The Clinton Wrestling Team qualified 8 wrestlers for the MHSAA Individual State Championships at Ford Field and came away with all 8 earning All State Honors.  Junior Connor Younts earned the highest placing for the Redwolves as he placed 3rd in the state at 126 pounds.  This is his third all state honor after taking 1st as a freshman and 5th as a sophomore.  Connor opened his tournament with a pin over his opponent from Standish Sterling.  Connor picked up the opening takedown, followed by two sets of near fall points before the first period pin.  In the quarterfinals, Connor defeated Chris Aebig from Montague with another pin.  This time Connor got the opening takedown and led the match 2-0 going into the second period.  After Aebig earned an escape, Younts picked up another takedown and nearfall points before earning his second pin of the tournament.  In the Semi Finals Younts lost to Merchant of Kingsley to drop him into the consultation bracket.  Younts bounced right back and earned a 10-5 win over Hernandez of Clare behind three takedowns and a reversal to propel himself into the third place match.  Younts finished his tournament with a 6-1 win over McCabe of Mason County Central with two takedowns and a reversal.   Braylon Long competed at 113 pounds and the sophomore earned All State by placing 5th overall.  In the opening round Long picked up a 12-0 major decision over Hernandez of Kent City.  Braylon picked up a takedown and three nearfall points in the first period and entered the second period up 5-0.  Long was able to get another turn and set of nearfall points in the second period to make it 7-0 Long going into the third period.  The third period saw Long pick up two more sets of nearfall points and finish with the 12-0 win.  In the second round Long picked up his second major decision of the tournament with a 12-2 win over Campbell of Algonac.  Braylon earned two takedowns, a reversal, and two sets of nearfall points to finish the match and advance to the semi finals.  In the semi-finals Long dropped his match to Parsons of Ovid Elsie to drop him into the consolation bracket.  Braylon dropped his next match 2-4, which put him in the fifth place match.  Long had a rematch of Campbell of Algonac and defeated him 5-0 this time around and earned All-State for the second time with a 5th place finish.   Bryce Randolph entered the tournament at 165 pounds as a freshman and won his first match 4-2 over Humphrey of Remus Chippewa Hills.  Randolph gave up the first takedown but tied the score at 2-2 with a reversal and headed into the second period.  After a scoreless second period, Randolph chose bottom in the third period and scored the deciding points with yet another reversal to finish the match and advance to the quarter finals.  Randolph then faced Brown from Birch Run and dropped a 7-13 decision to put in the consolation bracket .  Randolph had several escapes and a late takedown, but it wasn't enough.  In his first match in the consolation bracket Bryce defeated Bott of Kingsley 7-1.  Randolph got the opening takedown and ended the first period up 2-0.  Bott chose bottom and earned the escape to make it 2-1, but Randolph was able to secure another takedown and finish the second period up 4-1.  In the third period Randolph chose bottom and earned an escape, followed by his third takedown of the match and finished winning 7-1 to continue to advance.  In what is called the blood round (where if you lose your tournament is done, and if you win you become all-state), Bryce faced a familiar opponent in Eaton Rapids Parker.  Randolph had wrestled him three times this season and won two of the three matches.  Randolph earned a hard fought 4-3 decision and earned all-state as a freshman.  The match ended 0-0 after the first period.  Bryce chose bottom to start the second period and earned an escape, then gave up a takedown to Parker.  Bryce was able to earn another escape to tie the match at 2-2 going into the third period.  After Parker chose down he earned an escape, but Randolph got the final takedown and earned the win 4-3.  In Randolph's next match he dropped a tough match that put him in the match for fifth place.  Randolph again had a familiar opponent, this time one he had lost to earlier in the tournament.  This time Randolph shook the nerves and defeated Brown of Birch Run 4-1 behind a takedown, an escape, and some great top wrestling to earn 5th place for the tournament.   Connor Busz earned his fourth All-State Medal on the weekend as he battled sickness the entire tournament to earn 7th place at 120 pounds.  The senior captain opened his tournament with a 5-3 win over Goton of Kent City behind a huge first period takedown and nearfall points.  In his next match he lost to Gartin of Algonac 1-3 in a match that showed he was sick and was not 100%.  After dropping the consolation bracket Busz then defeated Reith of Brandywine 8-2 to continue to advance.  Busz picked up the opening takedown and finished the first period up 2-0.  In the second period Reith was able to escape after choosing bottom, but Busz grabbed another takedown and finished the period up 4-1.  Busz earned a reversal after choosing bottom in the third period and gave up an escape, but earned his third takedown of the match and finished on top 8-2.  In his next match he lost a tough one and that put him in the match for 7th place.   Facing an opponent that he wrestled earlier in the tournament, this time Busz got the takedown and slapped the cradle on for the first period pin and finished as a 4 time All-State Wrestler and over 150 career wins.  His guts and determination were admirable throughout the tournament and showed why he has been one of the states top wrestlers his entire career.   At 138 pounds Junior Maurice Ames made his second appearance at the state tournament and earned 7th place and All-State Honors.  Maurice opened his tournament with a win over Krussell of Grand Rapids Catholic Central.  Maurice picked up two takedowns in the first period and an escape after giving up a reversal.  Maurice finished the period up 5-2.  Krussell chose bottom and scored a reversal, but not for long as Maurice reversed him right back and picked up a set of nearfall points.  