Butch Harmon
Sports Scene
While the past several seasons have seen some great wrestling on the high school level, the 2011-12 season has the potential to be one of the best high school wrestling seasons of all time. The state of Michigan, and mid-Michigan in particular, have some of the most outstanding individual wrestlers ever, as well as one of the finest high school teams ever. From Division 1 to Division 4, the state and the mid-Michigan area are loaded with outstanding teams and individual wrestlers.
Following is a closer look at each division in the state.
DIVISION 1
Defending state champion Detroit Catholic Central is again the team to beat. From top to bottom, few teams have their firepower. The Shamrocks have five wrestlers who were ranked No. 1 in Division 1 in their weight class in Michigan Grappler’s preseason rankings. Seniors Alec Mooradian (145 pounds) and Kevin Beazley (189) lead the way for the Shamrocks. Junior Ken Bade (130) is a returning state champion, while sophomores Logan Marcicki (140) and Andrew Garcia (160) are two of the top sophomores in the state.
If any Division 1 team in the state can hang with the Shamrocks it is Davison. After a few years of missing out on trips to Battle Creek, the Davison Cardinals are now stocked with enough talent to not only get back to Battle Creek, but to also hang another state championship banner in their gym. The Cardinals have six wrestlers returning who qualified for the Division 1 individual state meet last March. They have a solid sophomore class led by Justin Oliver, who won a state title at 112 pounds last season. Fellow sophomores Jordan Crooks (145) and Matthew Miller (119) also placed at the state meet last season. The Cardinals have a number of talented freshmen ready to step up as well.
Oxford has been the one stumbling block in Davison’s march to Battle Creek the last few years, but this season, the Wildcats and the Shamrocks will be in different districts.
Oxford will again be a solid team led by senior standout and defending state champion Prescott Line at 215 pounds. The Wildcats will be solid throughout their lineup, but especially at the upper weights, where they have senior Matt Anger at 189. Oxford is a senior-laden squad that also has senior standouts Kyle Hill at 130 and Jacob Peasley at 152.
Traditional powerhouse Hartland will also be solid this season. The Eagles are tough in the upper weights, with senior Justin Charneski at 171 pounds, senior Matt Ostermiller at 189, and junior Phil Rowland at heavyweight.
In mid-Michigan, Holt and Rockford will be leading the way once again.
Holt will be strong in the lower weights, led by junior Shane Wireman at 112 pounds. Wireman captured the 103-pound state title last year in impressive fashion and in his two-year career, he has racked up 106 victories. The Rams are also tough in the middle weights, with junior Dominic Trevino (145) and senior Jeffrey Lyon (160) returning.
Rockford returns a number of key wrestlers as well. The Rams bring back senior Tyler VanRooyen at 119 pounds along with senior Austin Scogg at 152 and senior Robby Gorton at 171. Scogg is a defending state champion, while VanRooyen and Gorton are both returning state qualifiers.
In southeast Michigan, Bedford returns a trio of state placers, led by Mitch Rogaliner and Logan Rimmer (285) who both placed second at last year’s state meet.
DIVISION 2
The strongest team in the state again resides in Division 2, where defending state champion St. Johns may be even better then last year’s dominant powerhouse, if that is possible.
St. Johns rolled through the state finals in Battle Creek, with the Red Wings defeating their three opponents in Battle Creek by a combined score of 177-33 to claim their second consecutive state title. The Red Wings were also ranked in the top 15 in the nation.
In senior Taylor Massa, the Red Wings have a three-time state champion who is poised to go down in the record books as one of the premier high school wrestlers of all time in the state of Michigan. Massa went 61-0 last season, and for his career he has an incredible 186-0 record.
Massa was one of three state champions for St. Johns last season. Junior Jordan Wohlfert went 58-0 last season and captured the 152-pound state title. Freshman Zac Hall made a big splash in his first year of high school wrestling, as he went 55-1 for the season and captured the 103-pound state title.
St. Johns has no weaknesses and has potential state champions and state placers at almost every weight class. The Red Wings qualified 12 wrestlers for the individual state finals last season, and 10 of those wrestlers placed. This year, all but one of those state placers return.
St. Johns has plenty of other standouts who are ready to go, including junior Jacob Schmitt (125), Brant Schafer (135), Josh Pennell (140), Ben Whitford (145), and Travis Curley (152), along with some talented freshmen.
Last year’s Division 2 runner-up, Lowell, also welcomes back a slew of talented wrestlers. Like St. Johns, Lowell had a trio of wrestlers win state titles last season. Seniors Gabe Morse, Andrew Morse, and Gabe Dean all won state titles last season.
