The road to a championship takes many twists and turns, and last Saturday night, Wildcat senior Dylan Smith proved he had what it took to take home the Individual State Championship in the 285-pound division.
Before a excited crowd of Wildcat wrestling enthusiasts and supporters at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Smith defeated Charlotte’s Blake Beals in the championship finals by pinfall, forever etching his name in the Michigan High School Athletic Association record books.
‘I can’t even begin to describe it,? Smith said. ‘It feels great. It’s what I’ve been working for in my four years of competing.?
In the first ever match-up between the two wrestlers, Smith was able to take the lead with an early takedown in the first period, putting him ahead 2-0. But before the coaches and crowd could sit down from celebrating, Beals tied the match at two on a great reversal. After the referee restarted the match, Smith was able to use a reversal on Beals, putting him up 4-2. Beals responded quickly again, and had the match tied at four entering the second period of action.
Smith took over in the second period as his superior conditioning began to show. Halfway through the period Smith was able to take down Beals and zero in for the kill, pinning him a few moments later. Smith jumped up and let his emotions go, yelling, screaming and pumping his fist in the air before congratulating Beals on a fine match. He then went over and gave Oxford Head Coach Scott Couch a huge bear hug, soaking in the moment as the jubilant Wildcat fans looked on.
‘I knew that Blake was going to be tough. He pinned everyone and had not been past the first period. I had to push him,? said Smith.
By the time the finals began, one look in Smith’s eyes could tell that it was going to be his night, just like the first two had been. The road to the finals was paved with victories over the first, second, third and seventh ranked players in the state. He knocked out Portage Northern’s Senior Taylor Brown in a 8-0 major decision, then ran into an undefeated Senior Box David out of Milan in the quarterfinals, who came into the match 49-0. David gave Smith all he could but still fell short, losing 6-4. In the semi-finals, Smith disposed of Gaylord’s Brian Bliss, getting a pinfall in 2:34.
‘I am very, very proud of him,? said Coach Couch. ‘He (Smith) did exactly what he needed to do.? Coach Couch was extremely pleased with the growth that Smith had during the four years he worked with him, treating him, as well as all the other wrestlers on the team, like one of his own.
The State finals victory capped off an amazing season for Smith, who placed first in the Oakland County, League and District Tournaments, and a third place finish at regionals.
Dylan Smith wasn’t the only Wildcat to climb onto the medal stand that night, as three other Wildcats placed in the State Finals: Senior Mike Myer finished seventh, Junior A.J. Logan finished sixth and Sophomore Matt Frisch finished fifth.
‘This was as good a senior year as I could hope for,? said Myer, who defeated Bretton Gross of Dearborn Heights Annapolis 5-3 in the 152-pound seventh place bout. Myer said that placing seventh in state ranked first on his list of accomplishments during his high school career.
Frisch got his revenge on Sturgis’s Zach Huff in the fifth place bout of the 125-pound division. Huff pinned Frisch in the second round of the championship matches, and Frisch was determined to pick up the pace the second time around. He did, defeating him 10-5. ‘This is definitely a big confidence boost heading into next year,? Frisch said. ‘Making it to the state finals is going to make me work that much harder.?
Logan lost his fifth place bout in the 160-pound division to Hazel Park’s Chuck Hill.
The wrestlers were not the only members of the Wildcats who were taking home awards from the state finals. Assistant Coach Brandon Rank was nominated by his peers as the Division Two Assistant Coach of the Year.
Coach Couch is optimistic when he looks ahead to next year’s squad. ‘We have guys waiting in the wings,? he said, talking about the six open spots the graduating seniors left in the starting lineups. ‘Everyone says that it is going to be a rebuilding year, so we are going to come out, rebuild and wrestle tough.?