Davison's Facundo Earns Historic Opportunity
March 7, 2020
By Dan Stickradt
Special for Second Half
DETROIT — Alex Facundo suffered a blow when he was disqualified one week ago during a match at the Division 1 Team Finals against eventual champion Detroit Catholic Central.
But Facundo, the top-ranked wrestler in both the state and nation, did not let last weekend’s setback deter his goal this weekend of winning a third Individual Finals title.
Facundo, a junior who has committed to Penn State, posted a 13-5 major decision victory over Grandville’s Josh Kenny at 171 pounds at Ford Field.
“I wanted to win this really bad and prove that I was the best in the state — and nation,” smiled Facundo. “I did that today. (Last week’s opponent) didn’t beat me. I lost on a (technically). I had something to prove.”
Facundo, who finished 39-2 this winter, will try to join an elite crowd next season as he’ll pursue a fourth MHSAA individual title.
“I’m really happy with the third title. I knew I could do it,” he said. “Next year, I’ll come back and go after my fourth title.”
Kenny, a senior who was third at 152 last season, finished 38-2.
103
Caden Horwath, Davison, Fr. (43-2)
Decision, 7-2, over Louden Stradling, Battle Creek Lakeview, Fr. (51-2)
One of five finalists for Davison, Horwath wrapped up a stellar 44-2 freshman campaign.
“I got a couple of takedowns early, rode him pretty hard on top and I took control,” said Horwath. “It means a lot to me because all of my hard work paid off. It’s a little relief off my shoulders.
“There’s a lot of (history) at Davison and because we lost (in the Team Final) it feels good for all of us to do well here,” added Horwath. “Now I hope to be back next year.”
112
Dylan Gilcher, Detroit Catholic Central, Fr., (40-3)
Technical fall, 18-3 (4:29), over Aiden Smith, Brighton, Soph. (39-11)
One of the state’s premier freshmen, Gilcher joined Catholic Central’s long list of Finals champions.
“There’s so much history at CC, and it’s incredible to be able to win a title,” said Gilcher. “It’s an incredible feeling and such a blessing to wrestle here at (Catholic Central). There’s some really high expectations.”
119
Brendan Ferretti, Macomb Dakota, Jr. (34-1)
Decision, 7-2, over Andrew Hampton, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, Jr. (52-2)
Ferretti has been nearly unstoppable the past two seasons, posting a 90-1 record during that span. The junior outlasted Hampton to capture his second straight title.
Ferretti won at 112 last season.
“I never wrestled (Hampton) in my life. I just know I’m the best in my (weight) class and I wanted this,” said Ferretti. “I was nervous coming in, but it’s always good to work out those nerves and just go out there and win. I love this. I thrive off of (the big crowds). It makes it so much better, I think."
125
Andrew Chambal, Davison, Sr., (42-5)
Decision, 5-1, over Mason Shrader, Brighton, Jr. (41-7)
Davison had five finalists, and top-seeded Andrew Chambal came through with the victory in his final high school match.
He finished second at 119 last season.
“I went to a really dark place last year after I lost,” said Chambal. “Things were different for a while. Coming out here and doing what I love and coming out on top means the world to me. This changes my life. I feel like I’m on top of the world again.”
130
Sam Freeman, Brighton, Sr. (41-5)
Decision, 3-2, over Dylan Phelps, Holt, Sr. (39-5)
Freeman put together four years of hard work to reach the summit as a senior. He ended his prep career with a narrow 3-2 decision over Phelps, an opponent he has wrestled several times.
“This is just four years of hard work,” said Freeman. “A lot of guys will peak freshman year, but I didn’t make it to states my freshman year. I kept working, and it means so much more to know that I kept working to get here. It’s a great feeling to be at the top of the mountain at the end of the day.
“It’s not confidence as much as it’s excitement,” added Freeman. “This was two guys on the same level going for it on the big stage with a great match like that.”
