By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
KALAMAZOO — For the second straight season, Three Rivers will be moving on to the MHSAA Division 2 team wrestling state semifinals.
And they have their middleweights and heavyweights to thank.
The second-seeded Wildcats got six consecutive victories from their 138 through 175-pound wrestlers to climb back from a 29-11 deficit to win 42-29 over seventh-seeded Freeland in the MHSAA Division 2 quarterfinals Friday night.
Three Rivers got off to a quick start, as the Wildcats’ Jaxon Smith defeated Freeland’s Colton Winchell by pin at 1:36 at 190 pounds to go up 6-0. At 215 pounds, the Wildcats’ Noah Howes defeated Freeland’s Zack Clark by pin in 1:23, but lost a point due to unsportsmanlike conduct to make it just an 11-0 lead.
Freeland would win six consecutive matches to go up 29-11. TR’s Drew Webster lost by pin near the end of the second period to Brigham Smith of Freeland at heavyweight, then Owen Moreland lost at 106 pounds to Collin Earls by a 10-1 major decision. That was followed by Mason Santos losing to Easton Rosebush at 113 pounds by pin in 5:04, Kyler Snellenbarger losing to Maddox Wilson at 120 pounds by a 14-2 major decision, Brody Morrill losing to Michael Wilson at 126 pounds by 10-4 decision, and Brayden Niemi losing by pin just 27 seconds into the match at 132 pounds against Preston Wetherell.
However, it would be the Wildcats closing things out to take the match, beginning with Jak Monroe pinning Freeland’s Kael Foulds at 138 pounds by pin just 18 seconds in to make it 29-17. Ethan Moreland then got a major 9-1 decision at 144 pounds over Wyatt Brewer to make it 29-21. Carter Hensley then earned a 16-5 major decision at 150 pounds over Nolan Cunningham, and then the Wildcats took the lead for good with an Evan Harper pin of Kayden Smith 1:27 into the 157-pound match to give them a 31-29 lead.
Braylon Faile would then score a technical fall 21-5 over Colton Cunningham at 165 pounds to extend the lead to 36-29, and then Louis Smith finished off the match with a pin of Gavin Crelly in 1:48 at 175 pounds to give the Wildcats the win.
With the win, Three Rivers moves on to face sixth-seeded Eaton Rapids in the semifinals at noon Saturday at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo. The Greyhounds earned an upset victory over third-seeded Algonac 33-32 in the quarterfinals.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
