JUNIOR CALEB Pommerenke works a pin at the Straits Area Conference title where he took first place at 189 pounds. Pommerenke is now 30-4 on the season and ready to make a run at the postseason. Pommerenke was a state qualifier as a freshman and sat out most of his sophomore year with injury. He will look to start the trek to the Palace of Auburn Hills Saturday at individual districts in Munising. (Photo by Angie Asam)

The Rogers City Hurons wrestling team is in full swing in the postseason after hosting the team district tournament Wednesday (after press time). The winner of the district will move on to team regionals next Wednesday in St. Ignace. Saturday the Hurons will be at Munising for individual districts as each wrestler will look to finish in the top four in his respective weight class to move on to the regional tournament.

LAST SATURDAY the Hurons were at Mio for the Straights Area Conference tournament where they placed second with 149.5 points while St. Ignace won with 165.5. Four Hurons took home individual conference titles on the day. Junior Evan Lamb dominated the 135-pound weight class as he pinned Levi Furr of Sault Ste. Marie in 1:21 and defeated Onaway’s Gus Robins by technical fall 19-3 to claim his third consecutive conference title.

Junior Caleb Pommerenke took home the title at 189 pounds as he pinned Onaway’s Casey Watson in 1:28 before defeating Newberry’s Derrick Grainger 8-1 to take the title. Sophomore Andrew Selke worked two pins at the 285-pound weight class to take the title. Selke won by pin in 4:24 over Mio’s Jon Lucas and in 2:25 over Josh McDill of Cheboygan en route to the title.

Freshman Cameron Urban had a great day at 103 as he pinned Mio’s Zach Price in 1:01 to set up a rematch against Joe Traynham of Onaway in the finals. The two had wrestled three times prior with Traynham getting the best of Urban wining by pin, technical fall and major decision. This time would prove different however as Urban worked and defeated Traynham 10-7 to capture the conference title.

“Cameron worked very hard last week trying to figure out a way to beat Mr. Traynham from Onaway and by golly he did it in the finals. He ended up coming up with a 10-7 victory to really solidify his seed for districts as well,” said coach Lamb. Coach Lamb doesn’t want to have to be one of the coaches tasked with seeding the 103-pound weight class at districts on Saturday as Urban has defeated the wrestler from Iron Mountain, who in turn has beaten Traynham from Onaway who has beat Urban three times this season with Urban winning the most recent bout.

“It is going to be a tough weight class to seed, however, I believe if they do it correctly Cam will come out on top and be the number-one seed for individual districts,” said coach Lamb. Jacob Sobeck placed second at 119 pounds as he pinned Onaway’s Stanley Huffman in 1:10 and Sault Ste. Marie’s Michale Davis in 2:41 to advance to the finals. In the finals he took on Richard Bentley of St. Ignace and fell 4-2 to place second.

“Jake came up against a very experienced wrestler in the finals and only lost 4-2. I think the outcome could be different if they ever wrestled again. It was a very close match that could have gone either way,” said coach Lamb. Senior Joe Sobeck was second at 125 pounds as he pinned St. Ignace’s Dakota McLennan in 40 seconds before falling to Mio’s Zach Mack 8-5 in the finals. Joe Sobeck defeated Mack by injury default earlier this year before missing a couple of weeks of the season with a bad shoulder.

Sophomore Darik McDonald was second at 215 pounds as he pinned Onaway’s Jason Davis in 1:39 before falling to defending state champion Joe Ostman of St. Ignace via pin in the finals. Sophomore Noah Sobeck was third at 112 pounds as he battled back from a first-round loss to win two matches and earn a medal. Sophomore Jared LaFleche was the final Huron placer as he took fourth at 160 pounds. The Hurons are at Munising Saturday for individual districts beginning at 8:30 a.m.