-0).
More of note: Detroit Catholic Central freshman Kevon Davenport (119, 43-3), Monroe senior Carl Antrassian (119, 52-2), Davison senior Deven Perez (125, 35-6), Oxford senior Alex Hrisopoulos (140, 46-5), Holt junior Kolin Leyrer (152, 38-3), Lapeer senior Devon Pingel (171, 47-3), Davison junior Brenden McRill (189, 34-2).
The MHSAA Wrestling Finals are presented by the Michigan Army National Guard.
PHOTO: Lapeer’s Dan Perry and Crestwood’s Ali Wahab compete during last season’s Final at 285; they’re the favorites again this weekend. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Performance: Caro's Tyler Deming
January 5, 2016
Tyler Deming
Caro senior – Wrestling
Only six wrestlers have finished as four-time champions during the 52 years of the Freeland Wrestling Invitational – and on Dec. 30, Deming became the latest. It was a day of opportunities for the Caro senior, and he made good on them all in earning this week’s Michigan National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Deming also earned the 150th win of his career at the event in helping the Tigers claim the team championship ahead of Bay City Western after two straight seasons finishing runners-up to the Warriors. He’s 15-0 this season with 13 pins and 150-33 with 101 pins over his four seasons – he wrestled at 171 pounds as a freshman and 189 as a sophomore and junior before moving to 215 this winter. Deming made the MHSAA Individual Finals last season for the first time and finished third in Division 3 at 189. He’s hoping to become Caro’s first individual champion since 2005 and lead the No. 8-ranked Tigers to their first MHSAA team title since 2003.
Deming also played football and throws shot put and discus during the spring, and he missed the MHSAA Finals in track and field last season in discus by only five feet. Deming ranks among the top of his class academically with a 3.8 grade-point average and currently plans to attend Saginaw Valley State University and study business with an eye on possibly becoming an accountant.
Co-coach Bob Suranye said: “Tyler is a very self-motivated young man. Along with (seeking) an individual state championship, he is a great leader, with a goal to help this team to the team state finals and possibly the team state championship.”
Performance Point: “I was really happy I was able to accomplish everything I wanted that day,” Deming said of the Freeland meet. “With so many milestones possible that day, I felt relieved I did (accomplish them). I was really happy with my performance and really happy for the team too.”
Climbing every season: “I’ve cut my losses every year since freshman year, from 18 to 11 to four. I think it’s because of our practice room and how hard we work, and my practice partners pushing me. We keep the pace up all the time; our practices are really intense. It’s impossible not to get better at our practices.”
Finishing move: “Cross-face cradle. It’s just seems like once I start with the move, they can’t stop it. It’s a powerful move, and I can force them into it, and it works. I’ve probably gotten 70 percent of my pins with that move.”
Switching sports with the seasons: “I do wrestling in the summer, when track is over. But football, I just love being able to hit people. It’s fun, and I love being part of it. Track is more for fun, but I’m still really competitive at it. I still work really hard, like with everything else I do.”
Let’s make history: “That is my dream. I dream about it all the time. I want to be the guy to bring a championship back to Caro. I think about it every day at practice. Coach (Steve) Ley always encourages us to dream big. … Most people’s goals are to get the team state championship. My goal is a team state championship and an individual state championship.”
– Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2015-16 school year, Second Half and the Michigan National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, respond as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our Nation's freedom, or protecting lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2015-16 honorees
Dec. 15: Jordan Weber, East Jordan boys basketball – Read
Dec. 8: Kaitlyn Geers, Kent City girls basketball – Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Tyler Deming, left, is a four-year varsity wrestler for Caro. (Middle) Deming right, locks up for the start of a takedown; he's won 150 matches over his career. (Photos by Mary Filkins Photography.)