Saturday the Varsity Blue Devils wrestling team traveled to Reed City for the Fourth Annual Holiday Rumble. Twelve teams would battle it out and have five duals by the end of the day. After the first round of pool play, the Blue Devils found themselves in the middle group, where they saw their toughest competitors of the day. The team went 1-4 overall, and had six Blue Devils with positive records. Seniors Cody Russo (215) and Sawyer Kuenzer (285) and junior Caleb Klier (144) went 4-1, and freshman Isaac Peabody (106), sophomore Sam Kiekhaefer (165/175) and junior Marc DeWildt (190) went 3-2 on the day.
Russo also joined the elite group of Blue Devil wrestlers that surpassed 100 wins in their high school career, when he pinned his opponent in the third round. “It was exciting to see a lot of hard work over the years pay off and it felt very fulfilling but the jobs not finished” noted Russo on reaching this milestone. Head Coach Jacinto Arreola commented on Russo’s achievement. “Cody’s 100 win feat is a testament to the work that he does both on and off the mat and the overall state of our team. Cody’s feat will provide a benchmark for future wrestlers to come and current members of the team when it comes to the required work effort and demeanor.”
The first dual of the day was against the hosts, Reed City. Kuenzer battled it out against highly ranked Wyatt Spalo and after four OT periods, got a point for an escape to win the match. The final dual score was Reed City 48; Sault 24. Winners in this match up included Isaac Peabody, Wyatt Peabody (138), Klier, DeWildt, and Russo.
The second round was against Comstock Park. At the end of the 14 bouts, it was a tied score of 39-39. The Sault won by criteria of having more pins during the match. Blue Devils winners were Isaac Peabody (pin 1:29), Wyatt Peabody (pin 5:03), Klier, Kiekhaefer (pin 1:07), DeWildt, Russo and Kuenzer (pin 1:36).
Bay City John Glenn was next for the Blue Devils. A team the Blue Devils usually do not see until Individual Districts, the Bobcats brought a number of multi-year state qualifiers to compete. Four first period pins and a void had the Blue Devils down 0-30 before Klier won a close match by decision (7-5), earning the first points for the team. Kiekhaefer (3:17) and Russo (0:51) followed with pins, and Kuenzer and Isaac Peabody finished the match with voids. The final score was Sault 27; BCJG 45.
Round four brought the Sparta Spartans to the mat. Three Blue Devils pinned their opponents, earning the only points for the team’s score. Klier had a second period pin. Kiekhaefer and Kuenzer pinned their opponents in the third period, making the match score Sault 18; Sparta 54.
The final round was a battle of the Blue Devils. Gaylord started out strong, taking the first six bouts. DeWildt got on the board with a void, followed by a Russo pin (1:18). Hazen Hudson (113) had a first period pin (0:51), and Ayla Menard (120) and Chase Tracey (126) earned points for their team with voids, bringing the final match score to Sault 30; Gaylord 49.
“Overall, the team performed very well. The past few tournaments have been some of the toughest that the Soo has ever competed in. This will ensure that our wrestlers are ready for the high level matches that they will experience come February and hopefully into March.”
The Blue Devils will travel to Petoskey next to compete in the Carl VanderWall Memorial Tournament.
- Blue Devil Wrestlers Rumble in Reed City - January 2, 2025
- Blue Devils Battle at the Bridge Brawl - December 30, 2024
- Blue Devils Improve to 3-1 - December 20, 2024
