Posts by Mick Torres

By Curt Herron

After dominating in the IHSA’s Class 1A dual team tournament from 2013-16, Dakota didn’t advance to the competition again until this year, but that made sense because another northwest Illinois program, Lena-Winslow/Stockton, won Class 1A titles in 2017 and 2019.

For a program that established a Class 1A standard and shared a small-school record by winning four-straight championships in that class, it wasn’t surprising to see Dakota again in Bloomington this past weekend and to have them capture their sixth state title since 2006.

Coach Pete Alber’s Indians definitely picked up where they had left off by winning another Class 1A championship, beating Coal City 40-19 to hand the Coalers their sixth second-place finish, including their second in a row with last year’s loss coming in the Class 2A finals.

Dakota won its three dual meets by a 43-19.7 margin with the closest one being a 35-27 semifinal win over Unity after opening the day with a 54-13 quarterfinal victory over Tremont.

The Indians also beat Coal City 49-26 on January 4 and were able to avenge a 31-27 loss to Unity on December 7 that was one of four losses they suffered in a 24-4 campaign. Their other defeats came against Aurora Christian, Lockport and Washington, who also were competing in the state finals at the Grossinger Motors Arena.

Unity, which was making its first state appearance since 1990, claimed its second trophy after beating Auburn 48-30 in the third-place meet. The Rockets gave Dakota its biggest challenge, winning five of the first eight matches to lead 18-14 and only trailed 29-27 going into the final match, which Dakota’s Lucas Sutherland secured with a fall in 1:03 at 138.

“It feels good, but at the same time, we don’t like to be gone that long,” said Alber, who was assisted by Josh Alber, Colby Dace, Matt Jacobs and Shad Sutherland. “It was too long of a dry spell for us. Coal City was tough and we respect them, and also Unity, which was awful tough, too, and they beat us earlier in the year. We just came in prepared and these guys were very confident. We didn’t have the mental meltdowns, anything like that. I was very happy with our performance.

“We have a good community with great parents and a great administration in our school and they push us. Our administration kept pushing us, ‘hey, we need a state championship’ and that puts pressure on you. But we’re happy to get this. And we’re junior-heavy, so we should be competitive next year.”

In the title meet, Dakota won three of the first four matches to jump out to a 16-3 lead but Coal City responded with four-straight wins to go up 19-16. However, it was all Dakota after that as it claimed victories in the final six matches, claiming two of those wins with falls.

Dakota’s Quinton Heilemeier started things off with a fall in 1:11 over Joey Breneman at 152 and Coaler 160-pound state runner-up David Papach answered with a 6-0 decision over Aidan Nardin. The Indians won the next two as 170-pound state runner-up Andrew Wenzel pinned Ashton Harvey in 30 seconds and then Evan Riggle won 8-0 over Dane Dearth to give their team an early 13-point lead.

The Coalers then won four in a row as 195-pound state champion Daniel Jezik pinned Cody Meade in 3:18, Gage Leake won 5-0 over Martin Snyder at 220, Logan Miller was an 8-3 winner over Dalton Riggle and Evan Rivera put his team up by three points with a 14-6 victory over Ethan Rood at 106.

But Maddux Blakely got a fall in 1:04 over Mataeo Blessing, Conner Elmer won 7-3 over Derek Carlson and 120-pound state champion Phoenix Blakely edged Zach Finch 10-9 at 126. Tyler Simmer got a fall in 4:18 over Lane Kutemeier, Lucas Sutherland won 5-0 over Connor Huston and Kade Wales won 7-5 over Gabe Ludes in the finale at 145.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Evan Riggle said. “This group of guys have been doing this since we were little. We’ve got the best fans and had the most people here. I’m done, but these guys have such a great future. We were super confident and knew we were going to win. We were ready.”

Coal City, which finished 39-9, opened with a 57-18 win over Harvard, which was making its first trip since 2014. The Coalers followed that with a 39-32 semifinal win over Auburn, which they trailed 20-3 after five matches before winning seven of the last nine, including the final four with wins by Carlson, Finch, Kutemeier and Huston to score the last 18 points.

Coach Mark Masters’ Coalers have placed in the top three on five occasions in the last six years, with three of those being runner-up finishes. Other than last season, they’ve been in Class 1A and the program has posted a 191-33 record, good for an .853 winning percentage.

“Year-in-and-year out they’ve always had a tough team when they come here, so you know that you’re going to get the best that your team is going to see all year,” said Coalers assistant coach Jim Looper, who was filling in at state for coach Mark Masters.

“You’ve got to get here to have a chance and all of these kids do is fight and they do everything we ask them to do on the mat. We laid it all out there, but it just wasn’t our day today. Bonus points are a premium and they got a few more than we did, especially early on. Toward the middle, there were toss-up matches and we battled and battled and they just came out on the toss-ups, and that’s what you see in a good dual.”

Unity’s Rockets, coached by Logan Patton, capped a 40-7 season by claiming third place with its second trophy in its first state trip since 1990. And Auburn’s Trojans finished 30-3 for coach Matt Grimm and placed fourth for their first trophy in their second state appearance.

In the 48-30 third-place meet, Unity got pins from 113-pound state runner-up Tavius Hosley, Cade Scott, Oran Varela, Logan Wilson, Braxton Manuel, Ben Gavel and Peyton Holt and decisions from Pate Eastin and Micah Downs. Getting pins for Auburn were Mikel Ent, Gervasio Marchizza, Gage Lopez and Caleb Nix while Dresden Grimm received a forfeit.

“We wrestled well today,” Patton said. “It’s the first trophy that we’ve brought home in 30 years and it means a whole lot. This is my third year at Unity so we’re building the program the right way and coming up with the medal was great. We’re a family, we’re just tight-knit. No one’s harder on our dudes than each other and we give each other a hard time. It’s a bunch of brothers who have a great time and really excited for that.”

Teams that fell in the quarterfinals were Harvard (25-6), coached by David Schultz; Nazareth Academy (12-10), coached by Denis Laughlin; Prairie Central (35-5), coached by Tyler Webster; and Tremont (20-9), coached by TJ Williams. Harvard made its 14th state trip, Prairie Central its fifth visit, Tremont its second appearance and Nazareth made its debut.

By Patrick Z. McGavin

Joe Roberts set a blistering and dominant tone that proved impossible to top.

“Everyone on this team put in the work,” Roberts said. “Everyone on this team is such a good person, such a hard worker.

“Everyone here deserves this.”

The individual Class 3A state champion at 152 pounds, Roberts showcased dazzling quickness, technique and power in overwhelming Mount Carmel’s Colby Lopez 25-9.

With that performance, Montini marked the start and end of one of the most dominant all-around individual and team performances in the history of the sport.

Already riding high after producing an unprecedented five individual state champions and 11 all-state wrestlers, Montini went to an even higher gear.

The Broncos made another grand statement with its 37-9 victory over Mount Carmel for its third consecutive 3A team dual championship at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington on Saturday night.

Against powerhouse rival Mount Carmel, Montini won the first six matches in running out to the commanding 20-0 advantage.

“Coming into this weekend, the team came into this knowing we are the greatest team to ever step on the Illinois mats,” senior 220-pounder Joshua LaBarbera said. 

“An undefeated season, ranked No. 3 in the country, something in 3A that had never done that before.”

Montini is a 21st century phenomenon. Since winning its first dual team championship in Class A in 2000, the Broncos have won 16 state championships this century.

