The wrestling team sent 8 individuals to the MHSAA Individual State Championships at Ford Field on Friday, Feb. 28th and Saturday, March 1st. Senior Braylon Long ended a stellar prep career with a state championship at 132 pounds. Braylon started his tournament with a technical fall over Jager Corliss of McBain 17-1. In the quarterfinals Long picked up another technical fall 18-2 over Gauge Stampfler of Delton Kellogg. In the state semi finals Long left no doubt as he picked up a quick pin over AJ Fielder of Hanover Horton in just 37 seconds. In the state finals Long battled Colt Perry of Hudson to a 1-1 tie in regulation. The first overtime ended scoreless as well. To double overtime they went. For the first 30 seconds Long controlled Perry but was unable to score. In the second 30 seconds Long was able to get a 2 point reversal, then added a three point nearfall as well to win the state championship 6-1 in double overtime. Long finished his high school career as a four time district champion, a four time regional champion, and a four time all state wrestler. During the season Long had to have his appendix out and didn't know what his future of the season was going to be. He battled through, the way he has battled every obstacle and came out better and stronger. This years 2025 MHSAA 132 pound Division 4 State Champion Braylon Long.
Senior Raven Aldridge competed at 170 pounds and came away with a State Runner Up finish for her high school career. In her first match Raven defeated Daniella Ramiez of Grand Haven and earned a pin in 58 seconds. In the quarterfinals Raven defeated Adelaide Holderman of Thornapple Kellogg with a 7-2 decision. In the state semi finals Raven picked it up a notch to earn a major decision 14-0 against Adalyn Holmes of Pine River, who had been ranked ahead of her all year. In the finals Raven battled and wrestled a great match with the returning state champion, but lost 0-5 to Maddie Hayden of Caledonia. Raven finishes her high school career as a District and Regional Champion and was all state three times. Raven is also the first Clinton girl and the first girl in Lenawee County to reach over 100 career wins. She is a great leader, teammate and captain. This years 2025 MHSAA Girls 170 pound State Runner Up Raven Aldridge.
Junior Bryce Randolph capped off a stellar season with an individual state championship as well. Bryce competed at 190 pounds and picked up his opening round win against Gavin Ziminski of Manistique with a pin in just 13 seconds. This was the fastest pin in the entire tournament for division 4, in all weight classes. In the quarterfinals Bryce defeated Brody Marshall of Gobles with a technical fall 16-1. In the state semi finals Bryce defeated Lane Sanchez of Benzie Central with a pin in 1:38. The state championship match Bryce defeated previously undefeated Rowan Bradford of Decatur 5-3. He is the 2025 MHSAA Division 4 190 Pound State Champion. In a unique situation Bryce was able to have his father and older brother both in his corner for the win.
Annabelle Howard qualified for state at 140 pounds but suffered two losses to end her season. Qualifying was a huge milestone for her and next year her goals will look further to get on the podium. At 113 pounds Zach Taylor lost his opening match 2-13 to Kolton Burns of Decatur. Zach bounced back with a big win over James Layman of Inland Lakes with pin in 4:14. In the match to place Zach wrestled a great match, but came up short, loosing 9-11 right at the end. The sophomore had a tremendous season and will look to make huge strides in the off season. At 126 pounds freshman Brock Worden picked up a pin in his first match at the 3 minute mark over Tommy Heatwole of LakeVille. Brock dropped his next match by technical fall 0-15 to Devin Doorlag of Gobles. In his match to place Brock lost his lead very late in the match to lose 5-6 in a heart breaking loss. This freshman continued to improve all season and exceeded even his expectations. We look for big things in the future from Brock. Cliff Jones competed at 157 pounds and earned All State Honors by placing 5th overall. Cliff started his tournament with an 11-9 win over the returning state runner up. In the quarter finals Cliff picked up a 15-0 technical fall over Cayden Wieczorek of Munising. In the state semi finals Cliff wrestled well and was able to tie the match with just 6 seconds to go, but did not realize the score was tied and couldn't hear the coaches so he tried a desperation throw for the win and ended up loosing a heartbreaker. Cliff hadn't quite rebounded from the devastating loss and lost his next match, but bounced back in his 5th place match. Cliff defeated Logan Wilks of Charlevoix with a pin in 1:41. Cliff earned all state honors for the first time by taking 5th. We look for Cliff to step into more of a leadership role and compete for the top spot next season. Owen Wright competed at 215 pounds as a sophomore. Owen opened his tournament with loss to Isaac Westfall of Reading. Owen came right back to pick up a pin over Myles Nehring of Powers North Central in 3:42. In his match to place Owen lost 4-7 to Conner Harvey of Bronson, someone that pinned him earlier in the year. Owen showed outstanding growth throughout the year and just missed earning all state. This ends the season for the Wrestling Redwolves, but the future is bright for this young squad.
The wrestling team sent 8 individuals to the MHSAA Individual State Championships at Ford Field on Friday, Feb. 28th and Saturday, March 1st. Senior Braylon Long ended a stellar prep career with a state championship at 132 pounds. Braylon started his tournament with a technical fall over Jager Corliss of McBain 17-1. In the quarterfinals Long picked up another technical fall 18-2 over Gauge Stampfler of Delton Kellogg. In the state semi finals Long left no doubt as he picked up a quick pin over AJ Fielder of Hanover Horton in just 37 seconds. In the state finals Long battled Colt Perry of Hudson to a 1-1 tie in regulation. The first overtime ended scoreless as well. To double overtime they went. For the first 30 seconds Long controlled Perry but was unable to score. In the second 30 seconds Long was able to get a 2 point reversal, then added a three point nearfall as well to win the state championship 6-1 in double overtime. Long finished his high school career as a four time district champion, a four time regional champion, and a four time all state wrestler. During the season Long had to have his appendix out and didn't know what his future of the season was going to be. He battled through, the way he has battled every obstacle and came out better and stronger. This years 2025 MHSAA 132 pound Division 4 State Champion Braylon Long.
Senior Raven Aldridge competed at 170 pounds and came away with a State Runner Up finish for her high school career. In her first match Raven defeated Daniella Ramiez of Grand Haven and earned a pin in 58 seconds. In the quarterfinals Raven defeated Adelaide Holderman of Thornapple Kellogg with a 7-2 decision. In the state semi finals Raven picked it up a notch to earn a major decision 14-0 against Adalyn Holmes of Pine River, who had been ranked ahead of her all year. In the finals Raven battled and wrestled a great match with the returning state champion, but lost 0-5 to Maddie Hayden of Caledonia. Raven finishes her high school career as a District and Regional Champion and was all state three times. Raven is also the first Clinton girl and the first girl in Lenawee County to reach over 100 career wins. She is a great leader, teammate and captain. This years 2025 MHSAA Girls 170 pound State Runner Up Raven Aldridge.
Junior Bryce Randolph capped off a stellar season with an individual state championship as well. Bryce competed at 190 pounds and picked up his opening round win against Gavin Ziminski of Manistique with a pin in just 13 seconds. This was the fastest pin in the entire tournament for division 4, in all weight classes. In the quarterfinals Bryce defeated Brody Marshall of Gobles with a technical fall 16-1. In the state semi finals Bryce defeated Lane Sanchez of Benzie Central with a pin in 1:38. The state championship match Bryce defeated previously undefeated Rowan Bradford of Decatur 5-3. He is the 2025 MHSAA Division 4 190 Pound State Champion. In a unique situation Bryce was able to have his father and older brother both in his corner for the win.
Annabelle Howard qualified for state at 140 pounds but suffered two losses to end her season. Qualifying was a huge milestone for her and next year her goals will look further to get on the podium. At 113 pounds Zach Taylor lost his opening match 2-13 to Kolton Burns of Decatur. Zach bounced back with a big win over James Layman of Inland Lakes with pin in 4:14. In the match to place Zach wrestled a great match, but came up short, loosing 9-11 right at the end. The sophomore had a tremendous season and will look to make huge strides in the off season. At 126 pounds freshman Brock Worden picked up a pin in his first match at the 3 minute mark over Tommy Heatwole of LakeVille. Brock dropped his next match by technical fall 0-15 to Devin Doorlag of Gobles. In his match to place Brock lost his lead very late in the match to lose 5-6 in a heart breaking loss. This freshman continued to improve all season and exceeded even his expectations. We look for big things in the future from Brock. Cliff Jones competed at 157 pounds and earned All State Honors by placing 5th overall. Cliff started his tournament with an 11-9 win over the returning state runner up. In the quarter finals Cliff picked up a 15-0 technical fall over Cayden Wieczorek of Munising. In the state semi finals Cliff wrestled well and was able to tie the match with just 6 seconds to go, but did not realize the score was tied and couldn't hear the coaches so he tried a desperation throw for the win and ended up loosing a heartbreaker. Cliff hadn't quite rebounded from the devastating loss and lost his next match, but bounced back in his 5th place match. Cliff defeated Logan Wilks of Charlevoix with a pin in 1:41. Cliff earned all state honors for the first time by taking 5th. We look for Cliff to step into more of a leadership role and compete for the top spot next season. Owen Wright competed at 215 pounds as a sophomore. Owen opened his tournament with loss to Isaac Westfall of Reading. Owen came right back to pick up a pin over Myles Nehring of Powers North Central in 3:42. In his match to place Owen lost 4-7 to Conner Harvey of Bronson, someone that pinned him earlier in the year. Owen showed outstanding growth throughout the year and just missed earning all state. This ends the season for the Wrestling Redwolves, but the future is bright for this young squad.
