Dan Stickradt
Sports Scene
BATTLE CREEK — Lee Grabowski must have felt the weight of the world on his shoulders at the 2015 team wrestling state finals.
With his team leading 28-25 heading into the final match at 112 pounds, the Brighton sophomore posted a 4-2 victory over Hartland’s Garnet Potter. Not only was the victory significant for Grabowski, who had already lost to Potter twice during the season, but it was also the final points in Brighton’s 31-25 victory over Hartland in the Division 1 state finals at Kellogg Arena.
The title is the first for Brighton, which made its first-ever appearance in the state title match.
“We kind of thought with a few matches to go that it could come down to Grabowski’s match,” admitted Tony Greathouse, Brighton’s second-year head coach. “We knew that he could do it. What a way for a sophomore to go in there and beat a kid who had beaten him earlier this season. With that pressure, he stepped up and [delivered]. We did not want it to go down to [criteria] points.”
Grabowski lost to Potter by one and three points earlier in the season in KLAA North competition.
“I knew I could beat him. It’s not like he beat me by all that much,” smiled Grabowski. “The last time he beat me by a point, so I had to stay on top of him.”
Brighton (29-1) lost a point three matches earlier for unsportsmanlike conduct. If the meet would have ended in a 28-28 draw, Hartland would have won on the criteria. Grabowski and the Bulldogs did not leave that to chance.
Brighton, ranked No. 1 in the state the whole season, took down KLAA rival Hartland for the second time in a dual meet this season, having already defeated the third-ranked Eagles (31-4) by a 38-18 score in mid-January. The Bulldogs also defeated Hartland at the KLAA Championships.
Brighton walked into Kellogg Arena with 10 senior starters, but the platform for a title run had long since been put into place. The Bulldogs had plenty of motivation after losing to Hartland in last year’s district final.
“I think looking back on that day, we had plenty of motivation for this season, no doubt,” noted Greathouse. “With all of the seniors we have on this team, they talked about coming back this season and contending for a state championship. They stepped up this season and accomplished that goal.
“But it just didn’t happen overnight,” he continued. “I have only been here for two years. I like to think that I have helped. But Sam Amine was here for 10 seasons before, and he really laid the foundation for all of this, getting Brighton to become such a strong program. We have only added to it. The kids on this team put in all of the hard work to make this possible.”
Brighton opened the campaign with a convincing victory over three-time defending state champion Detroit Catholic Central, and the Bulldogs took over the top spot in the rankings right after that win. They stayed in the pole position with a target on their backs the entire season.
On the other side, Hartland, one of Michigan’s most successful wrestling programs over the past quarter century, fell short of its ultimate goal once again, claiming its fifth state runner-up trophy. The Eagles have appeared in at least the state quarterfinals 16 times in 23 seasons, including 14 straight in the Elite Eight.
This also marked Hartland’s 11th Final Four appearance since 2004 — without a state title.
“It does hurt now,” sighed Hartland coach Todd Cheney, who took over the program in 1993. “I know we have a lot coming back next season, with only two senior starters. But we came close again. We lost a couple of matches that we could have won and won a couple of other swing matches. But you have to win more matches at the state finals, and Brighton won eight of them.”
Brighton led 12-0 after three matches, only to see Hartland go on a 22-0 run for a 22-12 advantage through eight weight classes.
A technical fall win from Beau Mourer (171 pounds) and a void victory from Nick Brish (189) put Brighton back up 23-22 with four matches to go — and the Bulldogs never relinquished the lead.
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com