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Rockford wrestler Ben Bennett wins national title

March 31, 2008  Jeff Chaney  The Grand Rapids Press

Nobody in Michigan could beat Ben Bennett. That goes for the rest of the country, too.

The Rockford senior 171-pounder completed his impressive high school wrestling career three weeks ago by winning his third state title and finishing with 213 wins in 216 matches.

Bennett showed nation how talented he is this weekend when he won the 171-pound title at the National High School Coaches Association's Sr. Nationals at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach, Va.

Bennett went 6-0 during the three-day tournament, culminated by a 7-2 over California state champion Hunter Collins in the finals.

"By far this was my toughest weekend of my life," Bennett said. "In my last four matches, they were all against guys that were ranked in the top 15 in the country. And the kid in the finals was ranked No. 1. All are going to Division I colleges to wrestle."

Like he has done to many wrestlers before him, Bennett turned Collins, who will be wrestling at the University of Michigan next year, to his back twice in the third period with a power half-nelson.

Bennett's toughest match of the weekend came in the semifinals, beating New Jersey's Corey Peltier 2-0.

"All of my matches were tight going into the third period," Bennett said. "In the third period I was able to pull away and score some points. I think was in better condition then they were. A lot of the guys I wrestled I though wore out and I felt good all the way through. I just kept saying to myself it was a six-minute match and to go the whole six minuets."

For his work, Bennett, who will be wrestling at Central Michigan University next year, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.  "I was surprised with that," Bennett said. "I felt there was two other kids that could have won it. It was pretty cool to get that, I wasn't expecting that, but it was cool."

Bennett was one of two Michigan champions at the tournament. Three-time state champion Marcel Dubose of Oak Park High School won at 215 pounds.

The state as a whole did real well, with Michigan finishing second with 213 points, 17 1/2 points behind champion New Jersey. Pennsylvania was third with 210 points.

"We ended up taking second as a state," Bennett said. "I'm pretty sure that is our best finish. We had a lot of guys place, and overall it was big for the state. We made ourselves known nationally."

Bennett will take a couple days to rest before heading to New York this weekend for a big freestyle tournament.

"Right now, this is my biggest win," Bennett said. "Hopefully, not for long."

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Wrestlers finish season with strong showing in Auburn Hills
3/13/2008 Randy Gregory - Rockford Independent

After a disappointing loss in the team quarterfinals the previous week, Rockford could have wallowed in self pity as the wrestlers prepared for the individual state finals at Auburn Hills. In a reversal of fortune, the Rams showed their intestinal fortitude by claiming all-state status in nine of the 14 weight classes.

"It was an incredible weekend of wrestling," said head coach Don Rinehart. "I think that the tough schedule that we wrestle during the season really helps our wrestlers prepare for the state tournaments.

"In the last three seasons we have had 31 wrestlers qualify for the individual state tournament and 28 of those wrestlers have placed in the top eight in Division 1. No other school has even come close to this."

This year's list included a pair of three-time state champions, Ben Bennett, at 171 pounds, and Kyle Waldo at 112 pounds. Also included were a pair of second-place finishes by Zach Johnson at 130 pounds and Jake Dorulla at 145 pounds. The other Ram placers were Jake Byers, fourth at 112 pounds, Jake Johnson, fifth at 140 pounds, Jesse Somsel, seventh at 285 pounds, and Adam Bonner and Joe Stefanski with eighth-place showings at 135 pounds and 189 pounds, respectively.

Bennett and Waldo both entered impressive air with their third titles in Division I. Waldo made the move from 103 pounds to 112 and overcame a knee injury in December that caused a lengthy layoff. Waldo was able to work through the setbacks to claim a 5-0 decision in the finals.

Zach Johnson also battled a knee injury, putting his heart into rehabilitation and making an improbable run to the finals that culminated in a 8-7 loss.

Dorulla suffered his first loss of the season to the returning state champion by a narrow 1-0 margin. Dorulla set his own mark in the record book with two consecutive state second-place finishes.

All in all, it was a great day to be a Ram. These young men worked hard all season to earn the reputation that opponents have come to respect. The team treated its fans to a long and memorable season of first-class wrestling.

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Ram senior closes door on high school career 3/13/2008 -  Randy Gregory - Rockford Independent   Senior wrestler Ben Bennett laid claim to his third state championship in dominating fashion with a pin in the finals of the 171-pound weight class at Auburn Hills, on Saturday. Bennett posted a pair of technical falls and a pair of pins in his relentless march to the state title.   The only blemish in the state tournament career of Bennett was a one-point loss in the semis of his sophomore campaign.   "I really wanted that fourth title, but I used the loss as a motivation," said Bennett. "It's been a great four years here and it's hard to believe it is over. We've had a lot of success as a team as well and that has been gratifying too."   Bennett closed out his senior season with a 54-0 record, and concluded his remarkable career with a 213-3 record and three state championships. Teammate Kyle Waldo and Bennett are tied for the most in team history. Fans are reminded to watch Waldo during his senior campaign in 2008-2009 as he works toward the unprecedented feat of four state titles.   The next step for Bennett is competing in a string of national competitions over the next several months to prepare himself for Central Michigan University and wrestling with the No. 2-ranked Chippewas.   "Ben Bennett is a prime example of what an athlete with determination, hard work and a strong will can accomplish combined with a great work ethic," said head wrestling coach Don Rinehart. "He has earned everything he has accomplished over his high school career in wrestling. I am sure that we will hear more about his accomplishments as he continues his career at Central Michigan University and maybe beyond."   Bennett is also looking forward to his future.   "I've got a pretty full schedule coming up on the national level with the senior nationals, junior nationals and the FILA freestyle and Greco nationals, as well," he said. "I'm looking forward to seeing how I match up with the best wrestlers in the nation."

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Rams wrestle well, fall to Temperance Bedford in team state competition

The Rockford Squire - March 6, 2008 - Tim Cooper

 

Jesse Somsel Ben Bennett Ian Martin

Rockford wrestlers faced Temperance Bedford - one of the strongest wrestling programs in Michigan - in the first round of state championships on Friday, February 29. Rockford and Bedford had nearly identical records for the season, Rockford with a 27-2 going into the match and Bedford with 31-2. Rockford has a varsity lineup of 14 and includes 65 total athletes wrestling at the high school level. Heading into the quarterfinal round at team state championship level, Rockford took 28 wrestlers - the state maximum - to compete.
 

Rockford showed consistent wrestling going into end-of-season competition with solid leadership by players such as Ben Bennett (171 lbs.) and Jessie Somsel (285 lbs.). Kyle Waldo at 112 lbs., although injured, had a good season and wrestled nearly undefeated with just one loss. Jake Dorulla (145 lbs.), although only a sophomore, has shown good leadership on the mat. Ian Martin, a senior at 125 lbs., has really distinguished himself both on and off the mat. He is always behind his teammates, rooting hard and helping to push them in practice.
 

Competition began with Jake Byers at 119 lbs., who won with a technical fall, starting Rockford out at 5-0. He was followed by Zack Johnson (130), coming in off a knee and leg injury late in 2007. Johnson won in a close decision.
 