On Saturday, Feb. 22nd the Clinton Wrestling Team competed in the Team State Semi Finals at Kalamazoo’s K Wings Stadium and finished their Team Season in the Final Four. Clinton lost to Hudson in the Final Four and Hudson went on to win the Team State Championship. The match started at 113 pounds with Wyatt Cooley staying hot and earning another pin for the Redwolves. Clinton started out up 6-0 on Hudson but would drop several matches in a row after that. At 120 pounds Zach Taylor lost by major decision 4-12. At 126 pounds Brock Worden lost by tech. fall 0-15. At 132 pounds Braxton Randolph battled two time defending state champ to a tech. fall instead of a pin which saved the team points as did Worden and Taylor. At 138 pounds Braylon Long lost 2-7. At 144 Isaac Keibler lost by pin to the defending state champ. At 150 pounds Tanner Bolton battled hard for his team, but lost 4-9. At 157 pounds freshman Jacob Pope got the opportunity to wrestle on the big stage. He lost his match but competed hard and the future is bright for this young wrestler who started just a year ago. Cliff Jones got Clinton back on the board at 165 pounds with a win by technical fall 19-4. Bryce Randolph picked up a major decision at 175 with a 19-8 win. Gradyn Whelan lost a tough match at 190 pounds 7-9. Owen Wright battled at 215 but was pinned in the end. Hamza Rafferty avenged a loss from earlier in the year with a commanding 7-0 win at Hwt. Hudson Miller finished the dual at 106 pounds for the Redwolves as he was pinned in the second period. Overall our tournament run was awesome. It hurts to lose, but we continued to supersede expectations and over achieve. We battled until the last whistle and fought hard for one another. As a coach I am extremely proud of our effort, attitude, and grit. The future looks bright if the wrestlers put the time and effort in during the off season and work to continue climbing as we are in constant pursuit of excellence. Our team will be preparing for the MHSAA Individual State Championships held at Ford Field on Friday, Feb. 28th and Saturday, March 1st. Come down and support our 8 state qualifiers. Good luck to each of our state qualifiers: Zach Taylor 113, Brock Worden 126, Braylon Long 132, Annabelle Howard 140, Cliff Jones 157, Raven Aldridge 170, Bryce Randolph 190, and Owen Wright at 215 pounds. Hope to see you there as we conclude our season.
On Friday, Feb. 21st the wrestling team competed in the state quarterfinals at Kalamazoo's K Wings Stadium against Otisville Lakeville. The Redwolves came out on a top with a 42-25 win to advance to the state semifinals on Saturday. The match started at 175 pounds where two number one ranked wrestlers at different weight classes met up. Clinton's Bryce Randolph competed against Fred Hammond at 175 pounds, both were regional champs. It was all Hammond though as he downed Bryce 0-7 and controlled the entire match. Clinton went down 0-3 to start the match. Next up was Landon Lakatos at 190 pounds and he was able to save the team a point by fighting the entire match. But ultimately lost 4-20 by technical fall. Clinton went down 0-8 after two matches. But then came freshman Gradyn Whelan bumping up to 215 to take on a state qualifier. Gradyn came out with a huge blast double leg takedown for a 3-0 lead after the first period. In the second period Gradyn was able to lock up a cradle and get a huge pin for the Redwolves. The crowd and bench erupted in cheers as the momentum just shifted. Team score Clinton 6 LakeVille 8 after three matches. From that point on Clinton carried the momentum through the entire dual. Next up was senior Hwt. Hamza Rafferty competing against another state qualifier. Rafferty opened up offensively and picked up an 18-3 technical fall for five more team points. Clinton 11 LakeVille 8. At 106 pounds Hudson Miller picked up a first period pin to keep the momentum going. Clinton 17 LakeVille 8. Wyatt Cooley was up next at 113 pounds and picked up another first period pin for the Redwolves. Clinton 23 LakeVille 8. Zach Taylor competed at 120 pounds and suffered a loss by major decision 6-20 putting LakeVille back on the board. Clinton 23 LakeVille 12. Here comes freshman Brock Worden at 126 pounds scoring points in all three periods. Brock ended with a dominant 15-0 technical fall to quickly get the momentum back for Clinton. Team Score: Clinton 28 LakeVille 12. Senior Captain Braylon Long kept the tech. fall train rolling at 132 pounds, as he dominated his match 16-0 for another five team points. Clinton 33 LakeVille 12. At 138 pounds Braxton Randolph battled to the end as he clawed himself back into the match with a third period takedown and prevent a major decision, but it was not enough as he dropped his match 4-10. Clinton 33 LakeVille 15 At 144 pounds freshman Isaac Keibler had himself a great match that sealed everything for Clinton. Isaac went out and defeated a state qualifier by major decision 14-3. Isaac controlled the pace of the match and was offensive the entire six minutes. This was exactly what was needed to put this dual away and the freshman got it done. Clinton 37 LakeVille 15. Next up was Tanner Bolton at 150 pounds. He came out with a first period takedown and finished the period with a 3-1 lead. But in the second period Tanner gave up a reversal and ultimately the pin. Clinton 37 LakeVille 21. Cliff Jones was up at 157 pounds and dominated from start to finish with a 19-4 technical fall after picking up six takedowns during the match. Clinton 42 LakeVille 21. John Keibler finished the match at 165 pounds and competed hard, but dropped his match 4-12 for a major decision win. The Final Score was Clinton 42 LakeVille 25. This was another example of our young team overcoming the odds and all the predictions to defeat a higher ranked/seeded team. I could not be more proud of the grit and reliance this team has developed and how hard they compete for each other. We had a fan bus packed full of students to support the team and it helped. As you could her the roar of the crowd for our dual. Thank you for the support from our community, parents, students, staff, and administration. It truly takes a village and Friday our crowd showed up. We look forward to continuing to support each other as teams make runs in the post season. We are Clinton.
On Saturday, Feb. 15th the boys traveled to Leslie for the MHSAA Individual Regional Tournament. Clinton sent eight qualifiers to compete after placing in the top four of districts. Braylon Long won his fourth Regional Championship for the Redwolves at 132 pounds after picking up a pin in the quarterfinals against his opponent from Bath. In the semifinals Braylon picked up a 15-0 technical fall over his opponent from Hanover Horton. In the finals Braylon won a tight 6-5 decision over Colt Perry of Hudson for the Championship. Bryce Randolph was the other Regional Championship winner picking up a pin in the quarterfinals over Sand Creek, then an 18-3 technical fall over Barron Mansfield from Hudson. In the finals Bryce pinned his opponent from Hanover Horton for the championship at 190 pounds. Cliff Jones finished as runner up at 157 pounds. Cliff earned a pin in the quarterfinals over Dansville and another pin in the semifinals over Manchester. Cliff was up in his finals match but lost a tough one to finish as the runner up. Hudson Miller competed at 106 pounds, but dropped both his matches and ended his individual season. Hamza Rafferty picked up pin in his quarterfinal match to advance to the semifinal match. Hamza was up 5-0 with around 30 seconds to go and go into a scramble and ended up getting pinned with a change of events. In his last match Hamza lost 2-6 in a heartbreaker for the two time state qualifier and ended his individual season. Zach Taylor qualified at 113 pounds by taking fourth place overall. Zach picked up a 17-0 technical fall in his quarterfinals match, then lost in the semi finals, but bounced back to win by major decision 18-8 to qualify. But lost his last match 11-13. At 126 pounds Brock Worden qualified for state with a fourth place finish. Brock lost his opening match, but picked up two technical falls in a row 16-0 and 15-0 to qualify. In his last match he lost but is headed to state. Owen Wright qualified for state at 215 pounds. Owen picked up a 16-1 technical fall in his first match, then lost to the eventual champion in the semifinals. Owen then gutted out a 5-2 sudden victory overtime win to qualify. In his final match Owen lost 2-6 in a hard fought match to take 4th. Overall we qualified six boys to Ford Field for the MHSAA Individual State Championships on Feb. 28th and March 1st.
The Girls competed at the MHSAA Regionals hosted by Chelsea High School on Sunday, Feb. 16th. We had three regional qualifiers and ended up qualifying two to the state championships. Annabelle Howard placed 4th overall at 140 pounds to qualify. Annabelle started out with a loss in the quarterfinals only to rattle off two straight wins to qualify. Annabelle defeated her opponent from Berkley with a pin to set up a match against a familiar face. Annabelle had wrestled and lost several times against her opponent from Hudson, but not on this day. Annabelle dominated from start to finish and earned a pin that is sending her to the individual state championships. Annabelle dropped her last match to place fourth and finish her day. Khloie Miller wrestled tough all day at 115 pounds. Khloie started our with a 16-2 major decision win against her opponent from Southgate Anderson, but in the semifinals Khloie was defeated and dropped his down to the qualifying match. Khloie was dominating the match up 11-0 and made one mistake and was rolled and pinned to end her season. Raven Aldridge continued to impress as she became a Regional Champion at 170 pounds. Raven pinned her way through the tournament picking up three straight pins on her way to the Regional Championship. The Girls will compete alongside the guys at Ford Field on Feb. 28th and March 1st for a chance at an individual state championship.
First up though our team won a Regional Championship, which is our 9th in a row and will wrestle Friday, Feb. 21st at Kalamazoo's K Wings Stadium at 12pm against LakeVille. Clinton earned the 5th seed and will wrestle the 4th seed for a chance at the MHSAA Final Four on Saturday, Feb. 22nd at 9:30am and State Championships at 3:35 on the same day. It is an exciting time and event. We hope that the community takes the time to travel up to K Wings Stadium and shows their support for these wrestlers, all 47 of them. Hope to see you there. Go Redwolves.
In a night of pending weather looming for everyone, the host school and those competing agreed to move up the time of the MHSAA Team Regional Meet to start at 4pm instead of the original 6pm to help with travel. The host school Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest was nearly an hour and a half a away, but Clinton had many fans in the stands that still made the trip. Dedicated to watching and supporting these young adults chase a dream. In the Regional Semi Final Clinton faced the host school Lutheran Northwest and came away with a shut out win, 84-0. It was during that match when coaches realized our team was ready to compete to the best of their ability and boy did they compete hard. Starting off in the semi final match Senior Drew McNatt got the nod to start and he did not disappoint. He has worked hard since joining the program jus a few short years ago and was able to secure a pin in the MHSAA tournament. Others winning matches were Hudson Miller (106), Damion Fivenson (113), Wyatt Cooley (120), Max Delphy (126), Braxton Randolph (132), Braylon Long (138), Jaxon Phillip (144), Tanner Bolton (150), Cliff Jones (157), John Keibler (165), Bryce Randolph (175), Landon Lakatos (190), and Owen Wright (215). All scored six team points to help the team score the maximum points allowed in a dual meet with 84 points.
The regional final was set as the Manchester Flying Dutchmen ranked third in the state defeated Memphis in the other semi final. Clinton came in ranked 6th in the state and with some losses on their record due to a very challenging schedule, competing against top ranked opponents from all divisions. But Clinton took their 24-10 record and improved it to 26-10, a regional championship and a trip back to the MHSAA Team State Championships at Kalamazoo's K Wings Stadium.
