A pair of Edwardsburg wrestlers earned regional championships Saturday and will compete in the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills March 3-5.

Edwardsburg’s Michael Higley (119) and Hunter Vargo (125) earned Division 2 Regional championships.

In all, Brandywine, Buchanan, Cassopolis, Dowagiac, Edwardsburg and Niles advanced 18 wrestlers on to the state finals.

Niles led the way with seven individual qualifiers.

Higley, who is the all-time winningest wrestler at Edwardsburg with a career mark of 188-16, earned his fourth straight trip to the state finals by pinning his way through the 119-pound bracket at Eaton Rapids.

Higley (50-1) did not have a match get out of the first round. He pinned Peter Deaton of Mattawan in 1:23 in the title bout.

Vargo (50-3) decisioned Lakeshore’s Tony Williams 4-2 of the 125-pound championship match.

Also advancing for the Eddies were Joe Hess (45-9) and 171 and Blake Parson (49-6) at 189.

Advancing for the Vikings were Andrew Flick (38-7) at 112, Cade Stephenson (34-14) at 119, Brenden Hall (37-7) at 130, Mitchell Findeisen (36-7) at 135, Courtland Lamberton (39-10) at 140, Quintin Smith (34-9) at 145 and DeVonte Gaskill (24-11) at 152.

Findeisen and Smith were regional runners-up for Niles.

In Division 3 at Hopkins, Buchanan’s Adam Eger (38-9) and Dowagiac’s Kody Walker (35-8) and Michael Nuyen (16-8) all advanced to the state finals.

Walker was third at 103-pounds, Eger fourth at 130 and Nuyen third at 160.

Sam Burge (44-9) of Brandywine and Reese West (35-9) of Cassopolis were both runners-up in Division 4 at Bronson at 171 and 285 respectively.

Also qualifying for the Rangers were Colin Kelley (39-11) at 125 and A.J. Gren (43-5) at 189, both of whom finished third.

 

MHSAA INDIVIDUAL REGIONALS

Division 2

At Eaton Rapids

Championship Finals

103: Cory Garnet (Parma Western) d. Brendan Zelenka (St. Johns) injury default; 112: Austin Franco (Lakeshore) d. Cameron Mahlich (Ionia) 7-2; 119: Michael Higley (Edwardsburg) p. Peter Deaton (Mattawan) 1:23; 125: Hunter Vargo (Edwardsburg) d. Tony Williams (Lakeshore) 4-2; 130: David Leija (Lansing Waverly) d. Tyler Albarez (DeWitt) 8-6 (2 OTs); 135: Trent Lashuay (St. Johns) d. Mitchell Findeisen (Niles) 6-2; 140: Ian Parker (St. Johns) m.d. Chase Veydt (Parma Western) 11-3; 145: Austin Melton (DeWitt) p. Quintin Smith (Niles) 2:55; 152: Lane McVicker (Eaton Rapids) d. Brett Fedewa (St. Johns) 5-4; 160: Lucas McFarland (St. Johns) d. Luke Carver (Sturgis) 4-2; 171: Will Feldkamp (Dexter) p. Sam DeMeester (Coldwater) 1:10; 189: Brad Wilton (Mason) d. Trevor Piggott (Ionia) 5-2; 215: Clayton Higelmire (Eaton Rapids) d. Anthony Neal (Sturgis) 4-0; 285: Jake Gnegy (St. Johns) d. Sam Benson (Mason) 3-2.

 

Consolation Finals

103: Reese Darrow (Jackson Northwest) p. Ronald Slater (DeWitt) :33; 112: Emilio Sanchez (St. Johns) d. Andrew Flick (Niles) 6-3; 119: Quenten Hall (DeWitt) d. Cade Stephenson (Niles) 6-1; 125: Austin O’Hearson (Eaton Rapids) d. James Whitaker (St. Johns) 3-2; 130: Brenden Hall (Niles) m.d. Chris Fauson (Charlotte) 10-1; 135: Luke Raczkowski (Parma Western) d. J.D. Greathouse (Mason) 13-8; 140: Sam York (DeWitt) d. Courtland Lamberton (Niles) 5-0; 145: Kyle Roberts (Fowlerville) p. Cody Carisle (Lakeshore) 2:57; 152: Dilon Striplin (Battle Creek Pennfield) d. Devonte Gaskill (Niles) 7-3; 160: Austen Hutchinson (Eaton Rapids) d. Jesse Miller (Coldwater) 4-0; 171: Gabe Larner (DeWitt) d. Joey Hess (Edwardsburg) 8-4; 189: Nevin Brittain (Haslett) d. Blake Parsons (Edwardsburg) injury default; 215: Isaac Weir (Lakeshore) d. Mike Demello (Charlotte) 9-2; 285: Owen Miller (Marshall) p. Jake Stevens (Sturgis) 2:20.