Rockford fans were thrilled with the strong start against the impressive Bedford and roared  encouragement.
 

Martin (130) was pinned at 1:41. Rockford was then at 8-6 with a lot of energy and excitement for early wins, and showed it with the sense of electricity in the air. They were undeterred in Ram support after the setback.
 

Adam Bonner (135) lost after a full six minutes with a tough decision score of 9-2. He wrestled very well as a freshman athlete up against a Sr. The performance is typical of Bonner's skill, his strong season has proven.
 

Jake Johnson (140) took a 6-3 decision, giving back the lead to Rockford at 11-9. Jumping back in the lead put fans in a frenzy, knowing several powerhouse players were coming up.
 

At 145 pounds, Dorulla took an 11-4 decision that heightened the sense of excitement. Dorulla was taken down for the first time all season, but battled back against a solid Temperance Bedford wrestler. The win increased the Rockford lead to 14-9.
 

Nearing the halfway point, fans were ecstatic for Rockford's performance and strong lead.
 

CJ Scholl was up next, but lost on a pin in the second period against Bedford's Patrick Nusbaum, who is definitely a state contender at 152 pounds. That put the team score at 15-14 - excruciatingly close.
 

The crowd was still enthusiastic, solidly behind the team and confident of success, but on edge nonetheless.
 

Joe Tennhill (160), lost to Alex Ortman (160) in a pin at 1:23 in the first period. Ortman is the number-one 160-pounder in the state and a most formidable opponent. Credit goes to Tennhill for tough competition against an athlete more seasoned by far in the sport. Tennhill is a solid wrestler who is willing to come up and wrestle for varsity when he is needed, but was a little out of depth against Ortman.
 

Brian Twiest (171) was next, back for his third match since coming off a shoulder injury sustained during the varsity football season. He was pinned at 2:52 by Bedford's Ina Kohlhofer.
 

Bedford had gained a lead of 27-14 at this point. Some Ram fans were losing hope, others still hopeful with four of Rockford's big guns still up to compete.
 

Bennett - moved up from his usual 171 pounds to wrestle at 189 - pinned his opponent in 48 seconds in the first period. He took Tony Fye (189) to his back with a cradle from which Fye couldn't recover. Rockford was at 20, Bedford 27.
 

At 215 pounds, Joe Stefanski faced Bedford's Nick Witenburg. Bedford's coach did some moving around, pulling Witenburg from his 189-pound weight to compete at 215. At that point, Bedford knew they would be facing Stefanski and moved Witenburg from his usual class up to 215 in hopes of saving a few points. Witenburg won a tough-fought 11-5 decision, bringing the team score to 30-20 in Bedford's favor.
 

Jesse Somsel (285) squashed the opponent with a fall at 5:25 in the third period. The team score at that point was 30-26, breathing life into the Rockford hopes.
 

Play dropped down to 103 pounds, the lightest weight class. Alex Padilla met his match in TJ Stevens of Bedford. Padilla lost by a pin at 2:42 and sealed the match for Bedford with a score of 36-26 with only one match left. Rockford would not advance to the next round of competition.
 

Waldo (112) nevertheless gave his all and pinned his opponent Tom Fox in 3:41, making the final heartbreak score 36-32 in Bedford's favor.
 

Rockford can be proud of the season and the day's efforts with a rank in the top eight wrestling teams in the state. Bedford went on to finish as the runner-up to the state championship team.
 

Individuals who have advanced to the state tournament are as follows: Waldo (112), a junior two-time state champion; Byers (112), a sophomore, placed eighth in the state last season; Martin (125), a senior, making his first trip to the individual state tournament; Zach Johnson (130), a junior, is a two-time state placer; Bonner (135), a freshman, made it to state in his first season; Jake Johnson (140), a sophomore, was also a state qualifier last season; Dorulla (145), a sophomore, was a state runner-up last year; Bennett (171), a senior, is a two-time state champion and placed third in the state; Stefanski (189), a sophomore, is making his first appearance at the state tournament; Somsel (285), a junior, was a regional qualifier last season and is making his first trip to state.
 

Coach Don Rinehart noted, "These wrestlers are now in the top 16 wrestlers in the state in their weight class in Division I." They will compete in individual state championships starting Thursday, March 6 through Saturday at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
 

Coach Don Rinehart commented, "The team this year ended its dual meet portion of the season with a record of 27-3. Accomplishments include winning the OK Red conference for the fifth straight year, and not losing a single league dual over the last five years with a record of 33-0. Also the team won the team district and regional championship the last four years. In both 2005 and 2008, the team made it to the quarterfinals, in 2006 to the semifinals, and 2007 was the state championship season. With a relatively young lineup this season, the Rams are looking forward to continuing this tradition in 2009."

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February - Wrestling Athlete of the Month

Jesse Somsel, Junior  Record 47-4

Jesse is a junior who wrestles in the 285 pounds weight class. 

He has become a dominate wrestler in the area this season. 

He has worked hard to improve over the last year and has show

tremendous strides with his wrestling. 

Jesse provides us with a solid performer in the upper weight class.

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Jake Byers works his opponent.   Kyle Waldo pushes for the pin in his match at 112 pounds. Wrestlers drop decision in quarterfinals of state tournament Rockford Independent - Randy Gregory - March 6, 2008 The Rockford varsity wrestling team journeyed to Battle Creek Friday with high hopes of defending its Division I state championship. No. 5 Temperance Bedford had plans of its own, however, and used five pins to power a 36-32 win over the third-ranked Rams. With the loss the Rams ended the season with a 27-3 record and thoughts of what might have been. "I don't feel that we were overly confident," said head coach Don Rinehart. "We knew it would be difficult to defend when you have that bulls eye on you. We also knew that Bedford has a great tradition and we would have to wrestle well to come out on top. They took advantage of their bonus points and we didn't." The match began well for Rockford, as Jake Byers posted a 17-2 technical fall that was immediately followed by a Zach Johnson 7-5 decision at 125 pounds that gave the Rams an early 8-0 edge. The outlook changed dramatically in the match over the course of the next seven matches. Rockford was only able to garner two decisions while giving up four pins and a decision to fall into a 27-14 hole. Jake Johnson posted a 6-3 win at 140 pounds and Jake Dorulla won an 11-4 verdict to temporarily stem the tide. Rockford then made a valiant effort at a comeback when Ben Bennett at 189 pounds, Jesse Somsel at 285 pounds and Kyle Waldo at 112 all gained pins of their own. Temperance Bedford earned a decision at 215 pounds and a match-clinching pin at 103 to claim the win. "This doesn't diminish what these kids have accomplished all year long," said Rinehart. "We were faced with a lot of injuries and some young kids really stepped it up when they were given the chance. But, today, we were outwrestled. "They attacked us and came up with some big wins." Ten Rams are still standing, awaiting the state individual championships at Auburn Hills Friday and Saturday. The Rams will only lose five seniors, as the coaches reload for next year and attempt to defend the conference, district and regional titles in an attempt to return to Battle Creek.

