Battle Creek Wrestling Kicks Off Varsity Debut with Energy, Grit, and a Guitar Solo
It wasn’t your typical wrestling opener. Before a single takedown was attempted, Battle Creek freshman Cooper Hughes set the tone with a guitar in hand, delivering the Star-Spangled Banner ahead of the Grizzlies’ varsity wrestling debut Thursday night against Community. And once the anthem faded and the matches began, Hughes kept the spotlight - this time on the mat.
In just his first high school match, Hughes notched an 8-5 decision over Community’s Keign Lamb at 190 pounds, one of two contested victories for Battle Creek in a 51-27 team loss. His win followed a first-period pin by fellow freshman Harlem Sadler at 175, giving the Grizzlies a pair of bright spots in an otherwise tough opening night.
“I’d never done it before a match,” Hughes said of his national anthem performance. “I was pretty excited about that.” He looked just as comfortable with a singlet on as he did with a guitar, grinding out a hard-earned decision in front of a home crowd that included plenty of familiar faces.
Sadler, meanwhile, wasted no time making an impact in his own debut, pinning Joshua Capley just one minute into the match. Not bad for a guy who only recently picked up the sport.
“I lost a lot at our preseason tournament in Tullahoma,” Sadler admitted. “But I wanted something to help me stay in shape for football, and I like to compete. Wrestling’s just you and the other guy - who wants it more, who’s more tired, who’s in better shape?”
That mindset - and his quick pin - impressed Grizzlies head coach Scott Johnson, who praised Sadler’s early aggressiveness. It’s exactly the kind of edge Johnson is trying to instill in a roster that’s full of young, dual-sport athletes still finding their footing on the mat.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who are brand new to the sport or only wrestled a little in middle school,” Johnson said. “Most of our football guys have only been out here for a couple of weeks.
Some of them just started a few months ago. Give them time, and they’ll start winning a lot more matches.”
The crossover between football and wrestling is no accident. Battle Creek’s coaching staff is building a foundation of synergy between the two programs. Johnson and football coach Justin Burum - who previously coached wrestling at Shelbyville - are working together to create a pipeline of athletes who can thrive in both sports.
“These two sports complement each other really well,” Johnson said. “We’re trying to coach aggressiveness, and that takes time.
Mastering technique takes time. But we’ve got the potential.
We just need to get everyone doing the things that work and mastering the basics.”
For Hughes, wrestling is no longer just a tool to get better at football - it’s become his primary focus. A product of Battle Creek Middle School and club wrestling circuits, he’s stepping into high school competition with more experience than most of his teammates and a clear sense of purpose.
“I started playing football around sixth grade,” Hughes said. “People told me wrestling would help with football - and it did - but now it’s become my main sport. It was exciting to be out here in front of people I know.”
As for Sadler, he’s still embracing the learning curve, but he’s already locked in on the physical and mental benefits wrestling brings - both for now and when he returns to the gridiron.
“Getting in shape, the running, the work - all I’ve got to do after is eat more and get bigger, and I’ll be ready for football,” he said with a smile.
The scoreboard may not have gone Battle Creek’s way in their debut, but the signs of growth, toughness, and potential were all over the mat. With a young core and a coaching staff committed to development, this team isn’t just building a wrestling program - they’re building a culture.
Final Score: Community 51, Battle Creek 27
Match Results:
- 106: Racin McGinnis (BC) by forfeit
- 113: Parker Page (BC) by forfeit
- 120: Mason Layne (C) by forfeit
- 126: Landon Crick (C) pinned Luca Esposito, 0:39
- 132: Xander Tate (C) pinned Jaden Elkins, 1:15
- 138: Owen Williamson (C) major decision over Gavin Pelkey, 17-8
- 144: Blake Harris (C) technical fall over Reid Barker, 27-12
- 150: Bryce Blanton (C) pinned Colin Swailes, 3:59
- 157: Isaiah Beech (C) pinned Jaxon Voorhies, 2:23
- 165: Ethan Garcia (C) pinned Nathan Tarter, 0:14
- 175: Harlem Sadler (BC) pinned Joshua Capley, 1:00
- 190: Cooper Hughes (BC) decision over Keign Lamb, 8-5
- 215: Wyatt Elsner (C) pinned Trace Moore, 0:56
- 285: Quint Hall (BC) by forfeit
The Grizzlies may be new to the varsity scene, but with performances like these from Hughes and Sadler - and a roster full of athletes hungry to learn - this debut could be the start of something special.