DAVISON
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
By Chad Swiatecki
More than 50 mourners lined up Thursday morning outside the Davison Township family home of Chase Metcalf, a former Davison High School wrestler beloved for his endless energy and caring for friends and classmates.
Word spread quickly through the community that Metcalf, 21, was killed about 2 a.m. Thursday when the car he was driving struck a tree on E. Court Street near Mott Community College and caught on fire.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, and a passenger in the car was hospitalized but is expected to survive. The accident is still under investigation, and police expect to get toxicology reports back later this month to determine if alcohol was a factor.
“We had 50 people here at our house by 7:30 this morning. That’s how many people adored Chase, “said Metcalf’s mother, Lynn.
During his high school career, Metcalf won two state wrestling championships and a national title and earned a scholarship to wrestle for the University of Michigan.
He also was the older brother and mentor to Brent Metcalf, who went undefeated as a high school wrestler and has just started his freshman year wrestling for Virginia Tech.
Chase Metcalf tired of competing at the college level and relinquished his college scholarship to return home and begin focusing on teaching beginning wrestlers, his mother said.
He had scheduled a wrestling clinic this weekend for a team from Rockford.
“I told him that all I wanted was for him to be happy, “Lynn Metcalf said. “He had gotten really into training and instructing young kids and middle-schoolers in wrestling, and he enjoyed that more than just about anything. If he had free time, there was nothing he liked working on more than wrestling.”
Those who knew him remember Metcalf as an energetic and supportive classmate and friend who worked hard to realize his athletic ability.
“He had a great knowledge of the sport, and Chase was also an extremely hard worker who wanted to make the most of his God-given gifts, “said Roy Hall, Davison’s wrestling coach who brought the former standout back last year as a trainer and “graduate assistant “for the high school team.
“He had a wonderful personality that made everyone like him, and his smile could light up a room.”
Even those who hadn’t had contact with him in recent years remembered Metcalf’s winning personality and were proud to have played a role in his development.
“I saw his parents at a wedding last weekend, and I told them how great it was to watch Chase grow up and do so well, “said Dave Young, Davison’s former athletic director.
Visitation is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. Saturday at Allen Funeral Home in Davison, with a memorial service 3 p.m. Sunday at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, also in Davison.
Wrestling Gear