135
Eddie Homrock, Brighton, Sr. (43-3)
Major decision, 9-0, over Camden Trupp, Detroit Catholic Central, Jr. (35-6)
Homrock has gotten used to Finals championships.
He’s now won two of them, after also capturing the title at 125 in 2019. But this deciding match carried some extra significance.
“I was nervous (this time), not because of (my opponent), but because it was my last match,” Homrock said. “I wasn’t scared, just nervous. I went out there and got it done. I knew no matter what I was going to push through it all.”
140
Josh Edmond, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (43-0)
Technical fall, 23-7 (5:50), over Zach Johnson, Brighton, Jr. (41-9)
Detroit Catholic Central has produced legions of all-state wrestlers and champions. But Edmond reached an elite group at his school and statewide with his third Finals title.
“It means a lot. I really wanted to be a three-time state champ, and I worked really hard for this,” said Edmond. “I think it’s a blessing. I am just blessed to be a part of the CC wrestling family. I thank all of my coaches for helping me get here.
“The game plan was to just wrestle hard. Things opened up, and I was able to pull away,” added Edmond. “I felt pretty good that I could win my third.”
145
T.J. Daugherty, Waterford Kettering, Sr. (35-0)
Decision, 3-1 (OT), over Marc Shaeffer, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (32-13)
Daugherty posted bookend Finals championship wins, earring titles as both a freshman and again as a senior.
“(Shaeffer) took a shot and I doubled by and went behind and got the point, and I did it,” said Daugherty of his win. “I beat him at (Oakland) County and I beat him at the Clarkston Duals. But this is where it matters most.
“When I was a freshman, I didn’t really know what was going on,” added Daugherty, who won at 103 in 2017. “This year I wanted to win it more than anything. I was able to get the win this year.”
Shaeffer previously finished runner-up at 140 in 2019.
152
Josh Barr, Davison, Fr. (39-0)
Decision, 5-3, over Logan Sanom, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (42-10)
Davison’s future is bright, to say the least. There will be 11 returning starters next winter from a team that finished as the Division 1 runner-up, Barr among them.
The talented freshman was one of five finalists and three champions for the Cardinals, and a top seed at his first Individual Finals.
“I worked so hard all season to get here,” said Barr. “It’s a great feeling to win as a freshman. But this is just the beginning. I want to come back and go for it again. Plus we’re going to be really good again next year with almost everyone returning. We only had three seniors. So this is just a step (forward).”
160
Derek Gilcher, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (45-2)
Decision, 3-2, over Jay Nivison, Davison, Sr. (36-6)
Just a couple of hours after his freshman brother Dylan Gilcher claimed a title, Derek Gilcher followed suit with his third straight championship and fourth placing at the Finals.
“Right now I feel great. But before my match I was a little nervous, really before my brother’s match. He’s new, he’s a freshman and never been through states before like I have,” said Gilcher. “But he did his job, and I had to go do mine.”
Gilcher has been a four-year starter during Catholic Central’s four-year reign as the Division 1 team champion.
“I don’t think that’s been done before — the first time in CC history we’ve won four in a row,” smiled Gilcher. “We never won four in a row before, and now the three individual wins. It’s crazy. It adds to the legacy of the program, and the accomplishments show all of the hard work of the athletes and coaches.”
189
Manuel Rojas, Detroit Catholic Central, Soph. (46-1)
Decision, 7-3, over Colin Jagielski, Temperance Bedford, Sr. (47-3)
After getting the win with Facundo’s DQ at last weekend’s Team Final, Rojas heeded some advice from his coaches this week – and won his first individual championship.
“I went to school on Monday and sat down with (CC head coach Mitch Hancock). We decided to give up social media, stay off of it, and get away from all of the negativity. Just focus on all of the positive things,” said Rojas. “I just had to concentrate on getting prepared for this weekend and try to win here. Just be around my teammates and the people that care for me. That’s all that matters.”
