Andrew’s Kyle Silzer wants to ‘push the pace on my feet and take my guy down’

Article Source Written By: By PATRICK Z. MCGAVIN – DAILY SOUTHTOWN |DEC 30, 2019 | 2:03 PM

Photo: Andrew senior Kyle Silzer, who has moved up several weight classes in three varsity seasons, has a 14-4 record at 132 pounds this year. (Photo provided by Andrew Athletics)

Andrew senior Kyle Silzer loves a breakneck pace. He also has the ability to dictate the tempo at 132 pounds.

“I always like to push the pace on my feet and take my guy down,” Silzer said. “Let him up and take him down and try to score as many points as I can.”

Silzer is part of a proud family tradition. His older brother Jake, a three-time state placewinner at St. Rita, wrestled three years at the University of Illinois.

His youngest brother Trevor, a freshman, also starts for the Thunderbolts. Jake was the inspiration to take up the sport when Kyle was younger.

“He brought a sheet home for my dad one day, and my dad fell in love with it,” Kyle said. “And they brought me and my little brother into the sport.”

Jake is working with his brother to develop a more aggressive approach.

“Jake has been coaching me a lot and has encouraged me,” Kyle said. “It’s awesome having him around. We are always competing with each other, in and out of the room.

“Now that my little brother is wrestling this year, it is great to be competing with everyone.”

Kyle Silzer has a 14-4 record this season. He has excelled with a blend of quickness, speed, balance and technical prowess.

He also has adjusted to going up against bigger and stronger opponents, making a difficult leap by moving up several weight classes in three varsity seasons.

He wrestled at 106 as a sophomore and at 120 as a junior.

“I feel like everybody is really good at 132,” Silzer said. “I had my growth spurt during my sophomore year. As a sophomore, I started out at 126, but the kids were just too strong.

“Now, I just work to get better.”

He has also demonstrated a relentless style and unforgiving mentality, something he has adopted from working with his older brother.

“The way I see it is that you must have a serious dislike for your opponent for the six minutes you are out there and do everything possible to win,” Silzer said. “You can be friends after the match.

“When I am out there, I like to stay focused and try and score as many points as I can.”

Impressive showing: The youngest of the three Silzer brothers, Trevor showed off his precocious talent with an outstanding performance in the DeKalb Invitational.

Silzer posted two pins, a technical fall and two majority decisions at 106 in finishing 6-0 at the two-day tournament.

Joey Roti went 5-0 at 126 for the Thunderbolts.

Versatile middle: December is the time when most coaches experiment with lineups.

Lemont coach John St. Clair has a range of options at the heart of his order.

Just looking at 145, he has two wrestlers ranked in the top five with Grant LaDuke and Kyle Zator.

LaDuke finished third in the state last season in Class 2A. He’s currently ranked No. 2 by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association.

Zator is ranked No. 5 at the same weight class.

Additionally, the emergence of AJ Heeg at 138 has allowed Kyle Schickel, who finished second in the state at 138 last season, to move up to 145.

In the DeKalb Invitational, Lemont went 5-1 and finished second in its bracket against Oak Park-River Forest.

Heeg, LaDuke and Zator each finished 6-0. Schickel went 5-1.

Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.