The match started at 106 pounds were two ranked opponents stepped on the mat in a crucial match up for both teams. Clinton's Hudson Miller had just narrowly defeated Manchester's Ryker Kleinschnidt on Saturday for 3rd place 4-2. This time was even closer and neither wanted to give an inch and fought the entire six minute match. After a scoreless first period Hudson choose bottom and was able to earn an escape to go up 1-0 through the second period. In the third period Manchester chose bottom and was able to earn an escape as well to tie the score at 1-1. That is how the score would end in regulation. Going into the one minute overtime, neither wrestler could score. Then they went to double overtime where each wrestler gets to go top and bottom. Once again neither wrestlers could score. Then came the third overtime or better known as the ultimate tie breaker. What ever wrestler scored first in the match gets their choice of top or bottom. It a bold move Clinton Coaches had Hudson take top. Hudson was able to earn the ride out in dramatic fashion and was awarded a point to win 2-1 to set the stage and tone of the entire dual. Hudson may be just a sophomore, but wrestled like a composed season veteran. At 113 freshman Wyatt Cooley picked up a win by forfeit for the team. Next was sophomore Zach Taylor, who was asked to weigh in at a heavier weight as a strategic move, and it paid off for the Redwolves. Taylor took out the 126 pounds district champ, who dropped to 120 for the meet. Zach proceeded to attack with offense all match long. Getting back to his attacks was critical to the match. Zach scored six takedowns during the match and a set of nearfall points to earn a huge technical fall win for the team 21-3. Team score after three matches was Clinton 14 Manchester 0. Freshman Brock Worden had a tall task competing against a two time state finalist in Sammy Stewart and was defeated but competed hard at 126 pounds. At 132 pounds Freshman Braxton Randolph competed against Chase Conklin. Braxton was able to picked up the opening takedown and finished the first period up 3-0. In the second period Braxton chose down and earned an escape, then a second takedown to go up 7-0 going into the third period. Manchester chose top in hops of getting a turn and possible pin, but Braxton continued to fight off his opponents offense and was able to secure a reversal to go up and finish the match with a 9-0 win. He collected a major decision and extra bonus point for the team. Another Freshman Jackson Phillip stepped in at 138 pounds, again picked up the opening takedown to go up 3-0 at the end of the first period. In the second period Jaxon gave up a penalty point for locked hands and a reversal to tie the score at 3-3. But Jaxon continued to battled and picked up a reversal of his own and put his opponent on his back and secured the pin for the Redwolves. Another huge team win by the freshman. Senior Captain Braylon Long bumped up to 144 pounds to defeat Adam Grebe with a technical fall 21-6 after compiling four takedowns, and two different sets of nearfall points. Braylon continues to help lead this team with action and perseverance. Next was Freshman Isaac Keibler competing at 150 pounds against a 5th ranked senior Nathan Meyer. Isaac battled to a 0-0 first period, and in the second period Meyer went down and was able to escape and pick up a takedown to finish the second period up 4-0. In the third period Isaac took neutral and was in a dog fight and wrestling hard, but gave up a takedown and eventually a pin. But he pushed the top ranked senior and competed hard for his team. Junior Cliff Jones competed at 157 pounds against Vince Budd and dominated from start to finish. Jones earned a 17-2 technical fall getting the team five more points. During the match Cliff picked up four takedowns and a set of nearfall points along the way. Team score update after 157 pounds: Clinton 33 Manchester 18. John Keibler wrestled a returning state finalist and number one ranked wrestler, Blake Sloan and battled for his team and truly surrendering the outcome. Which is exactly how we want to compete. Focusing on score points, competing hard, and emptying our gas tanks. John was defeated, but battled hard for his team. Junior Bryce Randolph picked up a pin for the Redwolves at 175 pounds in just 33 seconds. Clinton 39 Manchester 24. Freshman Gradyn Whelan battled through many obstacles to compete hard for his team. Manchester bumped up a 175 pounder in Drake Neff to try to take him out, but Whelan had other plans as he defeated Neff 13-5 for a major decision. Gradyn picked up two takedowns, some nearfall and a reversal on his way to the win. At 215 pounds Owen Wright battled hard against the number 2 ranked wrestler, Nathan Fletcher. The match went to Fletcher, but the sophomore showed that Redwolf spirit that we look for during his battle. Senior Captain Hamza Rafferty had the opportunity to finish the dual against another ranked opponent and came out with a 10-0 major decision. Hamza picked up two takedowns and some nearfall points in the first period that we thought might have the pin, but it wasn't there. None the less he competed great and sealed the victory with the win. Final Score Clinton 47 Manchester 24 for the MHSAA Division 4 Regional Championship.
I am extremely proud of our effort, our resolve, and our grit as a team. Our improvements this year and been constant. The Redwolves now move on the Elite Eight in the state quarter finals at Kalamazoo's K Wings Stadium on Friday, Feb. 21st(my wife's birthday) at Noon. The seeding committee will meet on Sunday and we will know after that meeting was we are seeded and who we will be wrestling in the first round. As a community we ask that you take the time to come up and support this great team. We have 46 wrestlers on this team that work hard to represent our school, family, and this community. I hope that you make the trip on Friday to watch these young warriors battle to make it to the state semi finals, or final four on Saturday. We want to see a large and loud crowd for these wrestlers.
On Saturday, Feb. 8th the Varsity boys wrestling team competed at Manchester for the MHSAA Individual Districts. Only the top four would advance to the individual regional tournament. Clinton finished the day with 8 Regional Qualifiers. At 106 pounds Hudson Miller took third overall after a 4-2 win to claim third. Hudson picked up a pin against Memphis, lost to the number one wrestler in the state, then won an 11-1 major decision against his Blissfield opponent and qualified for regionals. At 113 pounds Wyatt Cooley lost his opening match after having a bye in the first round. In his next match Wyatt picked up a pin to advance. But in his match to qualify he was unable to get it done and lost his final match of the day. Another entry at 113 pounds was Zach Taylor as he opened with a 15-0 technical fall win. Then earned a pin in the semifinals to advance him into the finals. In the finals he dropped a decision 6-9 to finish as the runner up and qualify for regionals. At 126 pounds Brock Worden started with an opening round pin, then dropped his next match, losing by technical fall 4-20 to his opponent from Capac. Brock bounced back with a technical fall of his own by winning 16-0. In his match to qualify Brock picked up a pin to put him in the match for third where he had to face the opponent he lost earlier in the tournament. This time Brock made some adjustments and wrestled a better match. Even though he lost the score was a competitive 10-14 and he had an opportunity to win, but fell short. Brock placed fourth overall and qualified for regionals. At 132 pounds Braxton Randolph started out with a pin in the first period. Then was pinned by his Blissfield opponent. Braxton bounced back to pick up another pin in the first period to set up the qualifying match, but Braxton lost 8-11 to end his individual season. Another entry at 132 pounds was senior Braylon Long who looked back to form as he collected a first period technical fall in his opening match 19-2. Braylon earned another technical fall 15-0 in the semifinals. In the finals Braylon won with a major decision 14-5 over his ranked opponent from Blissfield. Long won his 4th District Championship of his career and qualified for regionals. At 144 pounds Isaac Keibler dropped his opening match to knock him out of the tournament early. At 157 pounds Cliff Jones had a dramatic finish on his day. But first he picked up a first period pin in his first match, then a pin in the second period to put him self in the finals. Cliff was in a dog fight during his finals match and found himself down 3-8 in the third and final period. But Cliff never stopped competing and was able to get a reversal and three nearfall points to tie the score at 8-8 and head into overtime. Cliff wasted no time and picked up the takedown in overtime to earn an 11-8 win and his 100th career victory. This is a huge accomplishment to earn 100 wins and a District Championship in the same match. There was a ton of effort and emotion that was fun to watch. Congratulations Cliff. At 165 pounds John Keibler picked up an 18-6 major decision win to start his day. John dropped his next match, but still had a chance to qualify, unfortunately it wasn't meant to be on the day as he lost his match to qualify. At 190 pounds Gradyn Whelan started out with a pin in the first period. But lost his next match 6-16 and lost his match to qualify to end his day. Another entry at 190 pounds was Bryce Randolph as he was able to collect three pins on the day. In his first match he collected a pin in 8 seconds. In his semifinals match he picked up a pin in 14 seconds. In the finals Bryce picked up a 35 second pin to earn a District Championship. At 215 pounds Landon Lakatos started his day with a pin in the first period, then had another barn burner of a match earning another pin, this time in the third period. Landon lost in the semifinal 3-13, before losing to his teammate 3-6 to end his tournament. Our other entry at 215 pounds was Owen Wright picked up a pin in his opening match in 34 seconds. In his next match Owen lost by technical fall 0-15. He picked up a pin in his next match in the second period before winning his match to qualify 6-3. In his match for third Owen won by technical fall 16-0 to place third overall and qualify for regionals. At Hwt. Hamza Rafferty was able to win a District Championship after collecting a 15 second pin in his first match. Then a second period pin in his semifinal match. In the finals Hamza was able to earn yet a third pin for the championship. The MHSAA Individual Regionals will be at Leslie High School on Saturday, Feb. 15th starting at 10am.
The Redwolves came into the MHSAA Team Districts ranked 6th in the state and had to travel to Riverview Gabriel Richard for the event. Gabriel Richard came into the night ranked 8th in the state. Clinton wrestled Gabriel Richard in the opening round and the match was a barn burner. The match started at 150 pounds as Isaac Keibler bumped up to take on the challenge. Isaac came out firing as he picked up two takedowns in the first period. The scoring didn't stop there as he earned five more takedowns during the match to earn a technical fall and five team points to start Clinton off with a 5-0 lead. At 157 pounds Tanner Bolton bumped up and kept the momentum going as he scored three takedowns on his way to a 13-8 decision for the Redwolves. Clinton was up 8-0 after two matches. Cliff Jones was up next and bumped up to 165 pounds and after scoring two takedowns in the first period, his opponent came back with a takedown and four nearfall points. But Jones fought it off and continued to battle to earn a 9-8 decision for his team. Clinton 11 RGR 0. At 175 pounds RGR sent out their three time state champ against Bryce Randolph and was an exciting match it turned out to be. After giving up a takedown in the first period, Bryce picked up an escape and finished the first period down 1-3. The second period saw a ton of action and Bryce earned another escape to make it 2-3, but then traded takedowns and escapes with his opponent. In the end Bryce lost the match 6-9, but saved the team from bonus points. Clinton 11 RGR 3. At 190 pounds Gradyn Whelan picked up pin in the second period to push the Redwolves lead ahead to 17-3. At 215 pounds Landon Lakatos had an awesome match against the second ranked 215 pounder in the state. In a back and forth match, Landon had his opponent on his back and looked to have the pin, but time expired. The match ended in a loss for Lakatos 13-16, but he wrestled his tail off for his team and almost pulled an upset. All in all he saved the team bonus points which proved to be extremely valuable later in the dual. At Hwt. Hamza Rafferty picked up six team points to make the score, Clinton 23 RGR 6. At 106 pounds Hudson Miller almost pulled off an epic win but lost 1-4 in the last seconds of the third period, as he gave up a takedown with the score tied at 1-1 with just a couple seconds to go. But again, what a great match against a ranked opponent. Clinton 23 RGR 9. At 113 pounds Wyatt Cooley lost to the number one wrestler in the state. Clinton 23 RGR 15. Zach Taylor picked up a technical fall at 120 pounds with a 20-2 win improving the Redwolves score to 28 to 15. At 126 pound Brock Worden battled but lost by pin to make the score Clinton 28 RGR 21. At 132 pounds Braxton Randolph lost by pin to put RGR within striking distance, Clinton 28 RGR 27. Jaxon Phillip stepped in against the number two wrestler in the state and refused to get pinned. He battled for his team and in the end the score reflect his and other efforts on the night. But the loss at 138 pounds gave RGR their first and only lead of the night, Clinton 28 RGR 32 with one match remaining. Senior Captain Braylon Long needed a technical fall or pin for the Redwolves to win and he did not disappoint. Braylon stepped in like a veteran leader to pick up six takedowns on his way to a 20-4 technical fall and a district championship for Clinton. Final Score Clinton 33 RGR 32. The crowd was loud, but nothing was louder than our bench, as every wrestler, all 47 strong were on their feet chanting and stopping the gym floor with their feet at times to what seemed to shake the building. What a great match, that took the effort of everyone. It was truly was high school sports are all about. It was a proud moment for me as a coach to see and hear our team come together like they did. Epic.
