Running Finals Streak to 9, Lowell Keeps D2 Dominance in 'Family'
By
Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com
February 26, 2022
KALAMAZOO -- When asked about his team's unprecedented success, Lowell wrestling coach RJ Boudro admits that the recipe for success is not that hard.
It's all about family.
Boudro's Red Arrows won their ninth straight Division 2 championship, and 12th overall, by defeating Goodrich in the 46-16 in Saturday’s Final at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo.
"I have coached these guys since they have been knee-high," Boudro said. "I have been coaching at Lowell for 15 years; some of the guys on this team weren't even born when I started. It just starts getting more personable, and that is what coaching is really about. Making relationships, and relationships grow stronger. I love these kids, and I love their families – they support you a lot."
You could tell the closeness of this year's Lowell team all weekend in Kalamazoo, as the Red Arrows marched through Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in the Quarterfinal and then Gaylord in the Semifinal to set up a rematch with the Martians in the championship match.
Starting at the 189-pound weight class, Goodrich got on the scoreboard first with Cameron Macklem’s pin in 1 minute, 36 seconds.
Lowell got on the board thanks to one of its senior leaders, as Carter Blough – the top-ranked 215-pounder in Division 2 – won by technical fall, 22-7.
Lowell went on to win six of the next seven matches after Blough's impressive victory, setting the tone for another team title heading back home to Lowell.
"Last year we didn't have the energy, the people here, like we did this year," Blough said. "We didn't have that stage, but this year we had our crowd here, we secured the dual and we are super excited."
Last year, in the middle of the pandemic, Lowell beat Goodrich 59-7 for the championship. This year would be a bit tougher, but the Red Arrows continued to show the dominance in the division they have displayed over the past decade.
"Lowell is a good team. I don't know what else to say," said Goodrich coach Kenneth Sirignano, whose team ended its year with a 31-3 record. "They were better than us today, by quite a bit."
Sirignano said momentum swung on some tight matches throughout the Final.
"We lost three close matches, and we gave up bonus points," Sirignano said. "In those tight duals, you have to win the close ones and you can't give up bonus points."
Those three sway matches came at 112 pounds – an 8-7 win by Lowell's Landon Musgrave – at 125 with a 3-0 win by the Red Arrows’ Owen Segorski, and at 145 with a 3-0 win by Lowell's Jared Boone.
"Even during COVID we found a way to work around it and get better," Blough said. "That's how this team is – we always find a way to get better no matter what's in front of us."
Lowell, which finished this winter with a 23-3 record, will wrestle for a 10th-straight championship next season. No other team in the state, no matter the division, has won more than five consecutive titles.
"This is ridiculous," Boudro said. "It's hard to put into words."
PHOTOS (Top) Lowell celebrates Saturday’s Division 2 championship win over Goodrich, which ran its title streak to nine seasons. (Middle) Lowell and Goodrich wrestlers work to gain control during their match. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Dundee's Dominance Reaches Next Level with 8th-Straight Title Run
By
Jeff Chaney
Special for MHSAA.com
February 22, 2025
KALAMAZOO -- Total Domination.
Those are only words to describe the Dundee wrestling team's march through the MHSAA’s Division 3 Team Wrestling Tournament this year.
Dundee won its eighth-straight championship with a 74-0 win over Yale on Saturday at Wings Events Center.
During the entire MHSAA Tournament, the Vikings wrestled seven teams, outscoring them by a combined 537-13. They lost only three individual matches through the whole tournament.
"It is pretty exciting to do this," senior 175 -pounder Kole Katschor said. "We go to the practice room every day to work hard, and it shows. This is pretty cool to see, but we work hard."
Dundee earned its way to the Final by defeating Ogemaw Heights 75-6 in the Quarterfinals and Allegan 72-0 in the Semifinals.
This after downing Milan 82-0 and Ida 76-4 at Districts and Livonia Clarenceville 77-3 and Hazel Park 81-0 at Regionals.
"Our team work ethic makes us," Dundee junior Blake Cosby said. "We go in and out of our practice room every day, and we train harder than anyone else out here. That separates us from everyone else."
With that kind of leadership, it's easy to see why the Vikings have such a strong program from top to bottom.
"Throughout the state tournament, especially at Districts and Regionals, we are able to give our starters some time off," Dundee co-coach Nate Hall said. "They don't have to make weight on Wednesday, we slide up guys and we are able to give some of our starters some rest and some other guys opportunities. We are happy to put those guys in those situations so they are prepared later on."
Katschor, a two-time returning Individual Finals champion, and Cosby, also a returning champ, led a Vikings team this year that has eight wrestlers ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes.
In the championship match, Dundee won every bout by at least bonus points, including six pins and six technical fall victories.
Katschor and Cosby both won their matches by first-period falls.
"Their kids are very dedicated and put a lot of time in during the whole year," said Yale coach Rob Majcher, whose team finished a successful year with a 32-3 record. "Our kids saw where they need to be. I'm very happy with where we are at. A lot of kids have bought into the program. This was definitely a magical season for them."
And it looks like the magic will continue for Dundee.
The Vikings have three returning champions and a total of 14 wrestlers who qualified for next weekend's Individual Finals.
And the Vikings graduate only one senior, Katschor.
"We lose a good one,:" Cosby said of his teammate. “But our junior class is a stud class."
"From ‘our Finals’ lineup we only lose one senior," said Hall, whose team ended the year with a 23-0 record. "We lose a total of four seniors this year, and their dedication and character is to be sought after. Our junior class, we are junior heavy, and that class may be the toughest class we have had at Dundee."
Click for this weekend’s Division 3 meet summaries.
PHOTOS (Top) Dundee's Braden Broderick (top) takes control of his match at 132 pounds Saturday. (Middle) The Vikings' Mason Katschor (left) gets ahold of Mackey McClelland's foot during their bout at 113. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)