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Wrestlers move on to Battle Creek
Randy Gregory - Rockford Independent - 2/28/2008

Rockford's wrestling team punched its ticket for a fourth-consecutive trip to Battle Creek by claiming the regional title at Grandville on Wednesday, Feb. 20.

The Rams defeated a very solid Grand Haven Buccaneer team 36-26 in the semifinals before cruising to a 53-18 decision over the Jenison Wildcats in the finals. With the win, the Rams now stand at 27-2 on the season as they look to defend its state title.

Waiting in the wings for the Rams will be the Kicking Mules of Temperance Bedford. The Mules are currently ranked fifth in the state in Division I and are a perennial power. The quarterfinal matchup kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 29, and the winner will move on to the semifinals against the winner of the Lake Orion-L'Anse Creuse tilt. The semi starts at 11:45 a.m. Saturday, March 1 and if the Rams prevail there as well would wrestle in the finals at 4 p.m.

"I knew that we were in for a battle with Grand Haven," said head coach Don Rinehart. "It is exactly what you expect in the O-K Red. You can never let your guard down and need to expect that every match could decide the outcome."

Rockford jumped out to a 23-0 lead over Grand Haven before the crowd had settled into its seats. The match began at 145 pounds, where a Jake Johnson pin gave the Rams a 6-0 edge. CJ Scholl and Jake Dorulla followed with back-to-back majors at 152 and 160 to push the lead to 14-0. A Ben Bennett pin at 171 pounds made it 20-0, Rockford, and Brian Twiest increased the lead to 23-0 with a hard-fought 4-3 decision at 189 pounds.

The Bucs posted their first win of the night at 215 pounds to temporarily quell the onslaught. But a Jesse Somsel pin at 285 put the Buccaneers into a 29-3 hole halfway through the contest.

Grand Haven then proceeded to win five of the next six weight classes to draw within 32-26. A Kyle Waldo decision at 119 was the only win for the Rams over that span. Freshman Adam Bonner made sure a tie wouldn't ensue with an overwhelming 9-0 major decision to give the Rams their final margin of 36-26.

The Jenison victory was never in doubt from start to finish for Rockford. Four Ram pins and two Jenison forfeits in the first eight contests gave Rockford a 36-8 lead and pretty much eliminated all of the drama. Dorulla, Scholl, Bennett and Somsel posted the pins, while Alex Padilla and Charlie Hall were the recipients of the voids.

Waldo added a pin and was joined in the winner's circle by decisions by Zach Johnson and Bonner. A technical fall from Jake Johnson was the final nail in the coffin for the Wildcats.

"All season long we have counted on our backups in some key situations, and they have come through for the team time and time again," said Rinehart.

Come cheer on the Rams and join Rockford's enthusiastic, loud and loyal fan-base, there is always room for more.

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10 Rockford wrestlers head to state

Sunday, February 24, 2008  - By Steve Vedder - The Grand Rapids Press

 KENTWOOD -- Rockford junior Kyle Waldo can point to about 50 reasons why it could be an all-Rams wrestling state final at 112 pounds.

That's how many times Waldo figures he has faced teammate Jake Byers over the past two seasons in either practices or matches.

The latest time came in the finals of Saturday's Division 1 individual regional at East Kentwood where Waldo, a two-time state champ, survived with a 1-0 win against Byers. Waldo improved his record to 21-1 and Byers is 41-5.

"He's a great wrestler," Waldo said of Byers. "With us it's who usually scores first that wins. If I do, I win; if he scores first, he wins. It's so close. The next time I step on the mat could be in the state finals against him. That's definitely a possibility."

Byers, who lost to Waldo in overtime of the district finals, said with a regional championship on the line, he treated Waldo just like any other opponent in a crucial match -- teammate or not.

"With this much at stake, yes," he said. "This is more than just a normal tournament. Usually if he wins, great. If I win, that's great. He's a real good wrestler."

Waldo is approaching 100 percent after missing much of the season with a knee injury that's going to require post-season surgery. He got in 13 matches before he was hurt, then returned for the O-K Red meet Feb. 9.

"It catches or pops sometimes, but I'm okay," he said. "I was worried when I did it because the doctor said I'd need surgery. I said, 'I'm done, there goes my chance to win state.' But I can still wrestle on it."

Waldo and Byers are two of 10 Rockford wrestlers headed to state individual finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills March 6-8. That number includes three champions in Waldo, Jake Dorulla at 145 and Ben Bennett at 171.

Dorulla (42-0) and Bennett (49-0), in fact, are two of three wrestlers who entered the meet unbeaten and whose records remained intact after three straight wins. John Houseman of Grand Haven won the 135 pound class to up his record to 33-0.

A senior, Bennett won state titles as a freshman and junior while finishing third as a sophomore. He said it's still much too early to be thinking about a perfect season.

"I don't think about it," he said. "Every time you step on the mat, my goal is to win. But a lot of things can happen."

The O-K Red as a whole was outstanding at the regional, producing 10 champions and 25 placers. Grand Haven's Dan Sabin (125) and Seth Holt (189) each win titles as did East Kentwood's Deshawn Nelson (140) and Jake Bohn (160) while Hudsonville had first place finisher Justin Zimmerman (119) and Grandville's Zakk Sharron (152) also won.

