Undefeated, still champion, now legend
March 4, 2012
AUBURN HILLS – Taylor Massa looked up to Davison’s Brett Metcalf as a kid and grew up only 30 minutes from Williamston’s Simmons brothers. And the St. Johns senior surely knows all about Hesperia’s Justin Zeerip as well.
Massa has been mentioned with those names for three seasons, since going undefeated and winning his first MHSAA individual title as a freshman in 2009. Now, he will be discussed as arguably the best of the group.
As expected, Massa finished his high school career with one more win Saturday at The Palace of Auburn Hills, pinning Ferndale’s Chevez Farris in 2:35 to earn the Division 2 championship at 171 pounds. In doing so, Massa also became the 15th in MHSAA history to win four individual titles. And he joined Metcalf, Zeerip and Nick and Andy Simmons among wrestlers who never lost in MHSAA competition.
“Brett Metcalf, he’s one of my biggest idols ever. I looked up at him growing up and I was like, I want to do what he’s doing,” Massa said. “That’s what I strived for, and I hope I can motivate some kid enough to go out and work hard enough to earn this. Because it’s not given. You earn this.”
He earned 221 wins over four seasons, tying for 20th-most in the MHSAA record book – and that’s with going only 42-0 this season. He won 59 matches as both a freshman and junior and 61 as a sophomore.
Massa also stacked his wins in what are traditionally some of the most comeptitive weight classes. His championships came at 145, 152, 160 and 171 pounds. And, as his coach Zane Ballard pointed out, Massa beat reigning MHSAA champions and anyone he could find as soon as he first walked onto the high school mat.
“In my personal opinion, yeah, he is the best of the bunch. For high school, I’ve never seen anybody that dominant,” Ballard said. “I’ve watched the other ones. They’re all great wrestlers. All great people, and I have all the respect for them in the world. But in my eyes, Taylor is number one and will be, in high school, until somebody does it in a more impressive fashion.”
Massa said during the Team Finals that he already had more than 200 pins for his career – and that was before getting four more this weekend. Zeerip holds the MHSAA record with 203 pins for a career, but Massa could be at the top of the list when his final statistics are compiled.
He won by pin in 11 of 16 career Individual Finals matches. But Farris didn’t make this one easy. Massa led just 2-0 after the first period before gaining control early in the second.
Massa's 221 wins without a loss will place him seventh in the national record book for consecutive victories. He’s wrestled internationally and wants to make a run at the Olympics. He’s signed to continue his career at the University of Michigan next season.
But Saturday’s finish – along with team championships St. Johns won the last three seasons – ranks right up there with the best of what he’s accomplished so far.
“This is one of the top things,” Massa said. “It’s a great honor.”
PHOTO (top): Massa wrestles Ferndale's Chevez Farris in the Division 2 171-pound Final. See more photos from the Finals and all season at High School Sports Scene.
D4 Preview: Entering the Hornets' Nest
February 23, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
If seedings hold true, we will have a new Division 4 wrestling champion Saturday for the first time since 2014.
But that next champion wouldn't really be new; Hudson is the top seed entering Friday’s Quarterfinals and won every Division 4 title from 2009-2013 before finishing runner-up to New Lothrop the last three years. But if the Tigers trip up, the Hornets – and six more teams seeking first wrestling championships – will be ready to pounce.
Below is a look at all eight teams competing in Division 4, listed by seed. Quarterfinal matches begin at 12 p.m. Friday, with Semifinals at 9 a.m. Saturday and the championship match at 3:30 p.m. All matches this weekend will be streamed live on a subscription basis on MHSAA.tv. For Friday’s schedule and results throughout, check the MHSAA Wrestling page.
The MHSAA Wrestling Finals are presented by the Michigan Army National Guard.
#1 Hudson
Record/rank: 16-9, No. 1
League finish: Second in Lenawee Country Athletic Association
Coach: Scott Marry, 29th season (749-175)
Championship history: Five MHSAA championships (most recent 2013), three runner-up finishes.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 112 Tucker Scholl (27-2) soph., 119 Jordan Hamdan (41-2) soph., 130 Scotty Torres (23-11) jr., 189 Tylor Grames (35-11) sr., 285 Zach Bailey (35-9) sr., 285 Isiah Krizeki (26-14) soph.
Outlook: After three straight runner-up finishes to New Lothrop – last year the closest falling in the Final by eight points after entering as the third seed – Hudson is on top again in this bracket. After finished second in the LCAA this season to Division 3 second seed Dundee, the Tigers have dominated the postseason and took down second-ranked Manchester 59-8 in their Regional Final. Scholl and Hamdan were individual champions last season at 103 and 112, respectively.
#2 Leroy Pine River
Record/rank: 30-4, No. 6
League finish: First in Mid-Michigan Wrestling Conference
Coach: Tim Jones, 18th season (501-116)
Championship history: Class C runner-up 1991.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Holly Bailor (27-13) sr., 112 Dylan Stephens (35-10) jr., 119 Tyler Signor (38-12) jr., 125 Jacob Roberts (39-7) jr., 130 Andy Park (51-1) jr, 135 Brocko Nelson (41-12) fr., 140 Justin Cole (35-7) sr., 145 Tucker Fansler (27-15) sr., 152 Malachi Holmes (38-20) soph., 160 Joe Rigling (44-7) sr., 171 Tim Rizor (25-11) fr., 189 Raden Holmes (45-6) sr., 215 Bryan McCurry (40-6) soph.
