By John Raffel
Chippewa Hills took a major step in its wrestling program by advancing in a dramatic way to the Division 3 title match.
But in suffering a 40-16 loss to Dundee in the state title match, the Warriors acknowledged they still need some development in order to be at the champion’s podium.
The Warriors moved past the state quarterfinals for the second straight year during the Feb. 27-28 weekend at Central Michigan University’s McGuirk Arena.
Chippewa Hills won five of 14 matches to Dundee, a perennial state power.
Jaycob Sharp, Brandon Berry, Billy Koepf, Kaden Ellis and Austin Young took victories.
“We’ve been close a lot of times,” Chippewa Hills coach Nate Ethridge said. “We had a heckuva week to get to where we’re at. Our kids are great. They train really hard. They’re pretty awesome.”
It’s the first time the Warriors, who have made several appearances in the Elite Eight, have been in the title match.
“This shows how far we can go,” Sharp said. “In school history, we haven’t been to the state final. Now that we know what it feels like, hopefully next year we’ll be back and hopefully we’ll win one.”
Arguably the most dramatic win in Chippewa Hills history came early in the day on Feb. 26 in the semifinal against Lake Fenton. The Warriors snuck out a 31-27 win.
Chippewa Hills had a 22-21 lead going into the 130-pound match but Austin Young was behind 7-3 to Saben Spangler. He got a late reversal with time winding down and posted a pin with just a second left. Slade Todd (135) followed with a decision for a 31-21 lead and the Warriors allowed Lake Fenton only back-to-back decisions to secure a four-point triumph.
“I went out there and I knew I had to win,” Young said. “I knew I had to throw him. I knew it was getting late and someone (later) told me there was only a second left. I didn’t realize it was that close when the match ended.
“Coach told me when I went into the third period ‘get up and throw,’” Young recalled. “I was trying to throw my headlock. I’ve been working on that for awhile. He had an underhook, I had an underhook. I noticed his leg was right there. I hit a fireman and that’s what got him to his back. It came down to a matter of keeping him on his back and getting the pin. I knew I had to get the pin.”
Chippewa Hills defeated Gladstone 48-24 in the quarterfinals to make the semifinal round for the second straight season. The Warriors had a 19-0 lead against Lake Fenton with decisions from David Spedowski, Seth Mitchell, Brendan Perry and Billy Koepf and a pin from Luke Henderson.
Young focused on helping his team during the team season and didn’t wrestle in the individual tournaments. He also had a come-from-behind win in the regional title match over Caro that helped the Warriors sneak out a victory against the host school.