2 Dearborn High School grapplers to wrestle for HFC

Dean Elder and Mohammad Mallah, both seniors at Dearborn High School, recently signed on to wrestle at HFC.

“HFC is the best financial deal around for collegiate wrestling in the Detroit area,” said HFC wrestling coach Grant MacKenzie. “Our program (HFC Wrestling) is great for local kids who do not want to leave home but who have the drive to compete post-high school.”

Dean Elder

Elder was a captain of the wrestling team at Dearborn, wrestling at 189 lbs. His record during his senior year was 37-11. He was the team MVP.

“Dean was the gentle giant of the Dearborn wrestling team,” said Dearborn wrestling coach Hassen Berri. “He took us by surprise this year and dominated on the mat. He was very difficult for opponents to score on, and using his explosive strength, he found a way to win, especially in crunch time. He took second in the Kensington Lakes Athletic Association (KLAA) conference tournament and was the Wyandotte invitational champion. He was Dearborn’s first district champion since 2009. He was Dearborn’s only state qualifier for 2018-19.”

Mohammad Mallah

Mallah was also a captain of the wrestling team, wrestling at 140 lbs. His record during his senior year was 36-13 and he was voted Most Improved on the team.

“The most intense wrestler of the Dearborn senior class – a great leader and captain,” said Berri. “He pushed the pace every match. He was not satisfied with just beating his opponents by a single point, and instead aimed to dominate and finish each match. He has a relentless attitude and wrestling style, which made his matches very entertaining. He was the wrestler who was most likely to pin or tech-fall his opponents.”