Mason County Central's Quinn Wins for Team, Family, Community
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
March 5, 2022
DETROIT – Standing across from Mason County Central’s Andrew Quinn on Saturday was the reigning Division 4 champion at 285 pounds, who also hadn’t lost in two seasons.
Despite a near-perfect record of his own, Quinn likely wasn’t the favorite to most. But he had other ideas.
The senior scored a reversal in the second period and quickly transitioned it into a pinfall against New Lothrop’s Isiah Pasik to earn his first MHSAA Finals title.
Dealing with a small team at Mason County Central, Quinn (51-1) credited the victory over Pasik (46-1) to his coaching staff, family, and friends who have all put time on the mat with him.
“I’ve got three older brothers up there watching me. They have pushed me my whole life,” Quinn said. “There’s tons of people that came to the wrestling room to help me out. We don’t have a big team, so I get to beat up on these guys (the coaches) every day.
“There’s tons of people to thank. I didn’t do it alone.”
103
Champion: Logan Gilbert, Martin/Climax-Scotts, Fr. (41-6)
Decision, 10-5, over Logan Mears, Union City, Fr. (45-5)
Gilbert knew what he needed to do to come away with the 103-pound title.
Having faced Mears three previous times this season, and winning all three, he just stuck to his game plan.
“I was just trying to stop the switch on bottom. (Mears) loves to hit that, and he’s really good at it. In neutral, he likes to hit the slot, but I tried to tie him up with my right arm,” Gilbert said. “I was ready for him.”
Gilbert kept the pressure and scored five takedowns during the match.
“I don’t think it has hit me yet,” Gilbert said of winning a title. “I don’t know what I am feeling right now, but it feels good.”
112
Champion: Jacob Bunn, Manchester, Sr. (46-2)
Decision, 5-2, over Trent Kimmel, Martin/Climax-Scotts, Sr. (37-3)
Making his fourth Finals appearance, Bunn finally got through to the top of the mountain.
“It’s something I have been working toward for 14 years now,” Bunn said. “I am just glad that I was able to get to the top in my senior year.”
It was a hard-fought win for the Manchester senior, as he held off a late surge from Kimmel.
“Even before the match, I just was thinking that it was another match and I couldn’t change up my style because it was a state final,” Bunn said. “I went out there and just didn’t let the pressure get to me and stayed focused.”
119
Champion: Shawn McGuire, Iron Mountain, Jr. (39-2)
Decision, 5-0, over Tyler Winch, Iron Mountain, Soph. (32-14)
It was a bittersweet championship victory for McGuire, the junior, as he dispatched of his Iron Mountain sophomore teammate for the title.
“It’s tough. It’s like your worst nightmare,” McGuire said. “I can never imagine going against my teammate, especially in a state final. It was difficult.”
McGuire controlled the match from start to finish, scoring a pair of takedowns and adding an escape while keeping Winch from getting on the scoreboard.
“It does feel great to be a champion. I’ve worked really hard for this,” McGuire said. “I’ve come close in the past and lost, but I just kept working toward this goal. It’s hard to put into words.”
125
Champion: Landyn Crance, Union City, Soph. (45-3)
Decision, 8-1, over Austin Marry, Hudson, Soph. (27-12)
As a freshman, Crance saw his chances at competing for a Finals title ended by COVID-19. This year, he made sure to make the most of his opportunity.
“Last year was devastating, having it all taken away from me because of COVID. But, I knew I just wanted to work harder this year to make up for it,” Crance said.
Crance started fast and never looked back, maintaining control of Marry throughout the six minutes.
“I knew I had to ride tight and stay on top,” Crance said. “I knew getting off the bottom would be difficult with (Marry), so I just had to keep control of him.”
130
Champion: Derek Mayle, Breckenridge, Sr. (38-3)
Major Decision, 14-1, over Dalton Birchmeier, New Lothrop, Fr. (31-13)
Mayle made sure his last match was one of his best.
The Breckenridge senior came within inches of a pinfall victory, but still came away with a 14-1 win.
“This was the last match of my life, so I just wanted to go out and have fun and end it on a bang,” Mayle said. “I wanted to make sure that I didn’t leave anything on the mat.”
