Evart's Cole Hopkins was presented with his wrestling state championship medal and bracket sign at the award presentation on Saturday, March 4, at Detroit's Ford Field.
Courtesy photo/The PioneerEVART – Cole Hopkins’ amazing wrestling career has come to a championship finish.
The Evart senior put a cap on his career with his second straight undefeated Division 4 state title.
Hopkins was 4-0 at Detroit’s Ford Field over the weekend, March 3-4, at 175 pounds and finished his season at 48-0. He was 55-0 last season in getting his first state crown.
When he beat R.J. Cicero in the first round with a pin in 2:40, Hopkins won his 100th straight match since losing in the finals his sophomore year.
But he was hardly finished. Hopkins pinned Harley Robinson of Homer in 39 seconds of the second round and pinned Joey Calhoun of Riverview Gabriel Richard in 2:19 in the semifinals
This put Hopkins in the title match against JR Hildebrand of Martin. Hopkins dominated from start to finish with a 10-1 major decision.
“It went very well,” Hopkins said. “We had a great tournament and I’m super happy with the results. I definitely wrestled really well and definitely was at my best. I felt good in every single match. I wrestled as hard as I could and it was good enough.”
Hopkins felt he was in control of all of his matches.
“I got taken down for the first time all season in my semifinals match,” he said. “I got away and took him down and in the second match I pinned him.”
It didn’t take long for Hopkins to feel confident of victory in the title match.
“After I took him down, I put him to his back in a cradle and after that I kind of knew I was going to be able to control the rest of the match,” Hopkins said. “It feels just as good (as last season). It was cool to prove myself again and prove I wasn’t a fluke or anything from the first time.
“I think I wrestled probably better than I did last year here. I put in so much work. I felt so much more confident coming in. I wasn’t nervous or anything. That allowed me to wrestle much better.”
Getting 100 wins in a row, “I tried not to let it get in the way of my match,” Hopkins said. “I just wanted to focus and take it one match at time. If you start thinking ahead or about milestones, it can take you off your game. It was cool but for me all it meant was being more match away from a state title.
Senior Alex Burhans wrestled at 285 pounds and took seventh place for Evart, finishing his season at 42-9. He wound up in the seventh-place match and beat Tanner Craft of Leslie 7-6 and finished 3-2 for the day.
Ethan Conk was 0-2 at 113 pounds for Evart and finished his junior season at 26-20.
“Our weekend went well,” Evart coach Ben Bryant said. “Cole obviously was outstanding. He pinned his way to the finals and was dominant in the finals match. Alex wrestled pretty well also and ended up placing seventh. He wrestled very well on his feet.
“Ethan had a couple of tough matches, but has great promise for next season.”
Pine River wrestlers
Pine River also wrestled in Division 4 at Ford Field and ended up with four state placers out if its eight qualifiers.
Jericho Holmes (126) placed fifth and “wrestled some of the best matches of his career,” coach Terry Martin said. “It was a great cap to a year for a freshman.”
Also taking fifths were Ryder Holmes (144) and Andrew Baldwin (215)
Bryant Wing (106), Jordan Nelson (120) and Caleb Gepford (285) was one match away from placing in the top eight for all-state honors.
Damien Jackson (132) finished his season 0-2 at the finals.
Lillian Pylman 155 placed eighth and becomes Pine River’s first MHSAA all-state female wrestler.
“We are excited about the future with three returning all state athletes and three additional state qualifiers that will return,” Martin said.