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11 grapplers move on to regional action Rockford's contingent of 13 wrestlers journeyed to Grand Haven on Saturday in hopes of moving on in state individual district action. The Rams moved an impressive 11 of 13 wrestlers to regional action in what was purported to be one of the most difficult districts in the state. Those 11 will now compete in the regional at East Kentwood on this Saturday. "To be able to get 11 of our wrestlers through in this district is a great feat," said head coach Don Rinehart. "And to be able to get nine wrestlers into the finals of their weight class is even more impressive. This (regional) will almost be like having a repeat of our conference tourney because 47 of the 56 placers are from the O-K Red." Rockford had four wrestlers claim first in their respective weight classes. The most notable of these was the 112-pound final between Kyle Waldo and Jake Byers, which featured a pair of Ram stalwarts. When the match was over Waldo was still standing after a 2-1 overtime decision over his teammate. Jake Johnson won 8-2 at 140 pounds, Jake Dorulla posted a 14-6 major decision at 145 and Ben Bennett pinned his way through the tournament for the title at 171 pounds. Besides Byers, four other Rams fell just short. Zach Johnson lost a heart-breaking 10-8 decision at 130, Adam Bonner was pinned in the finals at 135, Joe Stefanski fell just short with a 3-0 loss at 189 and Jesse Somsel fell 11-6 at 285. In addition, Ian Martin placed third at 125 pounds and Alex Padilla netted a fourth-place showing at 103 pounds. "Our regional will not get any easier," said Rinehart."The competition there will be top-notch as well and we will have to wrestle at our best to move on. "These kids have proven time and time again what they are made of." Wrestling team claims district title Randy Gregory - 2/21/06 - The Rockford Independent Rockford's wrestling team moved its record to 24-2 and advanced to the regionals with a hard-fought 37-18 decision over long-time nemesis Grandville in district action at Rockford on Thursday. The Rams now travel to Grandville on Wednesday, Feb. 20, to face conference rival Grand Haven in the first round of regional action. The winner of that match will move on to face the winner of the Jenison-Grand Ledge match immediately thereafter. The victory and the fans reaction was muted to a certain extent with the news from earlier in the day of the untimely passing of long-time assistant football and baseball coach Scott Erbes. The crowd quietly listened as a tribute was proffered for "Erbie." "We knew we would be in for a tough time with Grandville," Rockford head coach Rinehart said. "When you couple the fact that Grandville has always been one of our biggest rivals and the accident from earlier in the day you realize just how resilient these kids are. A lot of our kids played for coach Erbes in one sport or another and really seemed to use the situation as motivation to perform well." The match started at 160 pounds where CJ Scholl was paired with a returning state placer for Grandville. Scholl put up a determined effort, but fell 5-2. Ben Bennett followed with a pin in 1:07 to give the Rams a 6-3 edge. Bennett's win was noteworthy because it was his 200th win against only three losses in his unbelievable career at Rockford. Bennett is the first Ram grappler ever to reach that magic number. Brian Twiest returned to action at 189 pounds after missing two-and-a-half months of the season and lost an exciting see-saw battle 20-16, which evened the score at 6-6. A pin from Joe Stefanski in 5:07 at 215 pounds gave Rockford a 12-6 lead, and an 8-2 decision from Jesse Somsel at heavyweight pushed the lead to 15-6. A pin by the Dawgs at 103 reduced the lead to a precarious 15-12, and let the fans know that Grandville had come to put up a fight. Two-time state champ Kyle Waldo posted an 18-3 technical fall and that was immediately followed by a 5-1 Jake Byers decision to give the Rams a little breathing room at 23-12. Rockford lost by decision at 125 and 130 to bring Grandville back to within five points at 23-18 before four consecutive Ram wins put the match away. Bruce Carlstrom (5-4 decision at 135 pounds), Adam Bonner (16-1 technical fall at 140), Jake Johnson (7-4 decision at 145), & Jake Dorulla (8-5 decision @ 152). That gave the Rams the 37-18 win and moved them another step closer to its ultimate goal of defending its state championship. "Next week won't be any easier," said Rinehart. "We will for sure have to face at least one team from our conference (Grand Haven) and if we are lucky enough to win that one we may end up having to face Jenison."

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Rockford eliminates Jenison for fourth straight year

Thursday, February 21, 2008 - By Kelly Hill - The Grand Rapids Press

GRANDVILLE -- Jenison wrestling coach Kelly Krepps and Rockford coach Don Rinehart expressed regret Wednesday night following the Division 1 team regional tournament at Grandville High School.   Krepps, however, had more to regret.

Krepps regretted that his Wildcats lost to No. 3-ranked Rockford 53-18 in the regional championship match. He also regretted that the Rams have now beaten Jenison four years in a row in the regional tournament. Krepps also regretted that more O-K Red wrestling teams are unable to advance to at least the quarterfinal round of the state tournament.

Rinehart, whose Rams edged Grand Haven 36-26 in the regional semifinals, shared that latter regret.

"We had a real battle with Grand Haven. We knew that would come down to the last match and it did," Rinehart said. "Jenison has a good team too, but they have had some injuries and you can't afford to give away points.

"It is too bad that we all have to be in the same region all the time," Rinehart said. "If you look at Saturday's (individual) district, of the 56 state qualifiers, 47 of them are from our league," Rinehart said of the Division 1 district tournament at Grand Haven. "That shows you what this league is all about. It's tough. Our league gets us ready for everything that happens at the end of the year."

Rockford, which is ranked behind Davison and Holt in Division 1, jumped out to an early lead in the championship match, which opened action at 152 pounds. Rams Jake Dorulla, C.J. Scholl and Ben Bennett opened the match with pins in the 152, 160- and 171-pound divisions. For Bennett, Wednesday night was just one more step toward what he hopes is another state championship.

"These are the last two weeks of my career," Bennett said. "I want to win another individual title and a team title. It would be the perfect ending if I could get both of those."

Rockford's Jesse Somsel won with a pin in the 285-pound division and Kyle Waldo won with a pin at 119. Jake Johnson earned a technical fall at 145 pounds while Rams Zach Johnson and Adam Bonner won decisions at 135 and 140 pounds, respectively. Alex Padilla and Charlie Hall won by forfeit at 103 and 112 pounds, respectively.

Jenison's four wins were posted by David Bobldyk who earned a pin at 125, Austin Wyngarden who won by major decision at 130, Josh Meinzer who won by technical fall at 189 and Nick Raimer who edged Rockford's Joe Stefanski 10-9 at 215 pounds.

"Coming into the state tournament we didn't think our team would be here," Krepps said. "They pulled together though and we got this far. We come from a great area of wrestling and there are so many teams around here that might deserve to be in Battle Creek. It's too bad that we all have to take the same road to Battle Creek. It would be nice if a couple of other teams from our conference could get down there."

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Wrestlers cruise to O-K Red title
Randy Gregory - 2/14/06 - The Rockford Independent

After blanking Muskegon 68-0 in its final dual meet Thursday, only the conference meet at Grand Haven Saturday stood between Rockford and an outright conference title.

The Rams erased all doubt early, advancing 10 wrestlers to the finals. On its way the Rams amassed 234 team points to outscore second-place Grandville by 83 points. Grandville scored 151 points for second and Grand Haven claimed third with 143 points.

Five of 10 finalists for Rockford emerged as conference champions. In addition, the Rams had five runners up and two fourth-place winners as they placed in 12 of the 14 weight classes.

"Any time you can place 12 of 14 wrestlers and put 10 into the finals you have to feel very good about your accomplishment," said head coach Don Rinehart. "All you have to do is look around the state for tournament results on Saturday and you can see just how tough the O-K Red is. We still have a couple wrestlers trying to round themselves back into shape after an extended layoff, but they'll get there."

Two of the high points on the day for Rockford included the long-awaited return of two-time defending state champion Kyle Waldo and the fourth consecutive conference title for senior Ben Bennett. Waldo was out of action for seven weeks with torn meniscus cartilage but returned to claim his third consecutive title by posting a hard-fought 6-5 decision at 112 pounds. Bennett overwhelmed all who stood in his path at 171 pounds with three consecutive pins, the last of which came at the 3:13 mark in posting the 199th victory of his career.

The other three Rams who claimed titles included junior Jesse Somsel at 285 pounds, with a 4-1 decision, and sophomores Jake Johnson and Jake Dorulla at 140 and 145 pounds, respectively. Johnson pinned his opponent in 1:07, while Dorulla posted a 19-7 major decision.

Senior Ian Martin headlined the second-place finishers with a heart-breaking 2-1 loss to a returning state placer from Grand Haven. Junior CJ Scholl fell just short at 152 and sophomores Joe Stefanski (189) and Jake Byers (119) finished second. Freshman Adam Bonner also claimed second with a 4-0 loss to a defending state runner up at 135 pounds. Junior Zach Johnson and freshman Alex Padilla both claimed fourth-place finishes for the Rams.

The Rams have two big events on the immediate horizon, one for the team and one for individuals.