Mayle overwhelmed Birchmeier, whom he had seen before in Regional competition. Still, the New Lothrop freshman fought hard to see the full six minutes.
“I was pretty confident, but I didn’t want to take the match lightly,” Mayle said. “I just needed to stay disciplined and keep attacking.”
135
Champion: River Roberson, Hesperia, Sr. (45-2)
Decision, 10-7, over Payton Rogers, Hudson, Sr. (33-7)
In one of the more back-and-forth matches of the Division 4 Finals, Roberson grinded out a 10-7 win.
“It’s hard to believe, but it’s an amazing feeling,” Roberson said. “I’ve worked so hard for this, it’s hard to believe it’s actually happened.”
Roberson found himself in a nearfall situation early in the match, but battled back to take control. Once he got it, he didn’t allow Rogers to get it back.
“When (Rogers) got the first takedown, it kind of made me nervous. But, I knew what I have been through to get here,” Roberson said. “My coaches put me through a lot of intense training to be ready for matches like this.”
140
Champion: Manus Bennett, Marlette, Jr. (43-0)
Decision, 2-0, over Bronson Marry, Hudson, Sr. (27-3)
In a matchup of two past champions, Bennett scored a takedown in the second period to find a way past Marry.
“A lot of it was just mental technique for me. I knew if I could get the takedown, I am really good at riding legs,” Bennett said. “I knew he was a good wrestler. I just had to not allow him to work his strengths, and find a way to work mine.”
The 103-pound champion in 2020, Bennett used his riding ability and endurance to hang on for his second title.
“Wrestling is the longest six minutes of your life. Two minutes can feel like years,” Bennett said. “Seeing that clock finally hit zero, it was a lot of relief.”
145
Champion: Sebastian Martinez, Riverview Gabriel Richard, Fr. (33-4)
Decision, 4-1, over Dillon Raab, Bark River-Harris, Jr. (34-3)
Martinez became the first Finals champion in the young history of the Gabriel Richard program by scoring a pair of key takedowns.
“I am starting a new legacy for future Pioneers coming to this school,” Martinez said of being the first champion. “This program is going to be something great, and I am just glad I got to be the first.”
Leading 2-1 entering the third period, Martinez didn’t get passive. He made an aggressive shot on Raab and earned a powerful takedown to lock up the victory.
“I was just trying to hold on, but the best defense is a great offense,” Martinez said. “I decided to take the shot in the third and managed to get the takedown to really secure the win.”
152
Champion: Parker Stroud, Iron Mountain, Sr. (41-6)
Decision, 11-9, over Josh Collins, Hemlock, Sr. (41-5)
Stroud ended his prep wrestling career with a championship, but wasn’t too thrilled with his performance in an exciting 11-9 victory over Collins.
“It feels pretty good, but I didn’t really wrestle my best. It takes a little away from it, but it still feels good to be a champion,” Stroud said.
Stroud was getting a number of takedowns, but Collins would respond with reversals and threaten to take the victory. It took an explosive takedown from Stroud to get the go-ahead points in the closing seconds.
“I was wrestling pretty well, but I wasn’t getting much done on top,” Stroud said. “I just managed to get the score in the end.”
160
Champion: Shenard Foster, Detroit Loyola, Sr. (17-0)
Decision, 5-4, over Gavin Wilmoth, Traverse City St. Francis, Sr. (39-3)
After losing in overtime of last year’s championship match, Foster was determined to not let that happen again this year.
The Detroit Loyola senior used his explosiveness and athleticism to top Wilmoth, last year’s 152-pound champion.
“It feels great. I fell short last year, so it feels great to win (a title) this year,” Foster said. “It motivated me a lot, because I knew I could do it.”
Foster was able to score two takedowns in the match while adding an escape. That’s all he needed, as Wilmoth was unable to get him to the ground.
“I just had to stay smart. I am used to wrestling guys that are taller than me. (Wilmoth) was my height, so I just had to be aggressive. I knew he couldn’t stop my shots,” Foster said.