In the district finals Clinton defeated Blissfield 65 to 12 to finalize the district championship. Winners during the finals were Cliff Jones with a pin at 157, John Keibler with a 4-0 win over an opponent that had previously defeated him. Bryce Randolph with a pin at 175. Gradyn Whelan with a win at 190. Landon Lakatos with a pin in just 10 seconds. Owen Wright bumped up to Hwt. to earn a pin. Hudson Miller with a great win at 106, Wyatt Cooley with a technical fall at 113, and Zach Taylor with a pin at 120 pounds. Brock Worden with a pin at 126 pounds, and Braxton Randolph with a pin at 132 pounds. The final win came from Tanner Bolton with a technical fall at 150 pounds.
With this District Championship Clinton has now won 9 district championships in a row and 10 in the last 11 years. The team now travels for the MHSAA Team Regional Matches on Wednesday, Feb. 12th to Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest High School to take on the host team in the Regional Semifinal match. In the finals Clinton will likely face off with Manchester for a trip to Kalamazoo's K Wings Stadium and a trip to the MHSAA Team State Championships. The matches start at 6pm. It is a long travel, but the team could use all the support from the community it can get. We hope to see you there.
On Saturday, Feb. 1st Clinton Wrestling competed in day two of the LCAA Dual Tournament. After going 2-0 on Friday night Clinton went 3-2 on Saturday as a team. Clinton started off the morning against Onsted and came away with a dominant 74-6 win. Picking up wins during the dual were Hamza Rafferty, Hudson Miller, Wyatt Cooley, Zach Taylor, Brock Worden, Braylon Long, Braxton Randolph, Isaac Keibler, Tanner Bolton, Cliff Jones, John Keibler, Bryce Randolph, and Landon Lakatos. In round two of the day Clinton defeated Hillsdale 65-13. The match started at 106 pounds and Hudson Miller led the charge picking up a pin. Winners during dual were Zach Taylor, Wyatt Cooley, Brock Worden, Braylon Long, Braxton Randolph, Tanner Bolton, Cliff Jones, John Keibler, Bryce Randolph, and Gradyn Whelan. A highly anticipated match between Adrian Madison and Clinton took place in round three as the host squad was primed and trying to knock off the Redwolves. The top 10 ranked Madison Trojans started the dual out with an upset win at 113 pounds as Zach Taylor lost 20-21 in a shoot out. Madison followed that up with a pin at 120 pounds over Clinton's Wyatt Cooley. Brock Worden stepped up at 126 pounds and won a key match 9-6 for the Redwolves to get them on the score board. After three matches the score was Clinton 3 Madison 9. In step senior Braylon Long after having his appendix removed he is back on the mat for the Redwolves and earned a hard fought victory at 132 pounds with a 14-5 major decision. He toughness and senior leadership have been instrumental throughout this season and it was on display Saturday as the senior showed some real guts that his teammates feed off of. Clinton 7 Madison 9. Jaxon Phillip stepped in several times during the weekend and battled for his team at 138 pounds and continues to show signs becoming a great wrestler, even in a loss. Isaac Keibler had a huge team win at 144 pounds as he earned a 13-5 major decision to help the team in a big way. Tanner Bolton dropped his match at 150 pounds, but Cliff Jones stepped up with a pin at 157 pounds. Austin Putnam continued to step in when needed and battled for his team at 165 pounds, but dropped his match to his state ranked opponent. Clinton 17 Madison 27. But it was all Clinton after that as the Redwolves won the next five matches in a row to pull away. Junior Captain Bryce Randolph started the streak with a pin at 175 pounds. Then junior Landon Lakatos battled back from a 0-7 deficit to earn a pin at 190 pounds and a whole lot of emotion after the win. He fights hard for the team and came through in a time of need. Freshman Gradyn Whelan bumped up to 215 pounds and took out the county champ at 215 pounds with a pin. And he too showed some great emotion in the win. The team was rocking and the gym was loud. It was great to see and hear. Senior Captain Hamza Rafferty stepped in against another state ranked opponent that he had just lost to in the county championships. But it was Rafferty's time as he controlled the match from start to finish. After a scoreless first period his opponent chose down and earned an escape to lead 1-0 going into the third period. Hamza chose to go bottom to start the third period after not having success against his opponent in the that position the first time. But working on details and improving his confidence paid off as he escaped right away and tied the score at 1-1. Then Hamza took advantage on their feet to create a scoring opportunity, he secured the takedown, then the turn, and ended the match with a huge pin. Hamza was excited and it showed. The team was off their feet as the gym erupted in cheers. What a finish it was for him. Sophomore Hudson Miller finished the dual off at 106 with a pin in the first period and make the final score Clinton 47 Madison 27. This was a great team victory and had nothing but a championship atmosphere. I was extremely proud of how our team responded when they were pushed. Some real growth has taken place with this group. In the final two matches Clinton lost to Dundee and to Hudson and finished third in the conference. This may be the toughest wrestling conference in the state as Dundee is ranked number one in division 3 and number one is all divisions, Hudson is ranked 1st in division four, Clinton is ranked 6th in division 4, and Madison is a top ten ranked team in division 3. There were some great battles in each dual that will help our team entering the post season. Picking up wins against Hudson were Zach Taylor, Gradyn Whelan, Bryce Randolph, John Keibler, and Cliff Jones. Next up will be Team Districts at Riverview Gabriel Richard on Wednesday, Feb. 5th starting at 6pm. Clinton will have the host team first as Gabriel Richard is ranked 8th in the state and the Redwolves will need to be ready to go. On Saturday, Feb. 8th Clinton will travel to Manchester for individual districts that start at at 9:30am. The girls will have their first ever district tournament on Sunday, Feb. 9th at Dundee that start at 10:30am. We look forward to this post season push.
The Clinton Wrestling Team travel to Blissfield to begin LCAA action against Ida and Blissfield. The Redwolves started out against Ida and came away with a 55-18 win. The match started at 113 pounds where Zach Taylor picked up a pin in just 19 seconds. Wyatt Cooley followed that up with a pin in the second period at 120 pounds. Then at 126 pounds Brock Worden picked up a 9-0 major decision for the Redwolves after a dominant second period that started with an escape, followed by a takedown, then nearfall points. Braxton Randolph picked up a pin in just 1 minute at 132 pounds. Then at 138 pounds Braylon Long was back on the mat for the Redwolves and earned a pin in just 29 seconds. At 144 pounds Isaac Keibler earned an 18-3 technical fall after collecting three takedowns and two sets of nearfall points. Tanner Bolton came out and got the first takedown, but lost his match at 150 pounds. Cliff Jones defeated a ranked opponent at 157 pounds 9-0 for a major decision. At 165 pounds John Keibler dropped his match. At 175 pounds Bryce Randolph earned a pin in just 45 seconds. Landon Lakatos earned a pin in 30 seconds at 190 pounds. Gradyn Whelan earned an 11-9 victory at 215 pounds. At Hwt. Hamza Rafferty picked up the pin for the Redwolves. The final match of the dual was Hudson Miller at 106 pounds, and he earned the first takedown but lost his match in the end. We did have one girls match as Kierra Fivenson competed at 155 pounds, but was unable to earn the win.
In the second match Clinton competed against the host school Blissfield. Clinton defeated Blissfield 60-21 on the night. The match started at 120 pounds where Zach Taylor picked up the win. Brock Worden picked up win number two of the night at 126 pounds. At 132 pounds Braxton Randolph dropped his match against the 5th ranked wrestler in the state at 138 that dropped to 132. Jackson Phillip picked up a win at 138 pounds. At 144 pounds Isaac Keibler dropped his match. Tanner Bolton bounced back with a nice win at 150 pounds after collecting two takedowns and two sets of nearfall points to earn the pin. Cliff Jones picked up the pin at 157 pounds with three takedowns in the first period. On the third takedown with just 25 seconds left Cliff took his opponent feet to back for the pin. John Keibler competed hard at 165 pounds but lost 6-18. At 175 pounds Bryce Randolph earned a pin in just 27 seconds. At 190 pounds Landon Lakatos earned his second pin of the night in just 45 seconds. Owen Wright competed at 215 pounds and earned a pin in the second period after two takedowns and a set of nearfall points. Hamza Rafferty and Hudson Miller both earned wins at Hwt. and 106. Wyatt Cooley finished the night at 113 pounds, but lost his match. The LCAA Dual Tournament continues Saturday at Madison started at 9:30am, where the Redwolves will compete in five duals on the day.
On Friday, Jan. 24th the Lenawee County All Star Meet was held at Adrian College to a standing room only event in the Merillat Center Competition Gym. Clinton qualified 6 boys and 6 girls for the event. Only the top four in each weight class in the county qualify by seeding criteria and coaches selections, so having 12 participants was an awesome showing, but still left some of our wrestlers watching the event for the day. Hopefully to fuel them for the future. For the girls freshman Khloie Miller earned two pins on her way to the county championship at 115 pounds. Raven Aldridge picked up her third county championship at 170 pounds on the heals of two pins herself. Freshman Autumn Gibson tweaked her ankle in the opening match and showed some grit after getting iced and taped by the trainers to finish her day in fourth place at 130 pounds. Freshman Mollie Clark took 2nd in a combined weight class for her first showing at county. Kierra Fivenson placed 4th at 155 pounds as well. Annabelle Howard picked up a pin in the opening round and looked to be on track her last match, but lost in the last period to take second at county.
