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Cheboygan wrestling loses to Sault, falls short of SAC title repeat

jared greenleaf, cheboygan daily tribune
·4 min read
Cheboygan senior Devihn Wichlacz (left) takes control against his Sault opponent during a 275-pound bout in a Straits Area Conference wrestling clash against the Blue Devils in Pellston on Wednesday.
Cheboygan senior Devihn Wichlacz (left) takes control against his Sault opponent during a 275-pound bout in a Straits Area Conference wrestling clash against the Blue Devils in Pellston on Wednesday.

PELLSTON – The Cheboygan Chiefs had a chance to earn another Straits Area Conference wrestling championship on Wednesday night.

Unfortunately for the Chiefs, one team denied them in the end.

The Sault High Blue Devils.

Despite several wrestlers putting on good performances, the Chiefs suffered a 44-30 loss to the Blue Devils in a crucial SAC showdown in Pellston.

“It would’ve been nice to take home another conference championship like last year, but it’s not the be all, end all for us. We want to be at our best come district time,” said Cheboygan coach Josh Groce. “We’ve got a lot of new kids on the team. Obviously we’re not making excuses, but some of the experience isn’t necessarily where we need it to be. However, with that being said, these guys are light years better than where they were the first time they stepped foot on the mat.”

While the SAC runner-up Chiefs did rebound with a 42-22 victory over Newberry later in the evening, their 8-2 record saw them fall short of what would've been a conference title repeat. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils, who handed the Chiefs their only two SAC losses this season, captured the title outright with a 9-1 record.

“I’m not disappointed in the loss. Obviously everyone wants to win, that’s why we do this, but not disappointed in the loss. Even from the previous time we faced the Sault, they weren’t getting caught in the same moves, they were actually going out and trying to wrestle,” Groce said. “It wasn’t like they were just going out and giving up on the mat, so I’m proud of them for the lengths they have come already to get where they are today.

“We’ll reconvene and start pushing towards districts.”

Leading the way for the Chiefs against the Sault were senior Devihn Wichlacz (275 pounds) and Robert LaPointe (215), who pinned both of their opponents, while Hayden LaPointe also picked up a pin at 175. Kenneth Warner (106) and Trevor Waller (144) earned wins by void. Other wrestlers competing but losing included DJ Wichlacz (150), Evan Blaskowski (157), Michael Beck (190), Jeremiah Huntley (120), Chase Swanson (126) and Jason Peacock (132).

Cheboygan senior 215-pounder Robert LaPointe (left) shakes hands with his Sault opponent after LaPointe picked up a pin in the first round on Wednesday.
Cheboygan senior 215-pounder Robert LaPointe (left) shakes hands with his Sault opponent after LaPointe picked up a pin in the first round on Wednesday.

After their wins on Wednesday night, LaPointe and Wichlacz are both 28-1 on the season.

“Devihn and Robert are our go-to guys,” Groce said. “We’ve come to expect wins out of them 90 percent of the time. We know when our tough competition is coming with them, but for most of the time, especially in our conference, they’ve dominated for the last few years."

In the victory over Newberry, Cheboygan received wins from Blaskowski, Robert LaPointe, Hayden LaPointe, Beck, Devihn Wichlacz, Warner, Huntley, Swanson and DJ Wichlacz.

Groce praised the performances of many of his young wrestlers, who have shown improvement throughout the season.

“When they started at the beginning of the year, they were still the kids that go out and handle their own a little bit, but most of the time they’re going to end up getting turned over, they’re going to take the loss, but now those kids are evolving,” Groce said. “They’re right on track for where we need them to be. They’re going out and fighting all the way through, trying to pick up the win if they could.

“For second-year wrestlers, I can’t wait to see where they’re going to be during their junior and senior years.”

Cheboygan coach Josh Groce (right) gives out instructions to some of his wrestlers during Wednesday's match against the Sault.
Cheboygan coach Josh Groce (right) gives out instructions to some of his wrestlers during Wednesday's match against the Sault.

Next up for the Chiefs is Saturday’s Gaylord Invitational, which will feature stellar competition from several schools.

“Basically how this works, if kids go lose two in a row, they’re out and sitting and watching everyone else wrestle the rest of the day,” Groce said. “We’re taking six of our solid wrestlers to the tournament on Saturday. They’re overly excited to face some of this competition. They’re going to start to see some of the best of the best in these weight classes from the schools that are around us.”

At the Mancelona Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 21, the Chiefs finished with a 2-3 team record. Cheboygan picked up wins over Pellston (36-21) and Mancelona (39-23), but lost to Benzie Central (63-27), Traverse City St. Francis (57-18) and Tri County (63-18).

Finishing 5-0 individually were Robert LaPointe and Devihn Wichlacz, while Swanson (4-1) and Beck (3-2) also earned medals at the meet.

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Cheboygan wrestling loses to Sault, falls short of SAC title repeat