Montini (24-0) and Mount Carmel (12-2) have been joined at the hip all year—the equivalent of a shotgun marriage—as the two standard bearers of Class 3A wrestling.

The two have stood atop the 3A team rankings since the preseason.

As great as Mount Carmel has been this season, Montini stood above the fray—at a whole other level.

“They were an extremely competitive team,” Mount Carmel coach Alex Tsirtsis said. “I think every single guy who wrestled today did not miss a match for them the whole year. 

“If they did miss any, it was just a short time.”

The final score is somewhat misleading. Mount Carmel wrestled well. Montini won seven of their 11 matches by three points or fewer.

“They really prepared well for us,” LaBarbera said. “You could tell in a couple of specific matches, with (Trevor) Swier, myself, a couple of other kids, they knew what our bread and butter was. 

“They were focused. They probably watched a lot of film because as soon as we got to our ties, they knew what we liked to do in those situations. I think that was their goal, to keep the matches close and try to steal them at the end.”

In many instances, the team dual final represented the fourth or fifth time specific wrestlers locked up against each other this season. 

At 120 pounds, Vazquez and Colton Drousias staged a rematch of their third-place match at the University of Illinois. It marked the sixth time this year the two have confronted each other.

Vazquez reversed the individual state outcome with a 4-3 decision. Their clash illustrated the fullness of how inextricably bound together the two programs were. 

Mount Carmel performed very well. The experience of performing at the highest levels proved too difficult for even a team as skilled and versatile as Mount Carmel to puncture Montini’s privileged air of invincibility.

“It is just about going out there and executing and doing what you have to do and what the coaches tell you what to do,” Mount Carmel senior Jalen Grant.

Grant, the 285-pounder who finished fourth at the University of Illinois, ended the Broncos’ run with a painstaking 3-0 victory over Colin Baker.

“We could not get it done today, but I think everybody tried their best,” Grant said.

At the 3A individual state championship one week earlier, Montini had five state champions: Joseph Fernau (106), Dylan Ragusin (126), Roberts (152), Trevor Swier (182) and LaBarbera (220).

The Broncos had five first-place finishers, four thirds, a fourth and a sixth. Montini became the first program in 3A history to qualify wrestlers at all 14 weight classes.

Ragusin (45-3), Swier (44-6), Fidel Mayora (44-6), Roberts (42-5), Brayden Thompson (41-11) and Nick Gonzalez (40-14) either reached or surpassed the magical single-season victory total of 40.

Nain Vasquez (39-13) and Fernau (37-9) were on the verge.

Mount Carmel produced two individual state champions in freshman Sergio Lemley (113) and junior Noah Mis (132).

The Caravan also a state runner-up with junior Connor Gaynor (145), a third-place finisher with Drousias (120) and a fifth-place finisher with senior Ashton Breen (160). 

Michael Kelly (152) and Nik Mishka (220) each qualified for the quarterfinals.

The brackets worked out and the two powerhouse Catholic League programs stood at opposite sides. Montini and Mount Carmel blitzed through the field. 

The Broncos decimated previously unbeaten Lockport in the quarterfinals and won 13 out of 14 matches against Barrington.

Mount Carmel matched Montini by conceding just one match against Minooka in the quarterfinals and took care of business with Sandburg.

Mount Carmel was the only Illinois program to prove competitive against Montini during the season. On December 7, the Caravan led 26-12. 

On that day, Roberts initiated the comeback with a major decision over Lopez as the Broncos won the final five matches for the 32-26 victory.

The closest any Illinois program came within Montini was 31 points.

“I think this opportunity is truly a story of me being blessed,” Roberts said. “Having five state champs was just crazy. We all came together. Our bond is pushing us past these teams.

“The difference between the beginning of the season and now is the work that has been put in all year.”

The dual team championship produced the match up everybody wanted.

The results favored Montini. The Caravan contended at virtually every weight other than the two technical falls registered by Roberts and Fernau.

“They were all competitive matches,” Tsirtsis said. “We need to build off those guys who did a good thing and finish strong. That needs to be contagious for the rest of the guys on the team and we will go from there.”

The marquee match-up favored a clash of two state champions. The 126-pound state champion, Ragusin jumped up a class to meet the Caravan’s Noah Mis.

Mis dominated Montini’s Ethan Stiles with a technical fall in the quarterfinals at the University of Illinois. An injury prevented Stiles from competing on Saturday.

Ragusin was up to the challenge.

“I am confident in my skills in whatever weight class I go,” he said. “I feel like, pound for pound, I am the best wrestler in the state of Illinois.

“I wanted to fulfill that.”

Ragusin conceded some size and length against Mis. His quickness and power neutralized his opponent’s normal aggressiveness.

A four-time state finalist who won backup-to-back individual state titles, Ragusin kept Mis off-balance with his superb footwork and grace.

Ragusin’s 6-3 victory symbolized the depth of Montini’s power and strength.

“The coaches asked me if the points were tight, would I be willing to go up a class and wrestle him,” Ragusin said. “There was no better way to end my last high school match then to go and beat the state champion a weight above.

“Everybody is surprised but us about the outcome. We know how hard we work. Everything that we do, we always do the right things. 

“Montini wrestling has definitely molded me into the man I am today.”

Lemley executed a late reversal for his 3-2 victory over Gonzalez at 113 pounds. Alex Lalezas (126) won by the same score over Logan Swaw

Mayora closed out the run with a 3-1 victory over Gaynor, reversing the individual state dynamic where he finished third to the runner-up place of Gaynor.

After everything was said and done, Montini was simply too much—for Mount Carmel and the rest of the field.

“We are too disciplined, too focused, too mentally strong and too conditioned,” LaBarbera said. 

In the third-place match, Barrington won the first six matches to defeat Sandburg 40-28.

The Broncos (26-3) secured the best finish in program history and also established a new record for single-season victories.

The most telling match played out at 220 pounds as junior Evan Roper dominated state runner-up Kevin Zimmer 11-4.

“It was a bit of redemption because obviously he was in the state finals and I wasn’t,” said Roper, who finished third at the University of Illinois.

After losing in the quarterfinals in consecutive seasons, Barrington struck back by defeating rival Huntley 34-28 in the quarterfinals.

Roper’s major decision proved the Broncos’ only points against Montini. 

Barrington answered the challenge with its superb performance to close out the season.

“Ever since we got that draw, we were always saying this year was going to be the year we were going to get that trophy,” Roper said.

“The third time was the charm because this was our third straight year down here.”

Barrington finished fourth in 2010 and 2012. 

Senior Luke Rasmussen (46-1), who finished second at 170 pounds, closed out his remarkable career with a first period pin. He was held out of the sectional and early round performances after he suffered a shoulder injury against Huntley’s David Ferrante in the state championship.

“Taking third at team state is really bigger for me than any of my other accomplishments,” Rasmussen said. “To be able to do this with my friends and coaches I have been with my whole life is a great thrill.”

Barrington won nine matches to close out its dream season.

Rasmussen, Roper and senior Kai Conway (48-6, fourth in state at 160) each earned all-state recognition. Barrington qualified six individuals at state.

Senior Jack Hartman (40-8, 195) and Brian Beers (41-10, 113) also reached the 40-victory plateau. Hartman closed out his career with an impressive first period pin against Sandburg quarterfinalist James Hart.

Sandburg (24-7) captured its first state trophy since the 2015 team that finished state runner-up.

Senior Mike Bosco punctuated his extraordinary season with a 10 second pin at 285-pounds. Until this season, Bosco had never even qualified for individual state.