In the boys Zach Taylor pinned his opponent in the first round to put him in the finals. In the finals Zach was down 2-14 and ended up earning a pin to win his first county championship at 113 pounds. Cliff Jones earned a pin over his state ranked opponent in his first match, but lost in the finals to take second at 157 pounds. Bryce Randolph earned two pins on the night in dominate fashion to earn his third county championship at 175 pounds. Freshman Gradyn Whelan earned a pin in he opening match, before winning 4-2 match to win the county championship at 190 pounds. Landon Lakatos dropped his opening match 3-7, before picking up a pin to earn 3rd place at 215 pounds. At Hwt. Hamza Rafferty pinned his first opponent then lost in the finals 1-3 to take second in the county. This event was broadcast on Lenawee TV and broadcast by the crew at 95.5 The Cave where you can go back and watch at any time. This week we travel to state ranked Bedford to a spot light single dual, then compete in our LCAA Dual Tournament on Friday at Ida, then Saturday at Madison.
The varsity wrestling team picked up a 58-18 win over Birch Run on senior night with a complete team effort. The match started at 106 pounds and Hudson Miller picked up a 17-1 technical fall for the Redwolves. Zach Taylor competed at 113 pounds and got a quick pin in just 22 seconds. Wyatt Cooley earned a 21-1 technical fall at 120 pounds on the night. At 126 pounds Brock Worden dropped his match 3-6. At 132 pounds Braxton Randolph earned a pin in the second period after collecting a couple of takedowns and some nearfall points. Jaxon Phillip competed at 138 pounds and came out with the first takedown, but lost 8-15 after a series of points in the third period. Isaac Keibler dropped his match at 144 pounds. Tanner Bolton picked up two takedowns in the first period, but was pinned in the second period. Cliff Jones earned a pin in the first period in 1:46 at 157 pounds. John Keibler competed at 165 pounds and earned a pin in the second period after a reversal and nearfall points. Bryce Randolph may have gotten the fastest pin of the year for Clinton as he recorded a 7 second pin. At 190 pounds Landon Lakatos earned a pin in 1:04. Gradyn Whelan bumped up to 215 to earn a pin in 1:33. Hamza Rafferty finished the night off with a pin in 1:08. We were able to honor our seniors on the night: Raven Aldridge, Braylon Long, Hamza Rafferty, Drew McNatt, Brodie Stipe, Tim Isyk, and manager Mary Coffey. We also recognized our Clinton Wrestling Club Members and our Middle School Team during the night. It was free poster night and our high school team signed posters for the kids at the end of the event. It was a packed house and a fun night for all.
The Clinton Wrestling Team traveled to Williamston for the annual Williamston Classic Tournament. There were 22 schools in attendance and Clinton took 5th overall as a team. The tournament started at 106 pounds, but not before several rat tail matches. In a 16 person bracket tournament there needed to have extra matches just for wrestlers to earn a spot in the tournament. So two of Clinton's wrestlers had to win a rat tail match just to get into the 16 person bracket. Isaac Keibler competed at 144 pounds and lost his opening rat tail match so was eliminated, but was a great support for the team throughout the day. Tanner Bolton won his rat tail match at 150 pounds to earn his way into the tournament with a 10-5 win. In the first round Tanner suffered a loss but bounced back with a 15-0 technical fall, but dropped his match to place. Hudson Miller competed at 106 pounds and dropped his first match before earning a 16-0 technical fall. But Miller lost his match to place that ended his day. Clinton had two entries at 113 pounds and Zach Taylor finished in 5th place overall, after going 3-1 with three pins. Wyatt Cooley was unable to place as he had to wrestle Zach in the match to place and lost. But Wyatt picked up two pins and an 8-2 win along the way, but fell short of placing. At 126 pounds Brock Worden opened with a 20-10 major decision then dropped his second match. Brock picked up another major decision win 12-2, but lost his match to place to finish his day. At 138 pounds Jaxon Phillip finished his day with a pin, but dropped his other two matches. At 157 pounds Cliff Jones opened with a 17-1 technical fall win, followed by a pin in the quarterfinals. In the semi finals Cliff picked up a 15-4 major decision to propel him into the finals. In the finals Cliff dropped his first match of the year against a tough opponent to finish his day as Runner Up. John Keibler dropped his opening match at 165 pounds, but came right back to earn a pin in his next match. But dropped his third match and put him out of the tournament. At 175 pounds Bryce Randolph picked up two pins before earning a 15-4 major decision in the semi finals. In the finals Bryce earned a 19-3 technical fall over another all state wrestler and earned the tournament championship. Along with winning the tournament Bryce was named the upper weight most valuable wrestler for the tournament. Gradyn Whelan competed at 190 pounds and picked up an opening round pin before dropping his next two matches and ending his day. Landon Lakatos also competed at 190 pounds loosing his opening match 6-11, then earning a pin in just 18 seconds. Landon's last match he lost 0-10 to finish his tournament. Hamza Rafferty was the last competitor for the Redwolves at Hwt. and he placed third overall. An opening round win in the quarterfinals with a pin after a first round bye pushed him into the semi finals. Hamza lost his semi final match, but won his final match in ultimate tie breaker 3-2, which is triple overtime. Overall the competition was amazing and our young team needs to find another gear down the stretch to continue to advance when it matters most. The team hosts Birch Run in our final home match of the year on Wednesday, Jan. 22nd at 5:30. Then we will travel to Adrian College on Friday night for the Lenawee All Star meeting starting at 5pm on Jan. 24th. The wrestlers that qualified are: Zach Taylor, Cliff Jones, Bryce Randolph, Gradyn Whelan, Landon Lakatos, and Hamza Rafferty. We also have six girls that qualified as well: Khloie Miller, Autumn Gibson, Annabelle Howard, Kierra Fivenson, Raven Aldridge, and Mollie Clark. Good luck to everyone.
The wrestling program traveled to Riverview Gabriel Richard on Wednesday, Jan. 15th for a quad and came away with two wins. In the opening match Clinton came away with a shut out win over Dearborn Divine Child 75-0. Opening the match at 132 pounds freshman Braxton Randolph picked up a pin in 48 seconds. Another freshman Jaxon Phillip picked up a pin in just 41 seconds. Isaac Keibler competed at 144 pounds and was the third freshman in a row to pick up a win. Junior Tanner Bolton picked up his own first period pin at 150 pounds in 1:29. Juniors Cliff Jones and John Keibler both picked up wins at 157 and 165 pounds, followed by junior Bryce Randolph with a pin in 50 seconds, making it four straight wins by juniors. Freshman Gradyn Whelan picked up the pin at 190 pounds in 1:11. Sophomore Owen Wright earned a hard fought win 1-0 at 215 pounds. Senior Hamza Rafferty picked up the win at Hwt. Sophomore Hudson Miller earned a 12-8 decision at 106 pounds. Fellow sophomore Zach Taylor picked up the win at 113 pounds. Freshman Wyatt Cooley picked up a 14-7 win at 120 pounds and freshman Brock Worden picked up a win at 126 pounds. Sophomore Joe Hodges picked up a pin in his match and Landon Lakatos picked up a pin, as well as Zander Urban. Freshman Autumn Gibson picked up a pin in her girls match at 130 pounds. Freshman Khloie Miller also picked up a pin in her 120 pound match. Grady Aldridge battled at 132 pounds but dropped his match. Joe Hodges picked up another win by pin during the night against his opponent from Woodhaven. Max Delphy dropped a close decision at 132 pounds. Drew McNatt picked up a pin at Hwt. after collect two takedowns and a set of nearfall points. Annabelle Howard collected a win at 140 pounds in her girls match as well.
In the marquee match up for the night Clinton who is ranked 6th in the state by MichiganGrappler.com faced off against Riverview Gabriel Richard who is currently ranked 8th in the state. The match started at 138 pounds and freshman Jaxon Phillip got the team going with a huge pin over a tough opponent. Isaac Keibler added a win at 144 pounds in a hard fought 7-4 win. Tanner Bolton really started getting going with a pin at 150 pounds in the second period. Cliff Jones picked up a technical fall at 157 pounds 17-2. John Keibler dropped a tough match 0-4 at 165 pounds, but battled. Bryce Randolph competed against a three time defending state champ and dropped his match. Gradyn Whelan got the team going again with a pin at 190 pounds. Owen Wright dropped his match at 215 pounds 1-9. Hamza Rafferty picked up a quick pin at Hwt. in just 12 seconds. Hudson Miller battled and continues to improve as he lost 6-8 against his state ranked opponent. At 113 pounds Zach Taylor dropped his match against the number one guy in the state. Wyatt Cooley dropped his match at 120 pounds as well. Brock Worden picked up the win at 126 pound and fellow freshman Braxton Randolph picked up his second pin of the night at 132 pounds. Freshman Khloie Miller picked up her second win of the night with a pin at the end. Raven Aldridge and Kierra Fivenson both had exhibition matches and both battled hard. Next up the team will host Birch Run on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The red team will start a dual at 5:30 with the varsity black team starting after. This is our last home match of the year and we will be honoring our seniors, host Youth Club Night with poster signing, and the varsity competitive cheer team will perform at intermission of the final dual. Hope to see everyone there to pack the gym for your 6th ranked Redwolves.
