BATTLE CREEK — For the third straight year, the Niles wrestling team was kept from an opportunity to bring home a big trophy from Battle Creek.

This year, Eaton Rapids did the dirty deed as it eliminated the Vikings in the Division 2 Team State semifinals 30-27.

Needless to say, this one stings a bit more than the others.

“This one is going to hurt for a while,” Niles coach Todd Hesson said. “But we wrestled much better today. And this can’t diminish the year these kids have had. To make it to the state semifinals three years in a row is quite an accomplishment so you can’t complain too much. But we wanted to take it one step further and we had a real opportunity. I’m down, but I’m proud of the kids.”

The Vikings (24-4) were a win away from advancing to the state finals for the first time in school history.

With the match deadlocked at 27-27, Eaton Rapids’ Austin O’Hearon defeated Cade Stephenson 9-3 to send the Greyhounds on to the state finals where they were defeated by top seed Lowell 40-16.

As the final seconds of the 112-pound match ticked down, the looks on the faces of the Niles wrestlers and coaches was told the tale.

“It will take a lot of duals to come up with something as disappointing as this,” Hesson said. “You can’t ever put it on one wrestler. In the end we had to avoid giving up any pins to win and we were 99 percent there, but we gave up one. But again, it’s not on one kid. Sometimes things have to go almost perfect for you to win. Today we were close, but not quite.”

The Eaton Rapids and Niles match turned out to be a classic battle of wills.

The Vikings and Greyhounds both won their share of close matches, but one in particular set the tone for the finish.

With the match tied at 24-24, Eaton Rapids sent heavyweight Tristen Warner to the mat against Niles’ Alex Bata.

The two battled for three periods and then through the first three overtimes deadlocked at 1-1.

In the fourth OT, Bata was on the bottom and needed to gain an escape to win the match.

Bata was unable to do so and Warner picked up the 2-1 victory and put the Greyhounds ahead with two matches left.

“It came down to scoring on the bottom,” Hesson. “Alex had two opportunities and didn’t get the job done. Standing up is an attitude. Maybe you try five times and get taken back down five times. But on the sixth try, you’re able to get up.”

Niles’ Andrew Flick defeated Matthew Hageman 4-0 at 103-pounds to tie the match at 27-27 and set the stage for the dramatic finish.

 

Division 2 Semifinals

At Battle Creek

EATON RAPIDS 30, NILES 27

103: Andrew Flick (N) d. Matthew Hagaman 4-0; 112: Austin O’Hearon (E) d. Cade Stephenson 9-3; 119: Josh Dayhuff (N) p. Isaac Coolidge 1:33; 125: Austin Eldred (E) p. Brenden Hall 4:27; 130: Mitch Findeisen (N) p. Eric Anderson 2:33; 135: Jaedin Sklapsky (E) d. Warren Smith 9-2; 140: Noah Hall (N) p. Hunter George 1:26; 145: Lane McVicker (E) t.f. over Courtland Lamberton 20-5; 152: Blaine Milheim (E) m.d. over Quintin Smith 10-1; 160: Fred Kemp (N) d. Caleb Norris 3-2; 171: Austen Hutchinson (E) d. Cody Thornton 7-6; 189: Wyatt Thornton (N) d. Tristen Schultz 5-3; 215: Clayton Higelmire (E) d. Ted Jankowiak 3-0; 285: Tristen Warner (E) d. Alex Bata 2-1 (4 OT)