BY DAN STICKRADT
CORRESPONDENT
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
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AUBURN HILLS — Novi Detroit Catholic Central dominated once again.
After putting together one of the more notable team performances in recent years after going unbeaten against Michigan schools and winning the Division 1 state championship — the top-ranked Shamrocks had five wrestlers win MHSAA Individual Wrestling state titles for the second straight season at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Catholic Central landed 14 wrestlers at the Individual State Finals this season. Cameron Amine (145), Tyler Moreland (171), Nicholas Jenkins (285), Benjamin Kamali (112) and Kevon Davenport (130) all repeated as state champs.
Amine posted a 9-3 win over Fraser’s Danny Pfeffer, while Tyler Moreland posted a 17-2 technical fall win in 4:40 over Portage Northern’s Matthew Heaps.
Jenkins edged out a 3-2 overtime victory over Temperance Bedford’s Austin Emerson, Kamali pinned Battle Creek Lakeview’s Bryce Trust in 3:31, and Davenport topped it off with 4-3 win over Woodhaven’s Xavier Graham.
“We are a family here — and everyone can see that,” noted Kamali. “We push each other, root for each other, feed off each other. It’s great to be a part of something greater than yourself.”
Moreland said that wrestlers come to CC to try to enjoy something special.
“It’s incredible to win the team title and then come in here and win a title as an individual,” said Moreland, who will wrestle next season at Northwestern. “We’ve all talked about this ever since we lost at team states (in the semifinals) last season. This was what we have worked for. This is why we came to CC.”
In all of the success that Catholic Central has enjoyed over the past several decades, perhaps this year’s group was the school’s best.
“They are all hammers — every last one of them. They always come to compete and carry on our tradition,” noted CC coach Mitch Hancock. “This tops an incredible season for us. They all put in the time in the offseason to be able to experience something like this.”