Holly matmen gunning for second straight Flint Metro League title
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
HOLLY — Behind a balanced lineup, Holly is trying to accomplish something on the wrestling mats that has never happened before in program history: The Bronchos are in position to win back-to-back Flint Metro League championships.
Last season Holly finished 8-0 in league duals before winning the FML tournament by 100.1 points. The Bronchos are on track to duplicate the same feat.
Competition for the FML tournament begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at Linden High School and Holly is the heavy favorite.
“Our goal is to win the league meet. If we do than that will be the first time that we’ve ever won the Metro in back-to-back years,” admitted veteran coach Don Pluta, whose team has finished in the top three in the FML for the past decade. “We’ve been fortunate enough to have a good balance of talented kids in each (graduating class) to keep us competitive.”
Holly, which is 25-5 overall and ranked sixth in the state in Division 2, was second to Oxford in 2010, 2009 and 2008 and third behind Linden and Oxford in 2007.
“We’ve been consistent the last few years” offered Pluta, who picked up his 500th career win in the team districts last season. “There’s been some really good teams in the league.”
With Oxford, the defending Division 1 state champions, moving to the Oakland Activities Association last school year, the left the door open for the Bronchos to seize the reigns in 2011.
This season Holly is trailed by Ortonville Brandon (7-1) and Lapeer West (6-2) in the league standings of the nine-school conference. A league tournament win would give the Bronchos the outright title and a runner-up finish would result in a co-championship.
Senior Shawn Scott (171) is undefeated at 37-0 on the year, and should eclipse the 200 career wins marker before Saturday’s competition is completed. Sophomore Andrew Scott (152) is 27-7, Anthony Gonzales (135) is 33-3, junior Kyle Pepper (185) is 31-8, Mason Cleaver (37-1), Tyler Gibson (119) is 35-5 and Zach Jones (130) is 20-2. All are expected to contend for individual league crowns.
“We have a god group of guys that could contend to win their weight classes and we expect to get points in just about every weight class,” added Pluta.
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