Sobeck, Pommerenke to compete for state titles
by Angie Asam, Staff Writer
Two Huron wrestlers will be traveling to the Palace of Auburn Hills this weekend to vie for individual state championships. Eight hundred and ninety-six high school wrestlers will be competing in four divisions for 448 state finals medals.
Freshman Joey Sobeck will compete at 103 pounds. Sobeck enters the finals with a record of 48-8 and will face sixth-ranked Luke Bell of Decatur in round one beginning at 2:45 p.m. today.
?Joey starts off with Luke Bell out of Decatur, he is a freshman with a 43-4 record. I am looking for a good match there. Naturally its tough starting out against a kid that was number one in his region, but if Joey is ready to wrestle and has a good day it should be a good match. That match will set the scale for what Joey can accomplish for the rest of the tournament. If we get a win there, one more win is all-state. We are really looking forward to hopefully knocking off that number-one seed coming out of the other region and then after that he would have the winner/loser of Tyler Mattison of Hudson (Sophomore, 39-18) and Brandon Fifield of Leslie (sophomore, 44-4). Either way we are expecting big things out of Joey. You know especially at the 103 pound weight class where it is mostly freshman and sophomores, it is who ever is having a great day of wrestling on Thursday that sets the bar for what happens the rest of the weekend. If you come through Thursday unscathed you get to sleep in some on Friday. It?s a big thing to get that first match under your belt, ? said coach Pat Lamb.
?My mindset is to just get through the first round. If I lose then I am going to have a real tough time to get to place. I am excited to go to the Palace. It?s really great getting there as a freshman, at the beginning of the season I didn?t think I would; but half way through the season I knew I was going to make it,? said Sobeck. Sophomore Devin Pommerenke, 285 pounds, enters the finals with a record of 55-0 as the number-one-ranked wrestler in his division. Pommerenke will be making his second straight finals appearance having placed sixth a year ago. Pommerenke will face Shea McGillen of New Lothrop in the first round today.
?Devin in the first round has a young man that he has wrestled a couple of times already this year from New Lothrop, Shea McGillen, he is a junior who is coming on strong. He is 34-20 right now. Devin has wrestled him twice, so you know the hardest thing to do is to beat an opponent three times so we have to take it one match at a time, be ready to wrestle every match and I am hoping for big things for Devin. He?s wrestled well all year and I don?t expect him to stop at this point, so close to his goal. We can probably guess that Devin is going to win that tournament. If I was a betting man I would bet on Devin, and personally I would bet on him to pin his way through the tournament,? said coach Lamb.
?My mindset is I have to win it, win it at all costs. Everyone is waiting for me to win it. I have worked hard for the last three years and throughout my life and it?s going to be a rough battle, but I think I can prevail and pass this test. I really believe in myself, I have been working hard. I have gotten some good workouts in at the University of Michigan and with Chase McLennan. Kudos to Chase, you can?t get a better workout partner than him, he has done a lot for me. Also coach Pietsch; you know if there is one person that can prepare you mentally it is coach Pietsch. And another person is coach Pat. They and coach Rob have gotten me to this level so far and I think I just have to take it another level higher. In my mind I am the state champion, I have just got to go out and prove it on the mat, and that?s what I am going to try to do this weekend. It would be a big disappointment to a lot of people if I didn?t win it, so I have to, and I am going to.
Wrestling in the Palace is one of life?s biggest thrills I think for me as of right now. Its really nerve wracking but I have been there before so I will know how to deal with it. Some of the guys in my bracket have good records and won their regional but they have never wrestled in the Palace, and never placed. I think I have a little edge there. I have been there, I have been in front of the crowd, and I have placed. It?s
The two Hurons will walk in the grand march today at 2:30 p.m. and then hit the mats for state finals action. Wrestling continues Friday with the consolation first round beginning at 8:30 a.m. followed by the championship quarterfinals at 11 a.m. The second consolation round will begin at 2 p.m. followed by the championship semifinals at 7 p.m.
Saturday begins with the consolation third round at 8:30 a.m. followed by the consolation semifinals and finals. The second and final grand march will begin at 4:30 p.m. followed by the finals at 4:45 p.m.