2010 MHSAA Individual State Finals
MICHIGAN GRAPPLER INDIVIDUAL STATE PREVIEW
Division 1
103
Frontrunner: Ken Bade (DCC)
Top contenders: Keegan Cantera (Oxford), Kyle Pillars (Howell)
Darkhorse: Mitchell Rogaliner (Bedford)
Outlook: Heading into states it looks like this weight will be Bade vs the field. The DCC freshman has been impressive all year long, wrestling many of his matches up at 112 throughout the very tough CC schedule. Bade dismantled Cantera at Team States last weekend and he pinned Pillars earlier this year as well. If his weight is under control and he is wrestling like he has all year this is his weight to lose. Bade, Pillars, and Rogaliner are all on the same side and the winner of the that half bracket, the other side appears pretty wide open for Cantera.
Early matchups to watch:
1st round - #2 Kyle Pillars (Howell) vs #6 Mitch Rogaliner (Bedford) - Rogaliner suffered a setback at Regionals, dropping a couple matches and finishing 4th. However, this freshman has put together a great year and has beaten some of the best 103lbers in the state, including Pillars earlier this year. Pillars is the only returning placer in this weight and he could very well be bounced in the first round by Rogaliner if he does not show up ready to go. This is a very tough 1st round draw for Pillars after winning a regional title. The winner of this match should advance to the semifinals for a shot at Bade.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Cantera over Jourdan Sprurlin (SGA), Bade over Rogaliner
Finals - Bade over Cantera
112
Frontrunner: Freddie Rodriguez (Holt)
Top contenders: Alex Calandrino (Howell), Todd Melick (DCC), Zak Roberson (Clarkston)
Darkhorse: Markus Gonzales (BCC)
Outlook: 112 this year in D1 is pretty much the same cast of characters from 103 last year and once again everyone is chasing Freddie Rodriguez. Rodriguez is the returning champ from 103 last year and he has beaten returning runner up Calandrino a few times already this year. The finals may be a rematch of last year with Calandrino and Rodriguez, however, Calandrino has a tough road with Melick in the quarterfinals. Melick and Roberson were 3rd and 4th last year at 103.
Early matchups to watch:
1st round - #6 Ross Kantola (Hartland) vs #7 Jacob Peasley (Oxford) - Usually winning your Regional secures you a relatively easy first round match, but not for Peasley as the Regional Champ will go up against returning qualifier Kantola, who beat Peasley earlier this year 3-2. Kantola was 4th out of that very tough regional with Rodriguez, Calandrino, and Roberson.
1st round - #4 Zak Roberson (Clarkston) vs #8 Markus Gonzales (BCC) - Tough 1st round match for these guys, who are both perennial all-staters. Roberson was 4th last year and Gonzales was a top contender going in last year but didnt make weight. Gonzales, a senior, will be wrestling for the final time in Auburn Hills and should come out wrestling with a purpose so don't be surprised if he comes close to knocking off Roberson.
Quarterfinals - #2 Alex Calandrino (Howell) vs #3 Todd Melick (DCC)- This is a big time quarterfinal matchup with Rodriguez's biggest contenders meeting Friday morning. These two met last year in the quarterfinals as well with Calandrino beating Melick 7-2. Melick is one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the state as he can catch just about anyone from numerous positions. When 112 comes in Division 1 during the Quarterfinal round, make sure your eyes are on this match.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Rodriguez over Kantola, Calandrino over Melick
Finals - Rodriguez over Calandrino
119
Frontrunner: Alec Mooradian (DCC)
Top contenders: Jacob Scholten (Rockford), Cam Jackson (Eastern), Brandon Shuart (Davison)
Darkhorse: Josh Austin (John Glenn)
Outlook: Mooradian's quest to repeat will go through some familiar foes in Scholten and Shuart, who both placed below him at 112 last year. Mooradian beat Scholten 3-2 in last year's semifinals and they are slated to meet again this year in the semis. Jackson has emerged as a contender this year. He knocked off Josh Pennell of St Johns earlier this year, Pennell beat Shuart, therefore, you have to think Jackson is right in the mix here as well. Jackson and Shuart will meet in a tough quarterfinal match that should see the winner move on to the finals.
