D4 Preview: Champ Returns as Favorite
February 25, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The MHSAA Division 4 Team Wrestling Finals feature the smallest schools competing in our state.
But they also included the headlining finish from last season’s championship matches at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena.
New Lothrop ended Hudson’s record five-year title streak by downing the Tigers 33-22 – and the Hornets return to Kellogg this weekend as favorites to repeat.
Below is a look at all eight teams competing in Division 4, listed by seed. Quarterfinal matches begin at 1 p.m. Friday, with Semifinals at 9:30 Saturday morning and the championship match at 4 p.m. All matches this weekend will be streamed live on a subscription basis on MHSAA.TV. For results throughout, check the MHSAA Wrestling page. (Records below are based on those submitted for the Individual Finals.)
#1 New Lothrop
Record/rank: 26-1, No. 1
League finish: First in Genesee Area Conference.
Coach: Jeff Campbell, 14th season (365-65)
Championship history: 13 MHSAA championships (most recent 2014), four runner-up finishes.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Tommy Malloy (34-19) fr., 112 Connor Krupp (34-12) soph., 130 Dalton Birchmeier (32-9) sr., 135 Cole Hersch (46-0) jr., 140 Gabe Bennett (36-3) sr., 145 Steven Garza II (36-0) jr., 145 Trevor Copes (29-10) sr., 152 Johnny Robinson (33-11) jr., 160 Erik Birchmeier (34-8) soph., 171 Joe Fisher (16-5) sr., 189 Caleb Symons (44-1) jr., 285 David Robertson (34-19) sr.
Outlook: New Lothrop’s title last winter was its first since 2004 and keyed in large part by eventual and now-graduated individual champions Josh Wendling and Taylor Krupp. But Symons, usually unable to break into the lineup at the same weights as those two, also was a hero of last year’s final weekend. Bennett, Garza and Connor Krupp are returning Individual Finals placers, and Hersch is considered a contender next weekend as well.
#2 Decatur
Record/rank: 29-2, No. 4
League finish: Second in Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Coach: Brian Southworth, 31st season (639-206-3)
Championship history: Has never finished among the top two teams in Finals competition.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 119 David Helmuth (44-8) soph., 130 Ethan May (45-11) soph., 145 Elijah Luth (41-10) jr., 152 Hunter Bell (50-1) sr., 189 Cole Southworth (45-7) sr., 285 Logan Kennedy (23-2) soph.
Outlook: Decatur returns to the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2012, having conquered No. 3 Lawton in their District Final after finishing behind Lawton in the SAC standings and falling to the Blue Devils in District Finals the last two seasons. Half the starting lineup is underclassmen, but Kennedy was an Individual Finals placer last season, as were Cole Southworth and Bell.
#3 Hudson
Record/rank: 21-5, No. 2
League finish: Tied for first in Lenawee County Athletic Association.
Coach: Scott Marry, 27th season (713-151)
Championship history: Five MHSAA championships (most recent 2013), runner-up 2014.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Dylan Leathers (24-13) jr., 119 Roddy Hamdan (37-7) sr., 125 Tyler Roberts (26-15) sr., 130 Michael Prock (34-12) sr., 145 Mason Lopinski (34-5) jr., 152 Kyle Johnson (41-6) jr., 171 Clayton Brockway (28-16) sr., 189 Mitch Ely (28-13) sr., 189 Tylor Grames (30-17) soph.
Outlook: Hudson is capable of starting another title run with five Individual Finals placers in the lineup this weekend including Johnson, the reigning champion at 152, and Hamdan, the runner-up at 112 last season. The Tigers edged No. 5 Springport in the Regional Final to advance after sharing the LCAA championship with Division 3 top-ranked Dundee.
#4 Manchester
Record/rank: 28-7, No. 7
League finish: Tied for first in Cascades Conference.
Coach: Steve Vlcek, 25th season (500-181)
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2008.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Reese Fry (29-12) fr., 112 Brendan Abrigo (45-1) sr., 119 Ethan Woods (38-8) soph., 135 Nick Dettling (45-6) sr., 140 Brock Vlcek (45-3) sr., 145 Corey Johnson (41-7) sr., 152 Matt Cuevas (38-11) sr., 152 Garrick Ockerman (28-19) sr., 160 Trevor Humphrey (45-4) jr., 285 Stevie Suliman (33-17) jr.
