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2014 ALL-NORTH OAKLAND AREA WRESTLING: Matmen pin down slots on postseason squad

Dan Stickradt | May 7, 2014 | Comments (0)

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

Dan.Stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

Twitter: @LocalSportsFans

Over the past few decades, the sport of wrestling has ventured through a multitude of changes.

It saw the sport go from four unbalanced classes to three classes, then back up to four classes and eventually into even divisions by the mid-1990s. We also saw the State Team Tournament debut in 1988 with a separate Individual State Tournament to accompany the team-style format.

The number of placers in the individual tournament was increased from six to eight in each weight class in the early 1990s and we have seen many modifications to the weight classes themselves to the current 14 weight division lineup.

Over the years, we have seen changes in venues for the state finals, from actual high school gyms to Battle Creek Kellogg Arena for the team tournament, and from Chrysler Arena to Joe Louis Arena to The Palace of Auburn Hills for the individual tournament.

The common thread over the years, however, is that the sport keeps growing little by little each year and each decade. It is one of the biggest sports within the Michigan High School Athletic Association in terms of attendance.

PINNING DOWN A SPOT: Rochester’s Shwan Shadaia earned his third straight spot on the All-Area First Team. File Photo

Right here in northern Oakland County, the sport has swelled in popularity — and so has the success rate of area teams and the individuals on those rosters. There has been a trail of success with schools from this region joining the limelight with regularity.

Let’s look at the team state tournament since its 1988 adoption. For schools located in the coverage region of www.northoaklandsports.com, there has been 23 teams reach Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena for the state quarterfinals in that span, almost one per year. An additional 19 teams have reached the state semifinals, nine have participated in the state finals and four have claimed state championships. Lake Orion (1990), Clarkston (1991), Rochester Adams (1998) and Oxford (2011) have all captured glory in the team-format state tournament.

With the individual team tournament, there has been a long stream of standout athletes with local ties reaching the podium during the past 30-plus years. That has been a constant over the years and continued this winter as well.

That is all very much reflected on the 2014 All-North Oakland Area Wrestling Team, selected by NOS staff and chosen based on performances at the league, county, district, regional and state finals levels. Making the cut was no easy task.

The first and second team honors an individual in each weight class, plus there is an at-large honoree spot for individuals in a crowded weight class that still deserved high recognition. The honorable mention lists dozens of athletes that produced winning records and placed at various league, district, regional and Oakland County meets, or qualified or placed at the state finals.

Erik Donders of Ortonville Brandon was selected as Coach of the Year after rejuvenating the Blackhawks program in recent years and helping them join the area’s elite.

Below is a profile of each first team member, a group that proudly joins its predecessors of highly successful wrestlers from this tradition-rich region:

FIRST TEAM

103 POUNDS: BRANDAN LAAD, Ortonville Brandon: One of four Blackhawks on the first team, this sophomore rang up a fine 53-3 record and walked off the podium at the Division 2 state finals with a third-place finish. He also finished third at the Oakland County Tournament, and captured Flint Metro League, district and regional titles along the way.

“Brandan had a fantastic year. He only lost three matches and was consistently placing at every tournament,” said coach Erik Donders. “I’m hoping he can continue to push (forward) next season and contend for a state championship.”

112 POUNDS: BRYAN LAVEARN, Ortonville Brandon: A sophomore for an up-and-coming program, LaVearn finished with a stellar 52-2 record and placed in the top four in a multitude of tournaments. He was the FML, district and regional champion, placed third at the county meet and second at the D-2 state finals.

“Bryan continued to work hard this year and finished second at the state finals,” said Donders. “He really grew up this season and I don’t think he’s reached his potential.”

119 POUNDS: CAM WILKIE, Clarkston: The Wolves finished second in the deep OAA Red Division, top five at the county and reached the regional finals with an experienced team this season and Wilkie was one of the many contributors. The senior made the All-County Second Team after collecting a fine 45-12 record. He was second at the league and district, third at both the county and regional and finished 1-2 at the Division 1 state finals, just missing a berth in the medals round.

