Seaholm Wrestlers Fall In Team Regionals To Clarkston

WATERFORD – The wrestling team didn’t get the strong start it needed Wednesday, resulting in a team regionals loss to Clarkston.

Clarkston won three of the first four matches over Maples wrestlers in the meet at Waterford and went on to win 53-21.

“The meet started at the heart of our lineup and we thought we'd do a lot better,” Seaholm coach Neil Tuomi said. “Clarkston was the better team, I just was happening to catch a few other (wins) early.”

Maples senior Cameron Brady opened the meet with a pin in the second round (2:45) over Matthew Wright. Brady’s win in the 125-pound bracket gave his team its only lead of the night at 6-0.

Clarkston responded by winning the next three matches to take a 15-6 lead. Jake Dionne pinned junior Erik Adams (2:36) in the 130-pound bracket and Michael Cardinale pinned senior Shane Brady (3:29) in the 135-pound bracket.

In the 140-pound bracket, Tim List lost a close 11-7 decision to Grant Ulrich.

Senior Ryan Law slowed the Wolves momentum by pinning Kasimir Waitkus in the 145-pound bracket.

The most exciting finish of the meet came in the 171-pound match between Tuomi’s son Dakota Tuomi and Clarkston junior Tristan Tozzi.

Tozzi hit a takedown in each round to take a commanding 10-1 lead. With time running out in the match, Tuomi hit a cradle move out of nowhere to score a pinfall victory (5:45).

“That was nice,” Coach Tuomi said, smiling. “He flipped him, that’s what he’s done all year. It’s been fun to watch.”

The freshman gained an advantage by getting Tozzi in a side headlock. He used the headlock to get Tozzi on the mat where he cradled him into a pin. It was the first time Tuomi knocked Tozzi off his feet the entire match.

Tuomi’s win brought Seaholm within one point at 19-18, but that was the closest it would get. Clarkston won the next five matches to go up 47-18.

Sam Corey picked up Seaholm’s only other win of the night in the second-to-last match of the meet. In 112-pound bracket, the senior quickly grabbed a 5-0 lead in the first round over Bret Foltz with a takedown and near fall. He went on beat Foltz on a 9-4 decision.

With Corey’s win, all three Maples seniors were victorious.

“The seniors continued to do a nice job,” Tuomi said. “They helped us have the best season we’ve had in 10 years.”

Seaholm’s season isn’t quite finished yet. Both Law and List compete in the individual wrestling regionals on Saturday at Davison.