Spotlight Coverage
Hudson "Super 16" Invitational
January 24th, 2009
Hudson High School
Teams Participating:
Adrian (D2 - #8)
Tecumseh (D2 - #9)
Dundee (D3 - #3)
Durand (D3 - #9)
Hudson (D4 - #2)
Dansville (D4 - #3)
Manchester (D4 - #5)
Springport (D4 - #10)
Wyandotte Roosevelt
Martin
Ida
Jonesville
East Jackson
Hart
Monroe Jefferson
Madison
Monroe SMCC
Sand Creek
Romulus Summit Academy
Caro
Blissfield
Hillsdale
Columbia Central
Projected Finals
103 - Nate Jaworski (Dundee) over Zac Garcia (Adrian)
112 - Joey White (Dundee) over Dakota Kelley (Hudson)
119 - Nick Smith (Ida) over Chris Rau (Dundee)
125 - Joey Rendina (Dundee) over Cevin Walker (Manchester)
130 - Roger Wildmo (Durand) over Cody Mulholland (Dansville)
135 - Eric Telford (Durand) over Josh White (Dundee)
140 - Pete Rendina (Dundee) over Dario Farruga (Wyandotte Roosevelt)
145 - Sterling Herman (Caro) over Brandon Desbrough (Dundee)
152 - Payden Armstrong (Jonesville) over Taylor Hatfield (Pittsford)
160 - Rafael Rodriguez (Adrian) over Drew Harding (Springport)
171 - Mike Curby (Hillsdale) over Grant Cook (Dansville)
189 - Taylor Trim (Dansville) over Gabe Elliot (Hudson)
215 - Josh Roddy (Durand) over Matt Smith (Hudson)
285 - Kyle Conners (Tecumseh) over Richard Poljan (Hillsdale)
Weight-by-Weight Breakdown
Here is a list of ranked wrestlers and wrestlers to watch in each weight class.
(rankings represent Michigan Grappler Individual Rankings from January 22nd, 2009)
103
Division 2
#5 Zac Garcia (Adrian)
#10 Nate Bagby (Tecumseh)
Division 3
#1 Nate Jaworski (Dundee)
Division 4
#3 Chase Lewis (Blissfield)
#6 Ryan Abrigo (Manchester)
#8 Logan Curry (Martin)
#10 Cole Ragon (Dansville)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 7
OUTLOOK - Jaworski and Lewis both enter the tournament undefeated and Jaworski may be one of the best 103lbers in the entire state across all divisions. Deep weight here with state placer Garcia and qualifier Abrigo to go along with a couple talented freshman in Bagby and Ragon.
112
Division 3
#4 Joey White (Dundee)
Division 4
#2 @ 103 Dakota Kelly (Hudson)
#4 Luke Ragon (Dansville)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 3
OUTLOOK - Joey White is the man to beat but a strong field will challenge led by state qualifiers Kelly, Marcum, and Raymond.
119
Division 1
#5 Leon Shannon (Wyandotte Roosevelt)
Division 3
#4 Chris Rau (Dundee)
#4 @ 125 Nick Smith (Ida)
Division 4
#2 Zeb Hilyard (Hudson)
#4 TJ Berridge (Martin)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 5
OUTLOOK - With Smith down to 119 this weekend this weight should be a good one with two returning state champs - Smith and Hilyard. Rau was also a state finalist and Shannon & Berridge are returning all-staters also.
125
Division 2
#8 Jeff Jenkins (Tecumseh)
Division 3
#2 Joe Rendina (Dundee)
#9 Jared Grandy (BCC)
Division 4
#3 Cevin Walker (Manchester)
#6 Kevin Vandepool (Hudson)
#8 @ 119 Nick Vanduine (Dansville)
#9 Andrew Barrett (Jonesville)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 7
OUTLOOK - Rendina has been on a tear all year, he and Walker both come in undefeated. Wildmo will be up at 130, so the anticipated Rendina-Wildmo matchup doesn't look like it will happen. Walker, Barrett, Vanderpool, and Travis Fish from Ida are all returning state placers here in one of the deeper weights.
130
Division 3
#1 at 125 Roger Wildmo (Durand)
Division 4
#6 Grant Benschooter (Hudson)
#7 at 125 Cody Mullholland (Dansville)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 3
OUTLOOK - This weight should all Wildmo, then the rest will battle it out. One unranked wrestler to keep an eye on is Lelund Weatherspoon of Napolean, who comes in 24-1.
