Freshman keeps undefeated record intact; Hurons sweep competition at Oscoda

The Huron wrestlers traveled to Marquette to compete last Saturday in the Marquette Challenge. Freshman Dylan Centala (119 pounds) shocked everyone but his teammates and coaches by winning his weight class. Dylan was dominant on the day, going 3-0, defeating a senior from Marquette in his championship match. Centala is the only R.C. wrestler still undefeated at 13-0.

Rogers City came home with a 10th place finish as a team with 83.5 points. New Lothrop won the tournament with 180 points followed by Grandville (165.5 points), Merrill of Wisconsin (164), Constantine (151), and Bay Port of Wisconsin (148.5), to round out the top five.

The Hurons finished ahead of Menominee, Midland, Gladstone, West Iron County, Iron Mountain and Ishpeming. Ishpeming Westwood, a school that Rogers City defeated in the regional semifinals last season, finished in sixth place, 51 points ahead of the Hurons. Sophomore Joshua Christ, wrestling at 275 pounds, went 2-1 on the day to capture third place, competing against very good competition. His only loss of the day came against Bubba Gritter of Grandville, a two-time Division I state champion.

FRESHMAN AUSTIN FAIRBANKS went 2-2 in the tournament to earn a fourth place finish in the 112 pound weight class. Senior captain Mackenzie Grulke (171 pounds) went 4-1 but had to settle for fifth place. Chris Rhode (189 pounds), the Hurons? sophomore captain, took a sixth with a 3-2 record. Also winning matches were Justin Kelley (125 pounds) and Cody Wenzel (130 pounds). Coach Pat Lamb was pleased with the way the H

urons fared against some very stiff competition. ?We didn?t back away from anybody,? Lamb said. ?We have a very young team and wrestling competition like this is only going to make us better in the long run. ?Our team stuck together all day pulling for one another, which makes me proud to be their coach. I truly believe that with efforts like this, the Rogers City Hurons are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the not so distant future.? THE HURONS traveled to Oscoda last Thursday to wrestle the host Owls and the Cheboygan Chiefs and won both duals. Rogers City downed Cheboygan 43-34 and then Oscoda 53-30.

Winning matches against the Chiefs were: Wenzel (fall 5:20), Scott Keller (160 pounds, fall 1:02), Grulke (12-2), Rhode, (4-2), Christ (fall 1:08), Brian Krueger (103 pounds, forfeit) Fairbanks, (fall 1:03), and Centala (forfeit). Against the Owls, the winners? list included: Wenzel (20-3), Kelley (forfeit), Matt Tomas (135 pounds, fall :37), Grulke (fall :47), Rhode (fall 2:44), Christ (fall :20), Krueger (fall 1:16), Fairbanks (forfeit), and Centala (fall 1:15). The Hurons are off until January 2 when they travel to Gaylord to wrestle a strong Blue Devil squad along with the Roscommon Bucks.