Joy Outweighs Pain for Erie-Mason's Griffin
March 3, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
AUBURN HILLS – At least for a couple of minutes Saturday evening, Logan Griffin’s left shoulder stopped hurting. Or, hopefully, hurt a little less.
He had separated it midway through this season, and didn’t return to the mat until the District tournament three weeks ago.
But amid sizable pain at the end, Griffin beat a two-time MHSAA champion Saturday at The Palace of Auburn Hills to win his first title
The Erie-Mason sophomore edged Carson City-Crystal senior Kenneth Dittenber 5-4 in overtime in the last match at 112 pounds. Dittenber had won the previous two Division 4 championships at 103, while Griffin was runner-up at 112 last season.
“It was my toughest match all season. … I didn’t think I’d make it this far,” Griffin said. "It was killing me. I didn’t think I was going to be able to make it through (OT).”
Griffin, who ended the season 27-0, had worn a shoulder brace throughout the weekend but decided it was best to shed it for the championship match.
He had never wrestled Dittenber, but certainly knew of him. “I just knew I had to be aggressive and keep attacking,” Griffin said.
Dittenber finished 53-5 this season. Click for full results and read below for recaps of every championship match and comments from all the winners.
285
Champion: Ryan Prescott, Whittemore-Prescott, Soph. (48-1)
Decision, 9-5, over Zach Rieger, Hudson, Sr. (53-2)
Prescott got a taste of an MHSAA championship match as a freshman. He fell one point shy of opening his high school career with a title, losing 4-3 in the Final.
He’s considered that every day since, and adopted a more aggressive style to help him achieve his goal this time.
“Every single day, I think about being a state champion. I think about the pleasure. I think about the exposure. I think about the greatness,” Prescott said.
“I’m a state champ. All the pressure’s off. Let’s go get two more.”
103
Champion: Roddy Hamdan, Hudson, Soph. (48-5)
Fall, 3:06, over Arthur Payne, Montrose, Soph. (46-6)
Hamdan got to play a significant part last weekend in Hudson becoming just the second school to win five straight MHSAA team championships.
This weekend, he earned the opportunity to finish with one more win. But it took a 10-8 triple-overtime victory over Dansville’s Clay Ragon two rounds earlier to keep that aspiration alive.
“After ... I knew I had to work harder. I was just saying I’ve got to get better and better as I go,” Hamdan said. “I’m very excited. I work hard every day, train hard. I just dream about this every day. It’s been in my mind since day one.”
119
Champion: Zack Yates, Hesperia, Jr. (53-1)
Fall, 0:59, over Isaac Dusseau, Hudson, Jr. (49-7)
A year ago, Yates also faced a Hudson wrestler in a championship match. Cole Weaver beat Yates 6-0 to win the title at 112 pounds.
But Yates learned plenty to bring back to Auburn Hills this weekend.
“I just needed to keep on my attacks,” he said. “I can’t take a break. I can’t stop wrestling the whole match.”
And it no doubt helped that he had some championship support in his corner – older brother Dan Yates, who won three titles from 2007-09.
“I love having him here. I’m glad he was here, cheering me on,” Zack Yates said.
125
Champion: Zach Mack, Mio, Sr. (45-1)
Fall, 3:42, Matthew Elliott, Fife Lake Forest Area, Jr. (47-6)
Mack had faced Elliott twice this season – pinning him during the final minute in their first match and then beating him 7-0 in the District final.
But that didn’t mean Mack was overly confident Saturday – just pleased when it was done and that he had a title on his last day as a high school wrestler.
There’s good and bad about seeing a familiar opponent in the final match of the season.
“There’s a lot of pressure on you. You’ve beaten him before, but you don’t know if you’re going to win,” Mack said. “(I was) a little nervous. But you can’t let that get to you.”
130
Champion: Cole Weaver, Hudson, Jr. (52-0)
Decision, 7-0, Richard Bentley, St. Ignace, Sr. (42-4)
It’s this simple. “I just don’t want to get beat,” Weaver said after winning his second-straight MHSAA title Saturday, in his third-straight Finals appearance.
It also finished his second-straight perfect season, making him 103-0 over the last two.
