Introducing the 2022-23 The Daily Reporter Wrestling Dream Team
Wrestling legend Dan Gable once said, “Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.”
If that doesn’t encapsulate the sport of wrestling and what the fans of the sport in Branch County saw this season, there is not a quote in the world that does.
All five schools in our coverage area once again fielded teams in the sport of wrestling and success was not in short supply. In all, the area had two district champions, one regional champion, and one state runner-up in the team tournament. On the individual side the county did even better, boasting 28 regional qualifiers and 11 district champions; 23 state qualifiers and five regional champions; and 14 All state honorees and two state champions.
Not a bad haul at all for the grapplers from Branch County.
We here at The Daily Reporter tried this experiment with The Daily Reporter Wrestling Dream Team last year for the first time and it seemed to work well enough, so we thought we’d try it once again for the 2022-23 season, but let me tell you, this is far from easy.
The criteria for Dream Team honors will be much like last year’s Dream Team. There will be one member for each weight class, with honorable mention wrestlers also recognized. Weight classes will be determined based on where the wrestler spent most of the season combined with where they wrestled in the postseason. Criteria will also include head-to-head battles, overall records, finishes at the state level, and finally, the eye test.
Now some of these weight classes will be very difficult to choose, what with multiple state qualifiers and placers at numerous classes, while others will be a cinch. Please remember this was at times very difficult to decide who deserves a spot on the Dream Team, but in the end, I ultimately chose the grappler I would want out there at that weight class if I wanted to beat Hudson in the state finals. Also please remember that this team is made up of wrestlers straight through the weight classes, not allowing for bumping from weight to weight. (As in, this Dream Team does not allow me to bump Bronson's Matthew Blankenship to heavyweight or Carson Norton between 157 pounds and 165 pounds, among many other possibilities, which in truth would make a much more dangerous squad. Each wrestler can only represent one weight class.)
So, without further ado folks, introducing the 2022-23 The Daily Reporter Wrestling Dream Team
Head Coach- Chad Butters, Bronson
Honorable Mention- Jason Counterman, Union City; Pat Daniels, Quincy
Recap: Coach Butters has been one of the best coaches in the area and the state over the past few seasons. This year Butters led a very young team to the MHSAA team state finals where they took runner-up honors, falling to Hudson in the championship. For his efforts in leading the Vikings this year Butters was named the Division Four State Coach of the Year at the individual state finals. Well-deserved honor for a great coach
106 pounds- Chayse Jenson, Quincy, Freshman, (record of 31-11)
Honorable Mention- Yayha Umari, Coldwater
Recap: Jenson was the right pick here as the Quincy freshman really came on late in the season, earning his first individual tournament win in High School at the Grass Lake Invite before going on to win the Big 8 Conference title. Jenson will be a name to keep an eye on for years to come. Umari is a steady grappler who continues to improve each and every day and will continue to turn heads at the lower weights in the next few years.
113 pounds- Logan Mears, Union City, Sophomore (37-8), 3rd place at D4 State Finals
HM- Aiden Fill, Bronson (18-5); Mason Hawthorne, Union City (20-9)
Recap: Mears and Fill both qualified for the state finals, but Mears owned the season series between the two and earned his second straight All State finish after taking runner-up at 103 pounds last year. Fill qualified for the MHSAA State Finals and has the intensity and heart to earn All-State honors in the future. Hawthorne was hampered by illness all season long but boasts wins over Fill and Bronson’s Owen Kimmons as well. If Hawthorne doesn’t spend much of the year on the shelf he wins 40 matches and makes a run at All State status. In the end though, the 113 pound division belongs to Mears.
120 pounds- Owen Kimmons, Bronson, Sophomore (34-13), state qualifier
HM- Caleb Rose, Quincy (26-12)
Recap: Kimmons qualified for the state finals and earned a Big 8 conference title and a District championship along the way as a steady part of the Bronson line up. Rose had a break out year for Quincy, an Oriole team filled with break out stars.
126 pounds- Perry Lake, Bronson, Senior (42-6), 2nd place in D4 126 pound
HM- Kelub Miller, Union City (12-13); Karter Pierce, Quincy (16-23); Alex Boyer (6-0)
Recap: This was one of the easier decisions, as Lake dominated the 126-pound weight class in the area, eventually taking runner-up honors in the D4 state finals. Lake secured career win 150 during the year, capping off a tremendous career with his first trip to the individual state finals and an All-State honor. Lake’s run through the state finals was nothing short of epic and cements himself as one of the best the state has to offer. Miller and Pierce are young and hungry grapplers and should see more mat time next season for their respective teams. Finally, what might have been for the sophomore Boyer who put together an amazing start to the season, going undefeated in the early weeks while winning the 126-pound title at the Concord Invite. Boyer suffered a broken collar bone in practice shortly thereafter and did not wrestle again on the year in a season of what might have been for the second-year man at Union City.
