Waiting until next year may not have seemed like a good idea last season to Clarkston’s Mike Maguire, but Saturday, the waiting paid off.
Maguire defeated Zac Stevens of Monroe 5-1 in the MHSAA state finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills to win the state championship at 119 pounds. Maguire, who placed seventh at the 2006 state tournament, can add state champion to his impressive 2007 resume, which already includes Oakland County champion, Oakland Activities Association champion, and a 58-3 final record.
Maguire is the first Clarkston wrestler to win a state championship since 2004, Maguire’s freshman year, when Tony Lajoie and Braden L’Amoreaux each took home titles.
Maguire persevered through that season unable to make the varsity lineup.
‘His attitude has been great and he really deserved the state championship, he did everything right and he represented Clarkston and his family well,? Clarkston coach Joe DeGain said.
‘He worked hard and he was humble about his victories and worked through his defeats. He did everything right to win a state championship.?
Overall, Saturday was a red-letter day for the Wolves, who placed six wrestlers in the finals after sending eight.
Bryant Craft (160) and Tommy Ellsworth (189) each took fourth place. Both wrestlers recovered from losses in the semifinals and found success in the consolation bracket.
Adam Lauzun (171) took a 10-7 decision over Matt Skrzypczak from Bay City Central for fifth place. Layne Upcott (215) won a 4-3 decision against Brad Marx from Howell and Frank Sade (135) won 9-7 versus Robert Nash from Roseville, both earning seventh place.
‘They could have all punched out and decided either they win it or not, but they have more character than that,? DeGain said.
‘They all wrestled to at least one victory in the consolation round and that was good.?
The finals over the weekend were a good close to a strong season, the coach said.
‘It was nice for (the state placers) and it was nice for the team to make it to the semifinals. I’m sure everyone has a little bit of burn in their belly because they wanted to be state champions,? DeGain said.
‘The guys made a lot of improvements, especially in January and February and they wrestled hard and they were able to wrestle as a team, which is something that Clarkston has had trouble doing the past couple years,? DeGain said.
‘They did well as a whole.?
Lake Orion’s Jake Varilek (152) was fourth and Dragons teammate Allen Sigler (160) was sixth.
The Wolves had four placers out of eight qualifiers at the state tournament last season. The highest finish was Josh McAllister (171), who placed third.