Despite weighing just 214 pounds, Bosco (46-0) used his angular 6-foot-5 length, athleticism and speed to overpower his heavier opponents in capturing the individual state championship.

Bosco, Zimmer and Hart posted consecutive pins that enabled the Eagles to overcome a 21-6 deficit in beating DeKalb 35-30 in the quarterfinals.

“It is unfortunate we could not get it done, but I am happy with how my season ended,” Bosco said.

“I think one of the biggest things we did so well is our team chemistry was so strong. We might have had more talented teams in the past, but everybody on this team is my friend.

“I think that goes a long way.”

3A dual team finals

Grossinger Motors Arena

Quarterfinals

Barrington 34, Huntley 28

Montini 59, Lockport 9

Sandburg 35, DeKalb 30

Mount Carmel 55, Minooka 3

Semifinals

Montini 70, Barrington 4

Mount Carmel 57, Sandburg 10

Third-place

Barrington 40, Sandburg 28

Championship Montini 37, Mount Carmel 9

by Mike Garofola

When the product is so rich and talented all across the 14 weight divisions, it doesn’t take long for recognize just how extraordinary it is after the first whistle opens the final session inside State Farm Center in Champaign.

This was the case on Saturday night when a big crowd would be treated to one terrific 3A final after another – keeping the eyes of an appreciative audience glued to the main floor of this host venue.

Montini Catholic, as it would one week later at the dual-team state tournament, would dominate the proceedings as it celebrated (5) of its own claiming the top prize by nights end.

Michigan-bound Dylan Ragusin would earn his second consecutive title at 126, while teammates: Joe Fernau (106), Joe Roberts (152), Trevor Swier (182) and Josh LaBarbera (220) would all grab their first.

Fernau’s rise to glory came at the expense of high profile opponents – as he went past the three best in the state in order to achieve success.

Fernau would defeat-then No. 1 Charlie Farmer (Moline, 45-3) in the quarterfinals, 3-1, then send off No. 1 Will Baysingar (Prospect, 48-1) by decision, 4-3, before edging No. 4 Sammie Hayes (41-2) of Sandburg in the title match.

“I learned a lot last year training in our room around so many great wrestlers, and even though it was a tough freshmen year at (113) – it helped me get over a bit of a rough start this season when I took some bad losses,” said Fernau, after his early third period take-down proved enough to defeat Hayes, 2-1.

Big men would rule in the finals – none perhaps bigger than Yorkville senior, Nick Stemmet, who capped a magnificent four-year career by lifting the championship trophy at 195.

Stemmet, on his way to wrestle next fall at Stanford University, was anointed the top spot in the IWCOA state polls from the very beginning – and the Yorkville star never allowed any of his rivals take it away en route to his title.

“Nick is a brute, he overpowers his opponents, attacks at will, and never stops attacking,” says Yorkville head coach, Jake Oster.

The take-down machine was in fine working condition here in Champaign, opening on Thursday with a major decision victory to advance – then finishing up late Saturday night with a pin at 1:41, smashing the old record set by Dundee-Crown, and Purdue University star, Christian Brunner, who registered a pin at 3:39 in his 195-pound final in 2016.

That Stemmet roared past the competition at state is no surprise to those who watched him during this past season.

During the regular season, Stemmet won four majors (Barrington, Dvorak, Sycamore and Suburban Prairie Conference) – doing so with two major decision victories, six tech-falls, and five pins.

Standing just behind…  

Sandburg Mike Bosco was always looking up at Ryan Boersma (Providence Catholic) and Lloyd Edwards from Edwardsville in the state polls as the season went along – but as the old saying goes: it doesn’t matter where you start – but where you finish.

Despite standing 6-5, the Sandburg senior was an undersized heavyweight, but when it counted, Bosco was bigger than everyone else – witnessed by his a marvelous post-season effort – which ended with earning the 285-pound state title.

“With me being a lighter heavyweight than my opponents, it was all about using my quickness, length, and athleticism to keep the other guy off balance and guessing at what my next move would be” said Bosco following his 3-2 victory over Reynolds to end championship night.

In this, his first ever state tournament appearance, Bosco would help his club win a regional title, then qualify for dual-team state, while claiming regional and sectional titles for himself.

Oak Park-RIver Forest senior, Josh Ogunsanya, who placed fourth overall a year ago, made his last stop here the best of his career when he beat Connor Gaynor of Mt. Carmel, 4-3 to win the 145-pound crown.

Ogunsanya, who came into the tournament behind Fidel Mayora (Montini Catholic) and Gaynor in the IWCOA polls – sent Mayora into wrestle-backs in fine fashion with a 5-3 victory in the semifinals to set up a date with Gaynor.

The hard fought win over Mayora would avenge an 8-7 loss to the Montini Catholic star earlier in the season.

Even at 2-2 after two periods, Ogunsanya 42-4) would take the lead for good with a third period take-down en route to well deserved title.

Ogunsanya, who will wrestle next fall at Ivy League Columbia, did not concede one offensive point in his three days in Champaign.

Edwardsville senior Luke Odom has his foot on the gas pedal from the start of the post-season, and right on through and into his 160-pound final in which he won 3-1 over Bradley Gillum of DeKalb.

“It’s all about the coaching staff at Edwardsville, they’ve been there all throughout my career, and especially last year when the state tournament did not go my way,” admitted Odum, who suffered an injury in his opening match – ending any chances of a state title.

“(That) injury was all the motivation I needed for my offseason training – and I’ve come back better than ever to win tonight, which is a dream come true.”

The lone defeat for Odum (50-1) came at the hands of Keegan O’Toole in the final of the Cheesehead Invite in Wisconsin.

Odum will move on to wrestle next season here in Champaign, a place in which he says has been where he’s always wanted to be since his start in the sport.

The dynamic duo of Sergio Lemley (113) and Noah Mis (132) have some time before deciding upon their college address – but in the present time – the Mt. Carmel duo can enjoy their individual state titles they garnered here.

For the second time in a week, the freshmen (Lemley) beat 2019 state champion Diego Sotelo (Marmion Academy) to claim his championship bracket board, while Mis was his title in a very difficult weight class that saw top rated Nico Bolivar (OPRF) lose in the quarters, at the same time Mis (36-4) defeat No. 3 Evan Stiles of Montini Catholic.

“Noah is so long – his length makes him near impossible (when) he’s on top,” began Caravan head coach, Alex Tsirtis.

“You saw how tough he was when he beat (Stiles) in the quarters (technical fall) and how equally nasty he was when he got the lead on (Jack) Milos and never let him get anything going in that third period, and he carried it on through in his final with (Tommy) Curran from DeKalb.”

Mis would defeat No. 4 Milos (47-2) 7-3 in the semifinals, then Curran in his final, 9-2.

There would be no denying Joel Vandervere of his 138-pound championship on Saturday after the Warren Township junior cruised through regionals, then sectionals, and, for that matter, his three days in Champaign to give the program its first title since 1966, when Dennis Murphy did so at 103.

“Ever since losing in my final last year in overtime, one of my goals was to get back into the state final, and win it all – there was no way I was going to have that feeling of finishing second,” admitted Vandervere, one day after beating Fabian Lopez, of DeKalb, 9-0.

“Joel is obsessed with being the best (his) work rate is so ridiculously high, and it matches his desire to be one of the best, if not the best in the nation is what drives him during his time in the room, and outside of the room,” says Warren assistant, Jim Ouimette.

That drive is what will send Vandervere to Northwestern in the fall of 2021.