In the flurry of wrestling Krussell gave up a locked hands penalty and earned an escape at the end of the second period.  Maurice was up 9-6 entering the third period.  Maurice chose bottom and earned an escape, then picked up a takedown, and picked up another takedown to finish the match.  The final score was Ames winning 14-9 to advance to the quarterfinals.  In the quarterfinals Ames lost to the state champion, but competed very well.  His first match in the consolation bracket was against Noyes of Sanford Meridian and Ames came away with a 7-1 win.  After a scoreless first period Ames started on top and his opponent escaped only to get a takedown and turned to his back by Maurice.  Maurice was up 4-1 heading into the third period.  Ames then earned an escape of his own from bottom and collected another takedown to finish the scoring and match winning 7-1.  In his next match Maurice was wrestling well and made a small mistake and dropped his match placing him in the match for 7th.  Ames finished his tournament with a dominant 9-3 win over Clemons of Algonac.  Ames opened with a takedown and was up 2-0 after 1.  After the two traded points in the second period the score was 4-3 Ames going into the third period.  Maurice finished strong in the third period as he chose neutral (on his feet) and picked up a takedown and a set up nearfall points to finish the match winning 9-3 and place 7th in the state.   Senior Ethan Younts competed at 150 pounds and earned all state by placing 8th overall.  In the first round he faced an opponent that turned out to be the state champion and after a great battle Younts lost 1-7.  In his first round consolation match he defeated Ortega of Hart 5-2 after picking up a takedown and a set of nearfall points in the first period.  That proved to be enough as Ortega scored a late takedown in the third period, but Younts prevailed and advanced.  In his third match Ethan competed against Graham from Freeland.  Younts picked up the first points of the match with a takedown in the first period.  Graham battled back and picked up a reversal in the second period after he chose down.  Going into the third period the match was tied 2-2.  Younts chose down to start the third and earned an escape to go up 3-2, but gave up a takedown to go down 3-4.  Younts again earned the escape and tied the match at 4-4.  Neither wrestler could score again in regulation, so they went to overtime.  Younts was able to dig down and get the takedown in overtime and win 6-4 in the match that would guarantee him All State Honors.  Younts dropped his next match to Hammond of Ottis Lake, in a tight 3-4 match.  In his final match Ethan dropped his placement match to Davis of Corunna 2-7.  Younts finishes his high school career with over 100 career wins and as All State.   Faith Blackburn earned her third All State Honor in the girls division as the junior placed 7th in the state at 130 pounds.  Faith opened her state tournament with a pin over Wahmhoff of Manton in the second period.  Blackburn picked up the first points off a takedown in the first period.  She followed that up with a reversal and nearfall points before earning the pin.  Blackburn then lost a close match 8-10 to Hillard of DeWitt.  Hillard scored first with a takedown in the first period, but Faith earned an escape to make it 1-2 going into the second period.  Blackburn started the second period on top and gave up an escape and a takedown, but was able to finish the period with a reversal of her own.  The score was 3-5 going into the third period.  The third period proved to be a wild one as both girls traded reversals and when the buzzer sounded Faith was just short, losing 8-10. Blackburn picked up another win over Roach of Cass City with a score of 8-2.  Faith picked up a takedown, but gave up a reversal only to earn a reversal of her own and finish the first period up 4-2.  In the second period Faith picked up a set of nearfall points, and another reversal in the third period after choosing down to make the final score 8-2.  In her next match Faith lost 5-10 to Brown from Bad Axe.  Faith earned several escapes but unfortunately gave up several takedowns.  In her match for seventh place Faith defeated Mouldenhoue of Atlanta with a second period pin.  After scoring a takedown in the first and a reversal and nearfall points in the second prior to the pin. Faith is now a three time All State Wrestler.   At 135 pounds sophomore Raven Aldridge earned her second All State honor for placing 7th at Ford Field.  Raven dropped a wild first match 8-9 to Millietics of St. Joseph, in a match she wishes she had back.  Raven opened with a takedown, but gave up an escape and a takedown before finishing the period with an escape of her own.  Going into the second period the score was tied up 3-3.  After choosing down Raven scored an escape, but gave up a takedown right after.  Raven then earned a reversal, then was reversed right back.  In the third period after Millietics chose down and earned an escape, Raven scored a takedown.  The deciding point was the escape at the end of the match though as Raven dropped to the consolation bracket.  In her next match Raven picked up an 8-0 major decision over Fox from Schoolcraft.  Raven scored three takedowns and two escapes during the match to move onto the next round.  Her next match ended in a first period pin over Emmendorfer of Hemlock in just 52 seconds.  Raven then lost a heartbreaker 3-4 to Booe of Allendale.  After a scoreless first period Raven picked up an escape and a takedown to go up 3-0 going into the third period.  But Emmendorfer scored four unanswered points in the third period to take the match 3-4. In the match for 7th place Aldridge faced a familiar foe in Kibi of Plymouth and dominated the match earning a second period pin and 7th place in the state.  This season finished with 8 All State Wrestlers and on a very high note going into the off season.  Our student athletes must continue to develop their wrestling, their strength through lifting, and working towards their overall goals.  Thank you for the support throughout the season for these student-athletes.