Photo by Geoff Kimmerly, MHSAA
Team state is finally here! 32 of the best teams in the state have qualified for the team state tournament in Kalamazoo, and we have all of the rundowns. Division 4 will kick off the tournament with their quarterfinals on Friday at noon. Hudson is making their 19th consecutive appearance, and they’ve won 4 straight state championships. In all, head coach Scooter Marry is looking for his 13th state title with Hudson. Per usual, they’ve got a loaded lineup, and their young talent is some of the best it’s ever been. They’ll be seeing Powers North Central, who’s making their first ever team appearance. After a two year hiatus, New Lothrop is now making their 33rd all-time appearance in the state quarterfinals.
Stay tuned throughout the week as we give the On Paper previews for the rest of the divisions. Click Here to head to the MHSAA website for any additional information regarding the team state tournament!
Schedule
Friday, 12pm EST – D4 Quarterfinals
Friday, 2:15pm EST – D1 Quarterfinals
Friday, 4:30pm EST – D3 Quarterfinals
Friday, 6:45pm EST – D2 Quarterfinals
Saturday, 9:30am EST – D1 and D4 Semis
Saturday, 12pm EST – D2 and D3 Semis
Saturday, 3:45pm EST – FINALS
Quarterfinal Matchups
#1 Hudson (34-3) vs #8 Powers North Central (17-5) – Stream
#4 Decatur (37-6) vs #5 Union City (27-8) – Stream
#3 Clinton (28-8) vs #6 Roscommon (32-7) – Stream
#2 St Louis (23-3) vs #7 New Lothrop (19-9) – Stream
Analysis: Hudson is well-positioned to pick up their 5th consecutive state championship, and their first test is a team from the UP making their first ever team state tournament. Hudson has two of the top freshmen (Beal, Kimble), one of the top Sophomores (Campbell), and one of the top Seniors (Sorrow) in the state of Michigan. They’re going to be a tough out. PNC is led by 3 state qualifiers, including #5 Raab, who took 4th in the state last season. The Tigers will roll in this one.
Prediction: Hudson +50
Analysis: St. Louis is loaded down low and up top, while New Lothrop should be able to take a few matches in the middle of the lineup. The Sharks have 9 state qualifiers, led by #1s Rodriguez and Fogel, while NL has 6 state qualifiers and is led by Campbell at 157lbs. New Lothrop has a storied program, but they probably don’t have enough in this one, as St. Louis should advance to the semis.
Prediction: St. Louis +30
Analysis: 15 state qualifiers in this dual, including 9 for Clinton and 6 for Roscommon. We should get to see some really good wrestling in this one, highlighted by #2 Miller vs #6 Spencer at 106lbs, or #1 Cael Tyler vs #4 Jones at 165lbs. Roscommon should be able to swing some matches, but Clinton is going to be too much, as they’ll advance to the semis against St. Louis.
Prediction: Clinton +15
Analysis: From 126 through 150, Union City should be able to rack up some points, including some bonus points. However, Decatur is loaded down load and up top. We expect Decatur to spread out from 157 up, bumping some guys up to fill out a really solid lineup. They should be able to pick up a plethora of bonus points, leading them to a win here.
Prediction: Decatur +20