Early matchups to watch:
1st round - #3 Jackson vs #4 Shuart - Jackson will have to prove himself early as he draws proven senior Shuart in the quarters. As stated above, these two have a common opponent in Josh Pennell who Jackson beat and Shuart lost to, however, common opponents are only beneficial in seeding meetings, this one will be settled on the mat and Shuart is a very tough wrestler who is no stranger to the Palace while Jackson is making his first apperance in Auburn Hills.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Mooradian over Scholten, Shuart over Austin
Finals - Mooradian over Shuart
125
Frontrunner: Jake Byers (Rockford)
Top contenders: Ben Matthieson (Holt), Leon Shannon (Wyandotte Roosevelt), Nick Monitz (Hartland)
Darkhorse: Terry Turner (Davison)
Outlook: Byers is the man to beat as he is a returning finalist from this weight class and he comes in undefeated. While Byers is the definite favorite, the top contender is up in the air. Seniors Matthieson, Shannon and Monitz are all returning placers from last year who are fully capable of giving Byers a run for his money. Terry Turner of Davison has also looked very good this year, only losing to Byers by two at regionals and he is a talented wrestler to keep an eye on as well. The bottom half of the bracket looks a little deeper than the top as Matthieson, Shannon, and Turner are all down there, with Shannon and Turner meeting in what should be a good quarterfinal match.
Early matchups to watch:
Quarterfinals - #2 Shannon vs #5 Turner - Shannon had a great state tournament last year, placing 3rd at 119 behind Kyle Waldo, and if he wrestles well again this year he should have his eye on trying to knock off Byers. However, he will have to be sure not to overlook a very athletic Turner. He is explosive and goes very hard, so expect to see a war in this match. The winner will have to recover quickly as Ben Matthieson will likely wait in the semifinals.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Byers over Monitz, Matthieson over Shannon
Finals - Byers over Matthieson
130
Frontrunner: Jared Zimmerman (Hudsonville)
Top contenders: Anthony Pavlich (WJG), Jeremy Stoain (Troy Athens), Jeff Lopez (Hartland)
Darkhorse: Jake Fillingham (Lowell)
Outlook: Zimmerman is the current #1 in this weight, however, Pavlich could be considered as a favorite here as well in what is really a wide open weight class. Jeff Lopez has been inconsitent at times this year, however, if he is on his game he is capable of winning this weight as well. After the top few this weight seems open and a handful of talented wrestlers could step up and make a name for themselves by placing high here.
Early matchups to watch:
1st round - #8 Chase Snider (Hartland) vs #9 Fillingham - Snider has come on strong as of late this year and Fillingham flies under a lot of radars. While FIllingham's record is not very intimidating with 16 losses, you must keep in mind that many of these losses come from Lowell's very challenging schedule that features a few out of state powerhouse teams.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Lopez over Zimmerman, Pavlich over Reinhardt
Finals - Pavlich over Lopez
135
Frontrunner: Brian Gibbs (Bedford)
Top contenders: Andy Jones (Grand Ledge), AJ Fligger (Lake Orion), Justin Melick (DCC), Angelo Latora (Portage Central), Kyle Horr (Monroe)
Darkhorse: Gabe Morse (Lowell)
Outlook: This weight is filled with parity as I could see about 6 different guys winning it. Gibbs has had a great season and looks like a monster now that he is down to 135. He looked impressive winning a tough district and regional, however, the fleet of retruning placers Jones, Melick, and Latora, as well as Fligger and Horr are all capable of making a run here. You also cant count out guys like Morse and Austin Scogg who have a wealth of big match expierence this year. Many of the top guys here have wrestled before so they are familiar with each other. Pretty much every match from the quarterfinals on should be very closely contested and fun to watch.
