Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
AUBURN HILLS – Taylor Massa left little doubt that he was going to etch his name in the Michigan High School Athletic Association wrestling record book.
The St. Johns senior became just the 16 th high school wrestler to win four state championships, and did it in impressive fashion with four pins, including a pin of Ferndale’s Chevez Farris in the 171-pound championship match in Division 2 Saturday night at The Palace.
“It’s great to end my high school career like this,” said Massa, who ends his prep career with a 221-0 record. “Winning three team championships and four individual titles.”
Massa’s impressive high school wrestling resume falls just short at one of his idols growing up. Former Davison and University of Iowa wrestler Brent Metcalf ended his high school career in 2005 with four individual championships, a 228-0 record and four team titles.
He is the only Michigan wrestler to walk away with eight titles.
“Brent Metcalf was one of my boyhood idols,” Massa said. “I wanted to do what he did when I was a young wrestler. Now I hope I can motivate a kid to go out and work as hard as I did and accomplish what I did.”
One of Massa’s teammates may just match Metcalf.
Sophomore Zac Hall won his second individual championship when he took the 112-pound title with an 8-1 win over Lapeer West’s Dean Somers in the finals.
And when the Redwings won their third Division 2 title a week earlier in the Battle Creek, Hall now has two of each with two years to go.
“It was a little bit tough (to win his second title), but I feel real good,” Hall said. “Now I’m half way there to my goal to get eight titles, four individual and four team titles. Brent Metcalf is the only other wrestler to do that, and that’s my goal, to duplicate that.”
That goal was almost derailed when Hall had to fight and claw for a 3-1 win over Tecumseh’s Chase Lewis in the semifinals.
“I didn’t come in with the right mindset,” Hall said. “That 3-1 win got my head back right. That was the worst match I’ve ever wrestled, and it was good for me.”
Massa’s and Hall’s championships were two of six titles that St. Johns wrestlers brought home. The others were Jacob Schmitt at 125 pounds, Brant Schafer at 135, Ben Whitford at 140 and Jordan Wohlfert at 160.
In all, 11 Redwings placed. The others were Logan Massa (2nd, 119), Rory Bender (4th, 130), Josh Pennell (3rd, 145), Travis Curley (2nd, 152) and Payne Hayden (2nd , 215).
Whitford, who now has three state championships, two in Illinois before transferring to St. Johns this year, says its been a great season.
“My team did great, I’m proud of them,” Whitford said. “And then to have 13 state qualifiers, and 11 of them place, I’m proud of all of them. It’s been a great year.”
When asked to rank all his championships, he said this Michigan one was unique.
“You can’t really compare them,” Whitford said. “But this bracket, two have two defending state champions in it (Lowell’s Gabe Morse and Sparta’s Nick Trimble), I’ve never had that before. So this is probably my toughest bracket.”
Whitford beat Morse 11-4 for the championship. Trimble ended up taking fourth.
The Redwings lose some talent off this year’s team. Six of the 13 state qualifiers, including Curley, Wohlfert and Massa, graduate.
But don’t count out Hall working toward that Metcalf slam of eight championships.