Clarkston High grapplers continue on the venture to the state finals after victories in the MHSAA Districts last week.
They started the week with a 51-12 victory over Waterford Kettering in the MHSAA Team District finals on Wednesday.
“The guys wrestled well,” said Clarkston Varsity Wrestling Coach Derek Moscovic. “They competed as a team. They have competed well all year. They work extremely hard. They are one of the hardest working teams in the state of Michigan in any sport. They earned the right to call themselves champions.”
Sophomore Josh Cohoon (171) opened against the Captains with a pin on the mat with 55.8 left in his match.
Senior Chris Calvano (189) was next and quick to get the advantage over his competition. With 53.8 seconds left in the first period, Calvano won with a pin.
Senior Adam Myers started behind but ended up tying the score on a reversal at the end of the third period to put it into overtime. He lost 4-3, eight seconds into the overtime.
“It was a close match,” said Moscovic. “Adam had a great match against him and I am real proud of him. That kid is a great kid and we are chasing him. Hopefully we will catch him by the end of the year.”
Kettering was within three points of Clarkston after a win in the 285-pound weight class to put the score at 12-9. Mitchell Nelson (103) simmered them down with a 7-0 win.
The Wolves added more points off a pin from Nate Vandermeer (112); a 11-1 win from Brett Foltz (119); a 7-2 win from Cameron Wilkie (125); a 10-1 win from Mike Cardinale (130) and a pin from Jake Dionne (135); a pin from Kas Waitkus (145); a 6-0 win from Nolan Eriksen (152) and a pin from Grant Ulrich (160).
The Wolves opened the night with a quick win over Waterford Mott, 66-6.
Seven Wolves move on after the MHSAA Individual District last Saturday.
Nick Vandermeer (171) won in overtime against Aaron Calederon from Brighton, 9-7, to take first place. Calvano pinned Walled Lake Central’s Alex Soval at 1:25 to finish in first.
Foltz and Wilkie took second place while Nate Vandermeer, Cohoon and Myers finished in third place.
The boys move on to the MHSAA Team Regionals in Hartland on Wednesday. They compete against Brighton in the semifinals. The winner moves on to the finals to take on the Farmington Hills Harrison/Hartland winner.
“Brighton and Hartland are tough,” Moscovic added. “Both are ranked in the state. We have always collided with Hartland the last couple of years because they have always gotten the best of us. Hopefully we can come out wrestling great because we are going to have to.”
Clarkston has already taken down team ranked in the top 15 in the state but Moscovic added it’s in the past.
“Every match is a new match,” he said. “The future is yours to grab a hold of. I think they know it and I think they know every match is an opportunity to win. Every guy is going to have to compete. We have done it before. If we believe in ourselves and each other to our potential then we will be successful. But it’s going to take a team – up and down the lineup.”
Calvano, Cohoon, Foltz, Myers, Wilkie and the Vandermeer brothers head to Saginaw Heritage to take on the winner from the Davison district in the MHSAA Individual Regionals on Saturday.