Left photo, Martin freshman Jacinto Lopez celebrates with Martin coach Logan Curry and his teammates after he pinned St. Louis’ Rudy Clapp in the final match of the semifinals to give C-S-M a 30-25 win and advance the co-op team into the Division 4 State Finals championship match. (Photo by Bruce Rolfe)
Right photo, C-S senior Cole Reitz is pictured wrestling in the semifinal match against St. Louis (Photo by Brenda Baker).
Right photo, C-S senior Cole Reitz is pictured wrestling in the semifinal match against St. Louis (Photo by Brenda Baker).
By Bruce Rolfe
With his team trailing 25-24 entering the final match of the Division 4 semifinal match against St. Louis and needing a win, Martin freshman Jacinto Lopez admits he was nervous.
But the Martin freshman had a calm and cool demeanor throughout the final and deciding match, pinning St. Louis state qualifier Rudy Clapp in 4:50 to give the Climax-Scotts-Martin co-op wrestling team a 30-25 win over the Sharks that sent the team into the state finals championship match February 22 at Wings Stadium.
His teammates carried the Martin freshman off the stage on their shoulders as he pointed his index finger up in triumph.
Lopez started strong, entering the second period with a 5-2 lead. He increased the lead to 12-4 entering the third period and was well on his way to the win, but the Martin freshman recorded a pin for the full six points.
“I was nervous and I thought it was going to be a tough one and it was. And I got the fall. It feels great to get the pin,” said Lopez.
The win that sent C-S-M into the championship match secured a goal the co-op wrestling team has had all season.
“It’s something really special. Give the best we can do against the best team (Hudson) in the State of Michigan for Division 4 at the moment. But we have a fighting chance to get to them for sure, and we can put up a fight,” said C-S senior Sam Bleeker.
Hudson moved into the state championship match with a 47-18 win over Clinton in the other semifinal match.
The loss was St. Louis’ first of the season (20-1).
The win marked the first time C-S-M has advanced to the state finals championship match since the two teams became a co-op together in 2014.
C-S-M started the season with the goal of reaching the state finals match, and the local co-op team did it by not giving up many bonus points on pins and clawing back from an early deficit.
There was drama throughout the entire match.
St. Louis moved in front 6-0 with its only pin in the first match, however C-S senior Logan Gilbert (120) got C-S-M on the scoreboard with a 9-6 win and a 6-3 deficit.
St. Louis bumped its lead to 11-3 with a 15-0 technical fall win, however Cole Reitz (132) claimed a 10-4 decision win to pull C-S-M to within 11-6.
A 17-1 technical fall for St. Louis’ Coin Kuhn (138) over Logan Curry put C-S-M in a 16-6 hole. However Jayce Ritchie (145), with a 5-0 win, Seth Torris (150) with a 11-1 major decision, Haylen Buell (157) with a major 13-4 win, and Jackson Bagwell (165) with a 7-4 win, gave C-S-M a 20-16 lead.
Martin senior Jakub Tomyslak (175) suffered a 7-2 loss that brought St. Louis to within 20-19.
C-S junior Malcom Smith (190) and St. Louis’ Drew Challender then locked horns in a classic battle. The two wrestlers battled through three scoreless periods, sending the match into sudden death overtime.
Challender was able to get a takedown, giving St. Louis three points and a 22-20 lead entering the final three matches.
C-S senior Sam Bleeker (215) responded with a big 10-2 major decision win, giving C-S-M a 24-22 lead, however St. Louis took a 25-24 lead into the final match when Xander Brock (285) earned an 8-3 decision over C-S sophomore Cooper Dinse.
That set up the final match heroics by Lopez.
“Shout out to Cheeto (Lopez). For that last match, he had a motor the entire time and put up a lot of points when we needed it the most. Especially at a time that’s as nerve-wracking as that, we’re glad that a freshman like him can pull through at a time when we needed it,” adds Bleeker.
Martin HS defeated St. Louis HS 30-25
113: Owen Fogel (St Louis HS) over Urijah Joostberns (Martin HS) Fall 1:14; 120: Logan Gilbert (Martin HS) over Alex Rodriguez (St Louis HS) Dec 9-6; 126: Cole Grollimund (St Louis HS) over Nate Arnett (Martin HS) TF 15-0; 132: Cole Reitz (Martin HS) over Genaro Soto (St Louis HS) Dec 10-4 138: Colin Kuhn (St Louis HS) over Logan Curry (Martin HS) TF 17-1; 144: Jayce Ritchie (Martin HS) over Laythan Haworth (St Louis HS) Dec 5-0; 150: Seth Toris (Martin HS) over Javier Anger (St Louis HS) Maj 11-1 157: Haylen Buell (Martin HS) over Karson Tweh (St Louis HS) Maj 13-4 165 - Jack Bagwell (Martin HS) over Maddox Cline (St Louis HS) Dec 7-4 175: Justin Rodriguez (St Louis HS) over Jakub Tomyslak, (Martin HS) Dec 7-2; 190: Drew Challender (St Louis HS) over Malcolm Smith (Martin HS) SV-1 3-0; 215: Sam Bleeker (Martin HS) over Ramon Frye (St Louis HS) Maj 10-0; 285: Xander Brock (St Louis HS) over Cooper Dinse (Martin HS) Dec 8-3; 106: Jacinto Lopez (Martin HS) over Rudy Clapp (St Louis HS) Fall 4:50
With his team trailing 25-24 entering the final match of the Division 4 semifinal match against St. Louis and needing a win, Martin freshman Jacinto Lopez admits he was nervous.