“There isn’t a better place for me that combined incredible academics with the sport of wrestling, so my decision to go to Northwestern was an easy one in the end,” says Vandervere, who was a Super 32 champion during the offseason.

Belleville West junior Josh Koderhandt (43-0) would share that same empty feeling as Vandervere would have after his state final defeat last season here to Colton Drousias from  Mt. Carmel.

“(That) loss stayed with me all during the summer, and right up until the start of this season,” said Koderhandt after his 6-4 defeat of Vincent Robinson (Marian Catholic) in his 120-pound final, and back in December following his championship won at the Rex Whitlach in Hinsdale.

“If there was anything that I needed to keep me motivated to work and train harder than I’ve ever done was that loss to (Drousias) it was that one,” continued Koderhandt, who gave his program its fifth state title in program history.

Koderhandt credits former Bloomington High School star, and former state champion, Savin Haywood for his success after he began training with the 2018 state champion.

“Having Savion in the room is great for all of us, especially me because he’s a big, strong guy, whose in great shape, and has so many years of experience under his belt, including in college,” says a grateful Koderhandt.

Haywood would compete at Old Dominion University after his graduation from Bloomington, then transfer to SIU where he’s put aside wrestling for academics. 

Academics is where David Ferrante shines – but the Huntley senior would shine brighter than most on Saturday night following his impressive 8-2 victory over Luke Rasmussen of Barrington to win his second state title.

The four-time state qualifier, and three-time state medal winner is regarded as the best ever in porgram history, and would have been regardless of where he would finish at 170 pounds.

State Farm Center has been a tasty second home to Ferrante who won back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020, in addition to a fourth-place medal his freshmen year (but) the arena also proved to one for heartbreak – something of which the affable Ferrante appreciates more than ever before.

“When you come in here as a freshmen, and leave with a state medal in your first visit, you sometimes take things for granted,” begins Ferrante.

“It was difficult the following year when I came away from here with nothing, when especting something – so there was a lesson to be learned from it all.”

“When that final whistle ended my match with Luke – it was a tremendous relief for me because I know how much I’ve put into my training, and the sacrifice to get to this point, which could have never happened without the support of my family, teammates and coaching staff.”

The constant 24-7 work that Ferrante put into his quest to be the best never took its toll on his academics, something both he and head coach, B.J. Bertelsman are proud of.

When asked for information on the work Ferrante puts into the classroom, Bertelsman would respond: “Do you have all day.”

A small sampling of Ferrante’s achievements from Bertelsman included:

No. 1 in his senior class of 756. 

Twice named all-academic at The Clash.

National Honor Society member

Up for numerous academic awards at Huntley

Heading to Northwestern as a pre-med student

“Northwestern would reach out to me following my freshmen year, and I went on to train there during the summer, and later met Andrew Howe (Northwestern assistant) – who I instantly connected with, and have continued training with him since then,” says Ferrante.

The Huntley star considered Cornell of the Ivy League, but the combination of being a part of a program he’s became familiar with, competing in the Big 10, and knowing the academic resources available to him at Northwestern all made for the perfect partnership.

Ferrante would finish 48-2 on the season, which included two victories at dual-team sectionals, and dual-team state, giving him 160 for his career, just behind: Zach Spencer (164) and his brother Sammy who’s atop the leader board with 169.

Ferrante goes out as the program leader in pins with 104.

