NEVER SAY DIE! Gladstone Headed To State Finals

GLADSTONE---Wrestling is an intense sport. But it would be hard to repeat the kind of intensity that was on display Wednesday night as the Gladstone Braves battled the Roscommon Bucks in the MHSAA Division Three Regional Championship match.

Both teams had easy semifinal victories earlier in the evening, and so the two teams met for the right to advance to the state finals. And the result was not decided until the very last second when the heavyweight match ended on a pin in the third period.

Gladstone junior Mason Frederick came from behind to earn an improbable pin of Roscommon's state-ranked wrestler Thomas Tiepel, sending the Braves to the regional championship, 40-32, before a loud and emotional crowd in the Gladstone Gym.

Frederick was behind through most of the match, trailing 5-1 after the first period, and falling behind, 8-5, in the second period.

But he managed to turn things around with a big sequense late in the second period to take an 11-8 lead, and then he completed the upset victory with a decisive pin in the third period.

Frederick's win provided the points the Braves needed to advance to the state finals on the campus of Central Michigan University next week. Had Tiepel won, even on a decision by points, Roscommon would have edged the Braves on the team scoreboard.

"I feel really emotional right now," Frederick said. "I still can't believe that we're going to states. All I thought was I didn't want to let my team down, I didn't want to let my family down. I didn't want to let Gladstone down."

So, what was he thinking when he was behind in the score, and almost got pinned?

"There's no way I'm gonna get stuck on my back," Frederick said. "I hate losing. I get emotional when I lose. So, I knew we needed a win. The momentum of my team yelling for me, and seeing all of their faces looking scared and kind of hopeless, I wanted to turn that around and make them look happy. And the fans, too, helped."

Gladstone Coach Jesse DeBacker was ecstatic.

"The boys fought back and that's the way we've been all year," DeBacker said. "Never say die! Mason came out as a huge underdog in that match. He got a massive pin. I told him before he went out: you win, we win, buddy! It struck something with him!"

Roscommon was expected to be strong in the lighter weight classes, and they were.

The Bucks got pins at 112, 125, and 135. Plus, the Braves did not have a 103-pounder, so that was six more points for Roscommon. DeBacker said before the match that his team would need an upset, and he got one when 119-pounder Vadym Torvinen beat Ethan Noreyko on a 4-0 decision to give the Braves a much-needed three points.

"I told the boys in the locker room: boys, we need a big upset in lower weights," DeBacker said. "I said: I know you've all lost to these guys already this year, but we need somebody to upset somebody. I pointed to those three (Torvinen, Diego Mileski, Nic Dawson) and said: which one's it gonna be? Vadym stepped up!"

Roscommon wanted no part in facing Gladstone 130-pound freshman Adam Bruce, so the Bucks forfeited the match. But they got a pin at 135 from Tyler Hatfield and Gene Major won on points at 140, so the Bucks led the Braves, 26-9. Gladstone knew that its strength was in the heavier weights, but could they get enough points to win?

Spencer Husbye was brought in to wrestle at 145, and he took care of business against Roscommon's Serena Moore. Then, Gladstone senior Bobby Beauchamp, wrestling up a class at 152, faced the Bucks' Doug Fishell. Beauchamp, wrestling in his final match on the Gladstone mat, nearly got a pin, but settled for a 19-8 major decision win.

"At the beginning I was a little nervous because he's bigger and stronger than me," Beauchamp said. "But as soon as I got down and wrestled with him, I knew I had him. He tried to throw me a couple times, but I don't let people throw me!"

Gladstone's Austin Demeuse won a tense 6-5 decision over Donald Jerigan at 160 pounds, bringing the Braves to within 26-22 on the scoreboard. And then Braves senior James Bruce gave his team the lead for the first time with a quick pin of Eddie Lynn.

Roscommon regained the lead at 189 pounds with Logan Duvall pinning Jared Demeuse in the second period. The Bucks led at that point, 32-28, meaning the matches with the two heaviest sets of boys would decide the regional championship.

Gladstone's Zach Bailey hooked up with Gabe Stern at 215 pounds, and Stern had a 6-1 lead early in the mach. But Bailey recovered nicely to flip him over and get the pin.

"I knew I was going to get on top, and I did what I do best," Bailey said. "There's a time and a place for everything, and I hit it when I had to. I got on top, which is my best position. Everybody knows that, and everybody tries to stay away from it."

So, with the score at 34-32, the Braves needed Frederick to at least win on points.

"I was scared, I'll admit," Frederick said. "My first thought was "oh, crap, I'm gonna lose in front of everyone'. But then my coach talked to me. And I'm like, that's not the attitude that I need. I'm gonna win. I'm gonna upset him."

And that's what Frederick did, using a reverse headlock to get the advantage, and then finishing off his opponent with the half-nelson. His teammates were overjoyed.

"It's amazing," Beauchamp said. "I mean, I feel like I'm on top of the mountains. I can't stop smiling. He (Frederick) wrestled phenominally. That was amazing. Oh, my God. My heart is still pounding in my chest from him sticking that kid. It's crazy!"

Earlier in the evening, Gladstone beat Iron Mountain, 60-13, and Roscommon topped Manistee, 66-12, in the regional semifinal matches.

And so the Gladstone Braves are amongst the final eight teams in Division Three who will wrestle in the state finals at Central Michigan. The Braves won't know their opponent until the eight teams are seeded at a meeting this Sunday, Feb. 21.

MUNISING WINS, ESCANABA LOSES---The Munising Mustangs won the Division Four regional championship on Wednesday, beating Gwinn in the semifinals, 44-30, and then topping Rogers City, 46-34, in the title match. And in Division Two at Mt. Pleasant, the Escanaba Eskymos jumped to a 21-6 lead, but lost to Gaylord, 48-26.

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