CARLETON, Mich. — Wednesday marked the first day of competition for high school wrestling in Michigan and Airport High School, about 15 minutes north of Monroe in Carleton, grappled one of the best season-opening moments.
The Jets lined up against Wyandotte, a team that possessed six state-ranked wrestlers, for a dual under the spotlight. In front of a large home crowd, Airport defeated the Bears 37-33 to open their campaign with a victory.
The win proved to be just the tip of the iceberg on a memorable night. Airport also unveiled a new mat thanks to donations and money raised from program supporters.
But what truly made the evening unforgettable was how it finished.
Jets senior Jack Mills entered the season coming off a seventh-place finish at the state championships last year. On Wednesday, he stepped onto the mat as the event's final match at 175 pounds with his team leading by a single point. Ranked No. 2 in the state according to Michigan Grappler, he needed to defeat No. 4-ranked Michael Stathakis for Airport to win.
A minute into the first period, Mills secured a takedown to break the tie and ended up holding that lead for a 3-0 decision. The victory not only sealed his team's success but marked his 100th career win, too.
"I've been wrestling since I was four and my freshman year got cut short because of COVID," Mills said. "The last two years I've had good seasons but came up a little short when it came down to it. This was a big win for me tonight and I'm just proud of the team and proud of myself."
Jon Morris, who has been the team's head coach for two years, said it was a memorable accomplishment under unforgettable circumstances.
"We were confident in our guy and so were they and that's just how it worked out," he said. "Ended up being his 100th win and I think it's one he'll remember for a while."