Michigan Grappler Spotlight Coverage
MHSAA Individual States Preview - Division 4
Steve Widzinski
Michigan Grappler HS Analyst
103
Frontrunner: Brock Thumm (Watervliet)
Top Contenders: Ken Dittenber (Carson City Crystal), Josh Wendling (New Lothrop), Chase Siersema (Hesperia)
Darkhorse: Zach Franics (Lutheran Westland)
Outlook: Heading into states this appears to be a pretty deep weight class that will feature a lot of guys with impressive records. Thumm comes in as a favorite after pinning and teching his way to a regional championship. Dittenber is another wrestler who impressed at regionals. The sophomore beat #3 Wendling in the regional finals and should be in the mix to win it. Dittenber and Thumm should meet in the semis in a battle of #1 vs #2, with the winner likely wrestling against Wendling or Siersema in the finals.
Early Matchups To Watch
Quarterfinals – #4 Chase Siersema (Hesperia) vs #2 Kenneth Dittenber (Carson City Crystal) – Both of these wrestlers are capable of reaching the finals but will need to take care of business in this tough quarterfinals match in order to do so. Whichever wrestler can win here should see #5 Isaac Dusseau in the semis.
Predictions
Semifinals – Wendling over Dusseau, Thumm over Dittenber
Finals – Thumm over Wendling
112
Frontrunner: Jacob Perrin (New Lothrop)
Top Contenders: Luke Bell (Decatur), Zack Yates (Hesperia), Ryan Gauthier (Iron Mountain), Cole Weaver (Hudson)
Darkhorse: Foster Bunce (Dansville)
Outlook: 112 is one of the deepest weight classes in the state of Michigan this year, and Division 4 is no exception. Perrin has distanced himself from the pack a bit with some marquee wins and is the favorite to win this weight class. Many others will also have their eye on the prize including second-ranked Bell who was a state champion at 103 last year. The talented freshmen Yates and Weaver both have scored big wins this year as well, and should be very competitive here. Gauthier is a returning state finalist and one of the many excellent competitors here. The action will heat up in the quarters where Weaver will wrestle Gauthier with the winner likely taking on Perrin in the semis. Bell and Yates should meet on the other side of the bracket for what should be a great semifinal. Several other returning placers including Chase Gearhart, Ivan Gallegos and Foster Bunce add great depth to this weight class.
Early Matchups To Watch
Quarterfinals - #5 Cole Weaver (Hudson) vs #4 Ryan Gauthier (Iron Mountain) – Returning state finalist Ryan Gauthier will be in danger of being bounced prior to the semis where he will take on freshman stud Cole Weaver. Whoever can win will have an even bigger challenge in the semis where they will see top-ranked Perrin.
Predictions
Semifinals– Weaver over Perrin, Bell over Yates
Finals – Bell over Weaver
119
Frontrunner: Matt Mata (Marlette)
Top Contenders: Ryan Abrigo (Manchester), Hunter Machus (Bronson), Shawn Rosencrans (Hesperia)
Darkhorse: Tyler Mattison (Hudson)
Outlook: Returning state finalist Matt Mata is one of a few excellent lightweights who will have shot to claim a title here. Mata was dominant at regionals last week and enters the state tournament ranked first. The other top contender here will be second-ranked Abrigo. Abrigo has amassed a 60-0 record on the year and will look to win a state championship in his final high school season. Others capable of contending include Machus and Rosencrans who were both regional champions.
Predictions
Semifinals – Abrigo over Machus, Mata over Rosencrans
Finals – Abrigo over Mata
125
Frontrunner: Bela Nemeth (New Lothrop)
Top Contenders: Brandon Fifield (Leslie), Austin Deacons (Manchester), Coty Kimble (Addison), Chris Aiken (Clare)
Darkhorse: Patrick Waterstradt (Athens)
Outlook: Nemeth shook up the state title picture in a major way at regionals where he upset defending state champion Brandon Fifield. Fifield has not been able to wrestle much this year, and will look to bounce back and end his career with another state title this weekend. Depth is strong in this weight class and Deacons, Kimble and Aiken are all others capable of making some noise. Aiken does not have many matches on his record, but his fourth place finish in Division 2 last year shows that he has the potential to have a lot of success here. Fifield and Aiken will likely meet for a great quarterfinals matchup, with the winner taking on Deacons in the semis. On the lower half of the bracket Nemeth should cruise to the semis where he will likely see the winner of a Kimble vs Waterstradt quarterfinal match.
Early Matchups To Watch
1st Round – #2 Brandon Fifield vs #5 Chris Aiken (Clare) – This is possibly the biggest quarterfinal in Division 4 and will feature two wrestlers with the potential to win this weight. Fifield is a defending state champion and will be put to the test early against Aiken who placed fourth in D2 last year.
