HURON TWP — The Huron League wrestling regular season came to a close Wednesday night with several dual meets taking place around the conference.
One such event took place over at New Boston Huron, who was looking to finish to league dual meet schedule undefeated for a second straight season. Huron on Wednesday welcomed in longtime rival Monroe Jefferson, who was looking to force a potential three-way tie atop the league standings by night’s end.Instead, it was the locals from Huron cruising to a 54-12 win over the visiting Bears from Jefferson. The win marks the second time in as many seasons that the Chiefs have turned in an undefeated record in the league dual meets.
The win also came on a night where the program honored its soon-to-be graduating senior class of wrestlers, seven on the boys’ side and two on the girls’ side.
“We knew what we were up against tonight,” Huron head coach Logan Ritchie said. “We believe in every single one of our guys, top to bottom. And we had some seniors get in there today too, so that was awesome.”
Ritchie saw his team in a bit of a dogfight early on Wednesday.
Although they won in five of the first seven weight classes, Huron could only muster just 20 points in that stretch as all but one of those five wins were via a decision or major decision. Meanwhile, the two Jefferson victories in that time were both by fall.
Despite it only being an eight-point cushion then, Ritchie felt confident his team would come through, and for good reason. It showed in the form of winning the final seven bouts of the night, four of which were either by technical fall or by a pin.
“We’re really tough up and down our lineup,” Ritchie said. “But once we get into our middle weights, if you’re not winning then, you’re in big trouble. That’s pretty much what happened here.”
To Ritchie’s point, arguably Huron’s top matmen this season all reside anywhere between the 132 and 175-pound weight classes. That includes a trio of aforementioned seniors in Jason Downs (144 pounds), Nathan Matsos (157), and Joshua Hubbard (165).
Downs collected his team-leading 21st pin of the season on Wednesday, part of his 28 wins overall. Both Matsos and Hubbard meanwhile each have north of 30 victories already.
Those middle weights for Huron also features a stacked junior class group of Daniel Gemmel (132), Cayden Banko (138), and Braydon Hall (150). All three have combined to log 107 victories for the Chiefs this season, with Gemmel himself posting a sterling 39-2 mark following Wednesday’s action.
Not to be outdone by his upperclassman teammates in those middleweight classes is sophomore Garrett Marentette (175), who with his major decision win now has 36 victories, second only to Gemmel on the team.
Huron elsewhere on Wednesday got decision wins from Max Banas (113) and Jameson Layne (215), major decision wins from Caleb Frazier (106) and Finnegan Grube (190), and a 10-second pin from Trever Davis.
Both Banas and Grube each have over 30 wins now this season for the Chiefs Frazier, another senior recognized before the meet started, is just shy of that threshold with 28.
“It’s been awesome developing those relationships with them,” Ritchie said of the seniors. “Seeing them grow as young men and women, and getting better at wrestling, it’s been a lot of fun. I’m going to miss this class a lot.”
It’s become something of an annual tradition in recent years for Huron and Jefferson to wrap up the conference regular season against each other.
Ritchie, a Huron grad himself, talked about what it has been like facing off against the Bears.
“We’ve had a great rivalry with Jefferson,” Ritchie said. “It dates back to even when I was in high school. They’re always going to put out a tough team, no matter what they have. I’m really happy with what we did today.”
UP NEXT
Aside from a tournament hosted by Troy Athens on Jan 31, Huron will now turn its attention towards the Huron League Championships, which will be held at Monroe St Mary Catholic Central on Saturday, Feb 7.
The Chiefs will go into the meet looking to make it back-to-back outright conference titles. It’s one of several goals that Ritchie has charted for the program this winter.
“We usually have four checkmarks to check off during the season,” Ritchie said. “The first one is checked off. Now we can look forward to districts, regionals, and eventually states.”
Photo gallery of New Boston Huron hosting Monroe Jefferson in a Huron League wrestling dual meet