 

Division 3

At Hopkins

Championship Finals

103: Hunter Bower (Whitehall) p. Alex Cantu (Muskegon Orchard View) :50; 112: Nick McGhan (Howard City Tri-County) p. Garret Cleveland (Berrien Springs) 1:17; 119: Devin Schroder (Grand Rapids Catholic Central) t.f. over Corey Robinson (Whitehall) 15-0; 125: Nick Felt (Shelby) d. Jagarr Jenerou (Grant) 6-5; 130: Kole Krauss (Grand Rapids Catholic Central) d. Nolan Saxton (Lakeview) 3-1; 135: Reiley Brown (Whitehall) t.f. over Jonathan Silva (Belding) 15-0; 140: Jwan Britton (Whitehall) t.f. over Josh Thommen (Whitehall) 15-0; 145: Jojo Dowdell (Whitehall) d. Ben Behrenwald (Howard City Tri-County) 8-3; 152: Jake Reed (Delton-Kellogg) d. Dominic Forbes (Grand Rapids Catholic Central) 3-2; 160: Foster Karmon (Grand Rapids Catholic Central) p. Derek Cole (Hudson) 1:24; 171: Anthony Reo (Paw Paw) d. Daniel Waterman (Constantine) 5-3; 189: Dominick Reo (Paw Paw) d. Jarrod Tague (Howard City Tri-County) 7-3; 215: Tyden Ferris (Delton-Kellogg) d. James Smith (Lakeview) 6-2; 285: Rashaad Powell (Grant) p. Sixto Cruz (Wyoming Godwin Heights) 4:18.

 

Consolation Finals

103: Kody Walker (Dowagiac) p. Curtis Perry (Lakeview) 1:00; 112: Elijah Southern (Wyoming Godwin Heights) d. Jacob Couturier (Grant) 5-3 (OT); 119: Damian Flores (Wyoming Kelloggsville) d. Jake Bever (Delton-Kellogg) forfeit; 125: Allen Powers (Whitehall) d. Ramiro Williams (Berrien Springs) 5-2; 130: Tanner Phares (Comstock) p. Adam Eger (Buchanan) 2:44; 135: Riley Peterson (Shelby) p. Makiah McCracken (Newaygo) :37; 140: Michael Truong (Wyoming Kelloggsville) d. Jon Hughey (Shelby) 12-6; 145: Connor Barker (Belding) p. Christian Kapteyn (Delton-Kellogg) 2:53; 152: Joe Haynes (Whitehall) m.d. Adam Bolyard (Otsego) 11-3; 160: Michael Nuyen (Dowagiac) d. Mitchell Ward (Belding) 7-3; 171: Trenton Braman (Central Montcalm) d. Kody Wilcox (Belding) forfeit; 189: Blake Rodarmer (Belding) p. Luke Morningstar (Whitehall) 2:32; 215: Lucas Prater (Howard City Tri-County) d. Tristian Butler (Constantine) 9-3; 285: Esteban Villalobos (Delton-Kellogg) d. Tyrique Moore (Berrien Springs) 6-5.

 

Division 4

At Bronson

Championship Finals

103: Tucker Sholl (Hudson) t.f. over Nik Andaverde (Mendon) 17-1; 112: Jordan Hamdan (Hudson) d. Noah Comar (Clinton) 5-3; 119: Robert LeFevre (Erie-Mason) d. Coy Helmuth (Decatur) 8-2; 125: Spencer Fox (Schoolcraft) d. Marcus Richardson (Addison) 6-5; 130: Lucian Parish (Decatur) d. Nate Weber (White Pigeon) 7-2; 135: Noah Nieman (Blissfield) m.d. Terry Burns (Sand Creek) 10-0; 140: Ethan May (Decatur) m.d. Braydon Steeb (White Pigeon) 12-3; 145: Mason Lopinski (Hudson) t.f. over Wyatt Cool (Mendon) 16-1; 152: Nicholas Rolland (Clinton) p. David Chantelois (Clinton) 1:08; 160: Kyle Johnson (Hudson) d. Zac Sharp (Schoolcraft) 5-0; 171: David Erwin (Bronson) t.f. over Sam Burge (Brandywine) 15-0; 189: Tylor Grames (Hudson) d. Brandon Verwey (Schoolcraft) 8-4; 215: Nathan Caudill (Bronson) d. Caleb Bangerter (Blissfield) 5-4; 285: Logan Kennedy (Decatur) p. Reece West (Cassopolis) :51.

 

Consolation Finals

103: Dylan Leathers (Hudson) p. Ash Stokes (Marcellus) 2:52; 112: Seth Harvey (Addison) d. Troy Shafer (Reading) 5-0; 119: Kyle Black (White Pigeon) d. Carson Price (Hudson) 4-2; 125: Colin Kelley (Cassopolis) d. Connor Baldwin (Erie-Mason) 8-2; 130: Dakota Knieper (Addison) d. Nicholas LaCoss (Clinton) 5-1; 135: Johan Grimm (Mendon) d. Chaun Fluker (Vandercook Lake) 6-3; 140: Justin Braford (Schoolcraft) t.f. over Easton Maus (Concord) 15-0; 145: Noah Strine (Reading) p. Bryant Moore (Sand Creek) :44; 152: Ethan Sharp (Schoolcraft) d. Troy Reissig (Erie-Mason) 5-1; 160: Zac Checkley (Decatur) d. Cole Houtz (Bronson) 6-2; 171: Vemeri Korkee (Clinton) d. Cameron Blalock (Schoolcraft) 8-1; 189: A.J. Green (Cassopolis) d. Chase Gibson (Bronson) 5-4; 215: Austin Popp (Clinton) p. Trent Kane (Marcellus) 3:29; 285: Ethan Vaughn (Clinton) d. Joey Losinski (Bronson) 5-0.