The tournament starts at 106 pounds at Warren Fitzgerald High School on Saturday, Jan. 11th. Sophomore Hudson Miller had himself a day winning his first individual championship at 106 pounds. In the semi finals Hudson upset the number 1 seed with a pin in the third period. Hudson started the day as the 4th seed, but in the finals he another pin over his opponent from Catholic Central to earn the championship. At 113 pounds Freshman Wyatt Cooley picked up his first tournament championship as well. Wyatt started out as the number two seed in the tournament but after earning two pins a row to make his first finals appearance, Wyatt picked up another pin to win the 113 pound championship. Clinton did enter anyone at 120 pounds, but double entered at 126 pounds as Joe Hodges showed flashes and improvements, he was unable to place. Freshman Brock Worden picked up an opening round pin only to lose his second round match. Brock then rattled off three pins in a row to capture 5th place at 126 pounds. at 132 pounds freshman Braxton Randolph was seeded seventh, but he picked up an opening round win, then knocked off the number two seed with a 7-1 win. In the semi finals Braxton lost a tough match, but won his match to place third overall at 132 pounds and outwrestled his seed as well. At 138 pounds freshman Jaxon Phillip was the number six seed for the weight class, but after picking up three pins in a row the freshman Phillip made his first tournament finals. Jaxon dropped his finals match and finished as runner up at 138 pounds to out wrestle his seed. Freshman Isaac Keibler picked up third place at 144 pounds as he started off the day as the fifth seed. Isaac picked up a 6-2 win in the quarter finals, dropped his semi final match, then finished with a pin to pick up third place and yet another wrestler that out performed their seed. Clinton had first year wrestler Brody Stipe compete at 150 pounds and tried competing through sickness, but was unable to place on the day. At 157 pounds junior Cliff Jones picked up the tournament championship with a 6-4 decision after picking up two other pins on the day. John Keibler competed hard and trying to get over some sickness to pick up 6th place overall. John picked a nice with 8-1 in the consolation semi finals. At 175 pounds Bryce Randolph pinned his way through the tournament to earn the championship. Bryce picked up two first period pins and a pin in the second period in the finals. Landon Lakatos competed at 190 pounds and earned a pin in his first match of the day. Landon finish in fourth place overall. Owen Wright was at 215 pounds and took 6th place overall after picking up three pins on the day. Showing continued improvement in his matches. Hamza Rafferty finished the day in dramatic fashion. The senior heavyweight picked up two first period pins on his way to the finals, but lost in triple overtime or sudden victory to finish runner up on the day. Overall Clinton earned 221 point just behind Detroit Catholic Central who finished with 245.5 points. It was a great day of wrestling and we continue to see progress and improvement from the entire team as we inch closer to the post season. Clinton will travel to Riverview Gabriel Richard on Wednesday to take on the 9th ranked team in the state. Saturday the team will travel to the always tough Williamston Classis Tournament. Our Red Team will travel Friday to Wayne Memorial for a tournament and our girls travel to Birmingham Groves for a tournament as well. Our last home match of the year will be on Wednesday, Jan. 22nd against Birch Run starting with JV starting at 5:30 and varsity to start after. This will be our senior night to honor them. We will also have our youth wrestling night and the Competitive Cheer Team will do an routine at intermission of the varsity match. We home to pack the gym for our team.
The varsity wrestling team traveled to Algonac on Saturday, Jan. 4th for a team tournament and went 3-1 on the day to capture 2nd place. In the opening round Clinton competed against Utica High School and came away with a 45-29 win. The match started at 106 pounds and Hudson Miller was dominating his opponents and leading 6-1, but was caught in a throw and was pinned at 106. Wyatt Cooley picked up a win at 113 pounds. Zach Taylor suffered his first loss of the year at 120 pounds 4-10. Brock Worden picked him up with a 10-3 win at 126 pounds. Braxton Randolph followed up with a pin at 132 pounds. Jaxon Phillip dropped his match at 138 pounds, but Braylon Long locked up his opponent in just 53 seconds for the pin at 144 pounds. Tanner Bolton wrestled tough against a state qualifier and lost 0-1 in a match that could have gone either way. Cliff Jones picked up a pin at 157 pounds after pouring on some points. At 165 pounds Austin Putnam dropped his match, but Bryce Randolph regained the momentum at 175 pounds with a first period pin. Gradyn Whelan picked up a first period pin of his own at 190 pounds. Owen Wright dropped his match at 215 pounds, before Hamza Rafferty pinned his opponent at Hwt. in just 43 seconds.
Clinton is currently ranked 5th in the state in division 4 by MichiganGrappler.com and in the second round the Redwolves faced off against the 8th ranked team in division 4 St. Clare Shores Lakeview. Clinton was wrestling on all cylinders as they dominated Lakeview 62-18. Zach Taylor picked up the first win for Clinton at 113 pounds. Wyatt Cooley showed some tremendous toughness at 120 pounds as he was taken down and put to his back right away, but fought off to battle his way back in the match and earn a pin in the third period. This was huge for momentum and our young team. Brock Worden was almost in the same situation, as he was taken down and put right to his back, but he did not give up and fought off to earn a pin at the end of the first period. You could see the confidence and team building more belief throughout the dual. Joe Hodges picked up a win at 132 pounds. Then Braylon Long earned an 18-3 technical fall at 138 pounds. Isaac Keibler dropped his match at 144 pounds, but picked up a huge takedown and continues to improve with every match. Tanner Bolton dropped his match at 150 pounds, but freshman Jacob Pope stepped into his first varsity dual action and earned a pin at 157 pounds. The team was excited for Jacob and the momentum stayed in Clinton's favor. Jonah Hahn stepped in at 165 pounds but dropped his match. Bryce Randolph picked up another pin at 175 pounds as did Gradyn Whelan at 190 pounds. Owen Wright picked up a pin at 215 pounds and is showing what he is capable of. Hamza Rafferty grabbed another first period pin in just 58 seconds at Hwt. Hudson Miller picked up a big win to finish the dual at 106 pounds, winning 12-6.
In round three Clinton faced a tough Carleton Airport Team from division two and came away with another win 44-28. The match started at 120 pounds where Wyatt Cooley battled, but dropped the opening match. Brock Worden dropped the next match 1-9 to give up the major decision at 126 pounds. Braxton Randolph got points on the board for Clinton as he won 7-1 at 132 pounds. Braylon Long picked up a 15-0 technical fall at 138 pounds to keep things rolling. Isaac Keibler then wrestled hard for a 7-2 win at 144 pounds. Tanner Bolton dropped his match at 150 pounds, but Cliff Jones picked the team right back up with a pin at 157 pounds. John Keibler battled though sickness to help his team, but dropped his match at 165 pounds. Bryce Randolph picked up a pin at 175 pounds in just 27 seconds. Gradyn Whelan knocked another state ranked opponent at 190 pounds with a 4-1 win. At 215 pounds Chance Maddox stepped in for the Redwolves, but dropped his match. Rafferty picked up a pin at Hwt., this time in the second period. Hudson Miller picked up another win at 106 pounds and Zach Taylor battled for a pin at 113 pounds.
Clinton went 3-0 in the their pool to place them in the finals against the host school Algonac who is currently ranked third in division 3. This was a epic dual, competitive, loud, and back and forth. Clinton fell short 28-41, but what a great dual it was. The match started at 126 pounds as Brock Worden hung on for a 9-6 win. Braxton Randolph showed a lot of grit and he battled all match long but dropped his match at 132 pounds. Joe Hodges stepped in at 138 pounds, but fell short. Braylon Long picked up a 14-1 major decision at 144 pounds. At 150 pounds Tanner Bolton wrestled a tough match but fell short. Cliff Jones earned another pin at 157 pounds for the Redwolves. John Keibler battled for his teammates but fell short at 165 pounds. Bryce Randolph picked up a quick pin at 175 pounds. Gradyn Whelan bummed up to 215 pounds to take on an undefeated and state ranked 215 pounder after Clinton opted to void at 190 to force a certain match up. Whelan battled but fell short at 215. Rafferty picked up a second period pin at Hwt. Hudson Miller lost at 106 but battled all match. Zach Taylor won a battle at 113 pounds 7-5. Wyatt Cooley dropped the final match of the day at 120 pounds after a tough battle. Clinton had four wrestlers go undefeated on the day: Braylon Long, Cliff Jones, Bryce Randolph, and Hamza Rafferty. It was a great tournament and the team continues to grow and develop as we gain experience. We travel to Warren Fitzgerald on Saturday, Jan. 11th for an individual tournament next.
The Varsity Wrestling Team Competed at the Salem Jersey Mike's Tournament and ran away with the team championship. Clinton scored 237 points on day and out scored runner up Carlson who ended with 199 points for this 16 team individual tournament. During the day you could see tremendous improvement by our team. Clinton put 8 wrestlers in the finals and placed 11 our of 14 wrestlers. Starting at 106 pounds sophomore Hudson Miller was not seeded but wrestled his way to the championship match. Hudson picked up a technical fall and two pins before falling in the finals to finish runner up at 106 pounds. Zach Taylor had a big day after just getting over being sick. He picked up two pins and a technical fall in route to his tournament championship at 113 pounds. Both Zach and his opponent were undefeated coming into the day and Zach picked up a pin in the finals to make a statement. Wyatt Cooley was entered at 113 pounds as well and earned a 4th place finish on the day. Wyatt earned a pin, a tech. fall and a 14-8 decision before dropping his final match to take 4th overall. At 126 pounds Brock Worden finished runner up after a stellar day on the mat. Brock started the day with a pin then picked up a technical fall over the number one seed in the semi finals to make the finals. Brock dropped his match in the finals and finished runner up at 126 pounds. Joe Hodges competed at 132 pounds and dropped both is matches on the day. Joe was winning he second match, but was caught and pinned to finish his day. Braylon Long showed why he as was the number one seed as he gathered three pins on his way to the finals and won 10-3 in the 138 pound championship match to win the title on the day. Jaxon Phillip competed at 144 pounds and earned a pin before bowing out of the tournament. Braxton Randolph competed at 144 pounds as well and went 2-2 on the day earning two pins on the day before dropping a hard fought match to place 10-11. Isaac Keibler competed at 150 pounds and started the day with a technical fall before dropping his next two matches to end his day. Tanner Bolton has a solid day after dropping his opening match, Tanner battled to an 8-1 decision, and a pin to put himself in the consolation semi finals. Bolton lost in the consolation semis, but bounced back with a pin in the 5th place match. At 165 John Keibler started his day off with a solid 7-1 win, but dropped his next two matches to finish his day. Bryce Randolph picked up three pins in a row enroute to the 175 pound championship match, but dropped his match 3-8 to finish runner up. At 190 pounds Gradyn Whelan finished as the tournament champion after collecting three pins on the day. Landon Lakatos finished in 4th place at 190 pounds after picking up an opening round pin then dropping his match in the quarters. Landon then put together three wins, a pin, a tech, and a 13-9 decision to put him in the 3rd place match, but Landon lost the match and finished fourth overall. Owen Wright competed at 215 pounds and made the finals behind some of his best wrestling of the year. Owen put together two pins and a tech. fall before dropping his finals match to finish runner up. Senior Hwt. Hamza Rafferty stormed through competition to the finals with three straight pins before dropping his finals match to finish runner up. This was a great tournament for our team and we had several break out performances across our lineup. We look forward to traveling to Algonac this weekend for a team tournament that starts at 9am. The Varsity Girls travel to Monroe St. Mary's Catholic Central for an individual tournament that starts at 4pm.
