By BUTCH HARMON
“It’s a family tradition.”
Hank Williams, Jr. sang about family tradition, but thousands of families across Michigan have lived out a family tradition on wrestling mats since high school wrestling evolved in the state. High School Sports Scene takes a look at just a few of the many families who have left their imprints on high school wrestling.
- The Severn family has left an undeniable footprint on wrestling in Michigan. Brothers Dave, Dan, Mike, Mark, and Rod all wrestled for Montrose in the 1970s and 1980s, but if not for a washed out bridge on a dirt road, they may have donned the black and white of New Lothrop. “We lived on the border of Montrose and New Lothrop, but a bridge washed out down the road from our house and we ended up going to Montrose,” Dan Severn said. “There was always a rumor that the New Lothrop coaches were going to go down there and rebuild the bridge so that we would go to New Lothrop.” During their wrestling careers at Montrose, the Severn brothers combined for 10 state titles. A second generation continued the standard of excellence. Dan’s son Dave Severn was a two-time state champion at Bronson High School, Rod’s son Austin was a two-time state champion for New Lothrop, and Dave’s son Jake won a state title in Arizona.
- Like the Severn family, the Amines have made an impact across two generations as wrestlers and coaches. Graduates of Lincoln High School in Warren, brothers Mike and Sam Amine collected three individual state titles. Both went on to wrestle at the University of Michigan, where they combined for 156 total wins. Mike placed second at the 1988 NCAA tournament and was a three-time Big Ten placer as well as an alternate for the 1992 Olympics. Sam made a major impact as a coach and became the youngest coach to win a state title, when he led Lincoln to the 1994 title at the age of 24. He was also the youngest coach to lead a team to three state finals. During his 23 years coaching, he was twice named Michigan Coach of the Year. Sam’s son Jordan Amine was a two-time state placer at Brighton who won 203 career matches. Mike’s sons Myles and Malik have made their marks at Detroit Catholic Central. Malik was a four-time state placer and two-time state champion who now wrestles at the University of Michigan. Myles was a state champion last year who is looking to add a second title this season.
- The Simaz brothers from Allegan made a habit of collecting titles. Brothers Cam, Taylor, Kyle, and Eric combined to win 10 individual state titles. In total, the four won an incredible 911 high school matches with just 46 defeats. All went on to wrestle at the college level. Cam was a four-time national qualifier and also an NCAA champion for Cornell University. The Simaz brothers carried on the traditions of their father and uncle. Uncle Mike Simaz won a state title at Lake Michigan Catholic High School in St. Joseph and is the current coach at St. Francis High School in Traverse City. Dad Joe Simaz was a two-time state placer at Eau Claire and an assistant coach at Allegan.
- The Zeerip name has been prominent in West Michigan wrestling for some 40 years. Craig Zeerip wrestled for Fremont High School, was a three-year letterman at Ohio State University, and coached at Hesperia for 10 years. His sons Justin, Brandon, and Collin took the wrestling family to another level. Brandon was a four-time state champion who went 260-0 over his career. Collin was a three-time state champion who went 238-13, and Brandon was a two-time state champion who went 251-7. All three sons went on to wrestle at the University of Michigan.
- The Simmons family of Williamston can match its resume with anyone. Scott Simmons was a two-time state champion in 1979 and 1980. Sons Nick and Andy doubled what dad accomplished and then some. Nick was a four-time state champion who finished his career with a 211-0 record. He went on to be a four-time all-American and three-time Big 10 champion at Michigan State University. Andy was also a four-time state champion, who finished his high school career with a 219-0 record. He also wrestled at Michigan State, where he was a three-time all-American and Big 10 champion.
- The Mills family has been a big part of high school wrestling for over 40 years. Mike Mills became the first four-time state champion in high school wrestling when he won titles from 1976-9 at Mt. Pleasant. He went on to wrestle at the University of Notre Dame. Dave Mills followed as a three-time state placer, including a state title won as a senior. Dave wrestled in college at Central Michigan University and then went on to win a couple of World Masters titles and had a lengthy coaching career at Forest Hills Central High School and Grand Valley State University. Joe Mills was a state placer for Mt. Pleasant. Dave’s son Matt is a junior at Forest Hills Central and is state-ranked, while son Jake was a two-time captain and is a current assistant coach at Central.
- The name Weisenberger has been linked to New Lothrop wrestling for years. A total of five Weisenbergers wrestled at New Lothrop, and at least one Weisenberger was on the team for 17 consecutive years. Tim and Randy combined for four state titles, and the brothers combined to qualify for state finals 18 times and won 12 state medals.
- The Knieper family has also left a huge impact on wrestling at New Lothrop. Dan Knieper helped start the New Lothrop youth program. Four Kniepers went on to earn all-state honors, with Duane Knieper winning three individual state titles and Mike Knieper winning one state title.
- From the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, the Kovicak brothers of New Lothrop made a huge impact. Randy finished his career with 215 wins, a third-place state finish as a freshman, and three state titles. Tony was also a three-time state champion, while Jamie tallied two state championships and a third-place finish.
- The Dean family has had two generations of wrestling excellence. Dave Dean was a two-time state champion at Montrose in the early 1980s and went on to be a two-time all-American at the University of Minnesota. Dave and his brother Noel were also part of a team state title at Montrose in 1983. Dave went on to coach Lowell to a pair of team state championships. His sons Gabe and Max both won individual state titles at Lowell and Gabe earned all-American honors as a freshman at Cornell University. Dave’s nephew Zeth, Noel’s son, was a state runner-up last year and is ranked No. 1 in the state this year.