Early matchups to watch:
1st round - #6 Horr vs #8 Morse- This first round match is an example of the depth in this weight class. While these guys are ranked 6th and 8th they are both capable of placing very high in this weight. Horr has beaten Fligger this year nad Morse has looked good all year against top tier competetion. The winner will have a tough match with Jones in the quarterfinals
Quarterfinals - #1 Gibbs vs #4 Fligger - Top ranked Gibbs has a rough road to the finals and it starts in the quarterfinals with #4 Fligger. Fligger took 3rd in a tough regional, but he was ranked #1 at one point this year and is capable of knocking off Gibbs here.
Quarterfinals - #2 Jones vs Morse/Horr - Andy Jones placed 8th last year and has looked good this year with a very good record. He could be considered a favorite to win this weight, however, he will have to get through somebody very good in the quarters with either Morse or Horr.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Gibbs over Latora, Jones over Melick
Finals - Jones over Gibbs
140
Frontrunner: Matt Dietz (Clarkston)
Top contenders: Don Watkins (Canton), Adam Fahs (Portage Central), Matt Frisch (Oxford), Collin Bertucci (Grand Haven)
Darkhorse: Jordan Alvarez (Jenison)
Outlook: This weight is much like 135 as about 1/2 dozen guys could win it all. Dietz is the #1 right, however Watkins, Fahs, Frisch, and Bertucci could all make a serious run at this. Watkins is a 3x state placer who has been right on the cusp of making a deep run every year. Frisch and Bertucci are no strangers to the Palace either. Fahs has come out nowhere this year and really emerged as a contender as well with big wins including a win over Frisch. Jordan Alvarez was 6th in the state at 145 last year and finished 4th in his region this year - that is a sign of what this weight has to offer.
Early matchups to watch:
Quarterfinals - #2 Watkins vs #5 Bertucci - This is a tough quarterfinal match and a rematch of the 3rd place match at 135 last year, which Watkins won. These guys both wrestle pretty wide open styles and they are both Palace proven kids who will be looking to make a run this year. The winner will get #1 Dietz in the semifinals.
Quarterfinals - #3 Fahs vs #7 Alvarez - Alvarez is capable of accomplishing something rare and going deep into this tournament after finishing 4th at Regionals. Fahs has came out of nowhere this year and will look to carry his regular season success over to Auburn Hills. Alvarez placed 6th at 145 last year and has the experience advantage over Fahs, who is making his 1st trip to Auburn Hills.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Frisch over Alvarez, Watkins over Dietz
Finals - Watkins over Frisch
145
Frontrunner: Andrew Morse (Lowell)
Top contenders: Steve Sattler (Anchor Bay), Doug Eldridge (DCC)
Darkhorse: Kevin Nash (Roseville)
Outlook: Morse is the clear favorite in this weight after taking 3rd in D2 last year and running through most of the best guys in the state this year. There will be a solid group of 4 or 5 guys looking to knock him off, led by Sattler who is 50-2 with a big win over another super sophomore, Jordan Wohlfert earlier this year (Wohflert beat Morse in the semifinals last year). Sattler will meet Eldridge in what should be a good semfinal match and the winner should be competetive with Morse in the finals. Eldridge lost 3-0 to Morse earlier this year. Keep an eye on scrappy guys like Kevin Nash, Nick Bohn, and Doug Baughman making a run and placing high here as well, from my perspective I see everyone chasing Morse.
