B Jeff Steers
Contributing Writer
Local wrestlers Austyn Hocter of Hanover-Horton and Wyatt Burns of Springport high schools won MHSAA state individual wrestling titles Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit.
They did it in different fashions.
Hocter dominated his match in taking the 215 pounds championship with a pin in just over one minute in the first period. He pinned Gradyn Whelan of Clinton at the 1:10 mark. He defeated Whelan in overtime at regionals.
“We work our tails off in the wrestling room each day and it pays off,” Hocter said. “We push each other to the limit.”
Hocter has been all-state in track and field, football, and is now a state champion – the second for Hanover-Horton.
Burns limped along after leading early for an 8-2 victory at 144 pounds. It is the second state title for Burns who won the 138 Division 3 title last year for Dundee.
The Springport wrestler had a 6-0 lead in his championship match in the first period. But then he “heard something pop” and his ankle was hurting.
“I just fought through it and stayed on my feet,” Burns said.
Burns said he has made a smooth transition from Dundee to Springport and wrestling has helped.
“We are building a program and have a lot of hard workers in the room,” Burns said.
The dream of two brothers winning state wrestling titles ended for Carson and Brady Warner. Carson lost on a technical fall 16-1 at 165 pounds for Napoleon. Brady lost 2-1 at 215 pounds nearly taking down his opponent at the end.
“I would have been sweet to have both of us win state titles,” Brady said. “We have been wrestling together for a dozen years.”
Brady finishes the season at 37-5 and Carson 42-4. Both wrestlers lost in the finals to a Dundee wrestler.
Harland Begg of Marshall finished second at 285 pounds in a controversial ending. His opponent from Fowlerville jogged from the center of the mat to out of bounds with four second remaining. The referee said a warning was issued but no points awarded.
Begg lost 3-2 in the contest.
“It is what it is … there is nothing I can do about it but work harder and never lose to anyone again,” Begg said just after he ran some wind sprints at the far end of Ford Field following the match.
He finishes with a 46-3 record for the season.
Dylan Boone of Columbia Central lost 5-4 to Mitchell Swift of Delton Kellogg. Boone had defeated Swift at regionals scoring six points in the final 30 seconds.
He nearly pulled off the same thing trailing 4-0 but tying the score in the final period. Swift earned an escape but Boone had a great grasp of him as time ran out.
Boone won three matches Friday to advance to the final.
“Not placing last year motivated me,” Boone said. “Wrestling means everything to by family.”
Medal winners at the MHSAA state wrestling individual tournament included: Kalel Williams of Western was sixth at 175 pounds in D-2; Brandon Rohde of Grass Lake placed fourth at 126 pounds in D-3; teammate Aiden Durham finished fifth at 138 pounds in D-3; Shamus O’Hearon of Springport finished seventh in D-4 at 120 pounds; Raymond Courter of Springport placed eighth at 132 pounds in D-4; A.J. Fielder of Hanover-Horton was third in D-4 at 138 pounds; Kaden Sizemore of Springport finished fourth at 165 pounds in D-4; teammate Brayden Whittaker placed eighth at 175 pounds; Abigail Judy of Marshall placed seventh in the girls’ tournament; and Peyton Huston of Columbia Central was eighth at 140 pounds.