132 pounds- Landyn Crance, Union City, Junior (44-3), 1st place at D4 State Finals, 2nd straight title
HM- Jacob Reif, Quincy (43-5) 8th place at D3 state finals; Logan Long, Bronson (32-17), state qualifier
Recap: While Reif and Long both had solid seasons, this was far and away Crance’s spot. Crance won his second straight state title, winning at 132 pounds after claiming the 125-pound state title last year. With the win Crance became the only two-time state champion in Union City history, with one more year to go. Crance secured wins at some big invites throughout the year, including the New Lothrop Hall of Fame Invite, the Big 8 conference tournament and at the D4 District level, among others. Crance avenged his loss in the regional finals to Haylen Buell of Martin, pinning Buell in the state finals to secure his second straight title. Reif is just the second Quincy wrestler to qualify for the state finals all four seasons of high school, earning All-State honors this year and will now take his talents to the college ranks. Long is one of the gustiest wrestlers you'll ever see and earned a trip to the state finals in the process.
138 pounds- Tre Miller, Coldwater, Junior (38-14)
HM- Layne Knisely, Bronson, Freshman (42-8), 5th place in D4 138 pounds; Aidan Taylor, Union City (33-10), state qualifier
Recap: This was the toughest weight class to decide on, with three very worthy wrestlers. Miller won his only meeting between either of the honorable mention wrestlers on the list, taking a 7-4 decision over Knisely at the Coldwater Classic. Miller was a major bright spot for a rebuilding Coldwater program and claimed several podium spots throughout the year, including an Interstate 8 conference title before advancing to the regional tournament. I think it’s safe to say that if Miller wrestled at D3 or D4 he’s on the podium at the state level, however the D2 138-pound weight bracket was one of the toughest around. Knisely and Taylor managed to build a nice little rivalry throughout the year and nearly split their season series right down the middle, with both grapplers taking big wins. In the end both qualified for the MHSAA State Finals but it was Knisely earning a spot on the podium at the state finals, taking fifth. Taylor had another great year for Union City, qualifying for the state tournament for the second season in a row. Taylor and Knisely had some epic duels throughout the year and will undoubtedly keep it up for the next few years. I truly believe each wrestler will live on the podium at the state finals. Now, is it fair to Knisely to hold one early season loss against him? I'm not sure, but this was a very tough decision here, the hardest of the 14 weight classes. Ultimately in the end the head-to-head win for Miller over Knisely was the deciding factor, though it was very close.
144 pounds- Gabriel Erwin, Bronson, Freshman (34-13), state qualifier
HM- Montana Connell, Union City (24-11); Braiden Mosher, Quincy (17-18)
Recap: Erwin took all but one meeting against Connell on the season, a loss in the team district finals. Erwin went on to qualify for the state finals after winning a regional title however a finger injury kept him from competing at the event. Erwin has the potential to be a future state champion and will be a fixture in Branch County wrestling for the next three years. Connell had his best season at the high school level and will definitely be a major contender in the years to come. Mosher came on late in the season and proved how far heart and guts can take a grappler.
150 pounds- Colton Russell, Union City, Senior (44-8), 6th place at D4 State Finals
HM- Drew Seekman, Bronson (34-12); Maverick Johnson, Coldwater
Recap: Russell and Seekman met several times throughout the season, including in the state tournament, and it was Russell coming out on top in each match up. Seekman did close the gap as the season wore on, with Russell taking the final match between the two by a 5-3 decision in the consolation bracket of the state tournament. Seekman had a solid year, even earning the Clark Walker Award at the Bronson Wrestling banquet, a truly great honor. In the end, Russell just had a better year, finishing in sixth place at the state tournament and winning every head-to-head match. Seekman also held a victory over Johnson as the two met at the Clark Walker Invite.
