Dearborn Resident, Catholic Central Wrestler Loses Shot at Fourth State Title

It was a stunning upset Saturday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills for Dearborn resident and Detroit Catholic Central senior Alec Mooradian.

Mooradian was looking to win his fourth state title–and he would have been only the 15th in state history to do it.

But Brighton junior Aaron Calderon (58-2) fended off Mooradian’s takedowns in the final 20 seconds to win a 3-2 decision and bring home an individual state title.

Calderon said the fact that Mooradian "had everything to lose, and I had everything to gain" helped him relax before the match.

“He’s just a kid my age," he added. "I can be just as strong, just as fast and just as good. That was my mindset.”

After the tough loss, Mooradian tweeted: "This doesn't define me. Ill have my shoes on tomorrow morning."

The wild finish at the end of the wrestlers' match had Detroit Catholic Central fans in a frenzy. Mooradian swung around Calderon to get points for a takedown, but never fully gained control. Calderon kept moving all the way throughout and they went back-and-forth until the final whistle.

“Really close,” Calderon said. “I wasn’t sure they were going to award him the two or not, they didn’t, I got out. We were scrambling around and I came out on top.”

Both wrestlers were called for stalling earlier in the match, so it put Calderon in a dangerous position. A second warning would give Mooradian a point.

Brighton coach Sam Amine had one thought going through his head as time ticked down.

“Keep wrestling, keep wrestling, keep wrestling,” Amine said. “We knew both guys had been warned for stalling, we had to make sure to keep that match going.”

For Amine, it felt like an eternity for the clock to hit zero.

“I was looking at the clock out of the corner of my eye,” he said. “It was the longest 20 seconds of my life.”

When the match finally ended, the Brighton cheering section overwhelmed the Catholic Central contingent that was unhappy with the referees non-call. The Bulldogs fans went wild as Calderon ran into his coach’s arms.

After his s, Calderon said those fans helped him get to this point in the season.

“I have a lot of people up there supporting me,” he said. “I’ve had my coaches, my parents pushing me every single day, family, friends, everybody has contributed to my success getting here.”

Like Mooradian, Calderon has competed before in the finals. But unlike the Dearborn teen and DCC wrestler, this is Calderon's first state title. The junior competed at The Palace last year, but lost his first two matches and went home. This year, he’s headed home with some hardware.

More coverage

: A replay of Saturday's action, from start to finish

: The consolations, quarterfinals and semifinal rounds

: Round One of the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Tournament

Other Dearborn wrestlers: 's Arfan Khathem ; wrestler Jamie Jakes .

Do you have photos, video or special moments you'd like to share from the tournament? Please add in comments or add photos to this story.