High school wrestling: Brandywine's Rex Pomranka earns milestone win No. 400
Rex Pomranka has built an outstanding wrestling program at Brandywine in 18 years at the helm.
And this week, despite only having seven wrestlers available to compete, Pomranka earned his 400th career win with a 39-36 victory over Lawrence.
He got the milestone win because all seven of his wrestlers won their matches.
► Wrestling notebook: Like his coach, South Bend Riley's Garza has learned value of patience
► High school boys basketball: Edwardsburg, Weller top Michigan power rankings
"It was exciting, but nerve-racking," Pomranka said. "We had injury and COVID issues so we went into the match with just seven wrestlers. But we won the coin flip and were able to bump some guys and get the matchups we wanted. I went through my lineup several times from lunch hour until the match, trying to figure out how to beat them."
Pomranka admitted that winning that many matches over the years takes great kids.
"And kids buying into what we're doing," he said. "Then it's a case of them getting mat time and experience. I've just tried to take it year by year and match by match."
Pomranka has coached several outstanding wrestlers, led by Chanc Ravish, who had 194 career wins, and Hunter Heath, who finished with 176. Both were four-time state qualifiers and three-time state placers.
This has been a special year so far for Brandywine, which has no seniors currently starting. But it's also been a trying one with COVID issues.
"The future looks good," Pomranka said. "We need to get more kids out. But COVID has been an issue as far as numbers statewide. There haven't been too many matches we've had where every team had a full lineup. Two weeks ago we wrestled at Bronson and Edwardsburg was the only team with a full lineup. It's the same thing across the whole wrestling community. There might be teams getting to state because better teams get bumped by COVID issues."
Brandywine is gearing up for the Division 4 district tournament, which it will host Feb. 10. The Bobcats have won 21 of the last 22 districts in which it competed in Division 4. Brandywine was Division 3 in 2018, 2020 and last year.
The Bobcats have five wrestlers who are currently ranked in their individual classes by Michigan Grappler in 103-pound first-year sophomore Josmar Perez, 112-pound sophomore Kaiden Reith, 125-pound junior Drake Heath, 152-pound sophomore Gavin Schoff and 215-pound junior Phillip McLaurin. Schoff and McLaurin were champions, Reith was second, Perez third and Heath fourth as Brandywine finished second over the weekend at the Quincy Invitational. Heath and McLaurin were state qualifiers a year ago in Division 3.
Eddies strong in rebuild
Edwardsburg has won two district titles in the past three years. But after heavy graduation losses, not much was expected from the Eddies. Edwardsburg had six state qualifiers last season, including state 145-pound champ Jackson Hoover. And all six graduated.
However, Jesse Becraft's team is second in the Wolverine Conference so far in duals and 12-7 overall in duals with five of the losses coming in the tough Penn Super Duals.
"A lot of our guys didn't have a chance to get a ton of matches last year," Becraft said. "We had one starter who had four matches and two that hadn't wrestled at all going into this year. We only have four seniors, three who start and one of those hadn't wrestled since sixth grade. But we've improved a ton. It's a work in progress. But we're getting experience and confidence."
Edwardsburg is led by junior 171-pounder Nathan Andrina, a third-year starter who is ranked and who is 17-4 with three of the losses at Penn. Senior 130-pounder Nick Eaton is 20-4, sophomore 103-pounder Caiden Manford is 14-7 and senior 285-pounder Landon Mikel is 10-4.
Edwardsburg will be a heavy favorite to win the district. The Eddies have already beaten the other two teams in the district, Sturgis (69-3) and Niles (60-20).
Dowagiac eyes another district
Dowagiac has won four straight Division 3 district titles. And the Chieftains, 16-12 in duals, are the favorite to win the district at Buchanan February 10.
Dowagiac is led by Jordan Simpson, who is 28-5 and ranked at 119 pounds, 130-pounder Israel Villegas (28-7) and 140-pounder Zach Gettig (21-11).
County Meet
The Greater Berrien County Invitational will be held Saturday at St. Joseph.
Lakeshore has won 28 of the previous 40 county meets and is the big favorite to win again. Last year's meet was canceled by COVID.
The Lancers are 18-4, ranked No. 5 in Division 2 and are coming off a 33-28 win over arch-rival and No. 9-ranked St. Joseph and a 4-0 effort in the Lakeshore Super Duals.
Three champions are back from two years ago in St. Joseph's Nolan Wertanen (103), Lakeshore's Aaron Lucio (119) and Benton Harbor's Dashiandre Harris-Moore (160). All three are ranked this year, Wertanen at 119, Lucio at 135 and Harris-Moore at 171. Wertanen, a two-time state champion, is 28-0. Lucio, a state runner-up last year, is 29-0.
Lakeshore, coached by Bruce Bittenbender, who has a state-record 976 career wins, also have ranked wrestlers in Vern Riggins (14-4) and Brady Baker (18-4), both at 103, Cameron Litaker (25-3 at 125), Kyle Stampfly (23-4 at 130) and Micah Hanau (26-2 at 152). Hanau was a state champ in 2020 and finished third a year ago.
Niles 112-pound wrestler Conner Pickens is the only other area ranked wrestler.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Michigan high school wrestling news and notes Rex Pomranka