The Rams host a district tournament Thursday that includes O-K Red foes East Kentwood and Grandville. Those two teams will face off at 5:30 p.m., and the Rams will face the winner after that match.

"The district team tournament will match us up with one of the very good teams from our conference," said Rinehart. "Both Kentwood and Grandville are very good teams and will put us to the test. Our individual district is usually dominated by the O-K Red as well. A lot of the match ups on Saturday will be repeats of what we saw last weekend."

The winner of the district will advance to team regionals at Grandville on Wednesday, Feb. 20.

Individual districts will be contested on Saturday at Grand Haven.

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Wrestling roundup: Rockford takes Red

Sunday, February 10, 2008  By Jeff Chaney - The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND HAVEN -- Jake Johnson wants to make it a family tradition.  The Rockford sophomore wrestler won his second consecutive O-K Red Conference championship when he pinned Jenison's Aaron Strelecki in 1 minute, seven seconds in the finals of the 140-pound weight class Saturday at Grand Haven High School.

Johnson's goal is to win four conference championships, just like his older brother J.J. Johnson, who now wrestles at Eastern Michigan University.

"That's my goal," Jake Johnson said. "It's pretty big for me. I want to keep this a family tradition, and hopefully my little brother (Rockford seventh grader Jared Johnson) can do it too. It's a big deal."

Johnson was one of 10 Rams to wrestle in the finals, with five coming home as conference champions.

That total helped Rockford win its fifth consecutive O-K Red championship by winning Saturday's conference tournament with a total of 234 points, 83 points ahead of Grandville.

"That's outstanding," Rockford coach Don Rinehart said. "You look around, and any time our league teams wrestle in a tournament, they always finish near the top."

One of Rockford's champions was senior Ben Bennett, who won his fourth conference title when he pinned Grandville's Jason Bonham in 3:13 in the 171-pound championship match.  "It's nice (to win four), but it's not the big picture for me," said Bennett, who now holds his team career win record with 199. "This is on my way to my big goal of winning a state championship."

The other Rockford champions were Kyle Waldo (112), Jake Dorulla (145) and Jesse Somsel (285).

East Kentwood senior Jake Bohn knows how tough the O-K Red is.  He won his first conference title Saturday after three second-place finishes when he beat Grandville's Caleb Rivera by technical fall, 28-13, in the finals at 160.  "To me, this is harder than placing in the top three at state," said Bohn, who is 40-1 this year.  "My freshman year I lost to (Ben) Bennett, my sophomore year I lost to (Rockford's) Dustin Anderson and last year I loss to (Jenison's) David Johnson. So I have always wrestled studs in the finals here, so it was really nice to finally win one."

Other champions crowned Saturday were Grandville's Jacob Scholten (103), Paul Crowe (130) and Zakk Sharron (152), Hudsonville's Jordan Zimmerman (119), Grand Haven's Dan Sabin (125), John Houseman (135) and Seth Holt (189) and West Ottawa's Mike McClure (215).

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Ram grapplers overwhelm the Panthers
Randy Gregory - 2/7/06 - The Rockford Independent

The Panthers of Holland West Ottawa came in to Rockford on Monday night on a roll and holding a share of second place behind the league-leading Rams.

A Panther win would have forged a three-way tie for the lead in the O-K Red. But in a classic case of incredibly poor timing, the Panthers faced Rockford just two days after the top-ranked team in the state suffered its first two losses of the season. By the time the carnage was finished, Rockford swept the first 11 bouts on the way to a 60-9 shellacking of the Panthers.

"I look at last night as a great start toward the finish," said head coach Don Rinehart. "This week is very important to nail down the conference championship. We wrestled very well last night and it is a great way to go into Saturday's meet."

The match began at 103 pounds, or perhaps 119 pounds, as West Ottawa forfeited both 103 and 112 to give Rockford a 12-0 edge. Jake Byers recorded a 16-1 technical fall to stretch the lead to 17-0. Junior standout Zach Johnson then made his long-awaited return to the mat at 125 pounds after a 44-day layoff. Johnson posted a 17-4 major decision to give the Rams a 21-0 lead.

Ian Martin kept the ball rolling for Rockford, posting an 8-0 major decision to put the Rams ahead 25-0. Bruce Carlstrom pinned his opponent in 3:07 and Adam Bonner posted an 8-5 decision to push the margin to 34-0.

Jake Johnson recorded a 12-4 major decision over an undefeated Panther at 145 pounds and Jake Dorulla repeated the feat at 152 with a 19-6 verdict. C.J. Scholl and Ben Bennett followed with pins at 3:20 and :56 seconds, respectively, to push the lead to an incredible 54-0. The win was Bennett's 195th against only three losses in his storybook career.

Tucker Anderson and Joe Stefanski then suffered the only Ram defeats back-to-back at 189 and 215. Stefanski's match was a heart-stopping match up of two of the state's best 215-pounders and ended in a 9-7 overtime loss for the Ram sophomore. Jesse Somsel completed the rout with a pin at 285 in 3:13 and the Rams had solidified their hold on first.

"Soon, the 'third' season begins, as we host districts on Thursday, (Feb. 14) and it becomes do or die," said Rinehart. "You win and you continue, you lose and the team part of your season is done."

Next up for Rockford is the final league dual at Muskegon on Wednesday followed by the conference meet at Grand Haven on Saturday, Feb. 9

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Rockford, Lowell fall in tough duals

Sunday, February 03, 2008 - By Jeff Chaney - The Grand Rapids Press

ROCKFORD -- Rockford wrestling coach Don Rinehart always tells his team that if the Rams go through a season undefeated, he's not scheduling right.

The Rams came into Saturday's Super Duals at Rockford with a 22-0 record and ranked No. 1 in Division 1.

They left with two losses, falling to defending national champion St. Edward's (Ohio) 38-24 in their first dual, and to state power Davison, 42-21, in dual two.

Rockford wasn't the only area team that walked away winless Saturday, as Lowell also fell to St. Edward's and Davison by the scores of 46-18 and 43-20, respectively.

 "You don't get better by seeking out people you can beat," Rinehart said. "I knew we could have come out of here today 0-2, but we competed, and when you compete against the best, you'll be OK."

Lowell coach Dave Dean echoed those sentiments.

"This was good for the kids," said Dean, whose team is 22-6. "We came out of this better. I can tell we were better when I walked away from my team (after the matches) that they're better for this; they weren't a wreck."

In Rockford's loss against St. Edward's, Rockford's upper weights got the team off to a great start, as Ben Bennett won by pin at 171 pounds and Joe Stefanski and Jesse Somsel won by decision at 215 and 285 respectively to go up 13-3.

But the Eagles won seven of the next eight weight classes to take an insurmountable 38-15 lead.

"They (St. Edward's) were the last team to beat us in a dual," Rinehart said. "Last year the score was 51-15; this year 38-24, so it was better. The kids learned some tremendous lessons wrestling at this high of a level."

Things went similarly for the Rams against Davison, as Stefanski and Somsel each won by decision to tie the score 6-6.

The Cardinals won six matches in a row to pull away from Rockford.