157 pounds- Maddox Miller, Union City, Junior (29-15)
HM- Michael Daniels, Quincy (16-10); Mason Lindsey, Bronson (26-12) state qualifier
Recap: This was a tough one as well. For the most part Miller controlled the season series with Lindsey, beating him all but one time which happened to come on the biggest stage as Lindsey defeated Miller at the D4 Regional to qualify for state. Miller however won the majority of the bouts between these two, even claiming a Big 8 conference title in the process. Lindsey did get the better of Miller in the regional tournament, earning his trip to Ford Field. Daniels had an amazing season for the Orioles but fell to Miller in the Big 8 tournament, their only meeting of the season.
165 pounds- Carson Norton, Bronson, Sophomore (43-7), 4th place at D4 State Finals at 157 pounds
HM- Landon Beardin, Quincy (19-11)
Recap: Norton had another stellar season on the mat, taking fourth place in the D4 state finals at 157 pounds in his second trip to the state finals. Norton is only a sophomore and is well on his way to becoming one of the best to put on the purple and gold. Beardin had a breakout season for the Orioles, finishing with a 19-11 record before suffering a heartbreaking season ending injury before the MHSAA postseason.
175 pounds- Jacob Britten Bronson, Junior, (44-5) 4th place at D4 State Finals
HM- Gavin Peet, Quincy (21-12)
Recap: Britten was the man to beat at 175 pounds all season long, eventually taking fourth place at the state finals. Britten secured career win 100 this season and will chase 150 wins before all is said and done. Look for Britten, who I believe is one of the most improved wrestlers from his freshman year to now, to battle for a state championship next season. Peet is a tough as nails grappler, which seems to be a theme for the Orioles this year. Peet took third place at the Big 8 conference meet and secured several podiums finishes throughout the year.
190 pounds- Davin George, Quincy, Senior (38-7), 7th Place at D3 State Finals
HM- Jacob Dixon, Bronson (42-7) 8th place at D4 State Finals
Recap: George and Dixon never met on the mat this season, with Dixon nursing an injury during dual meet action and the two missing each other in the Big 8 conference tournament. George went on to win the Big 8 conference title and secured a District crown as well at Division Three, claiming career win 100 in the process. Dixon took third at the Big 8 conference meet and earned the right to wrestle at Ford Field for the state finals, eventually taking a podium spot with his eighth-place finish. Both are tough powerhouse wrestlers, but in the end this spot goes to George.
215 pounds- Grady Iobe, Union City, Senior (39-1), 1st place at D4 State Finals, first state title
HM- Matthew Blankenship, Bronson (41-9), 4th place at D4 State Finals; Garrett Halder, Union City (19-10) 7th place at D4 state finals; Hamilton Speith, Quincy (21-12)
Recap: The 215-pound weight class was a stacked class, much like 189 pounds was last year. Blankenship and Halder both found their way to the podium at the D4 state finals while Speith had another monster year for the Orioles. In the end though the weight class belongs to the “Farm Truck” Grady Iobe. Iobe only lost one time this season, a loss to the D2 215-pound state champ Adam Haselius of Northwest. This was Iobe’s year as he secured his third All State honor and his first D4 state championship in dominating fashion. Blankenship had some big wins on the year, including two clutch victories in the team state finals while Speith defeated Blankenship in dual meet action and in the Big 8 tournament. Tough weight class, but in the end it belongs to the Farm Truck.
285 pounds- Hunter Gillies, Union City, Junior (20-10) state qualifier
HM- Lucas Dixon, Quincy (23-19); Jayden Post, Bronson (25-9); Everado Lozada, Bronson (14-10)
Recap; Gillies wrestled a weight class up this season and did a pretty good job for the Chargers, beating both Post and Lozada in the district tournament on his way to qualifying for the state finals. Post and Lozada battled back and forth all season to see who would represent the Vikings, with Lozada earning a trip to regionals. Dixon put together a solid season for the resurgent Oriole wrestling program.
Special Mention goes out to Bronson’s Mackenna Webster who earned All State status as a freshman in the MHSAA girls 140-pound state finals, taking third place overall. Webster was dominate all season long, quickly putting herself on the map of who’s who on the mats in the women’s division. Look for Webster to bring home individual gold in the near future.
Congratulations goes out to all 14 members of The Daily Reporter Wrestling Dream Team.
The Daily Reporter Dream Team was decided on by a combination of coach's suggestions, season long success, suggestions from opposing coaches, and the opinion of The Daily Reporter sports staff. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Sports Editor Troy Tennyson via email at ttennyson@thedailyreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Introducing the 2022-23 The Daily Reporter Wrestling Dream Team
