Winekoff's quest for perfection ends with last-second 7-6 setback

BY ED WRIGHT
March 6, 2010, 11:05 p.m.

  Brent Winekoff's thousands-of-practice-hours, gallons-of-sweat investment in wrestling was 25 seconds  away from cashing in on a high school state title Saturday night on the floor of the Palace of Auburn Hills.

  But with one quick takedown, East Kentwood's Deshawn Nelson turned Winekoff's perfection into dejection in a riveting Division 1 152-pound  individual final showdown.

  A Winekoff escape with 55 seconds left in the third period gave the Canton senior standout a 6-5 advantage, however, Nelson executed a takedown 30 seconds later to seize a 7-6 lead.

  Winekoff, who entered the match with a 60-0 record, came within inches of pulling off a dramatic, match-tying escape as the clock ticked down toward 0:00. Starting in the down position on a restart with 11 seconds left, Winekoff managed to get to his feet, but he couldn't quite break the around-the-waist grasp of Nelson.

  Winekoff was trying to become just the second wrestler in Canton's history to win an individual state title. Corey Phillips, who currently is wrestling at Eastern Michigan University, accomplished the feat in 2008.

  Nelson derailed Winekoff's quest for a state title in 2009 as well, defeating the Chief in a semifinal encounter.

  Saturday night's match was scoreless until the 31-second mark of the first period when Winekoff recorded a takedown to take a 2-0 lead.

  Nelson rallied to take a 3-2 lead with an escape at the 1:45 mark of the second period and a takedown 10 seconds later.

  Winekoff knotted things up at 3-3 with an escape with just under a minute to go in the second stanza.

  Winekoff grabbed a 4-3 lead with an escape 13 seconds into the third period. He padded the cushion to 5-3 32 seconds later, prompting Canton coach Corey Mancuso to implore, "Just one more takedown, Brent Winekoff! Just one more takedown!"

  Nelson deadlocked the match at 5-all with a takedown with 1:02 left, but Winekoff pulled ahead, 6-5, seven seconds later with an escape.

  It appeared the four-time state-qualifier was going to be able to hold off Nelson's desperate attempts at a takedown until the match-deciding two-pointer unfolded with 25 seconds to go.