Early matchups to watch:
Quarterfinals - Sattler vs Nick Bohn (EK) - Two very good seniors here who are returning placers and looking to make a run in their final trip to Auburn Hills. Bohn has taken a few losses this year and a win here would definitely be considered an upset, however, he is tough to score on with his stocky build and good upperbody greco skills, which usually keeps him in the match. Bohn's style should keep him in the match so Sattler will have to wrestle relatively mistake free to move on here in this tough quarterfinal match.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Morse over Baughman, Sattler over Eldridge
Finals - Morse over Sattler
152
Frontrunner: Brent Winecoff (Canton)
Top contenders: Deshawn Nelson (EK), Sven Alm (FHC)
Darkhorse: Jon Nelson (Northville)
Outlook: Winecoff has wrestled great all year long since signing with EMU in the fall and he will look to continue that this weekend. This weight class is not the deepest in D1, however, the top 5 or 6 guys are all very tough and capable of pushing Winecoff. Alm has also come on strong as of late, knocking off returning state runner up DeShawn Nelson at Regionals. Alm probably would have been better off losing that match as now he has to meet with Winecoff in the semis while Nelson should make the finals barring an upset. Don't forget that Nelson knows how to win in March - last year WInecoff was the favorite at 145 with a 55-1 record going into states and Nelson knocked him off in the semis. The year they could be wrestling that re-match in the state finals Saturday night.
Early matchups to watch:
1st Round - #1 Winecoff vs #5 Dan Fleet (Lowell) - Whenever two wrestlers who were top 4 in the state the year before meet first round you have to take notice. Fleet came 4th out of a rough regional with Alm, D.Nelson, and Morris, however, the Lowell junior was 4th in D2 last year and has wrestled against top competetion all year. This is the worst possible first round draw for both wrestlers and Fleet had to feel confident in his ability to beat any other regional champ and Winecoff was ready for a nice warmup match against any of the other 4th place finishers.
Predictions:
Semifinals -Winecoff over Alm, D.Nelson over J.Nelson
Finals - Winecoff over D.Nelson
160
Frontrunner: Jackson Morse (Lowell)
Top contenders: Jake Johnson (Rockford), Deandre Polk (Pontiac)
Darkhorse: Seth Hanton (Holt)
Outlook: Morse has seemed to set himself apart as he is shooting for his 3rd state title, which would be his first and only title in Division 1. Morse has beaten Johnson three times since districts and seems to have created a gap between himself and the Rockford senior. It is difficult to see anyone touching either of these two as they are in their own league and could very well cruise to the finals. Polk will wrestle Johnson in the semis and has only one loss this year coming to Beazley from Farmington Hills Harrison. Two others meeting first round to watch are returning state placerfs AJ Logan of Oxford and Josh Roberts of Roseville. Morse will meet up with the winner of Logan/Roberts/Hanton.
Early matchups to watch:
1st Round - #4 Josh Roberts (Roseville) vs #6 AJ Logan (Oxford) - This match would be more fitting for a quarterfinal or semifinal match as these two are both returning state placers. Logan took 4th at a monster regional behind Morse and Johnson, however, he knocked off returning state placer Zach Lang of Bay City Western just to get out of regionals, so knocking off Roberts here would be no surprise or nothing new for Logan.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Morse over Hanton, Johnson over Polk
Finals - Morse over Johnson
171
Frontrunner: Jake Dorulla (Rockford)
Top contenders: Ryan Olep (Lowell), Mike Andring (Holt), Josh Batkins (Lanse Creuse)
Darkhorse: Matt Hart (Rochester Adams)
Outlook: Dorulla and Olep are the marquee names in this weight, however, Mike Andring and Josh Batkins could make some noise here as well. Dorulla, who is 10-2 in his Auburn Hills career never losing before the finals, is the obvious man to beat. Olep wrestled the returning champ tough at districts and regionals, and the third time may be the charm as he looks to slay Goliath. Andring, who is a big, strong 171lber, wrestled Dorulla close at the Holt tournament this year as well and has always wrestled him pretty tough. Josh Batkins gets overshadowed here, however, the Lanse Creuse senior comes in 55-0 after placing 7th last year at 160. Batkins-Olep meet in the quarters, while Andring-Dorulla will go down in the semis.