125 POUNDS: Kyle Noonan, Rochester Stoney Creek: One of two Cougars on the first team, this senior departs as one of the all-time best to don a Stoney Creek uniform. A four-year varsity veteran, Noonan finished the year 51-11 with multiple top-flight finishes. He was also named All-County First Team after winning the county, OAA Red Division and district titles, while also finishing second at the regional level and second at the D-1 state finals.

130 POUNDS: JAKE DIONNE Clarkston: The second Clarkston wrestler on the first team and part of a large contingent of Wolves on the entire all-area list, Dionne bowed out of his senior season with a 40-14 overall record and a 1-2 effort at the D-1 state finals, just shy of the medals round. A four-year varsity performer, Dionne was the district champion, placed second at the OAA Red Division, third at the regional and fourth at the county championships.

135 POUNDS: THOMAS KEYES, Troy Athens: One of the most successful Athens wrestlers in many years, Keyes was quite dominant during his senior season. Finishing with a 47-5 record, he won the county, OAA Blue Division league and district titles, finished in the runner-up slot at the regional and fifth at the D-1 state finals.

140 POUNDS: TREVOR BOURDEAU, Ortonville Brandon: One of 10 seniors to make the first-team cut, Bourdeau was instrumental in helping the Blackhawks enjoy one of their best seasons to date. He finished first at the FML meet, was second at both the district and regional and was 1-2 at the D-2 state finals, just out of contention for a medal. He did not wrestle the county meet.

“Even though he didn’t place at the state meet, Trevor was voted our Team MVP. He was a great leader,” said Donders.

145 POUNDS: KYLE PEPPER, Holly: Holly remained one of the better teams in the area this season and Pepper was one of several Bronchos to enjoy successful seasons. The senior three-sport athlete was second at the county, FML and district tournaments, third at the regional and just missed the medals round after going 1-2 at the D-2 state finals. Pepper finished the season with a 38-11 mark.

152 POUNDS: THOR WARDELL, Ortonville Brandon: A junior in his third varsity campaign, the youngest of the Wardell brothers who garnered postseason recognition, Thor Wardell was 44-13 this season. He was the FML champion, placed third at the district and fifth at the county. He was injured at the regional in a deep weight class and did not advance to the state finals.

“He was that close to making it to the state meet. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have a great season. His weight class at our regional was loaded,” said Donders. “He placed really high at a lot of tournaments and had over 40 wins. I hope he can be even more successful next year.”

160 POUNDS: ANDREW PRICE, Rochester Stoney Creek: This junior recorded a 57-5 record this season, the second highest win total for an area wrestler. He won the Rochester Adams Invite, county, OAA Red Division, district and regional crowns and placed fourth at the D-1 state finals.

171 POUNDS: WESLEY MASKILL, Oxford: Participating in a tough weight class in his league, Maskill picked up his efforts this season to earn the first team nod. He was second at the county at 160, then bumped up to 171 for the duration of the campaign. Maskill won the OAA Red Division and district titles, placed second at the regional and seventh at the D-1 state finals. He finished the year 54-9.

189 POUNDS: SHWAN SHADAIA, Rochester: While his twin brother, Shane, made the second team, Shwan became the school’s second two-time state champion and first to win in back-to-back years. After a slow start, the All-County First Team honoree ran the tables at the big meets, winning county, OAA Red Division, district, regional and the coveted state crown. Shadaia finished 48-3 for the season.

“A lot of people don’t remember this, but Shwan really didn’t wrestle varsity as a freshman. But he worked his tail off to become a better wrestler and became a three-time state placer and two-time state champion,” said coach Frank Lafferty. “He leaves a great mark on our program. What a great example of what hard work can do.”