Davison coach Roy Hall, whose team had won five Division 1 state championships in a row before Rockford won last year's state title, admitted Saturday's win means little in the grand scheme.

"This doesn't tell us anything," said Hall, whose team is 25-1 and was ranked second in the state coming into the match.

"They have some studs out of the lineup, and we knew that. It was just fun to come here and wrestle Lowell and Rockford."

Against Lowell, both Davison and St. Edward's jumped out to early leads on the Red Arrows, and were never in trouble the rest of the match.

Two bright spots for Lowell: senior 152-pounder Justin Boss and junior 145-pounder Tim Gingerich each picked up their 100th career victories.

Boss earned an 18-3 technical fall win over Davison's James Hyatt, and Gingerich had a 4-3 decision over St. Ed's Connor Suba.

St. Edward's coach Greg Urbas was impressed with the venue and the crowd Saturday.

"It was excellent today," said Urbas, whose team is 15-2. "The reason we do this is to meet some great competition with great fans. We like a hostile environment like this because it makes our wrestlers focus and gets us ready for (the postseason)."

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Rockford limping into prestigious home quad

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

By Jeff Chaney - The Grand Rapids Press

 

The Rockford wrestling team will not be at 100 percent when the defending national champions and a serious contender to dethrone the defending Division 1 state champs pay a visit to Rockford on Saturday.

 

The Rams host St. Ed's of Lakewood, Ohio, the defending national champions, as well as Division 1 state-ranked Davison and Lowell in a quad.

 

Rockford, which suffered its only loss last season to St. Ed's at Davison, will be missing three starters for the meet.

 

Returning state champion Kyle Waldo, state placer Zach Johnson and Brian Twiest all are expected to miss the duals against St. Ed's and Davison. That Rams will not wrestle Lowell.

 

"We're looking for the competition," said Rockford coach Don Rinehart, whose team is 22-0 and ranked No. 1 in Division 1.

 

"We're still going to have kids out of the lineup. I expect Waldo and Johnson will still be out of the lineup. It would be nice to be full strength, but we have a number of proven individuals that are looking for this type of competition."

 

Waldo and Johnson have been nursing bad knees since December, and Twiest has been out with a shoulder injury since the first week of the season.  "We are hoping to get people back slowly but surely," Rinehart said. "It is looking positive to get Waldo and Johnson back soon. Things look bright that those two could join us some time in February."

 

But not at the beginning of February for Saturday's quad. Rockford is scheduled to face St. Ed's at noon on one mat, while Lowell and Davison tangle on another at the same time. After that, Davison and the Rams wrestle, while Lowell and St. Ed's will do battle.

 

"You'll have a little bit of everything Saturday," Rinehart said. "It will give our wrestlers a chance to wrestle this caliber of team, and you don't get a chance like that often. St. Ed's is one of the best teams in the nation."

 

St. Ed's handed the Rams a 51-15 defeat last season.  Rockford is coming off the first tournament of the season in which it did not take first. Rockford was second to Holt at the Holt Invitational on Saturday. The host Rams won with 338.5 points, while Rockford's Rams were second with 254.

 

Three Rockford wrestlers won titles at Holt -- Jake Byers at 112 pounds, Jake Johnson at 145 and Ben Bennett at 171. Jesse Somsel at 285 and Joe Stefanski at 215 were runners-up, while Ian Martin was third at 130.

 

"Holt looked very good and strong," Rinehart said. "We wrestled well all day. All of our wrestlers placed higher than what they were seeded except for one. In order to beat Holt that day, we would have had to be full strength, and then it would have been interesting."

 

Martin cannot wait for that day.  "It's been frustrating," said Martin, a senior. "You want your best lineup in. With Waldo, Zach and Twiest out, it hasn't been normal. The faster they come back the better we'll be."

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Rockford's Bennett steals the show

Rockford Squire - 1/24/08
Rockford varsity wrestlers were at Jenison on Wednesday, January 16, and Stevensville Lakeshore on Saturday, January 19, finishing victorious at both tournaments. An entire gym rested on the edges of the mat during Rockford's 171-pound state champ Ben Bennett's match (pictured) against Mason's Jacob Burge, the most anticipated match of the day.  Bennett prevailed, 3-0. Both are nationally ranked wrestlers at their weight class.  Bennett has signed to wrestle for Central Michigan University.

