Saline will be well represented at the MHSAA Division 1 Individual State Finals after four Hornets punched their tickets with strong performances at regionals hosted by Saline Saturday.
Leading the way was Brice LaFleur (120), who captured a regional title with a dominant run. LaFleur opened with a technical fall in the quarterfinals, followed by a semifinal pin, and capped the day with a 4-1 decision in the championship match to claim first place.
At 144 pounds, Anthony James advanced to the finals with a pair of decision wins before finishing runner-up. James controlled his way through the early rounds but fell in the championship match to earn a second-place finish and a trip to state.
Jacob Clauser (150) also finished second after an impressive showing. Clauser recorded a technical fall in the quarterfinals and a pin in the semifinals before coming up short in the title match.
At heavyweight, Jericho Powe (285) battled his way to a runner-up finish. Powe pinned his way through both the quarterfinals and semifinals to reach the finals, where he dropped a tight tiebreaker decision to finish second.
Levi Choby (165) picked up a win in the consolation bracket after falling in the quarterfinals but was unable to advance further.
With four state qualifiers—one champion and three runners-up—the Hornets will look to make noise when the state finals begin at Ford Field March 6-7.
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