A Ford Field Experience for a Sault High Wrestler

“Hard work paves the way to Ford Field.”

Sault High Head Coach Jacinto Arreola is referring to one of his wrestlers. One of 1,120 of the best wrestlers from all over the state, Sault High junior Will Ohman competed in one of the largest state tournaments in the country this weekend. Proudly wearing his Blue Devil warmups, Ohman joined the other Division 2 qualifiers in the Grand March around Ford Field before the first round of wrestling started on Friday morning. Will had family and a few teammates cheering him on from the stands, while the rest of the team was able to watch the live feed in the High School library.

His first opponent was Tex Smith, also a junior, from Mason High School. Smith pinned Ohman in the first period. The sixteen man 138 lb weight class bracket was double elimination, and Will was not ready to call it a day. Junior Liam Totten from Trenton High School was no match for Ohman’s speed and strength. Ohman advanced to the next round after pinning Totten in 1:34. The third match, in the blood round, would determine who would step on to the podium. Ohman’s opponent was Junior Liam Dailey from Greenville High School. The match went all three rounds and ultimately ended in Dailey’s favor, with a score of 3-2.

Even though the day didn’t go as he had hoped, Ohman noted, “It was a cool experience that I plan on doing again.” Looking back over this year, he shared that it has been the best team season that he has ever had. As much as he loves this sport, he is looking forward to some free time now that the season is officially over. When asked what advice he has for new wrestlers, Will said that it’s important to stick with it and take it seriously.

Will’s biggest fans, his parents Mitch and Anne Ohman, reflected on their son’s successful season. “It was exciting to be at Ford Field. We watched Will work hard all year and to see him achieve his goals of winning UP Finals and going to States was incredible – especially because when he was 12 we weren’t sure he would ever walk out on the mat again. He has some amazing coaches and teammates that helped him along the way and we’re looking forward to next year and the future of Sault High Wrestling.”

With dedicated coaches Jacinto Arreola, Brendin Cryderman, Gordi Campbell, and Matt Vieira, the young Blue Devil team has potential to do great things.