Lake Orion will send five wrestlers to the individual state finals this weekend, in hopes of besting their results from a year ago.
The finals will be held Thursday-Saturday at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
The Dragons had three of their seven qualifiers place at the meet last year, including Evan Gros (189 pounds), who will look to improve on his fifth place finish as a freshman. He leads the team with 51 wins so far this season.
‘He knows and understands the task before him,? Coach Doug Kline said. ‘Everyone will be gunning for him, but he has handled that situation all year and I expect nothing less from him this time.?
Jake Varilek (152) and Allen Sigler (189) are also returning to the Palace.
‘Varilek is making his third straight trip to the finals and has yet to place, so he is very hungry to validate his abilities,? Kline said.
The junior co-captain has compiled a 49-4 record this season. His fellow co-captain, Sigler, is 44-5.
‘This is Allen’s final go-around, and after last year’s trip to states and not placing, he will do everything he can to finish on the podium,? Kline noted.
Doug Mack (112) and A.J. Pratt (130) round out the Dragon qualifiers. Both are headed to their first finals.
‘My hope is that they do not get caught up in all the hoopla that surrounds the finals, the grand march, the large crowds, et cetera,? Kline said. ‘If they stay focused they should do very well.?
Mack, a sophomore, is 38-17 this year, while the junior, Pratt, is 36-9.
‘A.J. should have made it last year, but a season-ending injury in late December kept him from wrestling in the state meet,? Kline said. ‘He is wrestling as well as anyone on our team now and I expect him to be fine.?
As for Mack, the coach said he wasn’t surprised by his efforts at regionals to qualify, but others were.
‘I think he was even surprised a bit,? Kline said. ‘But he is an Energizer Bunny, never stops, and his style can cause a lot of wrestlers trouble.?
Kline added that the regional Lake Orion comes from has a strong history of placing at the state level, particularly in recent years.
‘Of course, once you get to states, all bets are off,? he noted. ‘It is going to be very exciting.?
‘My expectations are simple, our kids will wrestle with great emotion and desire,? Kline added. ‘The placings will take care of themselves.?