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Jake Johnson competes at 145 pounds at the Rockford Invitational. Johnson helped the Rams claim the tournament championship with an undefeated day. Ram grapplers' record remains unblemished 1/18/08 Randy Gregory - Rockford Independent Rockford's No. 1 state-ranked wrestling team continued its perfect season with a pair of dominating performances this week. The Rams topped the Hudsonville Jan. 9, then dominated the Rockford Invitational Saturday. The Rams knocked off the Eagles for a 58-10 OK Red win and improve to 3-0 in the OK Red and 16-0 on the season Rockford posted 227 points at the Rockford Invitational Saturday to lead second-place Reed City by 79 points. Rounding out the invitational were Petoskey (118), Portage Central (105), Forest Hills Northern (102), Perry (86.5), Midland Dow (73.5), Tri-County (46), Traverse City West (34) and Breckenridge (6). "Saturday was a great day for us with the seven individual champions and one runner up," said head coach Don Rinehart. "We were also able to place 12 of 14 wrestlers in the 10-team tourney. There were several great individual matchups and we wrestled very well, but also found some things we need to keep working on to improve." The injury bug continued to afflict the Rams, as they were forced to wrestle without starters Kyle Waldo, Zach Johnson, Adam Bonner and Brian Twiest on Saturday. But, as is usually the case at RHS, their replacements proved themselves very capable when asked to step in. Seven Rams claimed firsts in the tournament in their weight classes: Jake Byers (119 pounds), Bruce Carlstrom (135), Jake Johnson (145), Jake Dorulla (152), Ben Bennett (171), Joe Stefanski (215) and Jesse Somsel (285). Also in the top three for the Rams were Ian Martin (second at 130), Alex Padilla (third at 103) and CJ Scholl (third at 160). Next up for the Rams is a dual meet on Wednesday, Jan. 16 against the always-dangerous Jenison Wildcats. That will be followed by a trip Saturday to Stevensville for the Lakeshore Tournament. The varsity B and C teams will also be in action Saturday at Caledonia and Cedar Springs, respectively. "We really look forward to every OK Red dual and the Hudsonville result kept us on track toward our goal of winning the conference," said Rinehart. "We had some great individual matchups, which is not indicated in the score. This week against Jenison will also prove to be a challenge." Rockford, Jenison among teams hit hard by injuries The Grand Rapids Press - Thursday, January 17, 2008   By Jeff Chaney JENISON -- Last year, Rockford's Kyle Waldo and Jenison's Nate Falbe battled five times on the wrestling mat. That won't be the case this year, as Waldo, a returning state champion, and Falbe, a state placer, sat in street clothes as their respective teams wrestled in an O-K Red Conference dual at Jenison High School on Wednesday night. The two are in a long line of talented grapplers that have been stricken with knee injuries this year. Waldo and Falbe, who are both dealing with torn meniscus tendons, join Rockford's Zach Johnson, Sparta's Adam Miller and Greenville's Jordan Miller as wrestlers who were all-state last year and are battling knee issues this year. "It's kind of a bummer," said Waldo, a two-time state champion. "I hate coming and watching my team wrestle without wrestling myself. But as long as I am back at the end of the season for the state tournament, that will be all right." Added Falbe, who plans on going in for surgery on his right knee Monday: "Hopefully, I'm back before districts. I'm getting (anxious) already. I just want to get back and wrestle." Jenison coach Kelly Krepps would love nothing more than to get his all-stater back. "Since Saturday, I've lost two more guys to knee injuries, so now I have three guys out," Krepps said. "I've never seen anything like this. Two weeks ago we're riding high and think we can challenge in the conference, and now we're scrambling to put a team together." Wrestling with an injury is not a good idea when you're wrestling the top-ranked and defending state champion Rockford Rams. Rockford, who has two all-state wrestlers out in Waldo and Johnson, still showed its depth and dominance by beating the Wildcats on Wednesday 49-19. "We both have injuries to deal with, but they have more," said Rockford coach Don Rinehart, whose team is 17-0 and 4-0 in the league. "Our depth came through tonight," Rinehart said. "The backups I put in the lineup are respectable." Starting at the 145-pound weight class, the Rams jumped on Jenison, and pulled away in the upper weights where Ben Bennett won by pin at 189, Joe Stefanski won by decision at 215 and Jesse Somsel won by pin at 285. Throw in a pair of Jenison forfeits at 103 and 112, and the match was over early. "We gave up 12 points at 103 and 112 and can't get pinned as much as we did," said Krepps, whose team is 16-4 overall and 2-2 in the league. "They were pinning us, and the points add up quick when that happens." January - Wrestling Athlete of the Month - Jake Johnson, Sophomore Record 22-0 Career Record 64-10 2007 State Qualifier, 1st place Kent Co., Rockford Invitational, Gold Medalist @ Comstock Park and Col. Howe.   December - Wrestling Athlete of the Month - Ben Bennett, Senior 171# Wt. Class Record 22-0 Career Record 181-3 2x State Champion , 3rd in 2005.  1st place Kent Co., Rockford Invitational, Gold Medalist @ Comstock Park and Col. Howe. Rockford crushes defending champs Allegan Saturday, January 05, 2008 - By Jeff Chaney - The Grand Rapids Press   The Rockford wrestling team proved Saturday that not only is it good, it's deep.   With returning state champion Kyle Waldo and all-state 125-pounder Zach Johnson watching from the sidelines in street clothes, Rockford won the Col. Howe Invitational at Union with a 54-6 thumping of Allegan in the finals.   In a battle of defending state champions, the Rams, the Division 1 champs, beat Allegan, the Division 2 champs, by winning 13 of the 14 weights wrestled.   "I'm very impressed with what we did today," said Rockford coach Don Rinehart, whose team improved to 15-0 with wins over Grand Rapids Central, Portage Central, West Catholic and Allegan.   "This is the first time we have wrestled in two weeks, and the kids were eager to get back on the mat."   C.J. Scholl got the rout going for the Rams, beating John Christman 10-3.   After a Ben Bennett pin at 171 for the Rams, Allegan cut the lead to three when Sam Wallace won by pin for the Tigers. From there, though, it was all Rams, including Charlie Hall winning by pin at 112, Waldo's weight, and Alan Padilla winning by decision at 125.   "I have to give it to the kids that have stepped in," Rinehart said. "You expect injuries, and that is what having good 'B' kids is all about. They may be on the 'B' team, but when the move up to the varsity team, they're varsity kids and know what is expected of them."   In the best match of the day, Rockford's Jake Byers beat Allegan's Steve Poffenberger 9-7 when he threw a spladle in and put Poffenberger on his back late.   The Byers win avenged his only loss of the year, a 4-2 decision to Poffenberger at the Kent County Classic early last month.   "That was a big one," Byers said. "My only loss motivated me to come back and beat him today. It was nice to get some revenge."   Like Poffenberger, Allegan coach Murray Rose says all his wrestlers need to get back to work to improve and try and defend their team state title.   "We lost 10 kids off our team from last year, so it's a rebuilding year for us," said Rose, whose team is 14-2. "After today, we need to get back to practice and work on some things. We just got out-matched today."   Ram wrestlers win thriller at EMU Randy Gregory  - January 2, 2008 - The Rockford Independent   Rockford's wrestling team made the long trip to Ypsilanti on Saturday, Dec. 22 to wrestle in the Canton Christmas Duals. After four relatively easy wins leading to the finals, the Rams found themselves up against a very strong team from Goodrich for the title. In a match that featured more ups and downs than a Catholic mass, the Rams emerged victorious by a 36-35 count. "That was an extremely long day," said head coach Don Rinehart. "We left Rockford at 5:30 a.m. and found ourselves wrestling in the finals twelve hours later. We had some tough matches and really had to dig deep to beat Goodrich." Rockford began the day with victories over Brighton, New Boston Huron, Westland John Glenn and Belleville. Rockford also faced the added adversity of losing returning state placer Zach Johnson to a knee injury in his first match of the day and two-time state champion Kyle Waldo to an injury that forced him to miss the middle three matches of the day. The title tilt began at 130 pounds, where the Rams were forced to void due to Johnson's injury and found themselves in a quick 6-0 hole. Things went from bad to worse for the Rams as Goodrich recorded a technical fall and a pin at 135 pounds and 140 pounds to take a 17-0 lead. At that point the tide turned in the Rams' favor, as Jake Johnson recorded a major decision to get the Rams on the board. Jake Dorulla followed with a pin at 152 pounds and CJ Scholl came through with a huge escape in the final 10 seconds of the match at 160 pounds for a key decision that kept the momentum on the Rams' side. Goodrich then forfeited to Ben Bennett at 171 pounds and the Rams had a 19-17 lead. That was just the start of the fun for raucous fans of both teams. Goodrich won at 189 pounds by pin and 215 pounds by decision to retake the lead at 26-19. The teams then traded pins, with Rockford's Jesse Somsel pinning his man at 285 pounds and Goodrich claiming 103 pounds to keep the margin at seven at 32-25 heading into the final three matches. Waldo posted a technical fall at 112 pounds while wrestling on only one good leg to draw the Rams to within two at 32-30. Jake Byers was up next at 119 pounds, quickly jumping to an 8-4 lead over a returning state qualifier from Goodrich. Then out of nowhere in a nearly identical moment from his match at Grandville on Wednesday, he spladled his opponent for a huge pin to put the Rams ahead 36-32. That left only Ian Martin to wrestle at 125 pounds for Rockford in the decisive bout of a heart-stopping contest. Martin's challenge was formidable, however, as he faced a returning state runner-up from Goodrich. On paper it was a simple job for Martin - he could only afford to lose by decision. Anything else and Goodrich held all the criteria if a tie-breaker was necessary. Martin was more than up to the task as he lost only 4-2, letting the Rams leave the mat with a perfect season and a 36-35 victory. "When you are wrestling a team as talented as Goodrich it just goes to show you how key every match is," said Rinehart. "It was a total team effort and a testament to our kids' determination and will to overcome all the adversity we faced and still come out on top."