The Clinton Varsity Wrestling Team started Christmas Break with a bang at the Martin Clipper Classic Team Tournament. Clinton finished the tough field by earning a Runner Up finish. The field was stacked with multiple ranked teams and Clinton finished 4-1 on the day in duals. In the opening round Clinton wrestled division 2 powerhouse Stevensonville Lakeshore in a great high school wrestling match. The match finished tied 39-39 and Clinton won on the 6th criteria of most first points scored in matches. It was a barn burner that saw Clinton jump out to sizeable lead, only for Lakeshore to come storming back. Junior Cliff Jones currently ranked 4th in the state my Michigan Grappler saw his season debut at 165 pounds and picked up a third period pin to start the Redwolves off. In the next match at 175 pounds junior Bryce Randolph also had his season debut and the number ranked Randolph earned a quick pin in just 10 seconds. Gradyn Whelan followed that up at 190 pounds with a pin in just 54 seconds. Landon Lakatos jumped up to 215 pounds and earned a quick pin of his own in just 23 seconds. Hamza Rafferty got a first period pin at heavyweight as well. Clinton was up 30-0 after the first five matches. Lakeshore picked up pins at 106 and 113 before Zach Taylor got Clinton back on the board with a pin at 120 pounds to put Clinton up 36-12. Clinton then gave up three pins in a row at 126, 132, and 138 to close the gap at Clinton 36 Lakeshore 30. Braylon Long stopped the momentum and earned the win 4-1 at 144 pounds. Clinton lost at 150 pounds by pin, but Tanner Bolton made his season debut as well and even though he dropped his match is saved the team bonus points and helped win the dual. It was a one great dual and the Redwolves came out on top 40-39 after winning on criteria and another point was added.
In round two Clinton wrestled a tough St. Joseph Team and came away with a huge 51-28 win. The match started at 175 pounds with Junior Captain Bryce Randolph starting out the dual with his second pin in under a minute (48 seconds). At 190 pounds Gradyn Whelan picked up a first period pin as well. Owen Wright stepped in at 215 pounds and picked up a win. Hamza Rafferty earned his second pin at Hwt. Hudson Miller picked up the win at 106 pounds for the Pack. Wyatt Cooley dropped his matcha t 113, but Zach Taylor earned another pin for the Redwolves. Max Delphy was able to get some action, but was unable to convert at 126. Joe Hodges dropped his match at 132 pounds and Braxton Randolph dropped his match at 138 pounds. Braylon Long picked up a major decision 14-0 at 144 pounds. Isaac Keibler dropped his match at 150 pounds, but Cliff Jones earned a technical fall 18-2 at 157 pounds. John Keibler finished the dual with a pin at 165 pounds.
Round three saw Clinton who is ranked 5th in the state taking on the host Martin who is ranked 4th in the state. It was an exciting dual, but Martin won 25-46 as Clinton held out a couple of wrestlers during the match. Landon Lakatos started the dual at 190 pounds with a close loss after battling. Freshman Gradyn Whelan bumped up to 215 to wrestle a top 10 ranked 215 pounder. Whelan earned the win 9-4 is a gutsy performance behind two big takedowns. Hamza Rafferty earned his third pin at Hwt. Clinton dropped both matches at 106 and 113. At 120 pounds Zach Taylor earned a 16-1 technical fall. Clinton dropped matches at 126 and 132 pounds, before Braylon Long picked up a win over a returning all stater who is ranked 6th and Long dominated for a 17-0 technical fall at 138 pounds. At 144 pounds Braxton Randolph dropped a close hard fought match 11-16. Isaac Keibler and Austin Putnam both dropped their matches at 150 and 157 pounds. John Keibler lost a close match at 165 pounds, before Bryce Randolph closed out the dual with a pin at 175 pounds. It was a great dual and our young team is learning a lot in areas they have to improve on.
In the fourth match of the day without a break, Clinton dug in and bounced back with a win over division two Allegan. Owen Wright started the dual at 215 pounds and earned a 7-5 win for the Pack. Then Rafferty earned a 7-1 win at Hwt. At 106 Hudson Miller dropped his match, then Zach Taylor earned a pin at 113 pounds. Wyatt Cooley bumped up at earned a major decision win 12-4 at 120 pounds. At 126 Brock Worden dropped a close match 9-10 after almost getting pin during the match. He wrestled hard, but just fell a little short. Joe Hodges dropped his match at 132 pounds and Braxton Randolph dropped his match at 138 pounds 2-14. Braylon Long picked up a major decision win 9-0 at 144 pounds over anther state qualifier. Both Isaac Keibler and Tanner Bolton dropped their matches at 150 and 157 pounds. Cliff Jones picked up another win at 165 pounds 9-4 over anther state qualifier. Bryce Randolph picked up another pin at 175 pounds over returning state qualifier and top ten opponent. At 190 pounds Gradyn Whelan finished the dual and sealed the win for the team with a 15-2 major decision. The dual came down to the last several matches and Clinton pulled out the win by taking out some of Allegan's best wrestlers. the final score was Clinton 33 Allegan 31.
After a team talk and a round off the Redwolves looked great in the final match against Whitehall who is ranked 2nd in Division 3. Clinton lost to Whitehall last year in the state semifinals and this it was Clinton earning the win 41-26. This was an exiting dual and provided the best wrestling so far this year by this young Clinton team. The match started at 106 pounds and Hudson Miller battled and had some huge improvements, but lost 6-11. Wyatt Cooley hard a gritty performance at 113 pounds and came out on top 8-7. Zach Taylor bumped up to 120 pounds to take on a returning state qualifier and someone he lost to last year, but this time Taylor had the upper hand in winning a high scoring match 17-12. Brock Worden dropped his match at 126 pounds but fought hard to save the team some points. Joe Hodges put together his best overall match of the day and showed what he is capable of and winning 6-3. Braxton Randolph put together a great match from start to finish at 138 pounds and dominated for a 12-0 major decision. Braylon Long picked up a pin for the Redwolves at 144 pounds to put Clinton up 19-8. Isaac Keibler competed against a tough regional qualifier and earned a dominant win at 150 pounds with a pin after earning three takedowns. At 157 pounds Tanner Bolton dropped his match. Cliff Jones won a big match against the number 6 guy and returning state qualifier at 165 pounds with a 15-6 major decision. At 175 pounds Bryce Randolph earned his 5th pin of the day, this time is 18 seconds. Gradyn Whelan took on the defending state champ and dropped his match at 190 pounds. Then Owen Wright took on the number two guy in the state at 215 pounds, but dropped his match as well. Hamza Rafferty finished the dual and the win for the Redwolves at Hwt. with a pin.
Overall Clinton had a great day with some ups and some downs, but the finish with the win over Whitehall was amazing. The team is realizing what our potential is as a team and what their potential could be as individuals as well. I walked away very proud of how we competed and the direction the team is headed. The team will compete at the Salem Elks Tournament on Friday, Dec. 27th. The girls will travel to Montague on the 27th as well.
The wrestling teams traveled to Bronson for a single dual on Wednesday, Dec. 18th. The gym was packed and the atmosphere was electric. Some of our girls competed on the night starting with Kierra Fivenson's return to the mat for the first time this year. Kierra battled but lost to a returning all state wrestler in her season debut. Raven Aldridge stepped in and exploded with a great first takedown, followed by a pin for the Redwolves. Next up was Mollie Clark and she battled back and forth for positioning, but lost late in the match. Next up was the Red Team Matches. Max Delphy started out at 132 pounds and picked up the opening takedown and battled back and forth throughout the match, but a late escape sent it to overtime. Max was able to secure the takedown and the win in overtime 11-8. Jacob Pope competed at 157 pounds opened with a big first period takedown and back points to win 9-6. At 175 pounds Kolton Pruss earned a first period pin. Royce Martinez competed at 190 pounds and had some great fight, but lost his match. Manny Estrada dropped his match at 215 pounds. Chance Maddox picked up a win at 215 pounds after two takedowns and three sets of back points let to the pin. Drew McNatt battled at Hwt. but dropped his match. Another match at Hwt. was Aiden Simpson who picked up the opening takedown and nearfall points and earned a pin. At 132 pounds Grady Aldridge battled throughout the entire match and earned a pin in the last seconds of the match that had the entire team on their feet cheering. Brody Stipe competed at 157 pounds and lost a tough match 5-7. Grant Kutzley competed at 175 pounds and earned the fall with just two seconds remaining in the first period. The last match for the Red Team was Zander Urban at 190 pounds. Zander collected three takedowns and two sets of nearfall points before he earned the second period pin.
In Dual of the night Clinton battled Bronson but in the end lost 27-49. Our young team is growing and improving. Starting the dual out at 190 pounds freshman Gradyn Whelan took his first loss of the year and looks to bounce back this weekend. Owen Wright battled at 215 pounds but he too lost his match. Senior Captain Hamza Rafferty picked the Redwolves up and earned a pin to get us on the board. Clinton 6 Bronson 12. Hudson Miller returned to the mat at 106 pounds and it was great to see him competing again after be out for several weeks. Hudson dropped his match at 106 though and brought the score to Clinton 6 Bronson 18. Zach Taylor was just voted Lenawee County Athlete of the week, picked up a pin at 113 pounds. Wyatt Cooley picked up the win at 120 pounds to tie the score up Clinton 18 Bronson 18. Brock Worden picked up a 19-2 technical fall at 126 pounds to make the score Clinton 23 Bronson 18. Joe Hodges battled and was up 7-1 but fell short in the end by getting pinned at 132 pounds. Clinton 23 Bronson 24. Senior Captain Braylon Long battled another ranked opponent at 138 pounds and picked up a major decision 14-4. Clinton 27 Bronson 24. After several lead changes and a close dual, Bronson opened dual up by winning the last five matches against Clinton. Wrestling hard but dropping their matches were: Braxton Randolph, Isaac Keibler, Austin Putnam, Jayden Duplessis, and Shane Cook. Final Score Clinton 27 Bronson 49. Clinton Travels to Martin to a highly anticipated team tournament on Saturday, Dec. 21st. Our Red Team travels to Columbia Central on Monday, Dec. 23rd. Our girls travel to Montague to compete on Dec. 27th and our boys are back in action on Dec. 27th at the Salem Tournament. We are looking forward to a lot of growth in the next several weeks.