171
Champion: Cole Hopkins, Evart, Jr. (54-0)
Major Decision, 15-7, over Noah Etnyre, Lutheran Westland, Jr. (48-5)
Hopkins completed an unbeaten junior season and avenged his lone loss in the 2021 Finals by scoring a major decision in the 171-pound championship match.
“That is the greatest feeling in the world,” Hopkins said. “Since that day (last year’s loss), it’s been eating me alive. Every time I wake up, that’s what I have been thinking about and it made me go harder.”
It was all about the takedowns for Hopkins, as he repeatedly got Etnyre to the ground. He scored a quick takedown in the first and never trailed in the match.
“I just had to not wrestle scared,” Hopkins said. “I had been here before, so that gave me the confidence to wrestle that much harder and get the job done.”
189
Champion: Drew Allgeyer, Bark River-Harris, Jr. (40-4)
Decision, 9-5, over Cameron Kimble, Hudson, Sr. (43-2)
It wasn’t always easy for Allgeyer, but he led throughout the match to kick off the Division 4 Finals and earn his first championship.
“It feels amazing,” Allgeyer said. “I am on top of the world.”
Allgeyer secured some early takedowns, but Kimble put up a game effort with a reversal in the second period to keep things interesting. In the end, Allgeyer pushed a pace that Kimble couldn’t quite match.
“When I was warming up, I just kept telling myself that these six minutes were going to be mine,” Allgeyer said. “That’s the way that I wrestle every single match.”
215
Champion: Caden Ferris, Delton Kellogg, Sr. (49-0)
Major Decision, 10-2, over Grayson Orr, New Lothrop, Jr. (47-6)
Caden Ferris will be a name the Orr family is likely never to forget.
The Delton Kellogg senior won a second consecutive title at 215 pounds with a dominant 10-2 win over Grayson Orr on Saturday.
Last year, Ferris defeated Grayson’s brother, Camden Orr, in the 215-pound final by a score of 13-11 in OT.
“It’s pretty cool,” Ferris said of winning another title. “I’m feeling pretty good about it. I was pretty focused on winning.”
PHOTOS (Top) Mason County Central’s Andrew Quinn, standing, celebrates his win at 285 pounds Saturday at Ford Field. (Middle) Marlette’s Manus Bennett, top, works toward a win at 140 pounds. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Davison's McRill Packs Plenty of Thrills
August 30, 2016
By Bill Khan
Special for Second Half
DAVISON — The sense of excitement is palpable when Brenden McRill recalls one of the biggest adrenaline rushes he's had on a football field.
He's in his third year as Davison's starting quarterback, but it's the one time he got to play on the other side of the ball that makes McRill really light up.
Although he's put up impressive numbers at the game's most glamorous position, the opportunity to make eight tackles as a safety in a first-round playoff loss to Lapeer last season was about as fun as it gets for McRill.
"Oh, it felt great," he said. "I was so excited for that, because I hadn't played defense since my freshman year. I was ready to go out there and hit somebody."
Spoken like a true ... wrestler.
The willingness to absorb punishment is considered a barometer of toughness for a quarterback, and McRill is certainly willing to do that for the good of the team. Most quarterbacks, however, don't get as hyped as McRill to deliver a blow.
But he isn't wired like most quarterbacks, which is why Davison coach Kyle Zimmerman could confidently add the following hash tag to a Twitter post about McRill: #MyQBIsTougherThanYours.
The groundwork for McRill's unique makeup was forged on the wrestling mats of the Davison youth program and fine-tuned at the high school level under the guidance of Roy Hall, who has coached the Cardinals to six MHSAA team championships and four runner-up finishes since 2000.
McRill was the MHSAA Division 1 champion at 189 pounds as a junior.
"It definitely makes me different, because I love to hit," McRill said of his wrestling background. "If I'm near the sideline and see a guy, I'm going for the hit; I'm not sliding. That aggressiveness and toughness has definitely helped me."
While McRill is as tough as they come, Zimmerman is reluctant to have his quarterback playing both ways on a regular basis.
