Davison's Olson Joins Mat Legends
March 7, 2015
By Nick Hankins
Special for Second Half
AUBURN HILLS – It takes many people and a lot of time to build a legend.
That’s why Lincoln Olson was so quick to hand out credit for the incredible feat he accomplished Saturday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Olson became the 20th wrestler in MHSAA history win four Individual Finals championships when he beat Walled Lake Central’s Daniel Shear by technical fall, 24-9, at 135 pounds.
“I feel ecstatic right now,” Olson said. “This is something I have been working for my whole life. I am so grateful for all the people who have helped me get here. My coaches (Roy Hall and Paul Donahoe) and my father, I wouldn’t be the wrestler I am without them. They mean the world to me, they gave me everything I needed to achieve this goal. All my coaches have been by my side this whole journey.”
Olson also finished his high school career with eight straight technical fall wins at MHSAA Finals.
“That has been my philosophy my whole life. I know I have a gas tank and a motor, and my conditioning I have been working on my whole life,” Olson said. “That really separates me from other guys; that third period when they are tired, I just keep going.”
103
Champion: Mike Mars, Westland John Glenn, Fr. (51-2)
Decision, 8-4, over Elijuh Weaver, Roseville, Soph. (29-4)
Mars got a little revenge, and won an MHSAA title along the way.
He beat Weaver 8-4 to win his first Finals championship.
“This feels unbelievable,” Mars said “I knew he was going to be tough to beat. He beat me the last time we wrestled at the beginning of the season. I worked hard all year to win a championship.”
112
Champion: Augustine Facundo, Davison, Fr. (38-8)
Decision, 9-4, over Donte Rivera-Garcia, Southgate Anderson, Soph. (54-3)
All year long, Facundo wrestled behind returning MHSAA champ and teammate Max Johnson in the 112-pound weight class.
But both wrestled in the MHSAA tournament and qualified for the Finals.
And when Johnson was upset in the Semifinal round by Rivera-Garcia, Facundo came back and avenged Johnson’s loss with a 9-4 win.
“It is awesome,” Facundo said. “It is such a rush to be a state champion. My dad and coaches put in a lot of hard work to get me to this point. I just stayed aggressive and rough to push the pace and win.”
119
Champion: Noah Gonser, Grand Blanc, Sr. (56-3)
Decision, 9-2, over Brendan Hazelton, Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse, Sr. (57-2)
It’s always great to end your career a winner. That’s what Gonser did by beating Hazelton for his 56th win of the year and first MHSAA title.
“I feel great about that match,” Gonser said. “This is a great end to my high school career. It has not hit me yet, but I am very excited to be a state champ.
“Last night I was in bed looking at the ceiling and said ‘God, I’m in the Finals.’ I don’t think this has all hit me yet. ”
125
Champion: Ben Freeman, Walled Lake Central, Soph. (44-0)
Decision, 10-7, over Romeo Riley, Kalamazoo Central, Sr. (44-2)
Sometime winning your second MHSAA title can be harder than earning your first.
Walled Lake Central sophomore Ben Freeman felt that this year, but came through with a hard-fought win over Riley.
Freeman won at 103 pounds last year.
“This is an awesome feeling,” Freeman said “It feels like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I have been working all year to win this title. I deserve to win this title because of all the sacrifices I have made.”
130
Champion: Trevor Zdebski, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (46-5)
Fall, 4:53, over Abe Ajami, Dearborn Fordson, Jr. (45-5)
Trevor Zdebski seconded Freeman’s sentiments on nerves the second time around.
Zdebski won his second title Saturday, but admitted afterward that it wasn’t easy, on the mat, or in his stomach.
“It is extremely nerve-wracking wrestling in the Finals,” Zdebski said. ”I was able to turn that pressure and nervousness and turn it into fuel to get it done. What more could I ask for, to cap off my senior season with a state championship!”
140
Champion: Dylan Steward, Grand Ledge, Jr. (44-2)
Decision, 9-4, over Nathan Atienza, Livonia Franklin, Soph. (49-4)
Sometime a loss earlier in the MHSAA tournament can act as motivation as the tournament moves on.
That was the case for Grand Ledge junior Dylan Steward.
