By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
Dowagiac qualified half of its six wrestlers for the Michigan High School Athletic Association State finals in Auburn Hills later this month.
Undefeated heavyweight Michael Johnson and 145-pounder Jeromy Northrop both brought home regional championships Saturday night, while senior Darr Phillips finished third at 112.
Failing to qualify for the Chieftains were junior Kyle Bennett at 160, senior Jim Kehrer at 189 and junior Matt Behnke at 215.
Johnson, a senior, improved to 52-0 on the year with a 10-7 decision over Alex Catlin of Alma in the finals.
In reaching the finals, Johnson decisioned Chris Runyon of Allendale, 9-3, and pinned Jerry Rios of Bath in 3:06.
Johnson claimed career victory 156 with his victory in the championship match.
Northrop, a junior, improved to 44-9 on the season after his 15-6 victory over Mike Deklein of Comstock Park in the championship finals.
Northrop decisioned Joe Steffes, 17-8, in his first round match and then edged Steffan Merrill of Allendale in the semifinals, 9-6.
Phillips won his first round match against Portland's Jake Shandbor via a pin in 1:15. In the semifinals, however, Hamilton's Mark Howard pinned Phillips in 5:51. Howard went on to defeat Constantine's Jeff Holmes for the regional title, 6-1.
Phillips did not wrestle Howard in the team regional finals on Wednesday. Hamilton chose to bump Howard up to 119 to face Ryan Dutoi.
Heading into next Friday's team quarterfinals against Mason County Central, Phillips has a school record 168 victories.
In the consolation semifinals, Phillips rebounded to pin Jordan Tryc of Comstock Park in 2:21.
In the consolation finals, Phillips edged Tommy Zuniga of Ovid-Elsie, 4-3.
Bennett (39-13) lost both of his matches on Saturday.
In the first round he was defeated by Chris Reed of Portland, 9-6. In his second match, South Haven's Drakkar Klose scored a 4-3 victory.
Kehrer (38-10) also lost both of his matches on Saturday.
Joe Tacoma of Bath defeated Kehrer, 3-1, while Hamilton's Mitch Bosch won in overtime, 6-4. Bosch lost to Kehrer in the team regional finals on Wednesday, 5-3.
Behnke (28-19) lost his first round match to Shane Hoag of Wyoming Rogers), 6-4.
Dropping down to the consolation bracket, Behnke defeated Justin Charping of Alma, 8-1, but was knocked out of the tournament by Edwardsburg's Matt Rinehart, 6-0.
Dowagiac's John Johnson was named the Regional Assistant Coach of the Year.
Edwardsburg also qualified half of its wrestlers on Saturday as seniors Rex Kendle and Matt Rinehart moved on to the state finals at the Palace in Auburn Hills on March 11-13.
Kendle won the 152-pound regional championship with a pin of Paw Paw's Nate Medema in 44 seconds.
Kendle (49-1) reached the finals by pinning Jory Fowler of Bath in 2:55 and David Stanford for Mendon in 51 seconds.
Rinehart (43-8) finished fourth after losing to Hoag of Wyoming Rogers, 7-5, in the consolation finals. In his first match, Rinehart pinned Jeff Wright of Stanton-Central Montcalm.
Rinehart then was pinned by Stanton-Central Montcalm's Greg VanHouten in a minute.
In the consolation semifinals, Rinehart blanked Dowagiac's Behnke, 6-0.
Edwardsburg's Dustin Wilfert and Corey Parsons failed to qualify.
Wilfert (33-15) lost to Zuniga of Ovid-Elsie (3:52) and to Tryc of Comstock Park (7-6).
Parsons (31-17) lost to Merrill of Allendale (5:07) and Steffes of Portland (4:30).
Championship finals
103: Mitch Reatini (Allendale) d. Elijah Troost (Comstock Park) 8-2
112: Mark Howard (Hamilton) d. Jeff Holmes (Constantine) 6-1
119: Kyle Slocum (Belding) d. Kyle Grinage (Otsego) injury default
125: Adam Johnson (Portland) d. Eric Nartker (Shepherd) 1-0
130: Ben Wales (Otsego) d. Addison Clayton (Shepherd) 4-2
135: Jon Powell (Allendale) d. Joey Costanzo (Alma) 5-4
140: Ben Boss (Maple Valley) p. Caleb Lohman (Parchment) 2:49
145: Jeromy Northrup (Dowagiac) d. Mike Deklein (Comstock Park) 15-6
152: Rex Kendle (Edwardsburg) p. Nate Medema (Paw Paw) :44
160: C.J. Myers (Coloma) p. Chris Reed (Portland) 5:42
171: Joe Bailey (Central Montcalm) d. Chris Morris (Maple Valley) 9-4
189: Jim Sweat (Delton-Kellogg) p. Tim Garcia (Wyoming Kelloggsville) 3:29
215: Dustin Morgan (Delton-Kellogg) p. Greg Vanhouten (Central Montcalm) 1:47
275: Michael Johnson (Dowagiac) d. Alex Catlin (Alma) 10-7.
Consolation
finals
103: Jeff Peterman (Alma) d. Nate Darling (Hamilton) 13-0
112: Darr Phillips (Dowagiac) d. Tommy Zuniga (Ovid-Elsie) 4-3
119: Addison West (Wyoming Godwin Heights) d. Dave Otten (Allendale) 9-3
125: Tony Lawrence (Battle Creek Pennfield) p. Chris McCreery (Ovid-Elsie) :14
130: Matt Russo (GR West Catholic) p. Josh Engelkeimer (Berrien Springs) 2:07
135: Kevin Slater (Otsego) d. Kyle Smith (Shepherd) 2-0
140: Andrew Johnson (Lakeview) D. Adam Reatini (Allendale) 5-4
145: Steffan Merrill (Allendale) d. Nick Pitsch (Hamilton) 7-5
152: Ben Skoczylas (Ovid-Elsie) d. Kent Livingston (Hamilton) 3-2
160: Drakkar Klose (South Haven) d. Brent Gray (GR West Catholic) injury default
171: Nic Lovegrove (Wyoming Godwin Heights) p. Jesse Martin (Coloma) 4:02
189: Steve Fedewa (Ovid-Elsie) d. Carl Jones (Battle Creek Pennfield) 4-2
215: Shane Hoag (Wyoming Rogers) d. Matt Rinehart (Edwardsburg) 7-5
275: Jerry Rios (Bath) d. Chris Runyon (Allendale) 9-4.