Predictions
Semifinals – Fifield over Deacons, Nemeth over Kimble
Finals – Fifield over Nemeth
130
Frontrunner: Jordan Bosma (Hesperia)
Top Contenders: Austin Hughes (Saginaw Nouvel), Zehlin Storr (Leslie), Justin Krupp (New Lothrop)
Darkhorse: Dan Efting (Bangor)
Outlook: Competition will be plentiful for returning state champion Jordan Bosma in this very solid 130 lb bracket. Bosma won his first state title last year, and will have a great shot at ending his prep career as a two-timer. The excellent freshmen Storr and Hughes will also among the top contenders here. Both are extremely talented young grapplers who proved their legitimacy with big wins at regionals. Returning finalist Justin Krupp is also one to watch here. Krupp lost a close match to Bosma at team state and should get a rematch in the quarterfinals. Efting placed fourth last year and is another wrestler capable of finishing high. The winner of Krupp vs Bosma should wrestle Efting in the semifinals, while Hughes and Storr are likely to meet in the semis on the top half of the bracket for a battle of two of Division 4’s top freshman.
Early Matchups To Watc
Quarterfinals - #1 Jordan Bosma (Hesperia) vs #4 Justin Krupp (New Lothrop) – After both reaching the finals last year, one of these wrestlers will be knocked into the consolation bracket prior to the semis. This will be a rematch from team state where Bosma won a close match over Krupp.
Predictions
Semifinals – Schaub over Hughes, Bosma over Efting
Finals – Bosma over Schaub
135
Frontrunner: Clayton Simmons (New Lothrop)
Top Contenders: Jarrud Ellicot (Kent City), Camden McCaskey (Hudson)
Darkhorse: Chase Gendron (Iron Mountain)
Outlook: Heading into the state meet 135 appears to be one of the most wide-open brackets in Division 4. Simmons emerged as a serious contender to win it all at regionals, where he knocked off Ellicot in the finals. McCaskey is a returning all-stater who could also have a shot to win this weight class. The quarterfinals will be big in this weight class, where McCaskey will likely wrestle against Ellicot and Simmons will take on #4 Corey Decker. Whoever can win these quarterfinal matchups should be in good shape to reach the finals.
Predictions
Semifinals – McCaskey over Boyd, Simmons over Gendron
Finals – McCaskey over Simmons
140
Frontrunner: Kyle Fletcher (Addison)
Top Contenders: Sam Reeves (Ithaca), Tyler Hicks (Jonesville), Kyle Miller (Lawton)
Darkhorse: Scotty Jordan (Farwell)
Outlook: Returning state champion Kyle Fletcher stumbled a bit at districts where he was upset by unranked Dalton Moulton. The Addison senior bounced back in a big way at regionals where he pinned Moulton en route to a regional title. Fletcher should be able to continue his momentum at the state meet where he will be a favorite to repeat as state champion. Reeves, Hicks and Miller are all other talented wrestlers who should be in the mix here.
Early Matchups To Watch
Quarterfinals - #4 Kyle Miller (Lawton) vs #3 Tyler Hicks (Jonesville) – Here two potential finalists will meet Friday afternoon for what should be a very good matchup. Whoever comes out ahead in this match should see #2 Reeves in a very competitive semifinal.
Predictions
Semifinals – Fletcher over Jordan, Reeves over Miller
Finals – Fletcher over Reeves
145
Frontrunner: Joel Varney (Hudson)
Top Contenders: Lee Siersema (Hesperia), Wade Erhardt (New Lothrop), Johnny Woolams (Manchester)
Darkhorse: Ben Mallo (Constantine)
Outlook: Varney leads a talented pack of middleweights who will be in search of individual state glory at the Palace this weekend. After finishing third as a sophomore last year, Varney has wrestled through a very tough schedule this season and should be well prepared to compete for a state title. Many others here have shown potential and have a chance to finish high on the podium. Siersema, Erhardt and Mallo are all coming off regional championships and will be among the top wrestlers at 145. Varney and Erhardt will likely meet in the semis on the top half of the bracket, leaving Siersema, Mallo and Woolams to battle for a spot in the finals on the lower half of the bracket.
Predictions
Semifinals – Varney over Erhardt, Siersema over Mallo
Finals – Varney over Siersema
152
Frontrunner: Lelund Weatherspoon (Napoleon)
Top Contenders: Jordan Bates (Hesperia)
Darkhorse: Colton Callaway (Lawton)
Outlook: Weatherspoon has really come into his own in his junior year and has emerged as one of the elite wrestlers in Division 4. Weatherspoon comes in with an undefeated record and will have a great chance to cap his season off with a state title this weekend. The other big name in this weight class is the returning state finalist Bates. After reaching the state finals as a junior, Bates will look to end his career as a state champion in his final trip to the Palace. Weatherspoon and Bates are on opposite sides of the bracket and appear likely to meet in the finals for what should be one of the best Saturday night matchups in Division 4.
