By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — Three Rivers’ Joey Anglemyer was in a bit of a pickle late in his match at 190 pounds in Wednesday’s MHSAA Division 2 team regional final against Plainwell at home.
The Wildcats were up by nine points at that point, 30-21, and his match was the next-to-last match on the docket for the evening. However, after two periods, he was down 11-5 to his opponent, Shayden Girton of Plainwell, and at a couple of points looked like he was going to lose by pin, or at the very least a decision, which would’ve put the Trojans within striking range.
However, with less than a minute left in the final period, Anglemyer managed to turn the tables on his opponent, flipping him on his back and securing a pin with just 57 seconds on the clock to notch a key six points for the Wildcats, which officially put the match out of reach at 36-21 and sent the home faithful into hysterics.
The match proved to be the final one of the night, as Plainwell forfeited the 215-pound match, notching the Wildcats their second straight regional championship by a final score of 42-21 and sending them to the team state quarterfinals Friday, Feb. 21 at 6:45 p.m. at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo. Their opponent is currently to be determined.
“I just had to dig deep. I had my team behind me, they all believed in me. I had the crowd chanting my name, I felt it. I had to dig deep, and I just did it,” Anglemyer said after the match. “Last year at state, I wrestled the No. 1 kid and had to fight off my back, so I had to do the same here, and it worked out in my favor. Gassed him at the end and pinned him.”
Anglemyer’s win capped off what ultimately turned out to be a bit of a comeback effort for the Wildcats, who early on were down 15-3. At heavyweight, Sam Reynolds lost a 5-0 decision to Plainwell’s Adin Young, then Mason Santos lost by first-period pin to Dylan Niewenhuis at 106 pounds to go down 9-0. Brody Morrill then notched a 7-0 decision victory ove rPlainwell’s Grady Erlandson at 113 to put Three Rivers on the board 9-3. A third-period pin by Plainwell’s Tyler Cooper on Three Rivers’ Kyler Snellenbarger at 120 pounds then put the Trojans up 15-3.
Three Rivers would grab points in the next two matches, with Jak Monroe at 126 pounds winning a 9-5 decision against Plainwell’s Edwin Johnson to make it 15-6, and then Gaven Babcock at 132 pounds won a major decision against Ben Lynes to bring it back to within five points at 15-10. Plainwell would get three points back at 138 pounds when Three Rivers’ Ethan Moreland lost to the Trojans’ Austin Gyorkos to make it 18-10.
The Wildcats would lose a team point in the 144-pound match due to an unsportsmanlike call against Ayden Keller in the third period, but Keller would rebound with a late takedown of Plainwell’s Marco Vega to salvage an 8-4 decision victory to make it 18-12 in favor of Plainwell. Then, at 150 pounds, Landon Moreland tied up the match at 18-18 with a first-period pin 1:31 into the match against Plainwell’s Kohler Smith.
Evan Harper managed to secure a decision loss 9-3 at 157 pounds against Plainwell’s Rickey Lynch to make it 21-18 for the Trojans after being down 9-0 after the second period, notching a takedown to score three points late in the bout. The Wildcats would go up on top for good in the next couple bouts to go up 30-21, with Braylon Faile winning by pin at 3:25 at 165 pounds over Aiden Beck, and Louis Smith pinning Brendyn Glessner at 175 pounds 45 seconds into the first period, setting up Anglemyer’s heroics at 190.
“I’m so happy for these guys,” Three Rivers head coach Jeff Smith said. “You got some guys this is their last time wrestling at home, and being able to host it at home and be able to win it at home, it was a total team effort. I don’t know, words can’t explain it.”
Smith said Jaxon Smith would’ve been ready as “the hammer” if they needed him at 215 pounds, but expressed that he had confidence in Anglemyer at 190.
“My starter’s out because he hurt his knee, so [Anglemyer]’s got a year of varsity experience, and 100 percent, I knew he’d come through,” Smith said. “I can’t even explain it. I was out of my chair, six feet up in the air, it was pretty exciting. What it means to all these guys is how we can rise to the occasion in those pressure situations. He did it for us last year in the quarterfinals, so we’re really happy for the kid.”
Smith said he’s looking forward to going back to the state quarterfinals for the second straight year.
“Return trip, we’re going to get it done this time,” Smith said.
Three Rivers made it to the finals after defeating St. Joseph in the regional semifinals earlier in the evening, 61-11. Jaxon Smith, Reynolds, Morrill, Faile, Louis Smith and Anglemyer all won by pin, while Monroe, Ethan Moreland, Keller, Landon Moreland, and Harper won by decisions and Santos won by void.
The Wildcats made it to the regional round by winning the district championship held in Sturgis last week, defeating Vicksburg 65-6 and Sturgis 74-3.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
