Four individual state championship spots among 14 different weight classes were put on the line on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Warren Mott as wrestlers from across Metro Detroit gathered to keep their season going.

Eight wrestlers — four qualifiers from District 7-1 and District 8-1 in each class, which were decided last weekend — stepped into double-elimination brackets. Each wrestler would need at least two wins to qualify for state.

Those who advanced to the regional title round and losers bracket title round — win or lose — all punched their tickets to the upcoming state wrestling tournament at Ford Field on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1.

As has become the expectation, Roseville’s Jay’Den Williams powered through the 165 bracket, winning with three-straight technical falls, each in under 1:40.

Williams beat Romeo’s Sawyer Klatt, Chippewa Valley’s Nathan Murphy then Lakeview’s Logan Craft to improve his record to 52-0.

The Roseville junior has finished second in the state in the last two seasons. His plan for combating that this season is to turn on the killswitch.

“Last year, I was always here before, getting a little nervous,” Williams said. “Now, this year, I’m more like, ‘Go get it.’ Instead of thinking about what you’re going to do, I’ll just go. It’s kind of more of an aggressive mindset.

“I was watching a lot of wrestling, college wrestling, last night. I’ll study little stuff that they do so I can use it, things that might help me.”

Williams, Craft, Murphy and U of D Jesuit’s Triston Thompson all qualified for the state meet at 165.

Stoney Creek’s Edward Barkham made a run from the No. 2 seed to win the 175 bracket, where he took down Warren Mott’s Ethan Drozdowski in the final. Another Roseville Panther, Darnel Boyd, won the consolation match against Fraser’s Elon Taylor.

The first of many Romeo Bulldogs took gold at 190 — Thomas Jaynes, who went to the state tournament but finished fourth in the region last year, made good on his promise to himself by beating Fraser’s Draven McAllister, 11-5, in a decision in the regional final.

“Last year, I took fourth,” Jaynes said. “But I put in that work every day in the off-season. I just know I would end up first next year.

“(This is) one of the stepping stones to being a state champion. … Every day, I’m the last one leaving the room. I’m working extra hard, working those drills every day. I just knew it would pay off in the end.”

Now 53-5 this year, Jaynes is also predicting, like he did with the regional, that he’ll be a state champion in two weeks.

“I’m really grateful for this win,” Jaynes said. “I thank God for it — he helped me through the way, and the state championship’s coming next. I’m going to win it.”

Jaynes and McAllister plus Grosse Pointe South’s Lex Wilson and Ferndale’s Bryce Ferguson will represent the region at 190.

The 215 and 280 weight classes went the way they always have, at least this year, when Dakota is involved: football and wrestling Cougar teammates, Logan Criteser and Brady Hamby, won their respective weight classes. They’re also headed to the state team championships.

Criteser (43-1) earned two falls, including in the title match over Rochester’s Jack Lower, and Hamby (43-4) had two falls before a 5-3 decision over Fordson’s Ammar Alrobaie in the title match.

The duo also dominated for Dakota on the football field this past season as game-wreckers on defense, and it earned them scholarships to play in college with Criteser going to Siena Heights and Hamby headed to reigning Division II champion Ferris State. Hamby also played QB for Dakota.

“It doesn’t get old,” Hamby said of the duo’s now-traditional back-to-back wrestling winnings. “Crowd loves it, everybody loves it.

“Last year, the goal was just making the state. This year, we had a different mentality. We’ve been here before, so we’re coming out to win this so we can get a good seed, hopefully go all the way at states.”

Dakota is also going to the team state meet.

At 215, Utica’s Landon Cooke and Troy’s Philip Lucut earned state berths and at 285, UDJ’s Zach Greene and Anchor Bay’s Lucas Kane punched their tickets.

Cyrus Woodberry from Cass Tech won the 106 title over Warren Mott’s Shane Stevens. Romeo’s Nico Adamo and L’Anse Creuse’s Nick Martinek battled in the consolation match with Adamo taking third.

Romeo’s Justin Rizzo, despite entering the 113 bracket with the most losses of each of the competitors, pinned his first two opponents and crushed Eisenhower’s Justin Beatty with a 15-0 TF in 2:31. Utica’s Merrick Kustarz and Stoney Creek’s Nazar Kadi are also headed to states.

Fellow Bulldog Valentino Adamo followed his teammate, Rizzo’s, win by beating Rochester’s John David Quinlan in the 120 title match via an 8-4 decision. A pair of Macomb County wrestlers — Mott’s Cameron Leone and Dakota’s Landon Smith — dueled in the consolation round, with Leone earning third place.

Bryce Holt looked to become the third-straight Romeo individual champion, but fell to Rochester Adams’ Deacon Morgan via a narrow 4-1 decision in the 126 title match.

Dakota’s Carl Nihranz won the consolation ladder over Stoney Creek’s Isaac Fandakly.

Another Stoney Creek wrestler, Jawad Bazzi, won at 132, beating Fraser’s Ethan Miller with a 7-1 decision. Lakeview’s Oliver Koepp took out Fordson’s Mahmoud Abbas in the consolation final.

Adams’ Jace Morgan made a run to the 138 final and took down Dakota’s Ozia Wilson with a 7-1 decision. Lucas Abro of Utica beat Cousino’s Logan Tourville in the consolation title match.

Romeo claimed the 163 title with Owen Perry winning a razor-close 7-6 decision against Fordson’s Abdullah Yafai, who entered the day 45-5. Adams’ Elia Thomas knocked off Ryan Tucker from Dakota in the consolation final.

The penultimate individual championship at 150 was won by Grosse Pointe South’s Wyatt Hepner, who had two falls and a technical fall (15-0) in the tournament to win convincingly. He beat Warren Mott’s John Kaminsky, and Lucas Harper from Dakota and Demetrious Thomas from Adams dueled in the consolation match.

Finally, at 157, an all-Oakland battle between Adams’ Dominic Beccari and Troy Athens’ Stephen Lezotte went to Beccari via 18-7 decision. Gabe Griffith from Utica won the consolation final over Romeo’s Jake Turley.