215 POUNDS: BEN LINE, Oxford: Much like his older brothers Zach and Prescott, Zach Line was multi-sport standout who excelled on the mats and collected a state medal during his career. The senior and third-year varsity member finished 45-12, won the OAA Red Division, district and regional titles, placed third at the county and sixth at the D-1 state meet.

285 POUNDS: ZACH WOOD, Oxford: Wood made a huge step forward as a senior and finished 34-9. His 1-2 mark at the D-1 state finals was just outside medal contention. Wood emerged as the champion at the county, OAA Red Division and regional tournaments and finished fourth at the district.

AT-LARGE: ALEX HRISOPOULOS, Oxford: Hrisopoulos competed at 112 pounds this season and posted a great resume of success to earn the at-large nod over several other competitors that were moved to the second team all-area. The sophomore made the All-County First Team as well this season after posting a 49-10 record with tournament wins at the OAA Red Division, county, district and regional. At the D-1 state finals, he finished in the runner-up spot.

COACH OF THE YEAR

ERIK DONDERS, Ortonville Brandon: Donders took over the Brandon program eight years ago when the Blackhawks were struggling and has built them up into one of the better programs within Oakland County. Over the past four years, the team has averaged 27 wins and finished 32-4 overall this season, the second highest win total in program history. Donders’ squad earned Academic All-State honors in the classroom while on the mats compiled an impressive resume. The Blackhawks finished as the Flint Metro League champion, the first time they have ever won that conference, and won its first league title since capturing the OAA Gold Division in 2000. Brandon was 8-0 in conference duals, won the FML league meet, captured a district crown and reached the regional semifinals before a 36-33 defeat to Warren Woods-Tower ended the campaign. Brandon was also fifth out of nearly 50 teams at the prestigious Oakland County Tournament with several other top-10 finishes at weekend tournaments throughout the season.

“When I took over, the program wasn’t very good. We couldn’t fill every weight class and we didn’t win very many meets,” recalled Donders. “But we kept working and working each year, our numbers grew and I think our senior class this year really helped us take it to another level. We had over 30 wins twice in the past four years and averaged 27-4 in the past four years.

“This was a great group of kids that excelled on the mats and in the classroom, which makes it even more impressive,” continued Donders. We averaged over 3.5 GPA for our team. These kids are getting it done. They helped set the bar fro Brandon wrestling much higher

2014 ALL-NORTH OAKLAND AREA WRESTLING TEAM

FIRST TEAM

103:     Brendan Ladd              Ortonville Brandon     Soph.

112:     Bryan LaVearn             Ortonville Brandon     Soph.

119:     Cam Wilkie                Clarkston              Senior

125:     Kyle Noonan               Roch. Stoney Creek     Senior

130:     Jake Dionne               Clarkston              Senior

135:     Thomas Keyes              Troy Athens            Senior

140:     Trevor Beurdeau           Ortonville Brandon     Senior

145:     Kyle Pepper               Holly                  Senior

152:     Thor Wardell              Ortonville Brandon     Junior

160:     Andrew Price              Roch. Stoney Creek     Junior

171:     Wesley Maskill            Oxford                 Senior

189:     Shwan Shadaia             Rochester              Senior

215:     Ben Line                  Oxford                 Senior

285:     Zach Wood                 Oxford                 Senior

AL:      Alex Hrisopoulos          Oxford                 Soph.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Erik Donders                Ortonville Brandon            8^th Season

SECOND TEAM

103: Kevin Thomas, Troy jr.; 112: Greg Miller, Clarkston sr.; 
119: Damione Davis, Pontiac sr.; 125: Bret Foltz, sr.; 130: 
Gordan Dwyer, Ortonville Brandon sr.; 135: Edwin Schlickenmeyer,
Oxford sr.; 140: Sam Johnson, Holly soph.; 145: Tyler Slating, 
Clarkston sr.; 152: Nolan Ericksen, Clarkston soph.; 160: Andrew 
Scott, Holly sr.; 171: Shane Shadaia, Rochester sr.; 189: Grant 
Krause, Oxford jr.; 215: Jamal Pettiford, Oxford sr.; 285: 
Cameron Davis, Rochester sr.; At-Large: David Moore, Lake Orion sr.