By Patrick Z. McGavin



Tristan Daugherty never looked to settle. Circumstances somewhat conspired against him during his first three years at the individual state championships.
He was always right there, as good as it gets, but just not quite able to ascend the very top of the medal stand. A year ago, wrestling in Class 2A at 126 pounds, Daugherty finished third.
Context is everything. The two place-winners ahead of him, Joliet Catholic’s DJ Hamiti and Washington’s Brody Norman, had multiple state championships to their credit.
Hamiti and Norman just won Class 2A state titles.
“I have always dreamed of being a state champion,” Daugherty said.
Harvard sophomore Nik Jimenez was like a younger iteration of Daughtgerty—a precocious and striking talent who proved his value against many of the best wrestlers in the state.
Jimenez entered the Class 1A state championship at 126 pounds against Daughterty ready to make a statement. 
Instead he was served a lesson in the art of savvy, experience and a preternaturally gifted wrestler looking to go out on top.
“My success is a function of my work ethic,” Daugherty said. “I’m willing to go into practice every day looking for ways to get better. I just feel as though there are not many people out there who work as hard as I do.”
Jimenez posted a first-period pin and two commanding decisions to reach the title mat. But his run ended there against Daugherty, the senior from Notre Dame (Peoria).
“My shots were there, and I just did what I have been doing all year long and that is being very physical,” Daugherty said. 
Daughterty made state history with his technical fall victory at 5:13 (20-5) Saturday night at State Farm Arena at the University of Illinois. 
He not only captured his first state title. Daugherty also established a record for career victories in the state series with 17.
“It’s crazy,” Daugherty said. “I didn’t even know I was up for that record. Just hearing my name associated with that is fantastic. I got out there and it worked. Everything I ever dreamed of finally came true.”
By its very nature, the Class 1A state finals has always been a rush. Just surviving the gauntlet is a striking achievement by itself. The small-school classification has the greatest concentration of schools. 
That volume means talent flows in all directions, and just surviving the regional and sectional rounds is often a war of attrition. A new ruling in how schools are classified meant several programs—like Daugherty’s Notre Dame—dropped a class.
An already tough, deep and talented field became ever more impossible to negotiate. The Class 1A field featured an astonishing nine returning state champions.
No match illustrated the heightened stakes, drama, intensity of feeling and flat out terrific contrast as the 170-pound final. 
At the top of the bracket was junior Logan Deacetis of Prairie Central, the defending state champion at 160 pounds who entered the match riding an astonishing 110-match winning streak.
Deacetis had decimated his half of the bracket with his strength, power, technique and athleticism. He had two quick pins and a technical fall.
His counterpart, Dakota junior Andrew Wenzel, was the defending state champion at 170 pounds. He was 39-2 entering the final, his only two losses coming against Huntley state champion David Ferrante.
Just to get to the final, Wenzel had to survive previously unbeaten Nate Critchfield of Mount Carmel 4-3 in the semifinal round.
“It’s so important having that experience of being in a state final,” Deacetis said. “It’s such a high pressure event, and some guys really struggle with that.”
Deacetis ran his record to 57-0 with his 3-2 victory over Wenzel..
“He is so good at his takedowns, and I just had to make sure that I was able to follow through on my combinations and get to my takedowns and not let him finish his,” Deacetis said.
The 195-pound title echoed the 170-pound match as Deacetis’s teammate Brandon Hoselton entered the final seeking his third consecutive state championship.
He was also trying to extend his extraordinary winning streak of 115 matches.
Coal City senior Daniel Jezik was a three-time state finalist. He finished second at 160 pounds in Class 1A as a sophomore and captured the Class 2A 182-pound individual title as a junior.
Hoselton administered Jezik his only defeat of the year—3-2 in overtime last December 21.
The power, strength and contrasting styles between the two were enthralling to see. Hoselton flashed quickness while Jezik found ways to keep him off balance. 
Jezik (50-1) pulled out the 3-2 victory.
The field also marked the primacy of youth, especially at the lower weights.
Immaculate Conception freshman Saul Trejo Jr. defeated Althoff’s Matthew Minick 5-0 at 106 pounds. Trejo (28-3) also beat Minick by 5-3 decision earlier in the year. His combination of balance, speed and quickness set him apart. 
The familiarity of going up against Minick proved invaluable.
“I had no mistakes compared to the last time I faced him,” Trejo said. “I just knew what to do. I studied him and I executed everything perfectly.”
He took great significance in what his victory personified.
“This means a lot because it inspires my other teammates to know that you can be (physically) little and yet do something so big. It’s just going to grow our program.”
At 120 pounds, Dakota freshman Phoenix Blakely lived up to his name. He rose against a stacked field that included defending 1A 113-pound champion Levi Neulieb (30-4) of Heyworth and Peotone senior Paul Keane (44-2), an individual runner-up at 120 pounds last season. 
Keane dominated Neulieb in the semifinals with a 17-3 majority decision. Blakely defeated Immaculate Conception sophomore Nick Renteria (37-9), who stunned presumptive favorite and No. 1 ranked Cameron Clark (40-2) of Illini Bluff in the quarterfinals.
Blakely (37-7) adjusted his style tactically on the go and found the means to dispatch Keane 3-1 in the championship. 
“Coming in I never wrestled him before, and I knew it was going to be tough,” Blakely said. “It was going to be hard because he wrestles on his knees. I had to match up with his level.”
Blakely turned the tide with a dramatic late takedown.
“I kept going down to one knee and getting closer to him,” he said. “I knew eventually my arm drag would work. In the last second I got him, and that was amazing. I have been working so hard for this. 
“I never thought I’d get this far.”
Oakwood junior Gage Reed embodied the tenacity and drive of finishing close to the top and after finishing fifth last season at 113 pounds, he made the leap.
Working against an exceptionally deep field, Reed (43-3) broke through and defeated sophomore Tavius Hosley of Unity 3-0 in the 113-pound championship. 
His aggressiveness marked his weekend in Champaign.  “I just stayed with my game plan that I developed with my coaches,” Reed said. “It was just non-stop offense, just shooting and shooting.
“It worked all the way up here. That’ss what I had in mind when I came up here, and that was all I wanted to do from now on.
On a night of remarkable performances, Litchfield junior Will Carlile (41-0) put an exclamation point. A year after finishing fourth at 120 pounds, Carlile defeated two defending champions en route to the compelling 2-0 victory over Ethen Doty of West Carroll in the 132-pound championship.
That was the exclamation point. Carlile’s 12-5 decision over No. 1 ranked Gabe Spencer of Heyworth in the semifinals was equally impressive.
Spencer (39-2) finished second as a freshman at 113 pounds and won the 1A state championship at 120 pounds last season. He defeated Marey Roby of Lena-Winslow 8-2 for third place.
In the championship, Carlile executed a deft reversal in the third period.
“It is something I have always dreamed of, and never imagined it would happen, especially against the kind of wrestlers I was matched up against,” he said.
Small school powerhouse Rockridge dominated consecutive  middle weights by winning titles at 138 pounds and 145 pounds.
Senior Dallas Krueger (47-0) closed out an overpowering season with a pin of the No. 2-ranked Adam Meenen of Rocks Falls at 4:40.
The victory was Krueger’s third of the year against the highly skilled Meenen (45-7). His quickness, power and speed proved an unsurpassable combination.
“I had to prove it three times this year against the No. 2 kid in the state,” Krueger said. “To go out there and pin the last kid, which I had not had the chance to do in any of the previous matches, was really special.
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world to have this bracket in my hands and win this championship.”
Krueger had previously finished fifth, fourth and sixth respectively.
A season after finishing runner-up at 145 pounds, Rockridge senior Nolan Throne withstood a brilliant and sustained effort by Althoff senior Anthony Federico for the 3-2 victory.
The third time also proved magnificent for Newman senior Kyle Tunink (45-1). He defeated Alleman junior Jack Patting for the third time.
His 5-1 victory gave him his first state title and second individual trophy. It marked a sweet culmination after he qualified though failed to place last season.
Winnebago’s Bruce Faworski also upended the traditional thinking by blitzing presumed favorite Makail Stanley of Argenta-Oreana with a majority decision 14-4 in the quarterfinal round.
That propelled him to the 160-pound title against Coal City’s David Papach. Faworski’s aggressive and intuitive style proved decisive in the 8-6 victory.
He finished fifth at 145 last season.
“I like to come out very aggressive in the first period and keep pushing through and break down my opponent mentally,” Faworski said. “I just went with my gut. It feels great to see what I’ve done.”
Camaraderie is one of the animating features of the tournament. Althoff junior Joe Braunagel had different motivations shaping his experience at 182 pounds after watching teammates Matthew Minick (106) and Anthony Federico (145) be deprived of state championships.
“I wanted to do it for them,” Braunagel said. “They really wrestled hard, and this made it all the more meaningful for me.”
He already stunned the field by deposing of defending champion Micah Downs with a third period fall in the semifinals.
“I have been in the finals seven times before, and this was the first time I won it,” Braunagel said of his 5-4 victory over Justin Peake of Johnsburg.
The 1A began with a bang and ended with a roar with two epic clashes at 220 and 285 pounds, respectively.
In a rematch of the Oregon sectional championship, Bryan Caves (48-1) edged Peyton Lind of Byron 4-2 with a late takedown. Caves beat Lind (42-3) in overtime a week earlier. 
The last two matches linked the three classes in a way that could not have been foretold. Byron had two state finalists at 220 and 285 in 1A. Lemont had two finalists at 220 and 285 in 2A. Sandburg had two representatives in 220 and 285 in 3A.
Lemont went 2-0, Sandburg 1-1 and Byron 0-2.
Westville junior Hayden Copass completed a perfect run (26-0) with the thrilling 3-1 victory over Tyler Elsbury of Byron. Copass finished state runner-up in 2A last season, while Elsbury was state runner-up in 1A.