Outlook: Manchester also is back in the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2012. The Flying Dutchmen scored at least 60 points in all three of their postseason wins to get to Battle Creek after sharing their league title with No. 6 Addison. Abrigo was the Individual Finals runner-up at 103 last season, and Woods finished sixth at that weight.
#5 Leroy Pine River
Record/rank: 25-5, No. 8
League finish: First in Highland Conference.
Coach: Tim Jones, 16th season (424-95)
Championship history: Class C runner-up 1991.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Nate Park (38-7) jr., 103 Andrew Park (28-7) fr., 112 Jordan Stone (44-8) sr., 119 Tony Moore (44-6) sr., 125 Tucker Fansler (36-15) soph., 135 Phil Ragatzki (27-16) sr., 171 Jeff Gross (33-11) sr., 189 Tyler McCurry (39-10) sr., 215 Dominic Garcia (25-4) jr., 215 Josh Jackson (39-8) jr., 285 Chase Morrison (37-6) jr.
Outlook: Pine River has dominated its league and District with 15 championships over the last 16 seasons at both stages. This is the Bucks’ first trip to the Quarterfinals since 2008 and has come after four tournament wins by an average score of 67-13. Stone should be an Individual Finals contender after placing eighth at 112 last season.
#6 Norway
Record/rank: 18-5, unranked
League finish: First in Mid Peninsula Athletic Conference.
Coach: Nick Burkland, sixth season (84-32)
Championship history: Has never finished among the top two teams in Finals competition.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 112 Dylan Hoffart (39-3) soph., 140 Cole Gonzalez (40-1) sr., 152 Tanner Gonzalez (36-4) soph., 160 Taylor Bonetti (47-4) sr.
Outlook: Norway’s surge continues as it is making the trip to Battle Creek for the third straight year and is a combined 68-6 in duals over the last three seasons. The Knights have moved up one seed each of these Quarterfinal trips and return 10 wrestlers from last season’s lineup. Cole Gonzalez and Bonetti both were Individual Finals placers in 2014.
#7 Climax-Scotts/Martin
Record/rank: 22-4, unranked
League finish: Third in Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Co-coaches: Jason Wade, 10th season (N/A); Pete Boyd, 27th season (531-234)
Championship history: Martin was Class D champion in 2008, Division 4 runner-up in 2004 and Class D runner-up in 1991 and 1987.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 112 Dayton VanderPloeg (34-8) jr., 145 Todd Myers (35-8) jr., 152 Zack Mobley (43-9) jr., 215 Ethan Simmons (37-5) soph.
Outlook: These two schools formed a cooperative program this season for the first time and finished third together in one of the toughest small-school wrestling leagues in the state. VanderPloeg finished fourth at 103 pounds at last season’s Individual Finals and brings championship experience to a lineup with only two seniors. Climax-Scotts/Martin edged both Hesperia and Kent City by a point apiece to win the Regional.
#8 Cass City
Record/rank: 40-10, unranked
League finish: First in Greater Thumb Conference.
Coach: Don Markel, 30th season (521-343-2)
Championship history: Has never finished among the top two teams in Finals competition.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 140 Darrin Dickson (38-11) soph., 189 T.J. Moore (45-7) soph.
Outlook: Cass City is making its first trip to the Quarterfinals but has won nine league and five District titles under Markel, who took over the program heading into the 1985-86 season. The Red Hawks bounced back from two straight sub-.500 seasons to make this historical run with only five seniors on the roster but 10 wrestlers total with at least 30 wins this winter.
PHOTO: New Lothrop's Caleb Symons (right) earned a major decision in last season's Division 4 Final win and will be among those counted on again this weekend. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
After Amputation, Wesaw's Return to Wrestling Provides Purpose, Self-Confidence
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
March 13, 2026
DOWAGIAC – Weski Wesaw found a purpose three years ago once he began competing for the Dowagiac wrestling team.
Wesaw, a senior and the Chieftains' varsity starter at 150 pounds this winter, overcame a traumatic and life-altering event in junior high school to become a Regional qualifier on the mats.
During the summer before seventh grade, Wesaw was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, an aggressive primary bone cancer most common in children, teens and older adults.
"I found out I had bone cancer in my knee. The doctors told me I had two options,” Wesaw said. “They gave me the option to keep my leg ... or I could choose amputation.
“My aunt chose to keep her leg when she had cancer, and it spread throughout her body and she passed away due to it.”
Wesaw's desire to be active and participate in sports were two more big reasons he chose amputation.
"I had dreams and goals so I leaned towards amputation because they told me it was the only way I could compete in sports, was with its removal or a prosthetic," Wesaw said.