Predictions
Semifinals – Weatherspoon over Callaway, Bates over Ramirez
Finals – Weatherspoon over Bates
160
Frontrunner: Devan Marry (Hudson)
Top Contenders: Devan O’Green (Carson City Crystal), Sam Mehan (Sand Creek)
Finals – Sam Erwin (Bronson)
Outlook: With a first place finish this weekend Marry will take one step closer to being Division 4’s next four-time state champion. After winning state titles as a freshman and sophomore, Marry has had a very strong junior season and will look to cap it by claiming his third state championship. Expect Marry to cruise to the finals where he will likely take on the winner of an O’Green vs Mehan semifinal. Mehan wrestled Marry in the finals last year and gave him a close match in the regional finals. He will look to get another shot at Marry in the finals this weekend, but will have to get through the very tough O’Green in order to do so.
Predictions
Semifinals – Marry over Sibley, O’Green over Mehan
Finals – Marry over O’Green
171
Frontrunner: Austin Severn (New Lothrop)
Top Contenders: Josh Jensen (Cass City), Galloway Thurston (St Ignace), Juan Aburto (Covert)
Darkhorse: Grant Benschooter (Hudson)
Outlook: After reaching the finals last year, Severn has been very impressive so far this season. The New Lothrop junior comes in with an undefeated record and is the favorite to finish on top of the podium at 171. Severn defeated second-ranked Jensen in convincing fashion at regionals and should cruise to the finals on the top half of the bracket. Jensen, Thurston and Aburto all will be contenders to emerge from the lower half of the bracket and get a shot at Severn in the finals.
Early Matchups To Watch
Quarterfinals - #4 Juan Aburto (Covert) vs #2 Josh Jensen (Cass City) – Aburto’s undefeated record will be in jeopardy in this quarters matchup against #2 Jensen. This should be a good battle with the winner advancing to wrestle Thurston in the semis.
Predictions
Semifinals – Severn over Benschooter, Jensen over Thurston
Finals – Severn over Jensen
189
Frontrunner: Matt Smith (Hudson)
Top Contenders: Joe Ostman (St Ignace), Jacob Olson (Napoleon)
Darkhorse: Lantz Miller (Dansville)
Outlook: Smith proved himself to be one of Division 4’s elite upper weights at the state tournament last year where he won his first state championship. The senior has been dominant since dropping to 189, and will be heavily favored to earn his second state championship at the Palace this weekend. After Smith this is a fairly wide-open weight class where a lot of guys will have a shot to finish high. Ostman placed sixth as a freshman last year and comes in with a 53-1 record and a great shot to make the finals. Olson, Miller and Brandon Grosvenor are others with a chance to finish near the top of the podium.
Predictions
Semifinals – Smith over Grosvenor, Olson over Ostman
Finals – Smith over Olson
215
Frontrunner: Arthur Bunce (Dansville)
Top Contenders: Joe Ericson (Springport), Holden Tullos (White Pigeon), Brett Martin (Hesperia)
Darkhorse: Jeremy Quezada (Blanchard Montabella)
Outlook: There are a lot of athletic big men in this weight class that will make 215 one of the deepest brackets in Division 2. Returning talent will be plentiful as Bunce, Tullos and Martin all finished in top six of this weight class last year. Ericson has had a breakout season with several big wins and is also a wrester to watch out for here. Quezada placed eighth at heavyweight last year and is additional grappler with the potential to make some noise here. Ericson will be the favorite to reach the finals on the top half of the bracket but will need to get through the very talented Martin in the semis. On the other side of the bracket Bunce and Tullos will probably meet in what should be a very good semifinal between two seniors who finished in top four of this weight class last season.
Early Matchups To Watch
1st Round – #6 Nick Lowe (Napoleon) vs #7 Jeremy Quezada (Blanchard Montabella) – After reaching all-state status as a heavyweight last year, Quezada is down to 215 looking to make some noise in a very good bracket. He will be tested mightily on Thursday night against #6 Lowe in this first round matchup.
Predictions
Semifinals – Ericson over Martin, Bunce over Tullos
Finals – Bunce over Ericson
285
Frontrunner: Cody Wolever
Top Contenders: Melvin Rawls (Beecher), Jaxon DeHaven (Watervliet), Dylan Neff (Manchester), Michael York (Union City)
Darkhorse: Zach Rieger (Hudson)
Outlook: With two-time defending state champion Devin Pommerenke sidelined by injury this weight class has opened up and will feature several tough big men competing for a state title. Wolever has had a great year for Hesperia, and the #1 ranked senior will be the favorite to win this weight class. York and Rieger are also all-staters from last year who will be in contention to win this weight. Others also capable of making an impact include #2 Rawls and #3 DeHaven who are both coming off regional championships. York and Rawls should meet in the quarters with winner likely to wrestle against Neff in the semis. It will be a tough road to finals for Wolever who will have to get through Rieger in the quarters and DeHaven in the semis.
Predictions
Semifinals – Neff over York, Wolever over DeHaven
Finals – Wolever over York
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