But what makes them perfect is the fact that he’s been part of three MHSAA team titles as well.
“Team is a lot better. Individual, it’s just something that goes along with it,” Weaver said. “We’re usually just team, team, team … is what we really care about.”
135
Champion: J.D. Waters, Hudson, Jr. (41-5)
Decision, 2-1, over Chase Siersema, Hesperia, Jr. (57-5)
Waters and Siersema didn’t face each other during last weekend’s Team Final.
But Waters knew what his Saturday opponent would bring, and he was ready for the attack from the moment he stepped on the mat.
Waters scored his points right before the end of the second period. And as the seconds ticked away in the third, he knew he had to do everything to withstand Siersema’s final shots – which he did to claim his first individual championship.
“I knew what he had coming,” Waters said. “So I just had to stop that, and work myself.”
140
Champion: Jacob Perrin, New Lothrop, Sr. (63-2)
Decision, 7-6, over Chad Decker, Grass Lake, Jr. (51-3)
Perrin joined brothers Zach and Russell this season with 200 career wins, and finished his high school career Saturday ahead of both with 222.
But if he’d fallen in his final match? He doesn’t even want to consider that – although it came close to fruition before Perrin scored his go-ahead points during the final seconds.
“That’s why you practice hard. To go out there and do it at the state finals,” he said. “It came down to 14 seconds left, and I was just thinking I gotta get it if I want to win it. We’ve drilled that 100 times in practice, and it worked for me.”
Perrin’s 63 wins this season tied for 20th most in the MHSAA record book. He won the 130-pound championship as a junior.
145
Champion: Josh Wendling, New Lothrop, Jr. (49-5)
Decision, 4-2, over Austin Hughes, Saginaw Nouvel, Jr. (46-2)
Hughes was going for the first individual championship in Nouvel history and had pinned Wendling in their only other meeting this winter.
But this time, Wendling was able to get away for the win despite the dogged pursuit of his opponent – and notch the highlight of his wrestling career.
“I placed as a freshman and sophomore, but it wasn’t like this,” Wendling said. “I’ve been wrestling a long time, but I feel like this year I just stuck it out.”
152
Champion: Jared Bruner, Addison, Sr. (51-3)
Decision, 9-4, over Spencer Reterstoff, Hart, Jr. (53-5)
Winning an MHSAA championship was “the best thing ever,” and Bruner did that last season at 145 pounds.
Winning two? Even better.
“I just look at this one as just another blessing. I went out and wrestled my match, and did as much as I could to win,” Bruner said. “It’s just what you have to do to be on top of the podium.”
Bruner said he's still considering either wrestling or playing football at the collegiate level.
160
Champion: Jacob Cooper, Springport, Soph. (46-2)
Decision, 7-5 OT, over Taylor Krupp, New Lothrop, Jr. (53-4)
Cooper finished runner-up last season at 145, falling in a 4-2 decision.
And after making it all the way back to the championship match, he was in danger of falling in another close one to end Saturday.
But he’d thought a lot about last season’s Finals defeat, and hit another gear when he needed it most.
“I really wanted this, so I pushed it hard,” Cooper said. “I needed to redeem myself, I thought.”
171
Champion: Galloway Thurston, St. Ignace, Sr. (52-2)
Decision, 5-0, over Pat Brown, Sandusky, Jr. (40-4)
Wrestling in MHSAA Finals became a habit for Thurston. He was a runner-up in 2011 and won a championship a year ago.
And all season long, he looked forward to adding one more title to finish his high school career.
For the second season in a row, he joined teammate Joe Ostman to give the Saints two MHSAA champions and the entire Upper Peninsula a dose of wrestling pride.
“I just tried to follow Joe’s footsteps. We just push each other to get better,” Galloway said.
“People were saying the U.P. is never going to have placers, never going to have champions. So it’s an honor to represent the U.P. well.”
189
Champion: Steven Malloy, Morley-Stanwood, Sr. (45-2)
Decision, 7-5, over James Snider, East Jackson, Sr. (36-2)
The last minute of Malloy’s high school career was certainly one of the best.
It's then that he scored the points that earned him a second-straight MHSAA title.