Wesaw went through rehabilitation but struggled for a long period with a bit of depression while adjusting to his new normal.
"I had always been an athlete. I played everything as a kid – lacrosse, football, baseball and wrestling,” Wesaw said. “Being a kid, then not being able to do things you once did, that's very difficult. Your friend group changes a bit too."
During his sophomore year, Wesaw and one of the school's athletic directors approached Dowagiac's varsity wrestling coach Colin Burandt with the idea of Wesaw trying wrestling again.
Burandt was aware of Wesaw at an early age when he participated in Dowagiac's Youth Wrestling Club.
"After everything happened to Weski, he was kind've reclusive a little bit. He felt kind've out of place as a freshman, but he came into his sophomore year with more drive and approached me about joining the team,” Burandt said. “We just got after it, and it's been awesome seeing how he has developed a new purpose through the sport."
Wesaw admits that wrestling has changed his outlook on everything.
"Wrestling has had a big impact on my life. I wanted a purpose to come to school,” Wesaw said. “I had competed in MyWay when I was a kid with two legs, and I knew how to wrestle. Going back into it with just one leg was similar to learning to ride a bike again."
One of the biggest adjustments Wesaw had to make was learning how to shoot using his own style.
"Instead of using your knee to shoot, I had to figure out my own way to be able to move and slide through perfectly,” Wesaw said “When I'm on the mat, I just do what my mind tells me to do. I can adapt and match my opponent's energy. It's been a long process that has taken all the way up to my senior year to get the hang of things. Now I've gotten to the point where I can leave everything out on the mat.”
Wesaw finished with a win-loss record of 23-18 this season. He earned third place at the Division 3 Individual District Tournament at Dowagiac. The top four place finishers in each of the 14 weight classes advanced to the Belding Regional, where he was eliminated in the second round.
"Having the home crowd cheering for me in Districts was huge. I was really nervous,” Wesaw said. “Before every match I just told myself that I got this, and I left everything out there on the mat. My goal was to get to the state meet, and I fell just a bit short of that goal. I gave it my all, and the determination to reach my goal is what really drove me."
Wesaw also played a key factor as Dowagiac won its ninth-straight Team District title before losing in Team Regionals.
"I get butterflies just thinking about the big meets. We've been successful because everyone on this team brought something different to the table," Wesaw said.
"Self-confidence is a very important thing in wrestling. I have become much more confident in myself thanks to the great support I've received from my friends, family and the community. I just have to give a lot of thanks to them along with my coaches who have accepted me for who I am and made me into the person I am today," Wesaw said. "I approach everything I do with 100-percent effort so I have no regrets. I want to look back and know I have made a big impact on this program."
Wesaw was one of Dowagiac's most versatile grapplers and comes from a wrestling family.
"My dad was a wrestler and my uncle wrestled and later became a boxer. Even my little sister is on our wrestling team," Wesaw said. "My uncle (Eric Ortiz) has really helped me with my moves and helping me to think straight and remain calmer in my matches.”
Wesaw plans to continue wrestling in college and plans to pursue a double major in business and engineering.
One of his biggest inspirations is Anthony Robles.
Robles is an American wrestler who attended and competed for Arizona State, where he won a national championship in the 125-pound division in 2011 despite being born with just one leg. His story helped spawn the movie “Unstoppable.”
"Coaching someone like (Wesaw) is really no different than coaching anyone else,” Burandt said. “My approach is that every kid on our team is different. With Weski, his style is tailored to what he can do on top and offensive moves. With him there aren't necessarily challenges, but he just has to do what fits him best like working for a lot of reversals in a match.
“He's developed a pretty good shot from when he first began. Our strategy is for him to be aggressive in that first period. He's quick, very resilient, battles through the latter periods and is stronger than many of his opponents. Confidence in his ability, game planning and executing that plan and being a team player are some of his other assets.
"Weski is a great teammate, and everyone loves him. The other kids see his hard work and resiliency. They just view him as another guy on the team, and he's no different than anyone else. His mindset is great. He never makes excuses, and he just goes after it and figures things out on the way."
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Dowagiac’s Weski Wesaw, in orange, works toward a pin during a tournament this season. (Middle) Wesaw, top position, works on a move against a practice partner during the week of Individual Regionals. (Below) Wesaw, far left, stands on the podium after earning a second-place finish at the Greater Berrien County Invitational. (Match and podium photos courtesy of Dowagiac’s athletic department. Practice photo by Scott Hassinger.)