The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Milan takes down SMCC, 53-21
Young wrestlers help power Big Reds to 22nd victory of season
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 1, 2007
The Milan varsity wrestling team got a lift from a quartet of junior varsity wrestlers brought up for last Thursday's match against league rival St. Mary Catholic Central.
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The Big Reds pulled out a 53-21 win with the help of sophomores Jeff Borener and Josh Ford and freshmen Josh Kofflin and Ryan Hasten.
Kofflin won his match in the 160-pound weight class and Borener came up with his seventh win of the season at 160. Hasten lost his match wrestling up at 189 and Ford lost at 130, but both wrestlers kept it close to keep SMCC from gaining momentum.
"We had those young kids come in and really deliver," said coach Gary Jonseck.
The Big Reds took the lead on a Dan Vivian pin at 119 and widened its advantage with a pin by Josh McDonald at 135 in a back-and-forth match. The swing came at 140 when Isaac Smith got a pin to pull away.
"It was a big win," said Jonseck. "It gave us a little more breathing room."
Also winning for the Big Reds were Jacob Nelson 9145), Garrett Gimson (152) and Jake Hill (285).
Nelson, who is now 27-11 and leads the team in pins with 22, defeated an SMCC wrestler ranked second in the county last year and who came one win away from medaling at state.
"That's quite a feather for (Nelson)," Jonseck said.
Milan's league record is now 3-2 and its overall dual record stands at 22-12.
It was a busy weekend of wrestling in Milan, which, if Jonseck has his way, could become a wrestling Mecca.
On Saturday, wrestlers from 17 area schools converged at Milan High School to compete in a junior varsity tournament. About 417 matches were wrestled. Ford (130) earned a first place, while David Wilson placed second at 125. Nakona Anderson took third at 125 and Mike Robinson (145) placed fourth.
On Sunday, a youth tournament at the high school drew 358 kids who wrestled from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
"It was quite a weekend of wrestling," said Jonseck, who is committed to organizing as many tournaments in Milan as he can fit into the schedule. "You've got to offer programs if you want to develop a program. If you want to promote your program, you have to have six or seven events a year."
This year there will be 10 wrestling tournaments in Milan.
At the quad meet on Thursday, Milan will face Riverview, Ann Arbor Huron and Allen Park Inner City Baptist. In addition, Jonseck has organized a My Way Youth Dual to take place at the same time. He expects 65 young wrestlers to compete.
The idea of hosting My Way tournaments simultaneously with varsity meets came to Jonseck last year as a way to boost ticket sales.
The program has seen ticket sales triple as a result.
"You get a tremendous amount of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles at a youth tournament," Jonseck said.
Milan was the first wrestling program in the state to integrate youth duals with varsity meets. Jonseck expects the idea to catch on elsewhere.
"It's great for the programs," he said. "People can see the progression of wrestling. It seems to be working out quite well."
Staff Writer Brian Cox can be reached at 429-7380 or bcox@heritage.com.
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