“I was just waiting for him to make a mistake,” Malloy said, still catching his breath. “And capitalize.”
Malloy was the 189 champion in Division 3 last season, winning by a similarly-close 7-6. But this win meant a little bit more. This one added the finishing touch to his senior year.
215
Champion: Joe Ostman, St. Ignace, Sr. (54-0)
Technical Fall, 17-1, over Kevin Koenig, Laingsburg, Fr. (59-4)
Ostman held up three fingers, as it often done when someone wins three MHSAA championships.
He added this to the one he claimed at 215 last season and his first at 189 in 2011.
“I won it a little earlier than I thought, and I came back and won a couple more,” Ostman said. “Being from the U.P., I think it just sets a goal for other wrestlers to reach in the future.”
Ostman will not wrestle collegiately, but instead will play football at Central Michigan next season.
“Obviously, I don’t want it to end,” he said. “But if it’s going to end, it’s a great way to end it.”
PHOTO: Erie-Mason's Logan Griffin (right) wrestles Carson City-Crystal's Kenneth Dittenber during Saturday's Division 4 Final at The Palace of Auburn Hills. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Hillger Cashing in on Price of Excellence
January 29, 2016
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
LINDEN — The books are never too far away from Trent Hillger, even as he works to put his name in the Lake Fenton wrestling record books.
On Monday night, as he does occasionally, Hillger rode for an hour across mid-Michigan to work out with partners who could challenge him.
As his mother drove him home, Hillger studied with the aid of a flashlight. At breakfast the next morning, he squeezed in some more study time. On the ride to school, he put the finishing touches on a paper.
That preceded another full day at school, followed by time in the weight room and wrestling practice.
It's the price of excellence for Hillger, on the mat and in the classroom.
"It's something a lot of kids don't have to experience," said Hillger's father, David, the athletic trainer at Lake Fenton. "Good or bad, it's just something he's had to learn to deal with. I'm proud of him, because that's a challenge every day. It's not like a lot of kids who just go home and study for two or three hours; he doesn't have that liberty."
Hillger, perfect on the mat the last two seasons, is nearly perfect in the classroom. The junior carries a 3.97 grade-point average, with an A-minus in an advanced-placement class standing between him and a 4.0.
"I really have to schedule my time every week, because I'm so busy," he said.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder was already a standout defensive end/outside linebacker for Lake Fenton when he filled a need at quarterback last fall. As one of the biggest quarterbacks in the state, he ran 141 times for 1,342 yards and 19 touchdowns in a run-oriented offense. He was an effective passer on those rare occasions when the Blue Devils threw the ball, going 25 for 39 for 503 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively, he had 13 tackles for losses, five sacks, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
"It was definitely a wildcat type of offense," Hillger said. "I ran the ball probably 20 times a game."
He led Lake Fenton into the second round of the MHSAA Division 4 playoffs, where the Blue Devils lost to eventual runner-up Flint Powers Catholic. For his efforts, Hillger received special mention on The Associated Press' all-state team.
But it's as a wrestler that Hillger has made the biggest name for himself.
After placing fourth in the MHSAA Division 3 individual tournament and going 57-8 at 171 pounds as a freshman, Hillger joined his head coach as Lake Fenton's only sophomore champions when he won the 215-pound title to cap a 58-0 season.
Vance Corcoran was Lake Fenton's first MHSAA champion, in the 1985 Class C tournament, then won again as a senior in 1987.
Shaun Mann (1994-95) and Ryan Ruddy (1996-97) are Lake Fenton's only other two-time champions.
"We've never had a three-timer, so he's got a chance to do that," Corcoran said. "We've had some really good kids come through the program; Trent's right there. Not only is he a great kid, but he's respected by all of his teammates. He's a 4.0 student, he's one of the best captains we've ever had and he's dependable."
Hillger is 39-0 in his quest to join the list of Lake Fenton's two-time champions. Of those victories, only three weren't pins or forfeits. He won one match by technical fall, one by a 6-1 decision over 2015 Division 1 qualifier Brandon Krol of Hartland ... and one in a match that exceeded the hype.
