Napoleon Finishes 6-1 in Cascades Wrestling

Nick Marienfeld, top, of Napoleon High School attempts to pin Rowden DiDomenico of Addison during a match Wednesday at NHS.  Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports.

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

(March 11, 2021 10:20 AM) In this COVID-19 crazy winter season of 2021, Napoleon High School wrestling Coach Carl Bunker is taking a wait-and-see attitude in reference to who is the Cascades Conference team wrestling champions.

Consider the situation.

Napoleon finished the Cascades Conference season on Wednesday with a 52-29 win over Addison.

Manchester had already finished its season with only one loss on the season – a two-point loss to Hanover-Horton.

The Comets were supposed to be at Napoleon on Wednesday to wrestle Addison for its final Cascades Conference match. Hanover-Horton also has only one loss – defeated by Napoleon earlier in the season.

Without a conference championship match – where wrestlers earn points for their teams though individual competitions – no clear-cut winner will be crowned should Hanover-Horton defeat Addison whenever they may meet. The Michigan High School Athletic Association has banned individual tournaments until the state tournament season begins to limit the number of wrestlers and fans at one location.

“It is such a screwy year … we will wait and see what the athletic directors say,” Bunker said. “I would like to think we should at least earn a share of the Cascades Conference title.”

Which would be the first one for the Pirates in nearly two decades. Napoleon last won a conference title in 2003.

Napoleon looked like world beaters against Addison and Athens. Against the Panthers, Napoleon took a 16-0 lead on a win by Bart Laretz, and pins by Trevin Eggleston and Brady Brooks.

Following a void by the Pirates at 285 pounds, Addison voided the next three weight classes as Napoleon took a 40-6 lead.

Cody Knutson of Addison stopped the bleeding for the Panthers with a pin at 130 pounds and the Panthers earned a void at 135 pounds.

Ian Albert (140) and Nick Marienfeld (145) earned pins for Napoleon.

Noah Springer (152) and Nathan Rodlund (160) closed out the match for the Panthers with pins.

Napoleon defeated Athens with a 65-6 win. Brady Brooks (215), Hunter Callahan (152), Laretz (171), and Eggleston (189) earned pins against the Indians.

Addison shut out the Indians, 75-0, earning a split on the night.

The Panthers’ head Coach Tom Schneider said the two schools – Addison and Hanover-Horton – have until early April to make up the match.

Addison has two losses in the Cascades Conference and has been battling COVID-19 related incidents the entire season. Schneider said the Panthers have yet to have the whole team – 20 wrestlers – dressed for a match.

Addison could face Hanover-Horton on Wednesday in the MHSAA Division 4 district team tournament at AHS. That district tournament starts at 6 p.m. with Addison facing Homer in the opening match and the Comets facing the winner for the team district title.

It could also mean a Cascades Conference title for the Comets.