"To be honest, he probably should play defense," Zimmerman said. "He's one of our best defenders. At the first day of practice, everybody does drills to simulate stuff. He's lights-out. Anything he does on a football field, he's going to excel at. He's played end for us, he's played linebacker, he's played safety, he's played quarterback.
"We've got other guys we know can play. You know it's a huge drop-off if you put yourself in a position where you could lose someone. If you see the quarterback out there, people are going to be attacking him, trying to tire him. We want him to play at a high level on offense."
And that he does.
McRill received honorable mention on The Associated Press' Division 1-2 all-state team last season as a dual-threat quarterback. As a passer, he was 68-for-136 for 1,306 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran 161 times for 642 yards and 11 touchdowns.
In the 2016 opener against Saginaw Arthur Hill, McRill was 3-for-5 for 52 yards and two touchdowns passing to go with five carries for 27 yards and a touchdown in the first half of a 62-12 rout of the Lumberjacks.
The mission for McRill and his teammates is to get Davison back on the state high school football map. The Cardinals made the MHSAA playoffs seven straight years from 2002-08, reaching the Semifinals three times and going 65-19 during that span. In the seven years that followed, Davison went 33-33 and made the playoffs three times.
"We had three starting sophomores that first game my sophomore year," McRill said. "There was me, offensive tackle Zach Slezak, who at the time played defense, and Corran Thornton, who started at defensive end. We started it together. Our senior year, we want to make it our best and have one of the best years Davison's ever had."
On the wrestling mat, McRill knows what it's like to compete at a high level.
McRill added his name to the list of individual MHSAA champions coached by Hall when he won the Division 1 title at 189 pounds with an overtime decision over previously unbeaten Nicholas May of Kalamazoo Loy Norrix. McRill was fifth at 152 as a freshman and third at 160 as a sophomore.
"Going into high school, I planned to win it right away my freshman year," said McRill, whose only blemishes on a 38-2 junior record were against MHSAA champions. "Just with that legacy and Coach Hall's style, you're expected to win. You're working as hard as you can. ... It felt real good to get that out of the way."
He helped Davison reach the MHSAA Division 1 Team Finals in 2014 and 2016, with a semifinal appearance in between in 2015. Each of the last four years, however, Davison has lost to the eventual champion.
"It's kind of upsetting, but it will make us hold each other more accountable that we need to finish this year," McRill said. "We need to win. We've got a lot of guys back and some incoming freshmen who are ranked guys and very good. So I'm very excited for this team coming up."
McRill does what he can to maintain his sharpness as a wrestler, but he devotes most of his attention to football over the summer.
"I try to get a couple of drills in right now when the season's going," he said. "When we get to the playoffs, I try to stay off it, focus on football and stay healthy for that. Right after football, I try to get a couple days off and get ready for wrestling. I try to train hard, because I know I have a lot of catching up to do."
McRill doesn't compete in the national wrestling tournaments that many of his competitors do over the summer, but that hasn't hurt his exposure to college scouts. He is weighing offers from Central Michigan, University of Michigan and West Virginia.
Once football and wrestling seasons conclude, McRill said he may return for one final season on the baseball diamond. He grew up playing baseball, but cut back on it once he realized his college future was likely to be in football or wrestling.
He didn't play baseball as a freshman, because he was working to win the starting quarterback job the following fall. McRill was called up to the varsity baseball team as a sophomore after throwing a no-hitter on the junior varsity team.
"I think I'm going to come out my senior year," he said. "We've got a great group of guys in baseball, too. That's one that people kind of sleep on, but we could come up with something in baseball."
In the meantime, the arm that threw a no-hitter for the JV baseball team will be firing touchdown passes for a football team that could have a special season.
"The first day I saw Brenden, I knew who my quarterback was from how he competed and how he threw," said Zimmerman, whose first year at Davison was McRill's sophomore season.
"We were probably going to take our lumps early, but it's going to pay off in the long run. He was steady his sophomore year, he was good last year and he's going to explode this year."
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) Davison quarterback Brenden McRill lines up over center during his team's game last season against Saginaw. (Middle) McRill holds up his weight's bracket sheet after winning the Division 1 title at 189 pounds last winter. (Below) McRill looks to lock up during his championship match. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)