Northwood only has four wrestlers on its varsity wrestling team this season, so it's not like Brandon Kretz has the pick of the litter when it comes to choosing his workout partner.

“It doesn't really bother me that much,” Kretz said. “It's been like that pretty much my entire career, since sixth grade. It's been the same people, so it hasn't bothered me at all.”

Kretz, a junior 126-pounder, drills with first-year head coach Bill Cannon's son, Devon, a 106-pound freshman who has wrestled all over the nation. Whatever those two are doing in the wrestling room, it is working. Kretz is 10-1 with six pins this season.

Brandon Kretz puts a hold on teammate Devon Dunbar during a Northwood practice session over holiday break. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)

“Devon pushes me,” Kretz said. “He gets a little mad in the room and he knows how to push my buttons, but he works hard and makes me better. I think he'll place at state next year, and he'll (eventually) be a state champion.”

Kretz also gets advice from his father, Terry, who wrestled at Genoa. Terry coached his son at the biddy level.

“He pushes me a lot and makes me better,” Kretz said.

Bill Cannon, who coached Northwood's junior high wrestlers the past few years, admitted he didn't know much about Kretz's wrestling style prior to this season. Cannon has, however, been very impressed with one aspect of Kretz's style.

“He's strong and likes to go upper body,” Cannon said. “He's really fast and pretty quick on his feet. He's pretty darn strong, too. He likes to wrestle upstairs with guys, to get in that strength battle, and 95 percent of the time he'll win that dogfight. He's looking pretty good. He should have a good shot of going down to the state tournament this year if he continues to train hard.”

Kretz, who bench-presses 175 pounds, squats 300 and deadlifts 355, said he would rather go high on an opponent than shoot for his legs.

“It's more of straight upper body (technique), go for the throw,” he said. “It's more Greco-Roman-type wrestling. I don't like to shoot that often. I would rather throw guys. Once I learned to throw guys, I've worked on that a bunch and that's what I've pretty much been doing the past couple years.”

The 5-foot-7 Kretz, 16, who has been wrestling for 10 years, has yet to advance to the state tournament during his career. He had a 19-15 record as a freshman at 112 pounds and went 31-10 at 119 last season, winning Ohio Wrestling League titles both years. Kretz is ranked fifth at 120 by the Greater Toledo Wrestling Coaches Association in Division III.

Kretz's only loss this season came in the semifinals of the Northwood Derr Invitational, against a wrestler from Defiance.

“I was winning the match,” Kretz said, “but he got a double arm bar and stuck me. I got too high on the leg ride and he came out the back door and threw up a double arm bar and pinned me in the third period.”

A year ago, Kretz was one win away from advancing to the state tournament after placing fifth at the district tournament at Owens Community College. He said he doesn't plan to let that happen again.

“It just pushes me even harder, that I was one match away,” said Kretz, who also plays wide receiver and cornerback on the Rangers' football team. “I was that close to it. I plan to make it to state and possibly place. I would hope to possibly get to the top of the podium. I'm going to work hard to get there, and then see what happens.”

Kretz is not the only Northwood wrestler ranked by the GTWCA. Tyler Mack is ranked fifth at 138, but has not been wrestling because of an ACL football injury.

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