2009 MHSAA Team State Championships
Kellogg Center - Battle Creek, MI
Division 2 Quarterfinals Running Notes
By Sean Garner
for Michigan Grappler.com
The Grand March has just started here at Kellogg Arena for the Division 2 Team State Quarterfinals. Just like I’ve been doing all day, I will be keeping a live second-by-second journal of one match while periodically recapping what is going as a whole for the division. The spotlight match for this session will the Lansing area showdown between Eaton Rapids and St. John’s. The starting weight is 152.
152- It looks like St. Johns will start by bumping their Nathan Kurth to wrestle Blake Marsh. We will have to wait to see Taylor Massa. Kurth scores first, taking Marsh down about a minute into the opening period. Kurth begins on bottom in the second.
Kurth escapes 50 seconds in goes right for a high crotch but can’t finish. Kurth wastes no time going for a single. Marsh almost gets around on the shot, but no points are awarded.
Marsh starts on bottom and comes up right off the whistle. Kurth lifts him right back to the mat. Marsh keeps getting up, but he can’t seem to get any separation from Kurth. Kurth rides out and wins 3-0.
St. Johns 3, Eaton Rapids 0
160- Taylor Massa steps on the mat to take on Trevor Schnepp from Eaton Rapids. Takedown. Cut. Takedown. Cut. Takedown. Cut. Massa is putting on a clinic so far up 10-4 at the end of the first.
Massa chooses neutral and has another dominating period. He leads 16-6.
Massa leads 20-9. He throws Schnepp to his back but can’t finish the fall, so he’ll have to settle for the technical fall.
St. Johns 8, Eaton Rapids 0
171- Eaton Rapids’ Tyler Epling and St. Johns’ Devin Scheick are both listed at 152 but apparently weighed in at 160 because they are the wrestlers the program says are wrestling right now.
Epling overcomes an early takedown to take a 3-2 lead into the second. Scheick chooses bottom. Epling gets a three-point near fall with a tilt. He leads 6-2 heading into the third.
Epling stands up quick to get an escape and subsequently scores on a high crotch. Up 7, Epling cuts Scheick loose and scores a late takedown to win 11-3.
St. Johns 8, Eaton Rapids 4
189- I missed the very beginning and all of the sudden, Austin Brown is beating Chase Ogston 5-1. Brown pins Ogston in a crossface cradle.
St. Johns 14, Eaton Rapids 4
215- Travis Dickenson of St. Johns picks up a pin in 24 seconds.
St. Johns 20, Eaton Rapids 4
285- Taylor Pemberton bums up for St. Johns from 215 to wrestle Matt Whitaker. Typical heavy match early on. There is lots of pummeling, no shots. No score after one.
Whitaker starts on bottom. Pemberton is riding the hips quite nicely. Pemberton turns Whitaker, but time runs out before the pin can be called. Pemberton still picks up three.
Pemberton goes back on top to start the third period. Whitaker has a point for something apparently. Whitaker is warned for stalling. Pemberton turns, and this time pins, Whitaker.
St. Johns 26, Eaton Rapids 4
Other scores
Lowell 16, Hazel Park 3
Oxford 14, Byron Center 3
Lakeshore 22, Dearborn Heights Annapolis 9
103- Eric Brooks of Eaton Rapids leads Val Sanchez of St. Johns 2-1 after one. Brooks chooses down and escapes in a hurry. Brooks drives Sanchez off the mat and forces a stalling warning. Brooks finishes a double with a very nice inside trip. He leads 5-1 going into the third.
Sanchez isn’t done yet. He gets an escape and a takedown to bring the match within a point. Sanchez stands Brooks up and Brooks makes him pay by taking him down right to his back. Brooks wins 10-4 I believe.
St. Johns 26, Eaton Rapids 7
112- St. Johns’ Rory Bender matches up against James McCormick. McCormick scores on a double. Bender gets a reversal late to tie.
McCormick goes down to start the second period. Mild upset as Byron Center’s Alec Boyce knocks off Oxford’s Prescott Line 2-1. Bender gets three back points and leads 5-2. Bender completely dominated the second period.
Bender goes down and gets a quick reversal. Bender now has more back points on the way unless he is able to pin McCormick. McCormick gets off his back but must score to prevent a major decision. He can’t. 10-2
St. Johns 30, Eaton Rapids 7
119- Eaton Rapids needs Alex Blackwell to come through big against Cameron Bender. He is off to a nice start up 2-0 at the end of one.
Blackwell chooses down and gets a quick three points via escape and takedown. Blackwell has Bender on his back. It would be enormous for Eaton Rapids if Blackwell could put Bender away. Bender gets off his back.
Blackwell goes back on bottom for the third. Bender, desperate to turn Blackwell, gives up a reversal. Blackwell wins by major decision.
I’m back here after missing a couple matches. St. Johns is up 36-17. Match is mathematically over and likely to get worse with Wohlfert and Walters coming up. I’m going to turn my attention to the Lowell-Hazel Park match, which is still within ten points.
125- Gabe Morse of Lowell carries a 2-0 lead into the second period against Brandon Walker. Morse escapes and scores on a double right away. Morse is having no trouble riding but isn’t really having any luck turning Walker.
Morse gives a couple escapes in exchange for a couple takedowns and leads 9-2. Walker scores a takedown to cut Morse’s lead to five. Only a minor decision for Gabe Morse.
Lowell 25, Hazel Park 12
130- Dan Fleet of Lowell wrestles freshman Eric McGinnis. Fleet starts on the attack and is eventually rewarded for it, scoring off a front headlock. He leads 2-0 after one period.
Fleet starts on bottom escapes immediately. Fleet takedown. McGinnis escape. Fleet takedown. Fleet leads 7-1.
Fleet starts on top in the third. McGinnis eventually stands up and cuts away. After a stalling call and a takedown plus back points, Fleet is now up 12-2, solidly working towards a major decision.
Lowell 29, Hazel Park 12
135- Lowell puts out Ryan Dean—who normally wrestles 140 – out against Chad Hart. Dean is very active, scoring three takedowns within the first minute of the match.
Dean leads 6-2 going down in the third. Dean pops his head out for a reversal and is in total control on top. The Lowell wrestlers have been quite strong riding the whole evening. Dean leads 10-2 after turning Hart. Dean wins by major.
Lowell 33, Hazel Park 12
Lakeshore 40, Annapolis 21 Final
St. Johns 51, Eaton Rapids 17 Final
Oxford 36, Byron Center 9
It’s been a long day, and I am done. Even though there is still wrestling going on, it is all academic at this point, and I see no point in making myself starve one second longer when the hospitality room beckons. Thank you for reading.
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