Rojas was poked in the eye during the first period Saturday, which drew a little blood, and the scratch forced his eye to swell throughout the match.
“I hear it’s pretty nasty. I can’t see it yet,” added Rojas of his swollen eye. “It happens. That’s wrestling.”
215
Brendin Yatooma, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (45-1)
Decision, 4-2, over Luke Stanton, Brighton, Sr. (32-4)
One week after helping DCC to another team title, Yatooma aided his team’s run to nine individual state finalists and six individual champions. The reigning champ at 215 capped his prep career with a repeat.
“This is for our coach and our entire coaching staff. They work so hard for us to get to this point,” said Yatooma. “We wrestle as hard of a schedule as anyone, and we come here to win. It’s an incredible brotherhood at CC. Not just wrestling, but for everyone. There is nowhere else I’d rather be than here competing for CC.”
285
Steven Kolcheff, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (45-2)
Decision, 3-2 (OT), over Jake Swirple, Livonia Franklin, Sr. (58-2)
Kolcheff doesn’t mind a little overtime. He had to put some in Saturday night, and it resulted in a victory over top-seeded Swirple in the rubber match between the rivals.
Kolcheff won at the District level, while Swirple turned the tables during the Regional round.
“We’re the most conditioned team in the state,” said Kolcheff. “In overtime I felt good, felt confident. I didn’t want to win a state championship on a coin toss … so I went for it in overtime.
“It’s a great rivalry between us. For me, wrestling is my sport and it’s really dear to my heart. I want to win state titles, and that’s what I did today.”
PHOTO: Davison’s Alex Facundo (right) gets ahold of a leg of Grandville’s Josh Kenny on the way to winning his third Individual Finals championship. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Lowell's Blum Joins Pair of Elite Clubs with 4th Individual Finals Title
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
March 1, 2025
DETROIT – Lowell senior Jackson Blum entered rarefied air Saturday at the 2025 MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals.
Not only did Blum become one of 40 wrestlers to win a fourth individual championship, but he also became one of just seven in MHSAA history to win four individual titles and four team titles when he claimed the 132-pound championship in Division 2.
“It’s an amazing feeling. God has blessed me so much,” Blum said of the accomplishment. “The road has had a lot of ups and downs, but in the end, I was able to come out on top because of Him.”
Blum was one of three wrestlers to become a four-time individual champion Saturday, and he admitted the pressure of fulfilling that goal got to be challenging this season.
“At the beginning of this year, I felt pressure on myself. I felt like I had to win my fourth and be the next one,” Blum said. “But, that’s when I really just tried to let God guide me and take off that pressure.”
Blum (47-0) was in control of his opponent, Gull Lake junior Rasler Warner (33-4), throughout the bout.
Blum scored four takedowns in the first round and added two more in the second to secure the 19-4 technical fall 2:53 into the contest. He was one of four Lowell wrestlers to claim an individual title Saturday.
106
Champion: Pilot Swab, Stevensville Lakeshore, Soph. (45-7)
Decision, 8-1, over Tyler Cooper, Plainwell, Fr. (39-10)
Behind a late takedown in the third period that led to near-fall points, Swab claimed his first championship with a decision win over Cooper.
Swab avenged a pair of losses to Cooper during the season to claim the title.
“I just decided to pick up the pace during the last 30 seconds of the match,” Swab said. “I knew I had to pick it up. It means a lot to be a state champion.”
113
Champion: Jarrett Smith, Lowell, Jr. (42-3)
Major Decision, 8-0, over Carson Blum, Lowell, Fr. (37-7)
Facing off with a teammate at the Finals for the second consecutive season, Smith came away with a second championship.
“It’s tough, but it’s also really cool because you know you are training with the best guy in the state at your weight, every day in practice,” Smith said. “I have some years on (Blum), but he’s going to be great. He’s a great wrestler.”
Smith managed a takedown in each of the first two rounds and then scored a reverse to control the match and keep Blum off the scoreboard.