Hillger went four overtimes against Lapeer's Dan Perry on Dec. 19 in a battle between two MHSAA champions who are ranked among the top nine nationally. With an escape in the fourth overtime, Hillger escaped with a 4-3 victory in the Genesee County Wrestling Championships at Davison.
"It's exciting," Hillger said. "I like having close matches like that, but it's a little nerve-racking having an overtime match."
Hillger, who has won 97 straight high school matches, is ranked No. 6 nationally at heavyweight by InterMat and No. 8 by FloWrestling. Perry, who has signed with Michigan, is No. 4 in FloWrestling's rankings and No. 9 on InterMat. The two are expected to meet again on Saturday in the Lapeer Tournament.
"I look at them, yeah," Hillger said of the rankings. "It's cool. College is where it all matters. That's what I'm looking forward to if I choose wrestling."
Hillger's combination of academic and athletic prowess has attracted the attention of Ivy League schools for football and wrestling. He's also been recruited by Iowa, Missouri, Wake Forest and Eastern Michigan for football. In wrestling, Indiana, Iowa State, Michigan and North Carolina State have expressed interest.
While choosing which school to attend, Hillger also has to decide which sport to continue at the next level. That decision may be more difficult.
"I have choices for both," said Hillger, who wants to get into sports nutrition or athletic training. "I'd say in wrestling I have a bit more, but they're the same level, the same caliber of teams. I couldn't decide. I've been doing both of them my whole life. It'll be a tough decision when I decide next year which sport I'll go into."
Hillger is a unique wrestling athlete in that he's successfully made the jump from 171 pounds to heavyweight in two years' time. The skills that were necessities in the lower weight class serve Hillger well against the big boys in a division that maxes out at 285 pounds.
"During the summer, I knew I'd be at heavyweight, so I started wrestling up in weight classes," Hillger said. "I was wrestling really small. I'd wrestle 280-pound guys at 200 pounds, just to get used to it; it transferred over. Now I'm really comfortable at heavyweight. You've just got to use your speed and don't get stuck underneath a guy. Once you get stuck underneath, you're not getting up."
Hillger said he kept "my little-man mentality" when he moved up to heavyweight.
"I'm trying to stay fast, but I also got stronger in the other weight classes," he said. "That helped me to be faster than everyone else and still have the strength of the big guys. A lot of heavyweights wrestle up top. I like to stay low and take a bunch of shots, keep the pace going, make it a fast pace."
Like many wrestlers who enter elite high school programs, Hillger had a wealth of experience at a high level since he began competing at age 6. What set him apart was that he was having immediate success in one of the heavier weight classes.
"From day one, the kid's come in and he's mature and he's a hard worker," Corcoran said. "So, all the seniors took to him right away. They saw his work ethic. We get freshmen come in every now and then who come in like that, but not at the 171 weight class where he's wrestling men. Right away, he dominated. He's kept that same work ethic. I think it's even gotten better over the years, if that's possible."
Hillger is trying to not only repeat as an individual champion, but get Lake Fenton its first team title.
The Blue Devils are 27-3 and ranked No. 3 in Division 3 by MichiganGrappler.com. They are coming off a 42-22 victory on Wednesday over perennial power New Lothrop, the top-ranked team in Division 4.
"We should make the Finals," Hillger said. "Our team is very good, so the Finals is definitely a realistic goal. It will be tough to beat (top-ranked) Dundee; we'll have to have a few matches go our way."
Hillger has traveled across the country wrestling at a high level throughout his summers, but said the camaraderie of high school wrestling is hard to beat.
"It's an individual sport, but having your whole team cheering you on the side is nice," he said. "Seeing how far your team can go in team states is cool, seeing the whole team come together.
"When I wrestle by myself, I always have friends around at national tournaments, but it's not the same as having your team on the sidelines, getting excited for your matches."
Bill Khan served as a sportswriter at The Flint Journal from 1981-2011 and currently contributes to the State Champs! Sports Network. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Trent Hillger works against Grand Rapids Catholic Central's Grant Tennihill during last season's MHSAA Division 3 Final at 215 pounds. (Middle) Hillger stands at the top of the podium after winning the championship. (Click for more photos from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)