By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
The road to the Division 3 district championship will be a tough one for the Dowagiac varsity wrestling team.
The Chieftains must defeat a team it already lost to just to advance to the finals.
Dowagiac will take on Edwardsburg in the opening round of the Michigan High School Athletic Association Team District Tournament at the Union High School on Thursday night.
In the other semifinal, defending district champion Buchanan will face Lakeland Conference foe Berrien Springs.
Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. The finals will be held 10 minutes after the completion of both semifinals.
The Eddies defeated the Chieftains at the Gull Lake Invitational, 42-30.
Dowagiac will have a slightly different look to its line up on Thursday night.
In that meeting, the Eddies recorded numerous pins, something Dowagiac coach John Green said his team cannot afford to have happen again.
"We are going to be drilling on pinning and not getting pinned in practice this week," Green said. "If we are fortunate to get Edwardsburg, we are going to have to stay off our backs and we are going to have to get some pins of our own. The same is true against Buchanan if we get to the finals. Pins are going to be the key.
Cameron Warren (103), Tyler Kendle (125), Matt Peters (135), Wade Smous (140), Alex Hall (145), Steve Franklin (215) and Pat White (285) will lead the Eddies into the tournament.
All seven wrestlers finished second at the Lakeland Conference Tournament on Saturday.
Dowagiac (19-12) will be led into action by Nathan Cottrell (112), Richie Hutchinson (135), Nathan Long (140), Terry Prowoznik (145), DeShaun Baylock (152), Nate Behnke (189) and Drew Staley (215).
Prowoznik and Baylock are coming off second place finishes at the Wolverine Conference Tournament.
Hutchinson, Long and Behnke were third on Saturday, while Staley picked up a fourth place finish.
The defending champion Bucks have a load of talent.
Buchanan will be counting on David Knisely (112), Mike Witherow (119), Todd Taylor (125), Nick Wheetley (130), Auston Ferris (152), A.J. Long (171) and Ryan Harrington (189).
Taylor, Wheetley, Long and Harrington are all Lakeland Conference champions. Knisely, Witherow and Ferris were all runners-up.
Berrien Springs had a pair of conference champions on Saturday.
Kyle Froehlich was the champion at 145-pounds, while Darius Whitehead picked up the title at 160-pounds.
If Dowagiac, winner of 11 district titles in the last 13 years, were to get past the Eddies and face the Bucks in the finals, Buchanan would be looking to avenge a 46-21 setback from last December.
The Bucks reached the Division 3 quarterfinals last year.