Outlook: Pine River bumped up to the second seed after making the Semifinals last season as a seventh (by upsetting No. 2 seed Decatur by a point in the Quarterfinal). The Bucks have won 17 league and District titles during Jones’ 18 seasons and Regional titles six times – but a win Friday would give the team its most victories in one season under its longtime leader. Stephens, McCurry and Park all were Individual Finals placers last season.
#3 Carson City-Crystal
Record/rank: 29-8, No. 7
League finish: First in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Coach: Kacy Datema, seventh season (157-63)
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2000 and 2001.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Nolan Datema (44-8) soph.; 103 Jamison Ward (48-2) fr.; 119 Daryn Shepler (38-12) soph.; 140 Braxton Seida (45-4) soph.; 152 Spencer Shook (17-6) sr., 171 Daniel Smith (38-13) soph.; 189 Brian Yeakey (39-9) fr.
Outlook: The Eagles won their fifth straight league and District titles and are back at the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2014. They navigated one of the closest Regionals in any division, downing St. Louis and Hart by a combined seven points to advance. There are only two seniors and one expected to start; Carson City-Crystal could be building for a nice run with nine underclassmen among its top 14.
#4 Bronson
Record/rank: 30-8, No. 9
League finish: Second in Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference
Coach: Chad Butters, fourth season (105-15)
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2002 and 2003.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Ben Modert (42-5) fr., 160 Gavin Alger (34-15) sr., 171 David Erwin (48-2) sr., 189 Chase Gibson (48-5) jr.
Outlook: Bronson is back at the Quarterfinals for the first time since making the Semifinals in 2013 and after winning a fourth straight District title under Butters, formerly a longtime assistant in the program. The Vikings took down BCS champion White Pigeon and No. 8 Mendon in the District and then Reading and No. 4 Decatur at the Regional. Erwin and senior Nathan Caudill (29-4, 285) both were Individual Finals placers last season; along with those two, the four heaviest weights in the starting lineup are a combined 160-15 this winter.
#5 Springport
Record/rank: 17-3, No. 3
League finish: First in Big 8 Conference
Coach: Matt Darling, first season (17-3)
Championship history: Lower Peninsula Class D runner-up 1984.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 125 Tyler Teague (33-8) sr., 135 Noah Teague (31-7) jr., 140 Sean O’Hearon (37-0) sr., 160 Zach Betz (30-11) jr., 215 Nick Cooper (36-3) sr., 285 Luke Overweg (33-4) jr.
Outlook: New coach, same story for Springport, which repeated as league and District champion with Darling now leading the way and enters as the fifth seed for the second straight season – the Spartans advanced to the Semifinals and fell to eventual champion New Lothrop by only eight points. Cooper was the Division 4 individual champion at 189 last season and Noah Teague and O’Hearon both were Finals placers.
#6 New Lothrop
Record/rank: 14-8, unranked
League finish: Second in Genesee Area Conference
Coach: Jeff Campbell, 16th season (406-78)
Championship history: 15 MHSAA championships (most recent 2016), four runner-up finishes.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 103 Logan Wolford (25-14) fr., 112 Logan Zell (26-17) soph., 119 Tommy Malloy (30-10) jr., 135 Austin Wolford (35-7) soph., 140 Justin Carnahan (18-13) fr., 145 Cole Wendling (29-12) jr., 152 Zackery Riley (26-15) soph., 160 Austin Wendling (27-19) soph., 189 Erik Birchmeier (26-1) sr.
Outlook: Coming off three straight Division 4 team championships, New Lothrop has to be arguably the scariest sixth seed in MHSAA Finals history. The Hornets graduated three individual champions after last season, but Birchmeier is back after winning the title at 171, and Malloy and Austin Wolford also were Finals placers. Birchmeier also is the only senior starter and joined by nine underclassmen who should speed up New Lothrop’s rebuilding effort.
#7 Clinton
Record/rank: 28-7, No. 5
League finish: First in Tri-County Conference
Coach: Jeff Rolland, fourth season (101-33)
Championship history: Has not appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 112 Christian Minard (31-11) soph., 112 Noah Comar (46-0) soph., 130 Anthony Stockdale (29-17) jr., 135 Fletcher Mellinger (27-16) sr., 145 Jacob Phillips (38-11) sr., 189 Trent Sexton (37-13) jr., 215 Austin Popp (33-7) sr., 285 Josh Brown (36-7) sr.
Outlook: Clinton is back at the Quarterfinals for the second time in four seasons under Rolland. The Redskins have given up a total of 24 points over four postseason matches. Comar was the individual runner-up at 112 last season and Popp also was a Finals placer; despite graduating three other placers, Clinton boasts eight upperclassmen among its starters.
#8 Munising
Record/rank: 22-3, unranked
League finish: Does not wrestle in a league.
Coach: Bob Miles, 12th season (192-127)
Championship history: Upper Peninsula runner-up 1968.
Individual Finals qualifiers: 119 Zach McGowan (26-5) sr., 125 Nick Miles (31-12) jr.
Outlook: The Mustangs are making their second straight appearance at the Quarterfinals after winning their third straight District title. Nick Miles also was an Individual Finals qualifier last season, and McGowan is one of five seniors on the team – a solid number of veterans for a roster of only 13 that voids two weights because it is unable to fill them.
PHOTO: A New Lothrop wrestler (right) competes during his school's Hall of Fame Tournament on Jan. 7. (Click to see more by Varsity Monthly.)