Rochester Adams secured its first regional wrestling championship since 1999 by defeating Fordson 59-20 after a thrilling 37-35 victory over Romeo in the Division 1 regional semifinals. This remarkable achievement comes as the Highlanders ended a long 27-year wait to return to the state tournament stage.
The Highlanders faced a tough challenge in their semifinal match against Romeo, a team with a strong history of postseason success. Adams had to navigate several pivotal matchups to emerge victorious. Coach Mike Holtz expressed his pride, stating, “It”s the first time in 27 years that the Rochester Adams wrestling program has made the state tournament. I was a junior in high school when we last made the tournament.”
In the semifinal bout, Adams managed to hold off a competitive Romeo squad that had previously won a regional title last season. The Highlanders” strategy involved securing crucial points in tight matches, which ultimately made the difference in their favor. Holtz noted, “We knew they were going to best us up down low some, but we weathered the storm and saved team points at 106, 120, 138, and at 157. Without these weights fighting for every inch the guys up top wouldn”t have had the chance to do what they did.”
After taking a narrow lead, Adams needed to win four out of the last five matches in the finals to secure their championship. They accomplished this with impressive performances, including four pins and a technical fall at heavyweight. The Highlanders executed their game plan effectively, which enabled them to celebrate a significant milestone for their program.
On the other side, Romeo”s veteran coach James Cali acknowledged the intensity and competitiveness of the match, saying, “It was a great match and we knew it would be. We just came up a little short. There were a couple of swing matches that could have gone either way.” Despite the loss, Romeo still has ten wrestlers competing in the upcoming MHSAA Division 1 Individual Regional.
As for Rochester Adams, with their record now at 15-4, they will await the MHSAA”s announcement of the top eight seedings and state quarterfinal pairings on February 22. Coach Holtz conveyed his enthusiasm for the group, highlighting that this achievement will be a lasting memory for the athletes involved: “I”m very proud of the boys. They answered the bell tonight. It”s something special that this group of young men will be able to carry with them for the rest of their lives and do so with pride.”
Rochester Adams 37, Romeo 35
106: Aaron Moskwa (RO) tech. fall Keaton Cottone 20-3; 113: Nathan Pugh (RO) p. Anrav Canjan 0:55; 120: Nico Adamo (RO) maj. dec. Bryson Moskwa 16-3; 126: JD Quinlan (RA) p. Seamus Murphy 1:39; 132: Will Eastion (RA) d. Eric Miller 11-4; 138: Valentino Adamo (RO) p. Joey Zobrest 4:00; 144: Colton Shurda (RO) p. Christian Steffens 3:45; 150: Deacon Morgan (RA) p. Anthony Yuquilima 4:50; 157: Owen Perry (RO) d. Dom Beccari 7-0; 165: Dede Thomas (RA) p. Miles Schodowski 0:44; 175: Kailen Mellay (RA) p. Nolan Kammer 0:44; 190: Tommy Jaynes (RO) p. Will Anderson 1:26; 215: Jackson Harris (RA) p. Rashaad Hardman 3:06; 285: Max Vostryakov (RA) p. Alex Murray 4:45.
