Rochester Adams found a way to get over the hump Wednesday night – and with the that the Highlanders snapped a 27-year streak in the process.

Adams edged Romeo 37-35 in a classic Division 1 regional semifinals match at Dearborn Fordson, then came back to thump host Fordson 59-20 to claim the school’s first regional championship since 1999, back when the Highlanders were a state powerhouse program.

The Highlanders have always remained competitive but have often been knocked out by the likes of Oxford, Clarkston, Hartland, Romeo, Macomb Dakota and a few others, including several times in the regional semifinals or regional finals.

“It’s the first time in 27 years that the Rochester Adams wrestling program has made the state tournament,” beamed Adams coach Mike Holtz. “I was a junior in high school (1999) when we last made the tournament.”

Adams had to get past a quality Romeo squad that has made several trips out to Battle Creek, Mt. Pleasant or Kalamazoo since Adams’ last trip, including last season when the Bulldogs were regional team champs.

Adams had to win several swing matches to get by Romeo before defeating Fordson in an anticlimactic regionals finals match. Fordson reached the regional finals with a 46-35 victory over Berkley in the other semifinals meet.

“We knew they were going to best us up down low some, but we weathered the storm and saved team points at 106, 120, 138, and at 157. Without these weights fighting for every inch the guys up top wouldn’t have had the chance to do what they did,” offered Holtz. “After 157 we essentially had to win four of the last five – with three of them being by pin and the last by major decision or better. We ended up with pins at 165, 175, 215 and at 285 we ended up with the tech fall to complete the comeback and essentially punch our ticket to the state tournament.”

Veteran Romeo coach James Cali felt that the regional semifinals match would be crucial and it had the makings of being a classic between two top-15 teams. His Bulldogs just came up agonizingly short in seeing his team’s dual meet season come to and end with a 28-11 overall record.

Romeo still has 10 wrestlers competing Saturday in the MHSAA Division 1 Individual Regional at Warren Cousino.

“It was a great match and we knew it would be. We just came up a little short,” said Romeo’s Cali, who has been on both ends of the stick in classic regional matches as a coach with over 30 years of experience. “There was a couple of swing matches that could have gone either way. Adams is a solid program and we’ve wrestled them over the years. They found a way to win a couple of those close matches and that was the difference.”

As for Adams (15-4), the Highlanders must wait until Feb. 22 to find out their fate when the MHSAA releases the top eight seedings and the state quarterfinals pairings for the upcoming team state tournament. That will take place Feb. 27-28 at Wings Arena in Kalamazoo.

“I’m very proud of the boys. They answered the bell tonight,” said Holtz. “It’s something special that this group of young men will be able to carry with them for the rest of their lives and do so with pride.

“Such a great night for the entire program – wrestlers, coaches and the parents,” continued Holtz. “We are very proud of them and I couldn’t be more grateful to be entrusted by the parents and administration of Rochester Adams to lead the program. A program that means the world to me and one where I embrace the obligation and responsibility that comes with leading the program and do so in such a manner in which my coach (Pat Milkovich), family and the entire Rochester Adams community would be proud.”

ROCHESTER ADAMS 37, ROMEO 35

106: Aaron Moskwa (RO) tech. fall Keaton Cottone 20-3; 113: Nathan Pugh (RO) p. Anrav Canjan 0:55; 120: Nico Adamo (RO) maj. dec. Bryson Moskwa 16-3; 126: JD Quinlan (RA) p. Seamus Murphy 1:39; 132: Will Eastion (RA) d. Eric Miller 11-4; 138: Valentino Adamo (RO) p. Joey Zobrest 4:00; 144: Colton Shurda (RO) p. Christian Steffens 3:45; 150: Deacon Morgan (RA) p. Anthony Yuquilima 4:50; 157: Owen Perry (RO) d. Dom Beccari 7-0; 165: Dede Thomas (RA) p. Miles Schodowski 0:44; 175: Kailen Mellay (RA) p. Nolan Kammer 0:44; 190: Tommy Jaynes (RO) p. Will Anderson 1:26; 215: Jackson Harris (RA) p. Rashaad Hardman 3:06; 285: Max Vostryakov (RA) p. Alex Murray 4:45.