120
Champion: Cristian Haslem, St. Clair, Jr. (41-0)
Decision, 17-12, over Devan Garcia, Battle Creek Harper Creek, Soph. (37-2)
Haslem avenged a loss to Garcia at the 2024 Finals at 113 pounds, coming away with a win in a high-scoring championship match.
“I had been working all season toward getting my revenge and getting that title,” Haslem said. “It motivated me every step of the way this season. I made sure to wrestle my match at my pace this time around, and it feels amazing to be a state champion.
The key moment came in the second period when Haslem got a takedown on an ankle pick that put him ahead for good at 9-6. He followed that up with a takedown to open the third and controlled things from there.
126
Champion: Jeremiah Brown, Flint Kearsley, Sr. (25-0)
Decision, 6-5, over Quinten Cassiday, Cedar Springs, Soph. (47-2)
Trailing 5-3 late in the third period, Brown scored a takedown to go up 6-5 and held on from there to complete an unbeaten senior season.
“I knew I had nothing to lose at that point,” Brown said of the late takedown. “I was already down, it was my senior year, I had to just go. It feels great. I am living on a high right now.”
They had met in the Regional Final last weekend with Brown winning 13-7, but he knew Saturday’s rematch wouldn’t be so easy.
“I wasn’t sure if I could beat (Cassiday) again. He improved a lot,” Brown said. “He’s just a sophomore, and he’s a phenomenal wrestler. I’m really happy to have been able to win.”
138
Champion: Trenden Bashore, DeWitt, Sr. (59-1)
Decision, 8-4, over Luke Egan, Cedar Springs, Jr. (50-3)
Takedowns in the second and third rounds allowed DeWitt’s Bashore to close out his high school career with his first championship.
“All I ever wanted to be was a state champion, and I always came up short. But, not this time,” Bashore said after the win.
Bashore finished runner-up at 132 pounds at the 2024 Finals, but took the loss to heart and let it motivate him to Saturday’s victory.
“Last year, I got my butt kicked by one of the best, and I took what happened and let it drive me,” he said. “This year, I put focus on the small part of my technique and being on the attack.”
144
Champion: Jaron Bensinger, Gaylord, Jr. (47-0)
Ultimate Tie-Breaker, 2-2, over Buddy Leonard, Freeland, Sr. (46-3)
Bensinger let the pain of finishing runner-up last season drive him to winning his first title.
A 1-1 match in regulation was ultimately decided on an ultimate tiebreaker, with Bensinger riding out Leonard to claim the championship in the final stage.
“I knew it was going to be a battle, but I never stopped wrestling and never stopped pushing the pace,” Bensinger said. “I was confident I could ride (Leonard) for those 30 seconds. I worked my whole life to be a state champ.”
Leonard and Bensinger each scored escape points in regulation and in the overtime periods to force the ultimate tie-breaker.
150
Champion: Lane Button, Wayland, Sr. (52-0)
Decision, 11-4, over Dylan Granger, Mason, Jr. (44-2)
Button closed out a two-year undefeated run with a decision win over Granger to win his second consecutive championship and finish 100-0 over his final two prep seasons.
The senior celebrated by honoring the Detroit Lions in their home, doing an Amon-Ra St. Brown headstand, following by the Kerby Joseph cartwheel and back flip.
“That was the plan all along,” Button said of the celebration. “(Granger) was my last high school loss, so it was good motivation for me all year. I felt like I had the pace and the speed and knew what I needed to do to finish with a win.”
Button’s early takedown in the first period set the tone, and he followed up with two more in the match, as well as a reversal, to keep Granger from getting within striking distance.
157
Champion: Johnathan Ford, Bay City John Glenn, Soph. (42-6)
Decision, 7-3, over Drew Ladach, New Boston Huron, Sr. (55-4)
After an injury during the District tournament kept him from competing for a Finals title in 2024, Ford made the most of this opportunity, winning a hard-fought contest with Ladach.
