Hudson Earns Way Back Onto Familiar Stage, with Familiar Result
By
Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com
February 26, 2022
KALAMAZOO – The Hudson wrestling team is not used to not wrestling on the state’s biggest stage.
The Tigers, who made 12 straight MHSAA Division 4 Team Finals from 2009 through 2020, winning eight times along the way, did not advance to the championship match a year ago and had last won one in 2019.
But in dominating fashion, Hudson climbed back atop the Division 4 throne Saturday night at Wings Event Center with a 47-13 title match win over familiar championship rival New Lothrop.
The Tigers earned their trip back to the Final with impressive wins over LeRoy Pine River in the Quarterfinals and St. Louis in the Semifinals.
"These boys have been through some real trials, not just the wrestling season, but life in general," Hudson coach Scott Marry said. "And not just these kids, but all kids."
Things began to look up for Hudson in the fall, and have continued through the winter.
"We just won a football state championship, and most of them were on this wrestling team that just won this," Marry said. "They are just so excited about the competition, and it's almost like they are reborn."
Reborn and driven, as the Tigers won the first two matches of the Final with Logan Sallows and Cameron Kimble decisions at 189 and 215 pounds, respectively.
But the Hornets, who are no strangers to wresting for state titles, showed some resolve in the next three matches as Isiah Pasik won by fall at 285 pounds, Blake Wendling won by major decision at 103 pounds and Daven Lockwood won by decision at 112.
From there it was all Hudson, which won the dual's final nine matches.
"Last year was the biggest struggle with COVID," said senior 152-pouinder Bronson Marry, a winner in his match by fall. "Two years ago wrestling had just got done before COVID hit, and last year we went through all the precautions with the masks and everything, and we weren't even sure we were going to be able to wrestle, let along compete for a state title. This year was just amazing. I have been waiting for this feeling for a long time."
New Lothrop coach Jeff Campbell was impressed.
"You just get so accustomed with Hudson winning state titles, it didn't kind of register," said Campbell, whose team ended its year with a 23-3 record. "I am happy for their community, and I am happy for them. I have a lot of respect for everything that they do. Coach Marry and their whole staff – my son is a youth wrestler, so I see what they are doing at a lot of youth meets. They put the work in."
And now the Tigers are back on top.
"We are all blessed," said Scott Marry, whose team ended with a 22-4 record. "In Hudson we believe in Hudson-trained. We believe in three-sport athletes, and these kids bought into that."
PHOTOS (Top) Hudson’s Cameron Kimble, left, works toward a decision at 215 pounds Saturday at Wings Event Center. (Middle) The Tigers celebrate their first Finals title since 2019. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Hudson Makes Another Memory, Pulling Away for 4th-Straight Finals Victory
By
Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com
February 22, 2025
KALAMAZOO – As the Hudson wrestling team turned away from the post-dual handshake, the Tigers pivoted and raced back to their fans at Wings Event Center on Saturday with four fingers extended in the air.
On many of those wrestlers' fingers, three rings proudly took their spots, leaving one finger without.
Not anymore, as Hudson won its fourth-straight Division 4 championship with a 45-25 victory over Climax-Scotts/Mason in the title match.
"This is an unreal feeling,” 138-pound senior Julien Kimling said. "I remember my first one with that great group of seniors. We just strived to be like that group. They were great leaders, they started us off with number one, and now we are here with number four. It's an unreal feeling.”
Longtime Hudson coach Scott Marry, who has won more championship rings than fingers during his tenure leading the Tigers, said it's a joy every year to watch his wrestlers enjoy their successes after a long season.
"It is so fun to coach the spirit that these boys have," said Marry, who now has led Hudson to 12 team titles. "They have a farmer's mentality. They get up with the chickens and don't go to bed until the crickets are out. They don't stop."
And like he says year after year, Hudson wrestling is community and generational.
"It's hard to describe the community we have back at Hudson," Marry said. “It's like a little slice of paradise. God takes good care of us."
Whatever they are doing in Hudson as far as wrestling, it's working.
Led by Kimling, the Tigers won nine of the 14 matches against a very game CSM team.
Kimling had one of eight wins that ended with bonus team points for the Tigers. He won by major decision over a talented Seth Toris 10-2.
Bonus points is how Hudson made its way to the Finals, scoring wins over Roscommon in the Quarterfinals 75-3 and Clinton in the Semifinals 47-18.
"There is just a family feeling here, the love for each other," Kimling said. "We talked about this all weekend, the love for each other, the love for the sport and the love for God and everything all above us."
Climax-Scotts/Martin coach Mike Reitz saw the camaraderie of Hudson up close, and was impressed. But he was still happy that his team hung so tough with the premier program in Division 4.
"Who would have thought with two matches left to go we were still in it,” said Reitz, whose team ended its year with a 26-2 record. "We came in ranked number three, battled in the Semifinals, and then the boys showed up and battled in the Finals. I couldn't ask for any more. A couple of matches didn't go our way, but credit to them."
CSM defeated second-seeded St. Louis in the Semifinals 30-25 and Union City in the Quarterfinals 47-28.
With the three wins his team picked up this weekend in Kalamazoo, Marry now sits at 946 over his 37 years leading the Tigers.
But he doesn't want to hear that.
"We don't care about wins,” Marry said. “We care about kids."
Click for this weekend’s Division 4 meet summaries.
PHOTOS (Top) Hudson’s Julian Kimling, left, has his arm raised in victory Saturday afternoon at Wings Event Center. (Middle) CSM’s Logan Gilbert, right, faces off against Hudson’s Chase Clark at 120 pounds. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)