District dandy: Oxford pins down Adams, Lake Orion for eighth straight district crown
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
LAKE ORION — The way Kyle Hill sees it, the Oxford senior and his teammates received a wake-up call last month.
The Wildcats, the defending Division 1 state champions in wrestling, were upset by then unranked Rochester, 37-29, in an OAA Red Division dual meet. Oxford has been on a roll ever since.
The seventh-ranked Wildcats made quite a statement Thursday, topping host Lake Orion, 53-14, in the district semifinals, then blanked Rochester Adams, 64-0, in the district finals to win their eighth straight district title, the last four in Division 1 with the previous four in Division 2.
“We feel we can get back to Battle Creek,” said Hill, whose team is looking forward to a potential rematch with Rochester. “We started out the year with five seniors and one had to quit because of an injury. The four seniors want to go back and win another state title.
“(The loss to Rochester) was really a wake up call for us,” continued Hill. “We went out there and thought that it was just going to be another dual meet. We didn’t really take it that serious and then halfway through we realized that this team is pretty good. We decided to pick it up after that loss.”
IN A PECULIAR POSTION: Oxford's Noah Cantera has Rochester Adams' Dan Lillie on the threshold of a pin during Thursday's Division 1 district finals. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
Oxford will face ninth-ranked New Baltimore Anchor Bay in the regional semifinals at Utica Ford next Wednesday with league rival and sixth-ranked Rochester on the other half of the bracket. Baring there are no upsets, Oxford and Rochester would meet again for the regional championship and the right to advance to Battle Creek, site of the Elite Eight.
“We didn’t want to overlook anyone in this district,” said first-year Oxford head coach Brandon Rank, who was an assistant on last year’s state championship squad. “Lake Orion and Adams have some tough kids. We just wrestled really well.”
Oxford (17-5) had little trouble with Adams, winning several of the swing matches where the Highlanders were strong. In the end, the Wildcats picked up pins by Liam Logan (171), Eddie Schlickenmeyer (119), Adam Schlicht (130) and Noah Cantera (135). Both Rocco Borg (140) and Jacob Beasley (152) also recorded wins by technical fall in the rare postseason shutout.
“We’re really looking forward to the regional. Right now, we’re just going to worry about ninth-ranked Anchor Bay,” offered Rank, whose team is gunning for its fifth straight regional title and seventh overall in 14 years. “They are a good team. We’re going to have to win two good matches in order to get back to Battle Creek.”
Against Lake Orion (24-9), Oxford won 11 of 14 weight classes. Peasley (152), Daniel Curtis (112), Schlickenmeyer (119), Hill (125), Adam Schlicht (130) and Noah Cantera (135) all picked up pins for the Wildcats.
“We are not displeased without dual season,” said Lake Orion coach Cory Kuzinski. “We won two tournament championships and had a runner-up at another tournament. We just knew that this was a really tough district. Oxford is just very good. It was closer than the last time we wrestled them.”
Adams pulled away from Rochester Stoney Creek, 44-25, in the other semifinal. Stoney Creek (19-8) led 22-6 early only to see Adams win seven of the last eight weight classes to prevail.
“We just don’t match up with Adams all that well,” admitted Stoney Creek coach Jeff Smart. “But that’s how the tournament goes. We knew this was a tough district. We’re not upset being in this district.”
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Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Lake Orion, Oxford, Prep Wraps, Rochester, Rochester Adams, Rochester Stoney Creek
