Plymouth 285-pounder Wally
Eppler (right) advanced to next Saturday's individual Regional
tournament by placing second in Saturday's District event.
Movin'
On
Twelve PCEP
grapplers move on to individual Regional tournament
BY ED WRIGHT
Feb. 13, 2010,
10:15 p.m.
The cream rose to the top at
Saturday's Division 1 individual District wrestling tournament at
Plymouth High School.
Of the 56 wrestlers who will be taking their skills to next
Saturday's Regional tournament at Saline High School, 23 were wearing
singlets bearing the logos of Novi Detroit Catholic Central (14) or
Canton (nine).
Barring an off-the-charts upset or two in first-round matches,
Catholic Central and Canton are destined to meet in Wednesday's
Regional team final at Canton High School.
In the three head-to-head championship matches held on Saturday,
Canton went 2-1 against CC.
CC's amazing depth was evident as three championship
weight-class matches featured Shamrock teammates squaring off against
one another.
Led by weight-class champions Donnie Watkins (140), Brent
Winekoff (152), Keith Zech (160) and Anthony Abro (189), the Chiefs
will be sending a school-record nine grapplers to Saline next weekend.
"Going into today, I thought we had a chance to get 11 out to the
Regionals," said second-year Canton coach Corey Mancuso. "Am I happy
with nine? Yes, but I would have liked to get 11 out."
Mancuso didn't hesitate when asked who the most pleasant
surprise was Saturday.
"Sophomore Alex Eimers making it at 119," said Mancuso. "He had
a great tournament."
The Chiefs' four champions were nothing short of dominant in
their respective weight classes. Watkins barely broke a sweat at 140,
recording first-round pins in all three of his matches.
Winekoff also breezed at 152, notching a pair of pins and a
forfeit against teammate Sean O'Keefe. While O'Keefe didn't qualify for
Regionals, he excelled in his first two matches, defeating Salem's
Tyler Gross, 10-3, and CC's Gerid Gee, 5-3.
Zech pinned his first two foes before shutting out his final two
opponents: Salem's Colin Gross (3-0) and CC's Andrew Erickson (4-0).
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