Ram Tucker Anderson earns his first varsity win on Wednesday night against conference foe East Kentwood.   Ram matmen top Falcons in Red matchup ROCKFORD INDEPENDENT - 12/20/2007   Jeannie Gregory-Editor The Rockford varsity wrestling team hosted the Falcons of East Kentwood in an OK Red matchup on Wednesday, Dec. 12. The Rams showed depth and strength by claiming the match 66-7, winning 12 of 14 of the matches. "Even though the score was not very close, there were some very exciting matches," said head coach Don Rinehart. "East Kentwood has three All-State wrestlers in its lineup and we had a couple of come-from-behind wins to make for an exciting evening of wrestling. We enjoy the challenge from week to week in our conference because we know it will make us stronger for matches to come." Earning wins against the Falcons were Alex Padilla (103 pounds) pin 4:58, Charlie Hall (112) pin 3:33, Zach Johnson (125) 10-7, Ian Martin (130) 9-4, Bruce Carlstrom (135) pin 5:44, Adam Bonner (140) - by void, Jake Johnson (145) pin :55, Jake Dorulla (152) pin 1:45, Ben Bennett (171) pin 1:24, Tucker Anderson (189) pin 1:48, Joe Stefanski (215) pin 1:14 and Jesse Somsel (heavyweight) pin 2:58. The highlight of the evening was Tucker Anderson's first varsity appearance as a Ram. Anderson stepped in for the injured Brian Twiest and made the most of his debut. He pinned opponent Desmon Couch at the 1:48 mark to put an exclamation point on his appearance on the mat. The Ram varsity "B" team traveled to the lakeshore to compete in the Tim Horn Holland Invitational. Rockford placed seventh in the 16-team tournament. The wrestlers topped Marshall 37-36, Holland 37-31 and tied with Birmingham Brother Rice. Rockford lost to West Ottawa 38-27 and Reeths Puffer 58-27 in what was a great day of wrestling for the Rams. Next up for the varsity team is a match against the Grandville Bulldogs on Wednesday, Dec. 19, on the road. "Every match and every team point will be important in this matchup," said Rinehart. "In wrestling an individual can help the team even in a loss. You will always win some and lose some, so wrestlers have to keep the score close in a loss and not give up the big team points. If the whole team has that approach then things will work out for the best. "Grandville matches are always exciting and most of the time the winner is in a position to take the top spot in the league." On Saturday the Rams travel to Eastern Michigan University for the Canton Invitational at 9 a.m.

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Rockford puts O-K Red on notice with big win

Thursday, December 20, 2007

By Jeff Chaney - The Grand Rapids Press

GRANDVILLE -- The Rockford wrestling team is well on its way to winning its fifth consecutive O-K Red Conference championship.   The Rams had a huge statement win Wednesday night at Grandville High School, beating the Bulldogs 58-10.

 

Rockford is 2-0 in the league and 8-0 overall after a pair of easy conference wins against East Kentwood and Grandville. "We wrestled well tonight," Rockford coach Don Rinehart said. "It was like a snowball effect out there. We just got on a roll. "I thought the 119-pound match was a big match. We expected a battle there and we just caught him. From there we just kept getting more and more momentum."

 

With Grandville up 6-5, the 119-pound match pitted Rockford's Jake Byers and Grandville's Tim Streeter. The match started out intensely, but Byers caught Streeter on his back midway through the first period and pinned him in 1:01.  From there, the Rams went on to win the next six matches to build a 34-6 lead before Grandville's Zakk Sharron beat C.J. Scholl 13-4 at 160 pounds to stop the streak.

 

Rockford got on another streak after that, however, as Joe Tennihill at 171, Joe Stefanski at 215 and Jesse Somsel at 285 all won by pin, and Ben Bennett won by forfeit at 189 to close out the match. It was a strong performance by a relatively young team, with only two seniors in the lineup. "I love this team," Rinehart said. "They are all working very hard in the wrestling room. They all have good workout partners, and are starting to get close as a team. We still have some work to do, but we're getting there."

 

Grandville coach Jack Richardson said Wednesday's match against the defending Division 1 state champions and top-ranked team this year was a good measuring stick for his squad. "We need to be tougher, and not back down," said Richardson, whose team fell to 1-1 in the league and 8-2 overall. "We are the type of team if we believe we are good, we'll be good. They wrestled very well tonight. They are a well-coached team, but we need to focus on our strengths and not get dictated to in matches.

"This told us where we are in our journey. Right now we are not where we want to be."

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From gridiron to the mat works for Rockford

   Sunday, December 02, 2007 - Kelly Hill - The Grand Rapids Press

Because the Rockford football team bowed out of this year's Division 1 playoffs three weeks before it had in each of the last three years, the Rams who play varsity football and wrestle were able to contribute to a Rockford victory Saturday in the Panther Invitational at Comstock Park.

The Rams went 4-0 in the eight-team tournament and defeated Spring Lake 72-12 in the championship match. The host Panthers edged Forest Hills Central 39-30 to claim third place.

Rockford's Joe Stefanski and Jesse Somsel, who play varsity football and wrestle, were two of 10 Rams who went undefeated in at least three matches. Senior Brian Twiest also plays varsity football and wrestles at Rockford.

"Normally we come in here without our football players, because of the success they've had," Rockford coach Don Rinehart said. "Today we have the football players because they lost earlier this year, so we have mostly our whole lineup here."

Stefanski wrestles at 215 pounds, Somsel is Rockford's heavyweight and Twiest wrestles at 189 pounds.

"The football players are our upper three weights, but this is a very balanced lineup," Rinehart said.

"This year our upper weights are about the same as they were last year, and they have come a long way since last year. But we lost some key leaders from last year's team."

Rockford defeated Belding 75-6 in the opening round, shut out Central Montcalm 78-0 in the second round and defeated Comstock Park 56-12 to advance to the championship match.

"Our balance looks real good this year," Rinehart said. "We are very young too, we only have three seniors." Those seniors are Twiest, Ben Bennett at 171 pounds and Ian Martin at 130.

In addition to Stefanski and Somsel, the other Rams who went undefeated, in at least three matches, were Kyle Waldo at 112 pounds, Jake Byers at 119, Zach Johnson at 125, Martin, Adam Bonner at 140, Jake Dorulla at 145, Jake Johnson at 152 and Bennett.

"Rockford is an excellent team," Spring Lake coach Tom Koops said. "You could tell that they work hard and they deserve it. I'm sure they work hard all summer and lift weights a lot. I didn't see many weak spots."

"The level where Rockford is is the level that we want to get to," Koops said. "Rockford is a good team, an excellent team. It is good for our guys to see that, so they can know how much they can improve."

Evan Stral, who went unchallenged at 189 pounds and Cory Gray, who won the 135-pound bout with a pin, were the only Lakers to win against the Rams. Gray also went undefeated in at least three matches at Saturday's invitational.

Rockford is scheduled to defend the championship it won last year when it wrestles Saturday at the Kent County Classic.