By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
Dowagiac had a plan for upsetting No. 8 ranked (Division 2) Lakeshore Thursday night in a Big 16 Conference West Division match.
The plan was winning seven of the 14 matches against the visiting Lancers. The plan also called for Dowagiac to get pins with most of their victories.
That plan fell apart at 140- and 145-pounds when Lakeshore captured both weight classes en route to a 47-21 victory.
The win gave Lakeshore (4-0) the undisputed West Division championship.
Dowagiac finishes third in the five-team division with a 2-2 record.
The Chieftains (17-7 overall) trailed 12-0 in the match after pins by Justin Agens of Richie Hutchinson and Alex Balt of Nathan Long.
Jason Krukowski cut the lead in half with a 51 second pin at 130-pounds of Lakeshore's Josh Florian.
Lakeshore's Drew Welke picked up a technical fall over Terry Prowoznik to make it a 17-6 match.
Dowagiac coach John Green said that he expected to get wins at 140- and 145-pounds, however, Mike Kasper and Justin Desjardin were both decisioned by Lakeshore's Josh Jackson (12-7) and Eric Shirley (15-10) respectively.
Senior Jeromy Northrop picked up his 98th career victory with a pin of Mike Humes in 1:09 at 152-pounds to cut into the Lancer's lead.
Following back-to-back losses at 160- and 171-pounds by Elijah Caldwell and Rob Duszynski to Andy Gebhard and Matt Whittman, Dowagiac won the next three weight classes.
Kyle Bennett moved up a weight class to decision Adam Miller, 7-1, at 189-pounds. Matt Behnke decisioned Tyler Blosser at 215-pounds, 8-2.
Tony Stewart decisioned Josh Noffke at 275-pounds, 7-2.
Lakeshore ended the match with a pin of Nathan Cottrell by Brad Barker at 103-pounds and then received a forfeit at 112-pounds.
There were 24 junior varsity matches in the final home meet of the regular season for the Chieftains.
Earning victories for Dowagiac were Chuck Sobieski at 152-pounds, Robbie Wescott at 215-pounds, Kyle Bailey at 171-pounds, Ryan Dutoi at 130-pounds, Zach Roden at 125-pounds, Justin Richter at 103-pounds and Nate Behnke at 189-pounds.
Bailey went 3-0 on the night, while Behnke, Sobieski and Wescott were all 2-0.
Dowagiac returns to action on Saturday as it competes in the Brandywine "Snowed Out" Team Duals at Brandywine High School.
Dowagiac will wrestle South Haven in the opening round beginning at 9 a.m. The Rams are ranked No. 8 in Division 3.
The Chieftains will also wrestle host Brandywine, Buchanan, Covert and Lawrence.