Constantine wrestlers advance to Saturday state semifinals

KALAMAZOO – The Constantine wrestling team had a goal of making their way to Wings Event Center for the state finals.

The Falcons were able to accomplish that goal this season. Now, on Saturday afternoon, they will get a chance to spend a little more time at the site of the team state wrestling finals.

Constantine will take on Dundee at noon inside Wings Event Center on Saturday.

Jace Vavul of Constantine shares a smile and a hug with Falcon assistant coach Darrin VandenBerg following Friday’s match.

Constantine came into Friday’s quarterfinals as the fourth seed in Division 3. Naturally, it matched them up with the fifth-seed from Hart. The Falcons held a lead for the majority of the match, but Hart came firing back toward the end.

The Falcons had to avoid being pinned in three straight bouts to end the match. Hart earned pins in the first two, but Jace Vavul of Constantine was able to avoid a pinfall defeat at 120 pounds to secure the 32-30 win.

“It feels surreal still, the kids work so hard for this and to be able for it to come down to the end in the last match, Jace Vavaul has put in so much work over the summer,” Constantine head coach Dale Davidhizar said. “He had an up and down season, but for him to go out and compete against a kid who is one of the best on their team, it’s just amazing.”

Vavul lost his bout, 4-2, in overtime to Kole Thomas at 120. But without giving up six points and being pinned, Vavul clinched a spot in the semifinals for the Falcons.

The match started at 126, where Preston Like of Constantine won by 10-2 major decision over Logan Jorissen. Bear Geibe (132) then won by major decision and Koltin Gross (138) followed it up with a pinfall win.

Michael Featherstone earned a much-needed victory for Constantine at 144. He won 3-2 over JoseLuis Andaverde to give Constantine a 17-0 edge.

After a pair of Hart wins, Dathen Smith won for Constantine at 165 by void. The Falcons would earn another win at 190 as Gregg Reed took an overtime decision at 4-2 over Adrian Tice.

Bennett VandenBerg earned a pin win at 285 to put Constantine up 32-15. It was the final win for the Falcons on the mats.

Hart won the next three, but needed all three to be by pins and make up the 17-point difference. Three pins would have given Hart 18 points and the one-point win.

Wrestling in the opposite semifinal for Division 3 are second-seeded Whitehall (28-3) and third-seeded Clinton (27-5).

Jak Monroe of Three Rivers pinned Kamden Witte of Greenville in the state quarterfinals.

Three Rivers fell in the quarterfinals of Division 2 to Greenville, 31-30.

The Cats won three of the first four bouts of the match. Brody Morrill (106) earned a pinfall win and then Jak Monroe (120) did the same two bouts later. Ethan Moreland (126) picked up a win by technical fall, 19-3, over Connor Lewis.

Three Rivers would get another win at 138 pounds with Carter Hensley beating Conner Peterman. Evan Harper would then pin Troy Courtney at 150 pounds to put Three Rivers up at 27-12.

At 157, Braylon Faile nearly pinned his way to a win in the final moments, but Liam Dailey of Greenville was saved by the final bell. Dailey was up in the bout and picked up the win.

Greenville won each of the next four bouts to take a 31-27 advantage heading into the final bout. There, Sammy Reynolds beat Jordan Sholley at heavyweight, but it was just a decision win and three points.

The Cats came up just a single point short.

Bronson also made its way to Wings Event Center. The Vikings dropped a close one to Manchester, a team they have faced off two years prior at the state finals as well.

Manchester won on Friday, 30-22.

Jacob Britten (190), Brayton Cosby (106), Logan Long (126), Gabe Erwin (150), Layne Knisely (157) and Mason Lindsey (165) all won bouts for the Vikings.

Contact Sports Editor Brandon Watson at watson@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as twitter, @BwatsonSJ.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: State wrestling semifinals to be held on Saturday at noon