D3 Preview: Powering Up for 4-Time Fame
March 5, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Sean Spidle is back where he started this run, and with an opportunity to finish it among the all-time greats in MHSAA wrestling history.
The Flint Powers Catholic senior, along with two others this weekend, will wrestle at Ford Field to become the 27th to win four MHSAA Individual Finals titles.
His first two were won in Division 3, at 103 pounds as a freshman and 112 as a sophomore. But Powers was Division 2 a year ago, and so Spidle claimed his second 112 championship against a different group of contenders. But he’ll be back in Division 3 this weekend, sharing the 119 bracket with the opponent he defeated to win his first title.
Below, we look at Spidle and nine more contenders to watch in Division 3, plus list all of the top seeds heading into this weekend. Of course, we likely missed a few who will end up among the biggest headliners Saturday – but come back to Second Half early Sunday as we’ll interview and report on all 56 champions.
The “Grand March” on Friday begins at 11 a.m., with five rounds wrestled throughout the day including the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Wrestling picks back up with consolation rounds at 9 a.m. Saturday, and concludes with the championship matches that afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
Follow all matches on a subscription basis live on MHSAA.tv, and click here for results at MHSAA.com.
112 Jordan Rodriguez, Chesaning senior (37-1) – After finishing third and then seventh at 103 his first two seasons, Rodriguez powered into the championship at 112 in 2019 before falling 6-2 to Hunter Assenmacher (see below). He’s the top seed at this weight, with his only loss this season to 125 qualifier Aidan Bernard of Montrose.
119 Hunter Assenmacher, Ida senior (44-1) – After falling to Spidle in the 103 championship match when both were freshman, Assenmacher may see him one more time – but now after winning titles at 103 in 2018 and 112 a year ago. His only loss this winter was to Macomb Dakota’s Brendan Ferretti, the Division 1 top seed at this weight, by 5-3 decision.
119 Sean Spidle, Flint Powers Catholic senior (33-0) – Last season’s Division 2 champion at 112 pounds also won 112 in Division 3 as a sophomore and 103 as a freshman. He will continue at Central Michigan.
135 Casey Swiderski, Dundee sophomore (35-1) – Last season’s champion at 103 made a big jump in weight and hasn’t missed a beat. His only loss came to an out-of-state opponent in December, and four of his wins came against Division 1 contenders including 125 top seed Andrew Chambal of Davison.
140 Christian Killion, Dundee senior (42-6) – The three-time placer and two-time runner-up is hoping to end his high school career with his first title win. Killion was fourth at 119 as a freshman, second at 130 (to four-time champ Jarrett Trombley of Lake Fenton) as a sophomore and just missed claiming the championship last year with a double-overtime loss in the title match at this weight.
145 Tyler Swiderski, Dundee junior (43-3) – Few of late have been able to claim a tougher-luck pair of past runner-up finishes. As a sophomore he fell to Spidle at 112, and last season Swiderski had to take on senior teammate Jonathon White in the final at 135 and lost 1-0. This season, his only in-state defeat came to Division 2 contender James Fotis of Lowell, and in sudden victory.
160 Stoney Buell, Dundee junior (41-3) – Buell is potentially on a four-title track, having won at 135 as a freshman and 152 last season and earning the top seed in this weekend’s bracket. Only one of his defeats this winter was in state, to Division 1 Manuel Rojas of Detroit Catholic Central by a point.
171 Dillon Kroening, Gladwin senior (48-1) – He’s back as the top seed at this weight after falling in last season’s championship match, and is a combined 98-3 over the past two seasons. Kroening’s only defeat this winter came in sudden victory in December against Division 4 contender Jacob Cassiday of Beaverton, whom Kroening had defeated a week earlier.
215 Luke Davis, Richmond senior (38-2) – Last season’s 215 runner-up fell just short a year ago losing in a 3-0 decision, but he’s back as the top seed. His only in-state loss this winter was a 3-1 decision to reigning Division 1 champion Brendin Yatooma of Detroit Catholic Central. Since that defeat, Davis has pins in 17 of 19 matches.
285 Grant Clarkson, Lake Odessa Lakewood senior (36-0) – He’s back as the top seed in this bracket after finishing third at this weight in 2019, his first as a Finals placer. He’s pinned all of his opponents but one this season (and not counting a handful of matches won by forfeit).
Other 2019 runners-up: 112 Hunter Keller, Richmond junior (34-4, 103 in 2019); 125 Brendan Connelly, Yale senior (45-5, 119 in 2019); 135 Mac Breece, Birch Run senior (40-2, 125 in 2019); 135 Luke Mahaney, Williamston junior (27-4, 130 in 2019); 152 Max Halstead, Grayling senior (22-1, 145 in 2019).
