By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
EAU CLAIRE – Top ranked Hesperia captured the Burton Richards Memorial Invitational at Eau Claire High School on Saturday.
The No. 1 ranked team in Division 4 captured its fifth straight championship as it finished with 242 points to easily outdistance runner-up Decatur, which finished with 145 points.
Niles finished third with 127 points, Dowagiac fourth with 117 points and Buchanan fifth with 115 points.
Delton-Kellogg placed sixth (105), Edwardsburg seventh (94), Cassopolis eighth (87.5), Hartford ninth (84) and Covert 10th (72).
Rounding out the field were Schoolcraft, Berrien Springs, Lawton, Eau Claire, Watervliet, Fennville, Benton Harbor Countryside Charter, River Valley, Gobles and Benton Harbor.
Hesperia finished with five individual champions and three runners-up. The Panthers also grabbed one third and one fourth place finish.
Decatur had three individual champions, while Buchanan had two champions. Dowagiac and Edwardsburg each claimed one individual titleist.
Winning championships for the Bucks were Drew Medlin at 130-pounds and Austin Ferris at 152-pounds.
Medlin edged Lawton's Cameron Johnson 1-0, while Ferris pinned Tyler Carr of Watervliet.
Dowagiac's Drew Staley pinned Covert's Justin Reyna in 5:02 to captured the 215-pounds weight class.
Steve Franklin decisioned Jake Whelan of Hesperia 3-2 to take the 189-pound championship.
Winning titles for the Raiders were Cameron Serba at 125-pounds, John Burns at 140-pounds and Robert Hall at 171-pounds.
Taking second for Dowagiac was Tyler Frese at 112-pounds, Edwardsburg's Wade Smous at 145-pounds and Niles' Kenyon Ellison at 285-pounds.
Ellison dropped a 9-5 decision to No. 1 ranked (regardless of class) Rudy Spaulding of Hesperia.
Buchanan's Adam Byrdak was third at 135-pounds, while Cassopolis' Corey Lowe earned his 100th career victory in finishing third at 145-pounds.
The Rangers' Darby Kelly was also a third place finisher at 215-pounds.
Taking fourth were Marcus Bricker of Niles, Justin Richter of Dowagiac, Steven Westphal of Cassopolis, Tony Taylor of Buchanan and Ben Brandstatter of Niles.
Burton Richards Memorial
Invitational
At Eau Claire High School
Team Scores
1. Hesperia 242; 2. Decatur 145; 3. Niles127; 4. Dowagiac 117; 5. Buchanan 115; 6. Delton-Kellogg 105; 7. Edwardsburg 94; 8. Cassopolis 87.5; 9. Hartford 84; 10. Covert 72; 11. Schoolcraft 69; 12. Berrien Springs 69; 13. Lawton 46; 14. Eau Claire 44.5; 15. Waterviet 40; 16. Fennville 37; 17. Benton Harbor Countryside Charter 26; 18. River Valley 15; 19. Gobles 8; 20. Benton Harbor 7
Championship Round
103: Colin Zeersp (HE) p. Mark Loveland (DEL), 1:38
112: Matt Loveland (DEL) d. Tyler Frese (DO) 4-2
119: Jon Haen (HE) p. Jorde Gallegos (CO) 2:45
125: Cameron Serba (DEC) p. Jordan Bates (HE) 2:12
130: Drew Medlin (B) d. Cameron Johnson (L) 1-0
135: Malcolm Martin (HE) d. Chico Beach (F) 8-2
140: John Burns (DEC) d. Adam Wiseman (HE) 11-2
145: Brandon Zeersp (HE) p. Wade Smous (E) 1:45
152: Austin Ferris (B) p. Tyler Carr (W)
160: Jordan Parson (BS) won by disqualification
171: Robert Hall (DEC) p. George Allen (HA), 5:57
189: Steve Franklin (E) d. Jake Whelan (HE) 3-2
215: Drew Staley (DO) p. Justin Reyna (CO) 5:02
285: Rudy Spaulding (HE) d. Kenyon Ellison (N) 9-5
Consolation Round
103: Chase Kaugh (EC) p. Kevin Lynch (W), 2:10
112: Jordan Bosma (HE) d. Kevin Davis (EC) 7-2
119: Chas Burtchette (HA) p. Marcus Bricker (N) 2:30
125: Colin Latishlaw (N) d. Cody Brookman (S) 6-4
130: Josh Looney (CO) d. Justin Richter (DO) 6-1
135: Adam Byrdak (B) d. Zach VanZile (S) 7-5
140: Conner Sharp (S) d. Steven Westphal (CA) 7-2
145: Corey Lowe (CA) p. Tony Taylor (B), 4:08
152: Dan McCann (L) p. Quinn DeBolt (DEL) :48
160: Coty Marcoux (HA) d. Ben Brandstatter (N) 10-8
171: Mike Bartels (CS) d. Anthony Young (E) 7-0
189: Anthony Brewer (DEC) d. Joseph Collard (BS) 5-0
215: Darby Kelly (CA) t.f. Andy Murphy (HE) 15-0
285: Robert Riggs (B) p. Cory Wilbur (EC) 2:11