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KALAMAZOO – Bigger stage, same result.
It was a 9-point spread the last time Hartland wrestled against Brighton.
The schools produced the same result in the Division 1 state semifinals with Hartland posting a 39-30 victory at Wings Events Center on Saturday, Feb. 28.
“They flipped on match and we flipped one,” Hartland coach Kyle Summerfield said. “Brighton is really good.”
Hartland heavyweight William Tobin flipped the script from the earlier match and Brighton’s Xander Courneya avenged an earlier loss at 150.
Otherwise everything stayed the same.
“We bumped up some of our bigger guys and they did a really good job,” Brighton coach Matt Wisniewski said.
Brighton got off to a flying start with pins by Mason Gardner (190) and Dominic Nauss (215) in the first two matches of the morning.
That 12-0 lead evaporated quickly with three straight Hartland victories – a 3-0 win by Tobin, a technical fall by Brodie Dunbar (106) and a pin by Jace Sensor (113).
Brighton went back on top on a pin by Bronson Shinkkonis (120), Hartland got a technical fall from Michale Abbey (126), then Brighton’s Ethan Smith (132) needed just 28 seconds to record a fall.
Hartland won the next two matches on a first-period pin by Bohdan Abby and an 8-1 win by Braydon Tougas.
Then, Brighton took consecutive decisions by Courneya and Kaden Tindall (157).
Hartland closed out the win with a technical fall by Joseph Cappellano (165) and a pin by Dallas Korponic (175).
Brighton finishes with a 25-3 record, with two of the losses coming against Hartland.
“We’re a hot bed of wrestling,” he said of Livingston County. “Howell is really good, too. I am proud to be part of it.”
Summerfield said the teams make each other better.
“Our guys wrestle together most of the summer,” he said. “Matt is doing an awesome job.”
Hartland (26-1) advances to the finals at 3:45 p.m. Saturday to face Detroit Catholic Central (18-5).
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Hartland, Brighton follow same script in state wrestling semifinals