Additional No. 1 seeds: 103 Braeden Davis, Dundee freshman (34-4); 125 Aidan Davis, Dundee freshman (39-4); 130 Brock Holek, Durand junior (42-0); 152 Dominick Lomazzo, Dundee junior (20-4); 189 Jonathan Clack, Lake Odessa Lakewood senior (48-0).
PHOTO: Flint Powers Catholic’s Sean Spidle (far left) stands atop the championship podium for the third-straight season in 2019 after winning a Division 2 title at 112 pounds. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Latest Championship Chapter of DCC/Davison Goes Shamrocks' Way
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
February 22, 2025
KALAMAZOO – Connor Bercume’s Detroit Catholic Central wrestling career came full circle Saturday.
Three years ago, Bercume lost the opening match of the Division 1 Final against Davison in a dual meet the Shamrocks lost by eight.
In his final match at Wings Events Center, however, the senior closed his team wrestling career by winning the clinching match in Catholic Central’s 50-18 victory against Davison.
“That’s a pretty cool feeling,” Bercume said. “I kind of started my career here at the team state championships, it was the first match my freshman year. I lost and we ended up losing that dual. So, that was definitely tough on me. This year, it’s pretty awesome to clinch it up. It still hasn’t really sunk in that this was actually my last time representing CC as a team. But, yeah, it feels good.”
Bercume and the Shamrocks have now won three straight Division 1 Finals titles, seven of the past nine and 11 since 2010, all under coach Mitch Hancock. In three of the five years the Shamrocks didn’t win the title, they were a finalist.
“It doesn’t,” Hancock said when asked if the feeling of winning ever changes. “You’d think it would. You’re so in the process throughout the year of prepping and prepping and prepping, but when it finally comes to fruition, you look at their faces and get the chance to embrace the coaches who have spent so much time and energy with these guys – it doesn’t (change). It’s a special moment. We do the team state tournament right here in Michigan, it means something. Other states, not so much; it’s the individual tournament. But look around. So many communities that are invested in wrestling – it’s special.”
Saturday was the seventh time Davison and CC had met in the Final since 2013, and the first time the Shamrocks had come out on top in that scenario since 2020.
The rivalry added another layer this season, as Hancock’s former Central Michigan University teammate Jason Mester took over the Davison program.
“Jason’s one of my closest friends. I talk to him every day,” Hancock said. “It’s an honor (to compete against him in the Final). It’s his first year at the helm, you can see the progress they made throughout the year. There’s no bigger competitor than Jason Mester, so I know we’re going to see his butt next year. … The Davison/CC rivalry is the best one in the state of Michigan, and you felt that tonight. Kudos to that coaching staff, Coach Mester, they’re going to be around for a long time with him at the helm. I can’t say enough about that team. But our guys stepped up tonight, and that starts with our freshman Braxton Roche at (157). What a remarkable display of talent.”
Roche’s match was one of several between ranked wrestlers in the dual, as he defeated Davison’s Julius Pacheco, who is ranked No. 5 at 150 and bumped up to face the sixth-ranked Roche. The back-and-forth affair ended with an 8-4 decision in favor of Roche, giving the Shamrocks a 26-12 lead with the heart of their lineup still to go.
While Kyle Jelinek would get a pin for Davison in the following match at 165, Catholic Central closed out the dual with five straight wins.
“I thought our guys competed,” Mester said. “The score really doesn’t tell the tale of how well our guys competed today or yesterday or all year, really. Our guys went out there and fought hard. We got beat in a number of positions where the swing matches could have gone either way, and it went their way today. My hat’s off to them – they wrestled a great dual and wrestled a great season.”
Davison (19-4) did get some big pins, as Jelinek was joined by Steve Vaughn (113) and Calvin Martz (138). But those were their only victories on the night.
“We had two seniors who got pinned tonight, and that typically doesn’t happen in our lineup,” Hancock said. “But I looked at both those young men and I said, ‘This team will pick you up.’ And those guys did, so I’m really proud of the other guys who stepped up and found a way to pick those two seniors up.”
Ryan Totten (120), Wyatt Lees (126), Benny Eziuka (285) and Richard Mogle (106) all won by fall for Catholic Central (27-5), while Bercume won by technical fall at 215.
Mack Moskovic (132), Alexander Buskirk (150) and Caden Krueger (175) won major decisions, while Grayson Fuchs (144) and Lee Krueger (190) joined Roche with wins by decision.
“We took some tough Ls (earlier in the season) to Lowell, St. Ed’s (Ohio), all the nationally-ranked teams that we wrestled,” Eziuka said. “That just prepared us for this moment to come out and put on a performance like this.”
Click for this weekend’s Division 1 meet summaries.
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Catholic Central's Connor Bercume (blue) wrestles Davison's Brandon Glisson at 215 pounds during Saturday's Division 1 Final. (Middle) The Shamrocks' Benny Eziuka has his hand raised in victory after his match at 285. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)