“It was a stressful match, but I knew I had to just keep attacking,” Ford said. “I’ve been envisioning this moment for a long time. Getting injured last year really motivated me and pushed me this weekend.”
Ford held a 4-1 lead in the second period before Ladach was able to cut the margin to one thanks to an escape and a stalling point. As the match closed, Ford secured another takedown to seal the deal.
165
Champion: Owen Segorski, Lowell, Sr. (45-4)
Decision, 9-7, over Zane Willobee, Gaylord, Jr. (32-2)
In a matchup of two 2024 champions, Segorski, the 144-pound title winner last year, overcame a deficit to grind out a 9-7 win over Willobee, the 157-pound champion from a year ago.
“I just had to trust in my training. I know the match is only six minutes, so I know I can go hard for six minutes, no matter how tired I get,” Segorski said.
Segorski trailed 6-5 early in the third period, but tied the match up with an escape and then scored a takedown on Willobee with 35 seconds remaining to get the win.
It was the third Finals championship for Segorski, who also won the 125-pound title as a freshman.
“It feels a lot better to win here, for sure,” Segorski said. “It was really important (to win). I didn’t want to go out with any regrets.”
175
Champion: Fabian Facundo, Freeland, Sr. (43-1)
Decision, 8-1, over Zachary Taylor, Gibraltar Carlson, Sr. (53-2)
Coming up one match shy of a championship in 2024, Facundo pushed himself late to break a 1-1 tie with Taylor and earn his first title.
The two were tied 1-1 in the closing moments of the match before Facundo blitzed for a takedown and got near-fall points to secure the victory.
“I could see (Taylor) was backing up and that’s what I wanted,” Facundo said of the late takedown. “It feels good, really good.”
190
Champion: Casey Engle, Lowell, Sr. (42-8)
Decision, 9-3, over Martin Knight, North Branch, Jr. (53-3)
The Lowell senior came out fast, scoring nine points in the opening period and then fending off Knight from there to secure the 190-pound title.
“I was just trying to score the first points of the match and set the tone. It always puts you in a good place,” Engle said. “I knew (Knight) was going to throw everything at me in a state final. I just had to stay composed and not get too excited.”
Engle would be the fourth and final Red Arrow to win a championship on the night.
“It’s just being part of the legacy,” Engle said. “It means a lot to be a part of it and to be able to be a champion for the program.”
215
Champion: James Mahon, Goodrich, Sr. (38-3)
Fall (1:35), over Holden Otter, Carleton Airport, Soph. (49-5)
After winning the 285-pound championship in 2023 and 2024, Mahon made the move down to 215 pounds this season.
The change didn’t keep him from adding a third title, as he scored a takedown early in the match and eventually worked it into a pinfall.
“It was tougher (this season at 215). I wasn’t used to people shooting on me. I had to make my stance a lot lower. I couldn’t just run through people,” Mahon said. “At points, (I doubted if I could win), but it didn’t last long. If I had that thought, I just told myself, ‘I am the best. I am going to win a third (title).’”
285
Champion: Dustin Warner, Sparta, Sr. (56-3)
Decision, 4-0, over Caden Sides, Gaylord, Sr. (42-4)
In a rematch of a Regional championship from last weekend, Warner avenged a loss to Sides with a 4-0 victory.
“I wrestled smarter this time around,” Warner said. “I took advantage of my strengths. I felt really good coming into the match, and it feels awesome to be a state champ.”
The two were scoreless through two periods, but Warner opened the third with an escape and then added a takedown with 34 seconds left in the match.
“I had to use my conditioning. I know I am in better shape than everyone,” he said. “So, if the match lasts, they’re going to gas. I had to keep pushing the pace.”
PHOTOS (Top) Jackson Blum’s arm is raised in victory Saturday after he claimed his fourth MHSAA Individual Finals championship. (Middle) Wayland’s Lane Button, right, prepares to lock up with Mason’s Dylan Granger at 150 pounds. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)