Guilford Gets 100th Win but Raiders Lose to Alma in Team District Championship

The Portland High School wrestling team lost in the Team District Championship match last night, 42-28, against 8th ranked Alma. Individual winners for Portland in the championship match were Desmond Gardner, Devin Miller, Owen Guilford, Doak Manshum, Jared Thelen and Marty Thelen.

Portland beat Ovid Elsie 57-21 in the first round. Winners against Ovid Elsie were Ethan Getchell, Desmond Gardner, Hunter Hoppes, Kyle Hinds, Owen Guilford, Ethan Guidi, Doak Manshum, Jacob Vroman, Jared Thelen and Marty Thelen.

During the match with Alma, junior Owen Guilford earned his 100th career high school wrestling win. Guilford is the second Raider entering this elite century club this season, following senior Devin Miller.

Parents Amy and Patrick Guilford said, “Owen is a disciplined and hardworking kid. As he has matured in the sport of wrestling we’ve watched him successfully balance the important traits of confidence and humility. He is a good wrestler, but a better person and that’s what truly makes us proud.”

Coach Andy Pulling said, “Owen was our second raider wrestler this season to enter the Raider Wrestling Century Club and one of the very few ever to do it as a junior. This accomplishment exemplifies who Owen is as an athlete; strong, committed and a quick learner. As a coaching staff we are so very proud of Owen and excited for his future.”

PHS assistant coach and Owen’s former MYWAY (Michigan Youth Wrestling Association) wrestling coach, Ryan Fedewa, said, “I first started coaching Owen when he was in elementary school. It was clear from the begging he was a cut above the rest of the wrestlers in our youth program. Owen has always been a very respectable and hardworking athlete and student. As Owen progressed through his wrestling career he earned respect of his opponents not only as a wrestler but as a person. I remember the season leading up to his MYWAY State Championship, Owen was always one of the hardest workers on the team. The success he had was a clear result of that hard work as he frequently stayed after practice sometimes up to an hour after his teammates left trying to perfect his skill. Owen has never taking the easy road to success and for the past two off-seasons he has attended one of the most intensive training camps in the nation. He continues to show the desire and dedication to the sport of wrestling every practice and competition and that is a direct result of his great accomplishment of 100 victories as a Junior. Owen is one of those athletes that you can point out to others as how to “do the right thing” off the mat as he maintains a current GPA of 3.79 and how to ‘prepare the right way’ on the mat. It has been a great pleasure to be involved with his wrestling career from the beginning and I looked forward to witness what else he will accomplish before his time as a Portland Raider student and athlete is over.”

Coach Mark Holdren added, “Owen is a second-generation Portland wrestler. What is great about him reaching his 100th career victory is that his dad, Patrick, also was a 100-win wrestler here a Portland.”

Owen is actually the fourth member of the Guilford family to join the Raider Century Club. In addition to his father Patrick (100 wins 1997), his uncles Brandon (112 wins 2003) and Chad (126 wins 1997) also had 100 or more wins as Portland wrestlers.

Owen took 4th in the state his sophomore year. This past summer he was awarded the top honor of the “Black Hat Award” at the 10-day J. Robinson Intensive wrestling camp in Iowa.

Going back 48 years, the other 26 members of the PHS century club, prior to Miller and Guilford, are:

• 1 Andrew Wieferich 186 2008 125-130-135-140

• 2 Andy Pulling 178 2003 119-125-130-135

• 2 Adam Johnson 178 2004 103-119-125

• 4 Ken Buckland 177 1991 103-112-119-125

• 5 Trevor Maus 169 2010 112-130-140-145

• 6 Kevin Miller 165 2011 103-112-119-130

• 7 Jacob Sandborn 160 2006 103-112-130-140

• 8 Mark Buckland 149 1993 103-112-125

• 9 Andrew Pohl 139 2001 HWT

• 10 Ben Spitzley 138 1998 160-171-189

• 11 Zac Hunter 135 1990 98-125-130

• 11 Chris Spitzley 135 2000 160-171

• 11 Jared Luellen 135 2010 103-119-125

• 14 Adam Fedewa 130 1990 105-119-125

• 14 Jonah Lyon 130 2001 140-152

• 16 Bob Thelen 128 2002 112-119-125

• 17 Seth Manshum 128 2012 152-160-171

• 18 Chad Guilford 126 1997 152-171-189

• 19 James Pace 125 2012 135-140

• 20 John Miller 124 2012 103-112-119

• 21 Travis Opperman 123 1998 140-145-152-160

• 22 Dominic Gardner 120 2016 112-119-130

• 23 Chris Pulling 119 2002 130-135

• 24 Matt Overweg 116 1994 103-112-119-135

• 25 Hayden Maus 114 2017 125-135-145-152

• 26 Adam Keusch 113 2000 135-145-152

• 27 Tracy Selden 112 1985 105-126-132

• 27 Brandon Guilford 112 2003 145

• 29 Mike Feldpausch 111 1999 112-125-130

• 30 Rob Marvin 110 1999 215

• 31 Jesse Terwilliger 107 1991 160-171

• 32 Alex Young 106 2015 130-125-135

• 33 Scott Selden 103 1983 98-112

• 33 Tony Savage 103 2015 103-112-125

• 35 Desmond Gardner 103 2018 112-119-130

• 36 Patrick Guilford 100 1997 135-140

The Raiders took second in the CAAC league meet last Saturday at Fowlerville. Eaton Rapids took first.

The Raiders have individual districts coming up this Saturday in Williamston.