The varsity wrestling team traveled to Brighton for a dual tournament and came away with some valuable experience. Clinton opened the tournament with a win against DeWitt 53-18. Winners for the dual were Gradyn Whelan at 190 with a 4-0 win. Landon Lakatos at 215 with a first period pin. Hamza Rafferty picked up his 100th career win as a wrestler in style as he picked up a pin, just 40 seconds into his match. This is a huge accomplishment to earn 100 wins in high school and the season is still young for Rafferty to add to his career total. Damion Fivenson picked up a win at 106 pounds, then Wyatt Cooley earned a 12-4 major decision win at 113. Zach Taylor earned a pin at 120 pounds, while Brock Worden won at 126 pounds. One of the highlights of the dual was freshman Grady Aldridge picking up his first career varsity win with a 19-1 technical fall at 132 pounds. Braylon Long dropped a great match 2-4 in a battle of two highly ranked wrestlers. Braxton Randolph picked up a technical fall 16-0 at 144. Isaac Keibler won by pin at 150 pounds. Keegan Keith dropped his debut at 150 pounds and John Keibler dropped his match at 165 pounds 8-15. Jayden Duplessis finished the dual at 175. In the second match of the day Clinton took on Division 1 number 2 team in the state and it showed. It was a great experience for the young Redwolves to see where they have to aspire to be. Picking up wins in the dual were Zach Taylor at 113 pounds 11-6 and Braylon long 13-3 at 138 pounds. In the third round Clinton faced Portage Northern and got back to winning ways with a 61-17 win. Hamza Rafferty started the dual with a pin at Hwt. Damion Fivenson picked up another win at 106 for the Redwolves. Wyatt Cooley picked up the win at 113 before Zach Taylor got the pin at 120 pounds. Brock Worden was putting points on the board earning a 15-0 technical fall. Braylon Long earned another 15-0 technical fall at 138 pounds. Isaac Keibler picked up the win at 150 pounds with a pin. Austin Putnam earned a pin at 157 pounds for the Redwolves after a first period takedown and a set of nearfall points. John Keibler picked up an 11-4 win at 165 pounds. Gradyn Whelan picked up the fall at 190 pounds and Owen Wright picked up a first period pin at 215 pounds to finish the dual.
The fourth dual of the day and the last dual within our pool was against Greenville who is ranked in the top 10 of division 2. We had a great battle that went back and fourth but Clinton lost a close one 33-42. Clinton got on the board with a pin by Wyatt Cooley at 113 pounds, followed by a technical fall by Zach Taylor at 120 pounds that put Clinton up 11-6 after forfeiting at 106 pounds to give Greenville its first points opening the dual. Max Delphy dropped his match at 132 pounds in his first year wrestling. Freshman Jaxon Phillip picked up a pin at 138 pounds bringing the team score to Clinton 17 Greenville 18. Senior Braylon Long stepped up to 144 pounds and earned a hard fought win 7-0 to put Clinton back in the lead 20-18. Braxton Randolph dropped his match at 150 pounds, then Isaac Keibler picked up a great win at 157 pounds 14-8. Austin Putnam and John Keibler lost back to back matches at 165 & 175, before Gradyn Whelan picked up a 14-3 major decision at 190 pounds. Owen Wright dropped his match at 215 against the number one wrestler in the state with a great battle. Rafferty closed out the dual with a pin for the Redwolves at Hwt.
In the final match of the night Clinton crossed over to compete against Grand Ledge from the opposite pool and dropped the match 22-47. Wyatt Cooley dropped his match at 120 pounds and Brock Worden lost a close match at 126 pounds 2-4. Jackson Phillip stepped in again at 138 and battled for the Redwolves but lost his match. Senior Braylon Long stepped back up at 144 pounds and earned an 8-5 win to get some points back on the board for the Redwolves. Clinton lost four matches in a row before winning 4 of the last 5 matches to finish the dual. Again Freshman Gradyn Whelan defeated a top ten ranked opponent at 190 pounds in a close match 7-6. Landon Lakatos and Hamza Rafferty both won at 215 and Hwt. Zach Taylor finished the dual with a 14-6 major decision win at 113 pounds against an opponent he lost to last year. Overall the Redwolves competed hard with a very young line up and many having to step in for sickness and injury for the day. We look forward to our continued development as a team and getting everyone healthy and where they need to be. This week the Redwolves travel to Bronson for a single dual on Wednesday, Dec. 18th. Then travel to Martin on Saturday, Dec. 21st for a team dual tournament that will be action packed. Monday, Dec. 23rd our JV will head to Columbia Central for an individual tournament. We look forward to the upcoming competitions.
The Varsity Wrestling Team took second place at Westland John Glenn Team Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 7th. The team went 4-1 on the day only loosing the host school in the finals. Clinton started off defeating Novi 58-15 in round one. Winners during the dual were Wyatt Cooley at 113 with a 16-3 technical fall, Zach Taylor at 120 with a pin, Brock Worden at 126 with a 15-0 tech. fall. Joe Hodges pulled out a close one 13-12 at 132 pounds. Jackson Phillip picked up a 21-4 technical fall at 138 pounds. Braylon Long picked up an 18-2 technical fall at 144, Brodie Stipe lost his match at 150 pounds. Austin Putnam lost a close match at 157 pounds 7-10. Jayden Duplessis lost at 165 and John Keibler picked up a pin at 175 pounds. Gradyn Whelan picked up a pin at 190 pounds, Owen Wright grabbed a pin at 215 pounds, Hamza Rafferty earned a pin at Hwt. Newcomer Damion Fivenson picked up a win at 103 pounds to conclude the dual.
In round two Clinton defeated Waterford Mott 77-6 with a dominant performance. Wins stacked up by Z. Taylor, B. Worden, J. Hodges, J. Phillip. Braxton Randolph, Isaac Keibler, J. Keibler, Landon Lakatos, Owen Wright, Hamza Rafferty, D. Fivenson, W. Cooley.
Round three was a close match that came down to the last match of the dual against Wyandotte Roosevelt. With the dual starting at 126 pounds freshman Brock Worden got us going with a 9-2 decision. Joe Hodges was pinned at 132 pounds, then Jackson Phillip lost a tough match 4-5 at 138 pounds. Braylon Long dropped his match at 144 pounds 8-6. Braxton Randolph lost at 150 pounds. Isaac Keibler picked the team back up with a pin at 157 pounds. John Keibler followed up his little brother with a pin at 165 pounds of his own. Jayden Duplessis dropped his match at 175 pounds. At 190 pounds Gradyn Whelan won with a pin. Landon Lakatos lost but battled the entire match to save some team points at 215 pounds. Hamza Rafferty picked up a pin at heavyweight. Clinton forfeited at 106 pounds, but Wyatt Cooley and Zach Taylor finished with two pins at 113 and 120 pounds to give Clinton the win 39-35. That made Clinton 3-0 in their pool.
In the first cross over match Clinton completed against Rochester and came up with a big 51-30 win to make it 4-0 on the day as a team. Joe Hodges started the dual at 132 pounds and picked up a pin. Braylon Long grabbed a pin at 138 pounds. Braxton Randolph picked up a pin at 144 pounds. At 150 pounds Isaac Keibler won 17-8 with a major decision. At 157 Brodie Stipe lost his match. John Keibler won with a pin at 165 pounds. Jayden Duplessis dropped his match at 175. Gradyn Whelan won at 190 pounds. Owen Wright lost his match at 215 pounds. Hamza Rafferty dropped his match at Hwt. Clinton had to forfeit at 106 due to injury and Wyatt Cooley and Zach Taylor combined for a pin at 113 and an 18-1 technical fall at 120 for Taylor. Brock Worden closed the dual with a pin at 126 pounds.
In the final match of the day Clinton competed against Westland John Glenn in what always proves to be a great dual every year. This year the rockets were on the winning side 25-50. Getting wins in the finals were Braylon Long with a 10-1 major decision at 138, Landon Lakatos with a pin at 190, Gradyn Whelan with an 11-4 decision at 215, Hamza Rafferty with a pin at Hwt., and Zach Taylor with a with a pin at 120 pounds. This Saturday the Varsity team travels to Brighton for their team dual tournament.
The wrestling team opened their season at home in one of their two home matches this season. Clinton defeated Napoleon 58-22 to start the season 1-0. The Redwolves displayed their youth as they started 7 freshman and 3 sophomores out of 14 starters. But the youth didn't slow them down. The started at 144 pounds with senior returning all stater Braylon Long picked up a pin to start the team. Next was freshman Braxton Randolph at 150 pounds picking up at 10-0 major decision after building a lead with two take downs and a four point near fall. Next up was Isaac Keibler at 157 pounds and he collected a void to bring the team score to 16-0. First year wrestler, senior Brodie Stipe battled his opponent that was ranked in the top five of the state, into the second period but was pinned. The first year senior showed great fight and potential. John Keibler was another wrestler to bump up like Long, Randolph, and Isaac did earlier. John wrestled up at 175 pounds and gave up the first takedown, but got right to his feet for an escape and then a takedown of his own. The second period had a couple of reversals and Keibler was able to secure the win for the Redwolves with a pin. Freshman Gradyn Whelan completed against a regional qualifier from last season and made quick work with a takedown and two sets of nearfall points before he got the pin. Owen Wright completed at 215 pounds and lost 4-19 with a technical fall. Hudson Miller competed at 106 pounds and dropped his contest 0-15. Both Zach Taylor and Wyatt Cooley earned forfeit wins at 113 and 120 respectively. Another Freshman Brock Worden picked up a pin at 126 pounds in the first period. Freshman Grady Aldridge stepped in at 132 pounds and was defeated. The dual ended with another freshman Jaxon Phillip competing at 138 pounds and picked up a quick first period pin at 138 pounds.
In other varsity matches on the night Drew McNatt went 1-1 earning a 10-0 win at Hwt. in his first match and dropped his second match at Hwt. by fall. Aiden Simpson also went 1-1 at Hwt. earning a pin in his first match and loosing by pin in his second match. Zander Urban dropped his match at 190 pounds. Landon Lakatos made quick work of his opponent at 190 pounds after picking up a big first period takedown and earned a pin. Joe Hodges ended the night by picking up a pin at 132 pounds after two sets of nearfall points. The Redwolves will be traveling to Westland John Glenn High School on Saturday, Dec. 7th for a varsity dual tournament for the Varsity Black team, and the Varsity Red Team will also be at Westland for an individual tournament. Our Varsity girls team will head to East Jackson on Friday, Dec. 6th for an individual tournament. The gym was packed on Wednesday night, thank you for the support.