One to watch

•Local grapplers take home All-State medals from The Palace •State finals preparation brings out the best in local grapplers •Royal Oak High wrestler makes way to state final •Ferndale High sends record amount of wrestlers to state final •Local grapplers earn their spot at The Palace •Local grapplers gear up for individual state tournament

Local grappler looks to make most of individual tourney

The individual state tournament offers wrestlers the unique opportunity to step outside their usual role of teammate or team leader and concentrate solely on their own personal goals.

Our wrestling staff has chosen one local grappler from 15 of our papers to take a closer look at as they work to reach the championship podium March 6 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

• Utica Stevenson junior 119-pounder John Brown

• Utica Eisenhower senior 119-pounder Steve Zajac

• Madison Heights Lamphere senior 125-pounder Shane Dutton

• Macomb L'Anse Creuse North senior 130-pounder Gary Cicotte

• Troy Athens senior 130-pounder Jeremy Stoian

• Royal Oak High senior 135-pounder Zach Burns

• Warren Woods Tower senior 140-pounder John Popham

• Ferndale High senior 145-pounder Ryan Watts

• Roseville High senior 145-pounder Kevin Nash

• Farmington Hills Harrison sophomore 160-pounder Kevin Beazley

• Harrison Township L'Anse Creuse senior 171-pounder Josh Batkins

• Rochester Adams senior 171-pounder Matt Hart

• West Bloomfield High senior 189-pounder Chris Heald

• Clinton Township Chippewa Valley senior 189-pounder Michael Pawlitz

• St. Clair Shores Lake Shore junior 189-pounder Zach Sienel

• Grosse Pointe South junior 285-pounder Reggie Lewis