By Jim Newell

Review Editor

Lake Orion has had a strong wrestling program for years but growing competition and parity in the league necessitates that when the Dragons hit the mats they’re at peak performance every meet.

On Thursday, Lake Orion faced two of its biggest rivals in a tri-meet against Clarkston and Oxford at Lake Orion High School.

Head Coach Jeff Smart said the season has been going well, though the Dragons face tough competition in the Red division, the top division in the Oakland Activities Association (OAA).

“We’re about halfway through in terms of the schedule and things are about where I thought they’d be,” Smart said. “

And “compete” was the Dragons goal against Oxford and Clarkston during the team’s first OAA Red division league meet.

“It’s two big rivals with Oxford and Clarkston, so we just hope our kids compete,” Smart said.

Seniors Isaac Kinne, Mason Slocum and Andrew Miller and juniors Dominic Orselli and Anthony Vellucci are the Dragons captains this season, Smart said. Freshman Dorian Hill has also been solid for Lake Orion, Smart said.

“All those guys are what I thought they’d be in terms of being the leaders and they’re wrestling really well,” he said.

LO vs. Oxford and Clarkston

Clarkston and Oxford are two of the Dragons biggest rivals in league play traditionally, but other teams could present a challenge as well.

“Obviously as a team the goal is to compete. So, tonight will give us a kind of measure where we’re at with Clarkston and Oxford. Once we get to our middle and upper weights we’re pretty good. And that’s what where we’ll make our run and score some points,” Smart said.

Lake Orion started out strong in the first round against Clarkston, winning the first four matches.

Andrew Miller (145 pounds) bested Clarkston’s Connor Ulrich 8-2 in the opening match. Anthony Vellucci (152 pounds) then pinned Grady Castle. James McCoy (160 pounds) defeated Hayden Payne 4-3 in an intense match, and Dominic Orselli dominated the Wolves Colin Trevino, 6-0.

Mason Slocum (heavyweight) also won by default, giving the Dragons five wins.

Lake Orion’s lower weight classes, however, ran into tough competition against the Wolves, who defeated the Dragons 9-5.

Against Oxford, Vellucci, McCoy, Orselli, Slocum, Isaac Kinne and freshman Dorian Hill scored victories for Lake Orion. Oxford rallied in the second half of matches to earn the 8-6 victory.

This year’s assistant coaches are Mike Dibble, Denny Mathews and Charlie Highland, who help prepare Lake Orion’s 40 wrestlers for competition.

The coaches’ goal is to keep improving throughout the season and, hopefully, get the team and individuals to qualify for regional and state playoffs.

“Unlike football where you have to qualify for the playoffs, everybody gets into the districts (in wrestling). So, the goal is to just be your best at the end of the season. We had to look at getting them ready for the Oakland County championship, which is at the end of December.

“Then we regroup over the (holiday) break now start getting them ready to peak at the end of the season,” Smart said. And then for individuals it’s to get kids to the state tournament and get places (in the state finals).

“The league is really balanced actually. Rochester Adams is really good, Rochester is solid this year. Birmingham Seaholm graduated quite a few kids last year but I think they’ll be pretty solid. We can’t really take any nights off,” Smart said.

The team still has four more dual meets before beginning the post-season, with the final meet beginning at 5 p.m. Jan. 29 at Lake Orion High School.

The OAA Red Championship begins at 4 p.m. Feb. 7 at Clarkston High School. The district tournament begins Feb. 12, with individual competition on Feb. 13.

Dick Welsh Memorial Dual

The Dragons resumed their tournament play going to the Dick Welsh Memorial Dual in Alganoc over the weekend. The team competed hard but came away empty-handed in pool play. Two matches were tied after regulation but were lost due to tiebreaker criteria.

Against Stoney Creek High School, all matches were decided by a pin or a void. Individual wrestlers who came out on top were junior Dominic Orselli going 5-0 on the day and three wrestlers going 4-1: senior Mason Slocum, junior Anthony Vellucci and freshman Dorian Hill.

Next up for the grapplers is Birmingham Seahholm today and the Lakeland Invitational on Saturday. – K.O.