By Curt Herron

This past weekend’s IHSA Class 2A finals featured a lot of very interesting story lines.
There were Thornton Fractional North’s Bailey brothers making history by becoming the first family to win three state titles at one finals. And Lemont with its five finalists and three champions, breaking its school records for both feats. Also, Washington having eight of its nine state qualifiers earning all-state honors with two winning titles and another in the finals.
In addition, five unbeaten champs, two unbeaten juniors winning third titles, two four-time finalists, a head-to-head clash of unbeatens and three freshmen winners and it’s clear why Saturday’s competition at the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center was very special.
After all three won titles in the Hinsdale South Sectional the week before, the Bailey brothers made it known that their goal was to make history by becoming the first group of three brothers to each claim a title in the IHSA finals, and they delivered on their promise.
They followed in the footsteps of their grandfather, Walter Futrell, a 1977 champion at Bloom Trail, and their uncle, B.J. Futrell, a champion at Mount Carmel in 2007 and 2008. Senior Bilal repeated as a champion while junior Sincere and freshman Nasir won their initial titles as the Baileys made history for their program, which is coached by Tim Springs, a three-time finalist and state champion at Bremen in 2001.
Nasir Bailey (41-2) got things started for the brothers in the 120-pound finals when he won 4-2 over Marian Central Catholic junior Elon Rodriguez (42-3), a two-time medalist.
“It feels good, but I expected it,” Nasir Bailey said. “What was working was just pushing the pace and trying to wrestle every second of the match.”
In one of the day’s most-anticipated clashes at 145 pounds, Sincere Bailey (37-6) faced Lemont senior Kyle Schickel (38-4) for the fourth time with the junior looking to even the series by following up on a sectional title win. Bailey prevailed 4-3 to capture his first title and third medal while Schickel settled for second-place for a fourth-straight year.
“I had to come into the match with the mindset that I can’t let this one slip,” Sincere Bailey said. “I understand that I have people rooting for me and I’ve worked very hard for this and put in a lot of sacrifices for this. Nasir winning before me gave me a sense of satisfaction. Bilal has been my partner since day one. Making history as a family is very satisfying since we put in a lot of work for this.”
And at 160 pounds, Bilal Bailey (41-2) claimed his second-straight championship in his third title appearance when he won 6-3 over Jersey senior Zeke Waltz (43-1), a two-time medalist and first-time finalist, to complete the title trifecta for his family.
“I would just like to thank God for everything that he gave me today,” Bilal Bailey said. “Allowing me and my brothers to accomplish this is a great thing, and it wouldn’t have happened without Him. And I want to thank both of my parents, especially my mother, since I talk to her about a lot of things outside of wrestling and it allows me to keep going forward. Last year it was just me and I’m a lot happier now than I was last year, it’s not even close.”
Coach John St. Clair’s Lemont team got its first title at 126 pounds from senior Drew Nash (18-0), who capped a brief season that began late due to a football injury. He won his first title and earned his second medal by injury forfeit over Washington junior Joey Cape (17-3) at 3:23 when the returning state champ and three-time finalist was unable to finish the match.
“I don’t like to win like that, since I really like Joey and he’s a good guy,” Nash said. “But winning this is a good feeling and I’m excited, especially since I’ve been working for this moment for my whole life. I think it was a blessing in disguise that I was injured for most of the year because I suffered last year.”
The Indians claimed their second title in the 220-pound match when junior Apollo Gothard (45-0) got a 3-1 sudden victory against Glenwood junior Conner Miller (41-1) in a clash of unbeatens. It was the third medal for Gothard, who took second at the same weight last year, and the second for Miller.
“It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever lived through,” Gothard said. “It’s insane, honestly. I put all my heart into it. I worked all offseason and all in-season. I knew I was going to win this year. I knew it.”
In the final title match, Lemont junior Mo Jarad (43-8) followed up on Gothard’s success by getting a fall in 4:49 over East Peoria senior Caleb Collins (35-6) to win the 285 title as both won medals in their state debuts. The unranked Jarad fell in the sectional quarterfinals but was able to bounce back to qualify for state.
“I really worked hard,” Jarad said. “After my third-place match at sectionals, that’s when it began. The coaches noticed it and I had a really big improvement throughout the state meet. I’m really happy that I pinned this kid. It was a relief, a moment that I’ll probably never feel again until next year, or who knows.”
Washington’s nationally-ranked freshman Kannon Webster (46-0) kicked off the finals by winning 12-2 over Joliet Catholic Academy freshman Gylon Sims (41-7) in the 106-pound finals. His father, Matt, was Washington’s first state champ in 1995 and is an assistant coach.
“It’s awesome,” Webster said. “There’s are a lot of good guys at this weight and it was great that I was able to come here and win. We’re in the training room almost every day just trying to work to get better. Every day I try to do something to get better and it really pays off.”
Washington senior Brody Norman (39-2), a runner-up last year, won 7-2 over Civic Memorial junior Caleb Tyus (42-1), a two-time medalist, in the 132-pound finals. Norman had to compete right after teammate Joey Cape got injured and couldn’t finish his title match.
“This is my whole life and I live for this and I’ve grinded, so this is great,” Norman said. “I was a little distraught but I still had tunnel vision. My coaches just kept saying to focus on your match. I thought, I’m doing this for Joey. It was so sad, I was almost in tears before my match. I love him and did not want to see that.”
Joliet Catholic Academy junior Dean Hamiti Jr. (45-0) won his third-straight state title when he won 3-2 over Lemont senior Grant LaDuke (38-2), a three-time medalist and initial finalist, in the 152-pound finals. Hamiti, who’s nationally-ranked, became his school’s first three-time medal winner and moved one step closer to joining the elite group of 15 individuals who’ve won four IHSA championships.
“I didn’t really like how I won that one, so I’ll just focus on next year and try to win that one by a better point deficit,” Hamiti said. “Still, it means a lot to me to bring this back to my school since everyone is happy about it, so it’s good. I didn’t want to get scored on, but I’m just glad to get the win and keep my undefeated record.”
Marian Central Catholic junior Dylan Connell (44-0) joined Hamiti as a three-time champ who was undefeated. In the 170-pound finals, Connell, who’s nationally-ranked, won 5-0 over Grayslake Central junior Joey Jens (40-7), a two-time medalist who made his finals debut.
Aurora Christian got the first of its two state championships at 113 pounds when freshman Chris Moore (43-8) won 4-3 over Freeport sophomore Markel Baker (33-3) in the title match.
Then at 138 pounds, Aurora Christian senior Noah Villarreal (41-4) captured his third-straight state title and competed in his fourth finals, including his first in Class 2A. He won 10-1 over Bloomington senior Ryan Gardner (52-6), a two-time medalist who made his first finals appearance.
Morris senior Robby Bates (38-1) concluded his career on a high note by winning the 195-pound title 5-2 over Deerfield senior Cody Goodman (53-2). It was the first state finals appearance for both of the two-time medal winners.
“This is a dream,” Bates said. “Since I was five years old and started wrestling, I told myself that I would be a champ some day and today that came true and I’m a state champ. I wrestled a great match against a great opponent. You just have to keep going and you can’t stop. All year I said I’m going to be a state champ and I made that come true tonight.”
And at 182 pounds, Grayslake Central junior Adrien Cramer (39-1), a two-time medalist and first-time finalist, won the title with a fall in 2:32 over Aurora Christian’s Alex Knauf (37-11), who competed in his initial finals and also won his first medal.

By Patrick Z. McGavin

Few things touch on the consciousness of the athlete like the sense of time slipping away.

Joshua Ogunsanya had the situational awareness to realize the deck was stacked against him. To his credit, panic never set in. It only marked his push to change the outcome before him.

“I just had to remind myself that the match is not over until it is over,” Ogunsanya said. “You can’t emotionally detach yourself or give up on yourself when you are at a point deficit.

“You have to keep pushing.”

In the 145-pound championship of the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional, Ogunsanya confronted one of the state’s top wrestlers, Mount Carmel junior Connor Gaynor.

The clash of styles and temperaments created high drama, with Gaynor establishing the apparent edge with a first period takedown.

The moment offered Ogunsanya his own clarity.

“Personally I felt up until that point I was not on offense enough or nearly as aggressive as I needed to be,” he said. “There was a point deficit, and it was all about attacking and driving.”

Down 5-0 to start the third period, Ogunsanya used a brilliant combination blitz that he turned into a reverse cradle for a stunning fall at 4:42.

One step from the individual state championships at State Farm Arena in Champaign-Urbana, the sectional round is a study of toughness, mental acuity and physical exertion.

Seventeen of the 30 participating programs qualified at least one individual.

Mount Carmel, the No. 2 ranked program in Class 3A dating to the preseason, showed off its depth, talent and versatility with 12 qualifiers.

The Caravan produced seven individual finalists, with four champions, three runner ups, four third-place finishers and one fourth.

Two other top-ranked programs impressed: Oak Park-River Forest had three individual champions and seven qualifiers.

Sandburg had three individual champions and six qualifiers.

Marist had no individual winners but impressed with its depth in qualifying six wrestlers. Marmion and Bolingbrook produced four qualifiers.