135
Division 3
#1 at 130 Josh White (Dundee)
#4 Eric Telford (Durand)
#5 Travis Jaster (Caro)
Division 4
#5 Ben Breslin (Dansville)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 4
OUTLOOK - With White up at 135 the top 4 here should be very competetive. Telford and White should meet in the finals and would be an intriguing matchup.
140
Division 1
#6 Darrio Farruga (Wyandotte Roosevelt)
Division 2
#10 Mike Butler (Tecumseh)
Division 3
#3 at 135 Pete Rendina (Dundee)
Division 4
#8 at 135 Devan Marry (Hudson)
#10 Coyle Render (Manchester)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 5
OUTLOOK - State champ Pete Rendina will be the top dog here but the rest of the field should be pretty solid as well. Farruga was a state placer in D1 last year and Render comes in 23-1. Devan Marry is a talented freshman to keep an eye on here.
145
Division 3
#7 at 140 Sterling Herman (Caro)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 1
OUTLOOK - This is one of the weaker weights. Herman is the only ranked wrestler and the only state qualifier so he may be the man to beat. Brandon Desbrough of Dundee and Dakota Dotson of Tecumseh are two other guys to watch.
152
Division 4
#2 Payden Armstrong (Jonesville)
#8 Taylor Hatfield (Pittsford)
#9 Brad Whitney (Hart)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 3
OUTLOOK - Armstrong was top 4 in the state last year and is undefeated coming in to this weekend. Hatfield and Whitney are both ranked as well, but keep an eye on state qualifier Travis McPherson of Tecumseh and regional qualifiers Bruce Barnes and Rich McKinney.
160
Division 2
#6 Rafael Rodriguez (Adrian)
Division 3
#9 at 171 Steve Tomaszewski (Erie Mason)
Division 4
#6 Drew Harding (Springport)
#8 Chase Weber (Pittsford)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 4
OUTLOOK - Rodriguez and Harding are both returning state placers here and Weber and Tomaszewski are qualifiers. Rodriguez is 32-0 and should be top seed - if Harding and Weber meet in the semis it should be a good one. Some others in this weight to watch include Justin Ryan (Ida), Will Dotson (Tecumseh), Scott Snook (Dundee) and freshman Lantz Miller of Dansville.
171
Division 3
#2 at 160 Mike Curby (Hillsdale)
#8 Logan Dean (Durand)
Division 4
#1 Grant Cook (Dansville)
#4 Eric Ford (Blissfield)
#6 Kyle Bencschooter (Hudson)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 5
OUTLOOK - The D4 state title picture in this weight should become more clear after this weekend with top contenders Cook, Ford, and Benschooter all in attendance. Throw in state placer and Greco All-American Mike Curby, the likely #1 seed, and you have a very tough weight. Logan Dean of Durand is a state qualifier as well. Watch out for a Cook vs Ford semifinal matchup, we may see that one again in March.
189
Division 3
#7 Justin Heiserman (Dundee)
Division 4
#1 Taylor Trim (Dansville)
#2 Gabe Elliot (Hudson)
#5 Dominique Walker (Romulus Summitt Academy)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 4
OUTLOOK - 5 wrestlers in this weight enter the weekend with 1 or less losses on the year. We may see a little preview of the D4 state tournament here with the top 2 guys (Trim & Elliot) and three of the Top 5 (Walker). Another sidestory is Heiserman's first big tournament back with Dundee. He was a state qualifier last year for Ida and sat out the first semester after transferring. His return could be just the spark that Dundee needs coming down the stretch.
215
Division 3
#7 Josh Roddy (Durand)
Division 4
#2 Matt Smith (Hudson)
#8 Art Bunce (Dansville)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 3
OUTLOOK - Matt Smith of Hudson has tallied some good wins this year and a tournament win here would confirm his status as a top contender for the state title in this weight. Roddy has put together a good year as well, which has included a runner up performance at the Genesee County Tournament and Bunce will look to make a name for himself here.
285
Division 2
#5 Kyle Conners (Tecumseh)
Division 3
#6 Richard Poljan (Owosso)
#7 Tyler Millerov (Caro)
Division 4
#3 Joe Beaubien (Hudson)
Total Ranked Wrestlers - 4
OUTLOOK - Some talented big men in this weight class and really anyone's tournament to win. Beaubien, Poljan, and Millerov are all state qualifiers and Conners is an agile big man. Millerov and Conners were both 215lbers last year, Beuabien comes in 25-0, so he may get the top seed.
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