No. 1 Hudson takes one step closer to history, advances to D4 semifinals

KALAMAZOO — The Hudson Tigers once again are the favorites to win it all, entering the 2025-26 Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) wrestling postseason as the top seed in Division 4, chasing what would be their fifth straight state championship and their eighth in the last 10 years.

Now, if that were not enough then here is something monumental that could be achieved early Saturday morning on the mats at the Wings Event Center. Entering this year’s state finals, Hudson head coach Scott Marry, who is coaching in his 38^th season, comes into Saturday’s state semifinals with an all-time record of 981-216. At this moment, after Hudson captured the most dominating win in state finals history, Marry is tied with Stevensville Lakeshore legend Bruce Bittenbender for the most wins in MHSAA history. A win in the semifinals over Decatur on Saturday would put Marry along atop that mountain, giving him the record for most wins in a career.

Before the semifinals however the Tigers needed to get past the quarterfinals and to say the win was in its own way monumental would be a bit of an understatement.

So, what happened?

In a word? Domination.

Hudson secured the largest win in MHSAA finals history on Friday, and it did so by a single point. You see, a traditional wrestling dual consists of 14 weight classes, with six points available at most in each weight class. So, a perfect 14 for 14 effort all with six-point wins would give a team, such as Hudson, an 84-point win. On Friday Hudson did not just get an 84-point win by going a perfect 14-for-14, no, they got an 85-point win as the Tigers defeated Powers North Central by the score of 84 to -1 in the Division 4 state quarterfinals.

Yes, you read that correctly, 84 to -1. The minus one point came at 157 pounds where Powers North Central sent out the incorrect wrestler, presumably one that could not wrestle at that weight, giving defending 144 pounds state champion and undefeated sophomore Beckett Campbell the DQ win and Powers North Central a point taken away.

Not that Hudson needed free and easy points in any way, but Powers North Central was not able to field a full team, giving the Tigers three voids on top of the DQ beginning at 144 for Colt Perry, followed up by Bode Kimble taking a void at 165 pounds and Jace Kimling taking a void at 120 pounds.

The rest of Hudson’s wins came via the old-fashioned route, the pin. Taking wins via pin fall on the way to the dominant win was Wyatt Kimble at 150 pounds; Owen Loop at 175 pounds; Devon Brigman at 190 pounds; Malachi Marshall at 215 pounds; Corbyn Raper at 285; Jaxton Kimling at 106 pounds; Royce Beal at 113 pounds; Bronson Butts at 126 pounds; Ethan Rising at 132 pounds; and Nick Sorrow at 138 pounds.

What comes next?

Next, the Hudson Tigers have the chance to help their legendary head coach make history with a win in the state semifinals versus Decatur. With a win at 9:30 a.m. at the Wings Event Center Coach Barry will officially hold the record for most wins in a career with 982. All Hudson has to do is take care of business against the 4^th ranked team from Decatur who defeated No. 5 Union City in the state quarterfinals 52-28.

More: Clinton pins its way to the D4 state semifinals with win over Roscommon

The two teams will toe the line in front of what I can only imagine will be a raucous crowd, all hungry to not only see another Hudson championship, but also hungry to see Coach Marry ascend to the top of the mountain.

History could be made in the early morning hours at Wings Event Center. What a place to have it happen, the biggest stage of high school wrestling in the state, the MHSAA Team Wrestling State Finals.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Hudson rolls past Powers North Central in state quarterfinals