“Nobody was going to stop me from winning a state title,” Steward said. “I lost at Regionals and worked hard to get that title.”
Steward won two of his matches at the Finals by major decision.
145
Champion: Dillon Ellsworth, Lapeer, Sr. (53-2)
Decision, 5-4 UTB, over Logan Parks, Southgate Anderson, Sr. (56-1)
Many coaches say to their wrestlers that they need to wrestle a full six minutes.
For Lapeer senior Dillon Ellsworth, he needed to wrestle a full nine minutes to beat Parks in the ultimate tiebreaker.
“I feel pretty good,” Ellsworth said. “I tried to push the pace of that match. It is pretty cool I got to win it my senior year and go out with a win at The Palace.”
152
Champion: Blake Montrie, Temperance Bedford, Jr. (46-1)
Decision, 7-5 SV-1, over Tyler Grimsley, New Baltimore Anchor Bay, Sr. (57-1)
Montrie went for it all in overtime, and it paid off as he threw Grimsley in a head-and-arm for the sudden victory.
“This is the greatest moment of my life,” Montrie said. “It’s a privilege to have my father in the corner and share this moment with him.
“I beat Grimsley at Grappler Fall Classic this year and I stuck with the same game plan to win a state championship.”
160
Champion: Myles Amine, Detroit Catholic Central, Sr. (47-0)
Decision, 7-6 SV-1 over Milik Dawkins, Flint Carman-Ainsworth, Sr. (53-2)
Amine was a little surprised by his opponent.
Dawkins came after the returning MHSAA champion and pushed him – until Amine held off the challenge and claimed the sudden victory on a technical violation.
“It is very exciting to win two state championship,” Amine said. “When I came to Catholic Central, I never dreamed of having this much success as a team or individual. It is really special to have my family share this with me.”
171
Champion: Nicholas Brish, Brighton, Sr. (48-2)
Decision, 5-2, over Andrew Price, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, Sr. (51-3)
There is a lot of hard work and pressure that goes in every MHSAA championship, but Brighton’s Nicholas Brish said he had some fun. He won his first title with a 5-2
“I have had a fun year going after it this year,” Brish said. “Coach (Tony) Greathouse always tells us to push the pace in our matches, so that is what I did for six minutes.
“It has been the greatest season ever for me, and this weekend ended on a great note.”
189
Champion: Alex Sovel, Walled Lake Central, Sr. (47-4)
Decision, 2-1, over Nick May, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, Jr. (48-4)
Sovel made his first MHSAA Finals only last season, earning a seventh place in his debut.
But Saturday, he closed his high school career with a memorable finish.
“I finally got it,” Sovel said. “I have told myself do whatever it takes this season, and it paid off today. It was special to have my brother Charles in the corner to share this moment.”
Charles Sovel was an MHSAA Finals placer as a senior in 2012.
215
Champion: Luke Ready, Brighton, Jr. (52-2)
Decision, 3-0, over Antonio Balabani, Macomb Dakota, Sr. (52-5)
Strength was on display when these two took to the mat and as they battled the full six minutes.
“It is an awesome feeling to accomplish our team goals and my personal goals in the same year,” said Ready, whose team won the Division 1 title last weekend in Battle Creek.
“Our coaching staff has been excellent this year. We have young coaches in (wrestling) with the team, and that is the reason we were able to accomplish our goals this year.”
285
Champion: Dan Perry, Lapeer, Jr. (61-0)
Decision, 3-2, over Ali Wahab, Dearborn Heights Crestwood, Jr. (59-1)
It was the battle of the unbeatens at heavyweight. And they are both juniors.
Perry edged Wahab by a mere point in a battle of wrestlers who had a combined 119-0 record coming into the final match.
“This is an amazing feeling,” Perry said. “I have been working for this for years and I finally did it. I went out with the mindset to be physical, and I knew I was going to win.”
He wasn’t the only Perry to place this weekend; senior brother Jacob finished fifth at 189.
“It is great to have my brother wrestle with me,” Dan Perry said. “I have someone there that can push me day in and day out mentally and physically to make me a better person and wrestler.”
PHOTO: Davison's Lincoln Olson is awarded his final high school win Saturday, and with it a fourth MHSAA title. (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.)