Hanover-Horton Wins Pair of Wrestling Titles

Members of the Hanover-Horton High School wrestling team celebrate after winning a district and conference title on Wednesday at Addison High School.   Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

The phrases Hanover-Horton High School, wrestling, and championships have never been associated with one another.

Until recently.

The Comets won a district and Cascades Conference title with a win over Addison on Wednesday.

Hanover-Horton defeated the Panthers 41-36 to claim its second Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 4 district title in three years.

The district final match also served as a makeup for a Cascades Conference dual meet canceled earlier in the year due to COVID-19 concerns.

With the win, Hanover-Horton tied Napoleon and Manchester high schools for the conference crown with a 6-1 record. The Comets defeated Manchester earlier in the season, Napoleon beat Hanover-Horton, and the Flying Dutchmen defeated the Pirates.

Since there was no conference tournament – due to restrictions on individual tournaments – the trio of teams earned conference titles.

“It is a big deal to win a conference title,” Hanover-Horton Coach Doug Cure said. “Most of the wrestlers have been in our youth program for the past seven or eight years.”

Senior Randy Frailey has been one of the solid performers for the Comets. Frailey, Chris Sorrow, and Trent Hocter became the first all-state wrestlers for Hanover-Horton two years ago.

“It is really amazing to come out on top our senior season,” Frailey said. “We wanted to change the way people looked at our wresting program.

“This is what hard work will do for you.

Hanover-Horton won two of the first three matches to take an early lead over the Panthers.

Jacob Jedele of Addison started the district championship match with a hard-fought 6-4 at 189 pounds.

Hocter and Ronnie Sorrow earned pins at 215 and 285 pounds respectively for Hanover-Horton for a 12-3 lead.

Addison earned a void at 103 pounds and David Fielder of HHHS earned a technical fall with a 19-2 win at 112 pounds.

Andruska Boorman pinned his opponent at 119 pounds pulling the Panthers within two points at 17-15.

But that would be as close as the Panthers would get against the Comets.

Randy Frailey earned an 18-second pin at 125 and Addison voided 130 giving the Comets a 29-15 lead.

Brendan Ford earned a pin for Addison at 135, but Sorrow matched that for the Comets at 140.

Nathan Rodlund pinned his opponent at 145 pounds for Addison in 23 seconds.

Josh Frailey closed out the match for Addison with a hard-fought pin at 152 pounds in the third period.

Dylan Malinowski won 7-6 for Addison at 160 pounds and Nicholas Trumble earned a pin at 171 pounds for the Panthers.

Hanover-Horton will face Hudson next Wednesday in the Division 4 regional tournament semifinal.

MHSAA district wrestling team results from Wednesday:

Division 1 at Holt

Semifinal: Jackson 48, Battle Creek Central 30.

Final: Holt 79, Jackson 0.

Division 2 at Western

Semifinals: Western 72, Marshall 12; Northwest 69, Pennfield 12.

Final:    Northwest 42, Western 33.

Division 3 at Columbia Central

Semifinals: Michigan Center 42, Columbia Central 6; Napoleon 52, Onsted 18.

Final: Napoleon 53, Michigan Center 21.

Division 4 at Leslie

Semifinals: Leslie 54, Dansville 18; Lumen Christi 2, Springport 0 (forfeit).

Final: Leslie 48, Lumen Christi 30.

Division 4 at Grass Lake

Semifinals: Manchester 58, Vandercook 12; Grass Lake 60, East Jackson 18.

Final: Manchester 45, Grass Lake 18.

Division 4 at Addison

Semifinal: Addison 51, Homer 23.

Final: Hanover-Horton 41, Addison 36.