Seven schools produced the 14 individual winners, with wrestlers from Marmion (Jacob Tinajero, 138), Waubonsie Valley (Antonio Torres, 170), Lyons (Griffin King, 182) and West Aurora (Dzhabrail Khurshidov, 195) also standing atop their respective podiums.

“On Friday night, I thought we wrestled really flat,” Mount Carmel coach Alex Tsirtsis said. “We had a talk Saturday morning, and I told them they had to be ready to battle and count hard for six minutes or longer, because that’s what their opponents are going to do.”

Sandburg, which will host Oak Park-River Forest in the team dual sectional on February 25, is ranked No. 6. Mount Carmel and Naperville Central is the other dual sectional match at Sandburg.

The Eagles bookended the sectional by winning at the start, with sophomore Sammie Hayes (106 pounds) and senior Mike Bosco (285 pounds).

Sophomore Kevin Zimmer, who tied a school record with his 33rd pin of the season in the quarterfinal round, beat Naperville Central’s Angelo Eklou at 220 pounds.

“I think our kids performed well,” Sandburg coach Clinton Polz said. “I am always left thinking about the ones that could have been, but I am happy for our qualifiers.

“I think our three champions have a shot at being right there with the top guys (at Champaign).”

Hayes, a preternaturally gifted sophomore, set the tone with his brilliant performance. He recorded two pins and dominated Hinsdale Central freshman Cody Tavoso 8-1.

He improved to 38-1.

“My mentality was to have fun, trust my technique and be as quick as possible,” Hayes said. “I think I was aggressive. I think I was definitely having the most fun out of all of my opponents. I was looking to dominate.

“I wanted to be the best kid in the room.”

The sophomore moulds his style after his brother Louie Hayes, a former two-time state finalist and individual state champion who was a four-year starter at Virginia.

“I am really looking forward to wrestling in Champaign,” Sammie Hayes said. “I have always wanted to do what my brother did. He is a great mentor and coach to me, and I just want to be like him. He has paved the way for me.

  “As much as I can follow in his footsteps, the better.”

Explosive and dynamic, Zimmer recorded a first period takedown to gain the early advantage. He used his athleticism and strength to subdue Eklou.

He improved his record to 42-3.

Zimmer is an elite three-sport athlete. He played tight end for the Eagles and then shifted to quarterback for their final five games last fall. He qualified last year at 195 pounds.

Ranked No. 6 in his weight class, Zimmer has put his name atop one of the best programs in the state.

“I am glad I made it down last season and that I can experience that again,” Zimmer said. “I am feeling really accomplished (about tying the school single-season pin record).

“I still need one more to break it, but it is just really cool to be a sophomore and to be almost leading the Sandburg history. I feel honored to be a part of that.”

Like Ogunsanya, third-ranked Bosco dueled a gifted Mount Carmel counterpart in senior Jalen Grant. 

He also found a way to recover from a significant deficit.

Bosco’s 8-5 double-overtime victory put the exclamation on a brilliant day of individual performances and striking individual narratives.

Zimmer’s emergence meant the 213-pound Bosco had to jump up for the 285-pound class. The athletic and explosive senior, also a football standout, has never looked back.

At 6-foot-5, he makes up for his lack of bulk with quickness, length and technical prowess.

Grant showed off his own dazzling combination of power, quickness and strength. With just 10 matches coming into the final, Grant was more of an open book, a considerable unknown.

His only previous loss was against Providence’s Ryan Boersma in the Catholic League conference championship.

In the first and second periods, Bosco had the initial single-leg only for Grant to powerfully repel his hold and snap Bosco from behind for the takedown.

Grant led 5-2 late in the second period when Bosco made his move. With Grant looking to ride him out, Bosco engineered a scissor move and caught Grant on his back. The reversal changed the momentum and pulled Bosco within 5-4 to start the third period.

“I knew time was running out,” Bosco said. “I had a click, and that was probably the least tired I was the entire match. I felt like I had it, and I knew what I needed to do.

“That move decided the whole match.”

Bosco earned the third period escape to tie the match. The first overtime ended scoreless. Grant won the toss and elected to defer. Bosco rode him out in his 30 seconds.

He broke free for his match-winning points. The victory marks his debut appearance at Champaign this week.

“I went there before, but I never wrestled there,” Bosco said. “The word I can use is exciting. This is going to be my first time ever. I am a senior and I am undefeated.”

Bosco improved to 40-0.

Mount Carmel was the story of the day. The Caravan displayed resilience and the ability to perform at the highest level.

The championship of the 113-pound title marked the only No. 1 versus No. 2 battle.

Freshman Sergio Lemley proved precocious and daunting in taking out two-time state finalist Diego Sotelo of Marmion 4-3 in the 113-pound championship.

Lemley reversed a dual loss against Sotelo at the beginning of the season. He scored all of his points, on a takedown and reversal, during the crucial second period.

“I think the first time we wrestled I had to feel him out and figure out his style,” Lemley said. “This match, I knew his game plan and I knew I had to be more aggressive and work on my finishes.”

Lemley capably balanced Sotelo’s speed and quickness with his crafty countermoves and his ability to generate pace and tempo.

“He is looking awesome, and he keeps getting better,” Tsirtsis said. “At this point, it is all we can ask for, and keep the ball rolling for this week.”

The defending state champion at 106 pounds, Sotelo fell to 39-3.

In the 120-pound championship, defending state champion Colton Drousias displayed his own dazzling technique and ability to attack from multiple angles to generate points.

He recorded a majority decision victory of 24-11 of Bolingbrook’s impressive freshman Luis Bazan. Drousias is now 28-4.

Bazan is 38-8.

“Going into this weekend I was basically just trying to fine-tune everything for the state finals and make sure I am feeling good, wrestling well and scoring points,” Drousias said.

Noah Mis (132) and Ashton Breen (160) also captured individual titles for the Caravan. By improving to 31-4, Mis dominated Bolingbrook’s Jack Mc Dermott by technical fall.

Breen recovered from a first period takedown by Downers Grove South’s Robert Major to pull out the 6-2 victory, handling Major (42-2) his first loss by an in-state opponent.

Mount Carmel nearly matched the 14 qualifiers of top-ranked and defending state champion Montini. The Caravan only failed to advance at the 170 and 195 weight classes.

Noel Rosales (106, fourth), Alex Lalezas (126, third), Colby Lopez (138, third), Michael Kelly (152, second) and Nik Mishka (220, third) also qualified.

Oak Park-River Forest senior Joe Chapman had a pin and technical fall in the preliminary matches at 152 pounds.

In the championship match, Chapman took control with a first period takedown he parlayed into the 5-0 victory over Mount Carmel’s Kelly.

Chapman is now 34-6.

The Huskies also qualified Nico Bolivar (132, third), Daemyen Middlebrooks (195, third)

One of the most satisfying stories involved the extraordinary work of Oak Park-River Forest senior Jacob Rundell.

The Purdue recruit won the 106-pound state championship as a sophomore two years ago.

His opportunity to defend his title was interrupted by an illness that caused him to miss the state tournament last season.

The top-ranked wrestler at 126-pounds, Rundell was arguably the most dominant wrestler of the sectional with a pin and two technical falls.

He defeated Wheaton Warrenville South’s Aidan Waszak by technical fall at 2:29 to run his record to 38-1.

“I think today just means I was able to stay the course,” Rundell said. “This year has all been about getting ready for college. That has been my whole focus.”

