Reeths-Puffer's Ian Cook came just two points away from the opportunity to wrestle for a state championship.
The standout senior won two matches on Friday and advanced to the semifinal round in the 144-pound weight class at the MHSAA Division 1 Individual State Wrestling Finals at Detroit's Ford Field.
A victory in the semifinals would have sent him to the state title match.
That dream ended on Saturday, however, when Cook lost a 4-3 heartbreaker to Davison's Tanner McDunnah.
Ian Cook, left, squares off against Temperance-Bedford's Noah Benone at Ford Field.
He then went into the consolation bracket and beat Temperance-Bedford's Noah Benone 8-1 and Brighton's Xander Courneya 4-3 in the third-place match.
Cook finished the weekend with a 4-1 record, and ended the season with an amazing 52-1 mark. His senior season included his fourth O-K Green Conference championship, his fourth GMAA Tournament championship, as well as Division 1 district and regional titles.
He became the first Reeths-Puffer wrestler to earn All-State honors every season of his four-year varsity career. The top eight of each weight class gain All-State status.
"Once again Ian Cook had a great performance at the state tournament," said R-P head coach Brad Cowles. "He may not have gotten the results that he was striving for, but he has made us coaches, family and friends extremely proud of him."
Cook actually battled from behind in the close semifinal loss, only to come up just short. 
Cook, left, tries to get a takedown against Benone.
McDunnah grabbed an early 3-0 lead, then Cook outscored him 3-1 the rest of the way, but it wasn't quite enough.
"Getting down 3-0 is not something you really want to do," Cook said about the semifinal match. "That was the first time I trailed in a match this year, and the first time I gave up a takedown. It was still attainable, I knew it was there, but he had a really good defense and I couldn't open him up.
"I am not ashamed at all, but it is upsetting that I couldn't attain my goals. He is a good wrestler and he did what he needed to do to win."
In his four years at the state finals, Cook finished third as a freshman, sixth as a sophomore, and third as both a junior and senior.
Cook, left, with his third-place medal on the championship podium.
He ends his varsity career as the winningest wrestler in Reeths-Puffer history, with a four-year record of 204-16.
"I am super grateful that I had the opportunity to set some new standards and pave the way for kids who are coming up," Cook said. "I am happy that kids will be able to set their goals kind of based on what I have achieved. Not a lot of people can say that."
Another R-P success story over the weekend was senior Sage Secrest, who earned All-State honors by going 2-3 at the state tournament and finishing in eighth place in the 215-pound weight class.
He finished the season with a 41-12 record.
"Sage really turned it up in the postseason," Coach Cowles said. "Sage had never made it past districts in his previous seasons, so for him to get to the (medal) podium at state in his first appearance is amazing."
R-P's Sage Secrest, right, with his medal after finishing in eighth place.
Secrest also competes in football and track, but had never been All-State in any sport before.
"It's always been a goal in the back of my mind," Secrest said. "I definitely surprised myself. I had a little doubt creeping in, but it was my last year, at the state tournament, and I had nothing to lose, no matter what. That's kind of the mindset I went in with, and it worked out in my favor in the end."
R-P junior Max Knowlton also made his first appearance in the state finals. He posted an 0-2 record and finished the season with an outstanding 38-12 record.
"Max wrestled very well on the first day, but ran into some tough competition," Cowles said. "He is already talking about next season, and he's willing to put in the work, so we are excited to see what next season brings for Max."