Mount Pleasant Wrestling team takes the conference

Justin Marr

With only three years in the Saginaw Valley League, the
Mount Pleasant High School wrestling team has achieved an
incredible feat.

The team dominated the SVL Tuesday with a convincing
conference title victory advancing them to Districts.

Coach Pat Boyd assumed a bitter end to last year’s season
motivated his team this year.

“The team didn’t quite cut it last season in the conference
championship,” He said. “But this season the team was
definitely more motivated because of that.”

Last season, the Oilers were narrowly beat by Bay
City Central, 204.5-203.

This season there was no question as the team routed the
conference scoring 267.5 points, while Bay City Western
lagged by 100 points.


The team had an unblemished record of 10-0 in conference
duel matches this season securing an overall record of 30-
0.

With the help of 14 Mount Pleasant wrestlers taking fifth
or better, the team is ranked number seven in Division 2
play.

The 145-pounder Zach Carr earned the Most Valuable Wrestler
award for his valiant first place finish.


Other first place victories came from Cale Harter (215), Will
Machuta (160), Nick Loveberry (140), Adam Martinez (135), and
Chad McClain (130).

“The team did an outstanding job with so many first place
finishes,” Boyd said. “I was expecting victory, but not on
this scale. The team continues to make me proud.”

Joel Freebury (189), Josh Block (125), Justin Cashen (112),
and Brittany Horan (103) took second on the day for the
Oilers, while Kyle Quinn (171) and Korey Keehbauch (152)
finished third. Kurt Barker (119) and Jon
Zeneberg (HVY) each finished in fifth.

Coach Boyd, with the help of a stellar squad and a perfect
season,
received the Saginaw Valley League Coach of the year honors.


He was modest about receiving the award.

“It’s quite an honor to get the award,” he said. “But with a
team as good as these guys are, of course I’m going to look
good. I have to hand it to the team though, they did a
fantastic job.”

The Oilers will compete Wednesday at Ludington in districts.
If the team wins, it will host the Division 2 regional next
week.