C-S-M returns to state finals with lofty aspirations

The C-S-M co-op wrestling team is pictured with the team regional championship trophy the team won February 14 at the Team Regionals at White Pigeon.

Becoming recognized as one of
the top wrestling programs in
Division 4 is now the goal


By Bruce Rolfe

After experiencing the Division 4 Team State Finals last year for the third time in Climax-Scotts school history, the Climax-Scotts-Martin co-op wrestling team returns to the State Finals for the second straight season February 23 and 24 with a higher goal.

The Climax-Scotts-Martin wrestling team (26-5 and No. 7 seed) will begin its Division 4 Team State Finals journey with a quarterfinals match up against St. Louis (24-2 and No. 2 seed) February 23 at noon at Wings Stadium.

C-S-M advanced to the State Finals by defeating Decatur 33-27 in the team regionals February 14 and White Pigeon, 36-33 in the team regional championship match.

“They (St. Louis) are a tough team who has beat some solid competition. We were hoping to see them in the semifinals but seeding didn’t go as expected,” points out C-S coach Mike Reitz.

The first year C-S coach said after the co-op wrestling team won the team regionals to advance to the State Finals last year, the expectation bar was elevated.

Now, the local co-op wrestling team has aspirations of helping C-S-M be recognized as a top wrestling program in Division 4.

“Absolutely. I think we put together two great seasons. A lot of the guys were excited about what we did tonight (at team regionals), but I’m in the room with these guys every day.

I knew what they’re capable of doing. If everybody’s focused on this team, we’re going to be hard to beat. I know some of the teams we’re going to see at Wings Stadium, they’re tough too. They’re determined. But tomorrow we’re going to get back to the grind. We’re going to get right back to practicing, getting ready to battle those teams at Wings Stadium,” said Reitz.

Juniors Jackson Bagwell and Logan Gilbert said returning to the State Finals and an opportunity to be recognized as a top wrestling program in Division 4 has been a goal the team has embraced.

“It definitely has. We got the experience of last year and we couldn’t wait for this year because the team is just as good, if not better then last year. It’s an opportunity we can’t wait for,” said Bagwell.

“We felt it last year. That fueled us even more to get back and it’s just a surreal experience to get back,” adds Gilbert.

The C-S-M-St. Louis winner will face the winner of the Benzie Central (25-4 and No. 3 seed)-Iron Mountain (15-2 and No. 6 seed) quarterfinal match February 24 at 9:30 a.m. in the semifinals at Wings Stadium in the semifinals.

Hudson (24-4 and No. 1 seed) will face Saginaw Lutheran Seminary (20-10 and No. 8 seed) and Bronson (28-8 and No. 4 seed) will face Manchester (28-7 and No. 5 seed) in the other quarterfinals matches February 23 at noon. The two winners will wrestle in the other semifinals February 24 at 9:30 a.m.

The Finals are February 24 at 3:45 p.m.

A committee seeded the top teams in each division and conducted a blind draw to place the remaining teams in each division into the Final Round bracket. The committee had the option to seed more than four teams.

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