Delta County's Best Prep for Ford Field
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
February 25, 2019
GLADSTONE – Two weeks have passed since the team season ended for Upper Peninsula wrestling teams.
Although, that doesn't mean it's over for all U.P. wrestlers.
Seven grapplers will represent Delta County at the MHSAA Individual Finals this Friday and Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit after placing among the top four in their respective weight classes in Regional meets.
All of them got together for practice last week at Gladstone Middle School.
"This is going to help me a lot," said Bark River-Harris freshman Avery Corrigan, who placed fourth at 103 pounds in a Division 4 Regional at Charlevoix. "I have people here my size who I've wrestled before. It feels great to be going to the state tournament. I felt confident going into the Regional and saw kids I hadn't seen before. It's going to be challenging, but I just have to stay confident. You just give it your all and treat it like any other tournament."
It was teammate vs. teammate for a Division 3 Regional championship at Kalkaska as Gladstone freshman Michael Brazeau pinned junior Lane Matzke 4 minutes, 49 seconds into the 103-pound final.
"We practice together," said Brazeau. "It was hard to make a move. It was a lot less intense than other matches because we knew what was coming. I didn't really care who won.
“It's looking very tough for 103 right now, but everybody's beatable. It feels like it's going to be pretty nerve-wracking, yet it's going to be exciting to go down there."
Matzke had similar thoughts about the Regional title bout.
"I didn't really care who won either,” he added. “The semifinal was the one that really mattered. We started laughing when we found out we were both in the finals.
“I went to the state tournament in my freshman year. It gets the butterflies out knowing I've been there before. I can't wait to get back there."
Junior teammate Cole Hansen (152) also captured a Regional title.
“It's quite an atmosphere down there,” Hansen said of the Finals. “I was pretty nervous when I went down there last year, but I'm more excited about going this year. My goal is to go down there and take first. I have to stay focused, get the right food in my body and drink a lot of water. I have to try to stay in good position. Last year I got out of position. This has been a good year so far."
This will be the first visit to the Finals for Gladstone senior Nick Dawson (130), who took fourth in the Regional at his weight.
"It feels real good to be going," he said. "This will be a great experience. It's going to be hard. It will also be exciting. I went down there to watch last year and there were a lot of mats, which motivated me to go down there this year."
Escanaba junior Hunter Larson (135) goes to the Motor City with the most MHSAA tournament experience among those in this group. He earned a third place in a Division 2 Regional at Gaylord last weekend and took sixth at 135 pounds at last year’s Finals.
"I started slowly in the Regional, then I got energized and my wrestling improved," said Larson, who won the Regional the past two years. "I'm a little disappointed I didn't get my third Regional. It will be a little longer road this time, but now I'll just have to trust in my ability.
“It definitely makes me less nervous after being (in Detroit) before. Everybody is pretty good once you get this far. I'm pretty excited about going back there."
Escanaba sophomore Collin Arnt (112) plans to take an offensive stance in Detroit.
"I have to wrestle aggressive," he said. "Hopefully, this will be a good experience. This was definitely one of my goals for this year. This is a real tough division. There will be some tough wrestlers. My goal is to place in the top eight."
PHOTO: Escanaba’s Hunter Larson wrestles this season at Marquette. (Photo courtesy of the Larson family.)
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.)