Dean, who has committed to wrestle at Cornell next season, turned in a 44-0 record last winter. However, he will not be available early in the season as he recovers from a shoulder injury suffered in the Division 2 state title football game. Andrew Morse turned in a 44-2 record last year and captured the 152-pound state title, while Gabe Morse went 33-1 and won the 140-pound title.
The Red Arrows also welcome back sophomore Garrett Stehley, who finished fourth at 189 pounds, and sophomore Bailey Jack, who placed seventh at 103 pounds. Sophomore Kanon Dean (135), senior Jake Stehley (160), and senior Luke Stephens (285) also qualified for the state meet and are back this year.
Added to the returnees are a number of highly-ranked freshmen, giving the Red Arrows one of the premier teams in the state once again.
Lowell’s O-K White Conference rival Greenville will be solid once again. Led by senior Jordan Thomas, a two-time state champion, the Yellow Jackets have the potential to make it back to Battle Creek for the Division 2 finals this season.
Thomas went a perfect 62-0 last season enroute to winning the 171-pound title and will be wrestling at the University of Michigan next season.
The Yellow Jackets also welcome back several other standouts. Senior Luke Gilmore was a state placer at 130 last year, while senior Devon Lehman (135) and junior Mike Schmidt (103) were state qualifiers. The Yellow Jackets also have a solid heavyweight in junior Colt Harrington.
Allegan will be another team to watch. The Tigers return four state placers, led by Taylor Simaz who turned in a 60-1 record last season. Kyle Simaz went 58-3 and is also back, along with Austin Kelley, who placed third at 103 pounds.
Mid-Michigan is home to two of the top heavyweights in Division 2 in Fowlerville’s Adam Coon and Mason’s Adam Robinson. Other standouts to watch in mid-Michigan this season include Cody Chase (112) of Owosso, Taylor Grenawalt (145) of Haslett, Nick Starzek (152) of Mason, Austin Wamser (160) of Cedar Springs, Nate Knauf (189) of DeWitt, and Brian Moran (215) of Fowlerville.
DIVISION 3
Perennial powerhouses Richmond and Dundee will again be strong favorites in Division 3 this season. Dundee is solid from top to bottom and will challenge Richmond all the way to Battle Creek. Dundee returns a total of seven state qualifiers, including seven state placers, led by senior Nathan Wade who took second at 112 last season.
Richmond is a senior-heavy team this year that returns plenty of talent from last year’s squad. The Blue Devils have a total of nine state qualifiers returning. Four of those wrestlers placed at the state meet, led by Dustin Pitcel who took second at 119 and Stephen Ireland who placed third at 112.
In mid-Michigan, Chippewa Hills is poised for a run to Battle Creek. The Warriors have a total of six state qualifiers back and should be in strong position to make it there. The Warriors have two of the strongest wrestlers in the state in the lower weights in sophomore Nathan Weckesser at 103 pounds and junior Zack Cooper at 112 pounds. Cooper is the defending state champion at 103. They also have a number of solid seniors in the middle weights along with some talented wrestlers in the upper weights.
Birch Run has a solid group of wrestlers and will be one of the top teams in the Tri-Valley. The Panthers have four state placers returning, led by senior Caleb Slavik, who placed third at 152. They have a solid group of juniors led by Lake Bennett at 130 and Damienn Johnson at 135.
Bullock Creek and Swan Valley also have solid squads. Senior Scott Flowers (145) leads the way for Bullock Creek. Flowers was one of four state qualifiers for Bullock Creek last year, and he took third at 140.
Swan Valley is paced by a trio of returning state qualifiers including Josh Flores (119), Dylan Ewald (112), and senior Mitch Mallott (145).
DIVISION 4
Division 4 teams will once again be seeing H’s this season, as defending state champion Hudson and always-strong Hesperia will be the two favorites to win the state title this season.
Hudson returns a total of six state placers, led by senior Joel Varney (145). Standout senior Devan Marry (160) placed second at state as did sophomore Cole Weaver at 112. The Tigers also return one of the top heavyweights in Division 4 in Zach Rieger.
New Lothrop will again be a prime challenger and is the premier Division 4 team in mid-Michigan. The Hornets return a total of five state placers, including a pair of state champions. Senior Austin Severn (171) and junior Clayton Simmons (135) both won state crowns last year and lead the way, along with sophomore Josh Wendling (112) and junior Jacob Perrin (119).
A wild card in Division 4 this year is Shelby. The Tigers have been one of the top teams in West Michigan in Division 3 for years and at the Division 4 level should be a major player.