But the Martin freshman had a calm and cool demeanor throughout the final and deciding match, pinning St. Louis state qualifier Rudy Clapp in 4:50 to give the Climax-Scotts-Martin co-op wrestling team a 30-25 win over the Sharks that sent the team into the state finals championship match February 22 at Wings Stadium.
His teammates carried the Martin freshman off the stage on their shoulders as he pointed his index finger up in triumph.
Lopez started strong, entering the second period with a 5-2 lead. He increased the lead to 12-4 entering the third period and was well on his way to the win, but the Martin freshman recorded a pin for the full six points.
“I was nervous and I thought it was going to be a tough one and it was. And I got the fall. It feels great to get the pin,” said Lopez.
The win that sent C-S-M into the championship match secured a goal the co-op wrestling team has had all season.
“It’s something really special. Give the best we can do against the best team (Hudson) in the State of Michigan for Division 4 at the moment. But we have a fighting chance to get to them for sure, and we can put up a fight,” said C-S senior Sam Bleeker.
Hudson moved into the state championship match with a 47-18 win over Clinton in the other semifinal match.
The loss was St. Louis’ first of the season (20-1).
The win marked the first time C-S-M has advanced to the state finals championship match since the two teams became a co-op together in 2014.
C-S-M started the season with the goal of reaching the state finals match, and the local co-op team did it by not giving up many bonus points on pins and clawing back from an early deficit.
There was drama throughout the entire match.
St. Louis moved in front 6-0 with its only pin in the first match, however C-S senior Logan Gilbert (120) got C-S-M on the scoreboard with a 9-6 win and a 6-3 deficit.
St. Louis bumped its lead to 11-3 with a 15-0 technical fall win, however Cole Reitz (132) claimed a 10-4 decision win to pull C-S-M to within 11-6.
A 17-1 technical fall for St. Louis’ Coin Kuhn (138) over Logan Curry put C-S-M in a 16-6 hole. However Jayce Ritchie (145), with a 5-0 win, Seth Torris (150) with a 11-1 major decision, Haylen Buell (157) with a major 13-4 win, and Jackson Bagwell (165) with a 7-4 win, gave C-S-M a 20-16 lead.
Martin senior Jakub Tomyslak (175) suffered a 7-2 loss that brought St. Louis to within 20-19.
C-S junior Malcom Smith (190) and St. Louis’ Drew Challender then locked horns in a classic battle. The two wrestlers battled through three scoreless periods, sending the match into sudden death overtime.
Challender was able to get a takedown, giving St. Louis three points and a 22-20 lead entering the final three matches.
C-S senior Sam Bleeker (215) responded with a big 10-2 major decision win, giving C-S-M a 24-22 lead, however St. Louis took a 25-24 lead into the final match when Xander Brock (285) earned an 8-3 decision over C-S sophomore Cooper Dinse.
That set up the final match heroics by Lopez.
“Shout out to Cheeto (Lopez). For that last match, he had a motor the entire time and put up a lot of points when we needed it the most. Especially at a time that’s as nerve-wracking as that, we’re glad that a freshman like him can pull through at a time when we needed it,” adds Bleeker.
Martin HS defeated St. Louis HS 30-25
113: Owen Fogel (St Louis HS) over Urijah Joostberns (Martin HS) Fall 1:14; 120: Logan Gilbert (Martin HS) over Alex Rodriguez (St Louis HS) Dec 9-6; 126: Cole Grollimund (St Louis HS) over Nate Arnett (Martin HS) TF 15-0; 132: Cole Reitz (Martin HS) over Genaro Soto (St Louis HS) Dec 10-4 138: Colin Kuhn (St Louis HS) over Logan Curry (Martin HS) TF 17-1; 144: Jayce Ritchie (Martin HS) over Laythan Haworth (St Louis HS) Dec 5-0; 150: Seth Toris (Martin HS) over Javier Anger (St Louis HS) Maj 11-1 157: Haylen Buell (Martin HS) over Karson Tweh (St Louis HS) Maj 13-4 165 - Jack Bagwell (Martin HS) over Maddox Cline (St Louis HS) Dec 7-4 175: Justin Rodriguez (St Louis HS) over Jakub Tomyslak, (Martin HS) Dec 7-2; 190: Drew Challender (St Louis HS) over Malcolm Smith (Martin HS) SV-1 3-0; 215: Sam Bleeker (Martin HS) over Ramon Frye (St Louis HS) Maj 10-0; 285: Xander Brock (St Louis HS) over Cooper Dinse (Martin HS) Dec 8-3; 106: Jacinto Lopez (Martin HS) over Rudy Clapp (St Louis HS) Fall 4:50
