Prep stars come out for EMU Smackdown
9/28 - Eastern Michigan University hosted the Border Wars
Eagle Smackdown last weekend and a slew of top
Michigan preps were in attendance.
Arguably the deepest weight of the tournament was the
152lb weight class that featured 5 All-State wrestlers. 2x
State Placer Tony Burge of Mason won the stacked chart
with an 11-0 win over Connor Branchaeu of Fenton in the
finals. Branchaeu was 7th in Division 2 at 140lbs last year.
Branchaeu scored a big win in the 2nd round over returning
Division 1 all-stater Nick Bohn of East Kentwood and Bohn
upended fellow D1 state placer Matt Dietz in the first round
of the tournament. Dietz came all the way back to finish
3rd, defeating D4 all-stater J Jessup of Clare in the
consolation finals. Jessup lost in the first round as well,
dropping a 3-0 decision to Burge.
In another finals battle of All-Staters, Allegan's Matt Smith
won the 145lb title with a 4-2 win over 2x D4 All-Stater and
2007 State Champ Derrick Marry of Hudson.
2009 D3 state runner-up John Rizgallah of Allegan won the
189lb chart with a 6-0 shutout win over Division 1 state
placer Steven McClure.
Other state placers to win their respective weight classes were Devane Dodgens of Chippewa Hills (112), Leon Shannon of Wyandotte Roosevelt (130), Anthony Pavlich of Westland John Glenn (130), Matt Beebe of Swan Valley (160), and Nick McDiarmid of Hartland (215).
Shannon won with a finals win over teammate and state qualifier
Joe Lombard while Pavlich won the 130lb title with a 5-1 finals win
over touted Haslett freshman Taylor Grenawalt.
Chippewa Hills freshman and 2009 MI Grappler Youth Wrestler of
the Year Zack Cooper of Chippewa Hills won the 103lb title with two
technical falls and a 13-0 major decision.
Placers from the High School division are listed below and click the
link below to view full brackets. The Border Wars season resumes
October 11th with the Holly Broncho Brawl, followed by the Grand
Valley Laker Classic (Oct 18th) and the MSU Spartan Classic
(Nov 1st).
All of the High School placers are listed below and click the link below to view full brackets of the High School Division.
EMU Eagle Smackdown Placewinners - High School Division
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Smith was one of 8 returning State Placers to win titles last weekend at the EMU Smackdown
Burge won a weight class that included three Top 60 Recruits: Nick Bohn (#15), Matt Dietz (#31), and Himself (#51)
