Troy

Troy High wrestling wins team district title

By Christian Davis
C & G Sports Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Troy High’s Matt Stefut tries to throw Troy Athens’ Carson Berger in their match during the Division 1 team district Feb. 6 at Troy. The Colts won the match and went on to win the district title. Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Troy High’s Matt Stefut tries to throw Troy Athens’ Carson Berger in their match during the Division 1 team district Feb. 6 at Troy. The Colts won the match and went on to win the district title.

TROY — It was dramatic, but Troy High 103-pounder Kevin Thomas was confident he would deliver for his team in the Division 1 wrestling team district championship Feb. 6 at home.

Leading Warren Mott by one point with two matches left, Thomas entered the circle looking to seal the deal for the Colts, and with a pin with 34 seconds remaining in the first period, he accomplished that goal.

“I was going for the pin to clinch the victory,” he said. “I felt I could get it. We haven’t had a victory like this in a long time. We realized we could win it at the end and had motivation.”

Thomas’ pin, worth six points, gave Troy a 39-32 lead and an eventual 39-37 victory.

The championship didn’t come easy, as the Colts trailed the Marauders by as many as 14 points midway through the match.

The Colts responded winning five of the final seven matches, three of them by pin.

“We had some momentum, and some guys stepped up at the right time,” Troy coach Jon Thomas said. “It’s a great feeling. I’m really proud of the team.”

Another key victory belonged to Connor Welborn at 130 pounds. He trailed his opponent by five points at one point before eventually winning by pin.

“He shot in, and I sprawled and then cradled him,” Welborn said. “It felt nice to do it for the team.”

In the semis, Troy outlasted a gritty Troy Athens bunch to win 42-24.

“The kids wrestled tough,” Athens coach John Keyes said. “It’s a bummer how it turned out the way it did. I wish we didn’t have as many voids.”

Athens voided five matches, giving up 30 points in the process.

Troy took on Rochester High Feb. 13, after press time, at Oxford High in its regional opener.

The other side of the regional bracket featured Birmingham Seaholm and Utica Eisenhower.

In D-2, Auburn Hills Avondale won its district in convincing fashion Feb. 6 at Andover.

The Yellow Jackets beat Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 63-12 in the final after getting past Bloomfield Hills Lahser 78-6. Avondale met Southfield High Feb. 13 at Madison Heights Lamphere in its regional.

The winner of the regional heads to Battle Creek Feb. 22 for quarterfinals. D-1 starts at 3:15 p.m. and D-2 is 7:45 p.m.

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Christian Davis at cdavis@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1062. Follow Christian on Twitter.