Early matchups to watch:
Quarterfinals - #2 Olep vs #4 Batkins - Who ever wins this match Friday morning should be moving on to the State Finals to wrestle Dorulla. Olep was a state runner-up two years ago before suffering one of the biggest upsets in D2 last year, falling in the semifinals. Olep will likely come in with his eyes on a Dorulla rematch, however, he needs to be careful not to overlook Batkins. Anytime someone wins 55 matches in a row there is something to be worried about.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Dorulla over Andring, Olep over Hart
Finals - Dorulla over Olep
189
Frontrunner: Chris Heald (West Bloomfield)
Top contenders: Gabe Dean (Lowell), Caleb Rivera (Grandville)
Darkhorse: Anthony Abro (Canton)
Outlook: This weight is Heald's to lose as he looks to put West Bloomfield on the map. Heald is a big, strong, technically sound 189lber who finished 4th at this weight a year ago. His road to the finals will be no cakewalk as he draws Rivera in the quarterfinals. Lowell sophomore Dean will look to enjoy as much postseason success in wrestling as he did last fall in football, where he led the Arrows to the state title. Dean fell just short of placing last year as a freshman and this year he looks to be the top candidate to knock off Heald. Dean stays in meticulusly good position and is well-conditioned so he gives himself a chance to win almost every match. Fargo greco all-american Anthony Abro is another guy to watch here as well as Austin Pickering, who placed at the MSU Open last fall.
Early matchups to watch:
1st round - #1 Heald vs #3 Rivera - Heald will have his hands full with Rivera, who may be the best all around athlete in this weight class. He is good on his feet and moves well for a big man, which will make for an interesting matchup with the workman like, slower paced Heald. Whoever wins this match should be geared up for an appearance in the finals.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Dean over Abro, Heald over McClure
Finals - Heald over Dean
215
Frontrunner: Nick McDiarmid (Hartland)
Top contenders: Joe Stefanski (Rockford), Mike Kinville (DCC), Chris Nash (Roseville)
Darkhorse: Prescott Line (Oxford)
Outlook: This is about as tough a 215lb weight as you will find with a handful over very athletic big men, including two returning state champs in McDiarmid, who in D2 last year, and Stefanski who won in Division 1 last year. McDiarmid is undefeated and has not lost since a prep match since his sophomore year while Stefanski has not lost this year either. To my knowledge Stefanski and McDiarmid haven't wrestled since 2008 when they were both sophomores, and McDiarmid won a very close match. Kinville and Nash are both returning state placers who are talented enough to seriously contend for state titles normally at this weight, however, this weight is so tough with McDiarmid & Stefanski that these two will be lucky to make the finals. Stefanski will have to get through Nash in the semis and McDiarmid will likely meet Kinville, then get ready for a battle of returning undefeated state champs.
Early matchups to watch:
Quarterfinals - #3 Kinville vs #7 Line - Line is a very talented sophomore looking to emerge in this loaded weight class as a contender. Kinville bumped to heavy against Oxford at Team States so we didn't get to see this match happen. The senior should be able to use his expierence and mutruity to get past Line here, but expect to see a good match with two very athletic big guys.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Stefanski over Nash, McDiarmid over Kinville
Finals - McDiarmid over Stefanski
285
Frontrunner: Buster Wilson (Southgate Anderson)
Top contenders: Quinton Moore (Saginaw), Justin Dozier (Woodhaven), Dustin Gajowiak (WJG)
Dark Horse: Adam Bennett (Romeo)
Outlook: D1 heavyweight should be up for grabs this weekend. Quinton Moore of Saginaw was 4th in the state last year and should be poised for a finals run this year. Buster Wilson of Southgate has looked good this year as well and these two appear to be the heaviest hitters in this weight. Gajowiak and Connor Kruse are returning all-staters to keep an eye on as well. Moore and Wilson both run the risk of getting knocked off in the quarters as Moore meets Gajowiak and Wilson has to get through Kruse.
Predictions:
Semifinals - Moore over Dozier, Kruse over Bennett
Finals - Moore over Kruse
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