HONORABLE MENTION

103: Jacob Call, Oxford fr.; Jacob Caldwell, Holly fr.; Andrew 
Sare, Rochester soph.; Nate Hampton, Rochester Stoney Creek fr.;
112: Dylan Howcroft, Rochester Adams soph.; Michael Nelson, 
Clarkston soph.; Dominic Fosmoen, Lake Orion soph.; Josh 
Gonzales, Holly fr.; John Stanczak, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep soph.;
Dylan Howcroft, Rochester Adams jr.; Ryan Rocca, Auburn Hills 
Avondale soph.; 119: Connor Ryan, Clarkston sr.; Collin Campbell, 
Oxford jr.; Colton Cleaver, Holly soph.; Joey Agro, Pontiac Notre
Dame Prep soph.; Connor Gibbons, Rochester soph.; 125: Jake 
Anderson, Rochester Adams soph.; Trevor Hayfield, Holly jr.; 
130: Aidan Pieroban, Rochester Stoney Creek soph.; Tim Fedosseev,
Troy soph.; Robert Keyes, Troy Athens soph.; Nick Maier, 
Rochester soph.; 135: Ethan Douglas, Ortonville Brandon soph.;
William Tang, Rochester Adams sr.; Tyron Logan, Pontiac sr.; 
Connor Welbourn, Troy jr.; 140: Andrew Ellicott, Troy jr.; Kyle
Masters, Clarkston soph.; Dillon Maier, Rochester jr.; Nate 
Vandermeer, Clarkston soph.; Brock Mather, Auburn Hills Avondale
jr.; Adam Beck, Rochester Adams jr.; Trevor Larson, Rochester
Stoney Creek sr.; 145: John Saron, Troy Athens soph.; Sam Addy,
Rochester Adams soph.; Howard Chang, Troy sr.; Anson Patrick, 
Troy Athens jr.; Peter Economou, Oxford soph.; Davin Logan, 
Pontiac sr.; Jon Allen, Ortonville Brandon sr.; 152: Ryan Morgan,
Rochester soph.; Jack Addy, Rochester Adams jr.; Carter Shelton,
Auburn Hills Avondale soph.; 160: Max Wardell, Ortonville Brandon
sr.; Devon Fulcher, Lake Orion sr.; Kas Watikus, Clarkston jr.;
Ehron Envedy, Troy Athens sr.; Noah Kinnie, Oxford jr.; Zach 
Hamilton, Auburn Hills Avondale soph.; 171: Matt Sears, Ortonville
Brandon sr.; Zeb Throne, Oxford sr.; Zach Davis, Rochester Stoney
Creek sr.; Nicholas Reid, Pontiac jr.; Tre Flores, Holly sr.; 
189: Wyatt Wilson, Ortonville Brandon jr.; Conan Stoehr, Troy 
sr.; Evan Renisch, Holly jr.; Will DeGrendal, Rochester Stoney 
Creek sr.; Jake Klausmier, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest 
sr.; Zac Manfioni, Ortonville Brandon sr.; Adam Davenport, 
Rochester Adams jr.; 215: Nate Troutvine, Clarkston soph.; Alex
Holder, Rochester Adams soph.; Chris Standifer, Troy Athens soph.;
Jacob Yingling, Troy soph.; Trevor Schultz, Rochester Hills 
Lutheran Northwest sr.; 285: Jake Gajdzik, Rochester Stoney Creek
sr.; David Murray, Troy jr.; Brandon Schrupp, Rochester Hills 
Lutheran Northwest jr.; Logan Shadaia, Lake Orion jr.; Sebastian
Williams, Pontiac sr.