Dowagiac claims outright Lakeland Conference title

Published 10:58 am Saturday, February 3, 2024

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NILES — Regular-season champion Dowagiac rolled to the outright Lakeland Conference title at Brandywine High School Saturday.

The Chieftains, who went undefeated in regular-season duals, scored 202.5 points to easily outdistance runner-up Buchanan, which had 163.5 points. Eau Claire finished third with 142 points and defending champion Brandywine was fourth with 112 points.

Berrien Springs finished fifth (81.5) and Benton Harbor sixth (4).

Buchanan’s Holden Carrington won the 106-pound championship as he defeated Dowagiac’s Markus Ottinger by technical fall, 18-1.

The Chieftains turned the tables on the Bucks at 113 pounds as AJ Munson earned the pin in just 44 seconds against Ben Turay.

Buchanan and Dowagiac squared off for the third consecutive match at 120 pounds, where Cooper Mabry decisioned Nicholas Green 4-0.

Eau Claire’s Giovani Alvarado pinned Berrien Springs’ Ben Gilbert in 19 seconds to claim the 126-pound crown.

At 132 pounds, the Beavers picked up another championship as Angel Guzman-Valle defeated the Bobcats’ Kaiden Rieth 7-3.

Dowagiac’s Cameron White needed overtime to defeat Eau Claire’s Roman Alvarado for the 138-pounds championship.

At 144, Jacob Villegas defeated Ulysses Perez-Martinez by technical fall, 15-0.

The Chieftains won their third consecutive championship as Israel Villegas pinned Brandywine’s Agustin Gonzalez Torres in 21 seconds at 150 pounds.

At 157 pounds, Buchanan’s Leeland Payne won by major decision (15-4) over Eau Claire’s Keane Yanez.

Brandywine’s Gavin Schoff continues his outstanding season with a Lakeland Conference championship at 165 pounds as he pinned Berrien Springs’ in 2:22.

Buchanan, which will wrestle Dowagiac on Wednesday at the Division 3 Team District, picked up a win over the Chieftains at 190 pounds as Lucas Zeiger edged Hayden Groth 4-2.

The Bucks picked up their final conference championship at 215 pounds when Drew Andersen pinned Jose Martintez-Vanega, of Eau Claire, in 4:28.

Dowagiac capped off its first championship in the new Lakeland Conference with a Cal Chapman pin of Buchanan’s Dean Roberts in 2:10 to win the 285-pound title.

Results from the championship and third-place matches are available by clicking here.