Rundell’s power, balance, speed and technique makes him virtually impossible to slow down. His footwork and combination attack proved unstoppable.

“I was moving my feel really well today, which is something I was not able to do a whole lot earlier,” Rundell said. “Now my focus is just on the practices we have.

“I am thinking about the long term.”

By Curt Herron

South Suburban Conference programs were definitely the big winners in the Class 2A Hinsdale South Sectional.

The conference was represented by eight schools from Chicago’s south suburbs and although their qualifiers made up just under one-third of the individuals in the sectional, they claimed 57 percent of the qualifiers and had 79 percent of the finalists.

But the most impressive accomplishment was that the SSC finished with 13 champions, with Lemont claiming six, TF North getting five and

Oak Forest having two with De La Salle Institute being the only other school with a first-place finisher.

Lemont led with 10 qualifiers while TF North and Oak Forest each had seven. Brother Rice and St. Laurence had four qualifiers, Comer, Evergreen Park and Fenwick had three qualifiers and Hinsdale South and Tinley Park had two who advanced.

Coach John St. Clair’s Indians, who have been at or near the top of Rob Sherrill’s IWCOA website rankings for Class 2A teams all season, received titles from Drew Nash (126), Ray Hernandez (132), AJ Heeg (138), Grant LaDuke (152), Alex Tagler (170) and Apollo Gothard (220) while Kyle Schickel (145) took second place.

Nash (14-0), a senior who’s a three-time qualifier and a placewinner in 2018, won the 126 title with a fall in 3:38 over Oak Forest sophomore Tyler Evitts (29-17).

“I broke my thumb in the last football game and was out for a while, so it’s good to be back,” Nash said. “I’m ready to go. I took some time off and I’ve been feeling better than ever. The team has something special going this year.”

Hernandez (31-7), a junior who earned his first state trip, pinned Evergreen Park senior Edwin Opoku (22-9) in 3:59 in the 132 finals.

“I’m really excited for the state series since it will be my first time there,” Hernandez said. “My teammates push me every day and Kyle Schickel is a big part of it. We’ve put so much work in and we’re a dedicated team that is ready, both individually and teamwise.”

Heeg (31-6), a freshman, won the title at 138 after being unable to continue after Oak Forest junior Jack Coyle (24-5), a three-time qualifier, was called for a controversial slam.

LaDuke (35-1), a senior who qualified for the fourth time and placed the last two years, scored two points late to win 4-2 in the 152 finals over Richards’ Rocco Palumbo (25-5), a senior who’s a three-time qualifier.

“I’m super excited,” LaDuke said. “I think that our team performed very well today. I’m looking forward to individual state, and then team sectionals and team state are right around the corner. With the bond we’ve created we’re like a big family and everything is rolling.”

Tagler (15-0), a sophomore who makes his first state trip, won the 170 title with a fall in 1:37 against Oak Forest senior Chris Nowicki (28-12), who is a two-time qualifier.

“I was just trying to control the pace of the match and controlling what I was doing, and not what he had to do,” Tagler said. “In the room, I have a lot of partners who push me hard and that’s why I haven’t lost yet.”

And Gothard (41-0), a junior who’s a two-time medalist and runner-up in 2019, recorded a fall in 3:31 over Tinley Park sophomore Leno Campbell (32-7) in the 220 finals.

“This season has been so awesome,” Gothard said. “This year our team has been special and we got 10 qualifiers. It’s been years and years for me of wanting to win everything.”

TF North had a great showing by qualifying seven and winning five titles. Capturing championships for coach Tim Springs’ Meteors were Trevor Reed (106), Nasir Bailey (120), Sincere Bailey (145), Bilal Bailey (160) and Donte Reed (195).

Sophomore Trevor Reed (30-3) pinned Riverside-Brookfield junior Quintin Godlewski (21-9) in 5:37 to win the 106 title while freshman Nasir Bailey (37-2) won 6-1 over Oak Forest senior Anthony Schickel (30-4), a two-time medalist and runner-up in 2019, in the 120 pound finals in a clash of the top-two in the state.

“It feels good, but I want to get the job done next week,” Nasir Bailey said. “This team is like a brotherhood. I have my two brothers on the team and it’s a once-in-a lifetime opportunity.”

Sincere Bailey (33-6), a junior two-time placewinner, avenged losses to Lemont senior Kyle Schickel (35-3), a three-time state runner-up, in the 145 finals in another clash of top-two competitors. Bailey took a 7-2 lead but the gap closed due to stalling penalties but Bailey got the final two points to claim a 9-6 win.

“Winning this doesn’t bring that much satisfaction because I know it’s not over,” Sincere Bailey said. “When I was on the podium, it reminded me of how I was losing so it’s not over until state.”

Bilal Bailey (37-2), a senior two-time finalist and state champ in 2019, won 11-3 win in the 160 finals over Fenwick senior Matt Zuber (17-5), a three-time qualifier. And senior Donte Reed (24-6) got a fall in 1:53 over Comer senior Michael Odulaja (26-8) to win the 195 title.

“I’m real excited and happy for both of my brothers,” Bilal Bailey said. “And especially Sincere since he had a few losses to the same guy and turned it up. This year we won a lot of duals and today we got a lot of people that qualified for state, so it’s very exciting.”

Oak Forest received titles from Caden Muselman (113) and Julian Ramirez (285) while Schickel (120), Evitts (126), Coyle (138) and Nowicki (170) placed second.

Freshman Muselman (38-3) beat Glenbard South senior Hector Andres (18-6) by technical fall in the 113 finals while top-ranked senior Ramirez (39-1), a three-time qualifier who was fourth in 2019, got a fall in 2:14 over Fenwick sophomore Jimmy Liston (20-8) in the 285 finals.

“It feels good winning the sectional since I think I have a really good shot to be at the top of the bracket,” Ramirez said. “I’ve been working on my stamina since I’m smaller than most heavyweights, I really have to use my speed and be able to go all three periods with kids.”

De La Salle senior Mikhel Teverbaugh (27-3), a two-time qualifier, edged Bremen junior Basilio Betancourt (33-4), a three-time qualifier, 6-4 in the 182 finals.

“Winning this sectional title means a lot,” Teverbaugh said. “I went against him on my senior night and ended up losing. I told myself I had to come back even stronger. He beat me bad so I promised everybody that it wouldn’t happen again.”

By Gary Larsen

Not many teams have two unbeaten and top-ranked wrestlers in their practice room, and the room at Rockridge might be the only one in Illinois where two unbeaten No. 1’s are banging heads.

And for the most part, Dallas Krueger and Nolan Throne keep things under control.

“It only happens a couple times a year that it escalates and coaches have to get between us,” Throne said. “But we’re really close. We fish together and hang out a lot outside of wrestling.”

Throne (145) and Krueger (138) both won sectional titles at this year’s 1A Oregon Sectional, and both head to Champaign without a loss and with a No. 1 ranking next to each of their names, per Rob Sherrill’s IWCOA rankings.

The time they’ve spent getting after each other in practice for four years has gone a long way for the two seniors.

“All four years, we’ve always been close in weight, and we’ve been able to have some battles,” Throne said. “It’s always good to have guys go at each other full force like we do. We’ve made each other so much better as wrestlers.”

Krueger (43-0) won an 11-5 decision on the Oregon title mat at 138 against Adam Meenan of Rock Falls, while Throne (46-0) won by fall over Orion’s Allen Catour at 145.

Neither Krueger nor Throne are strangers to the awards stand in Champaign.

Krueger has placed 4th, 5th and 6th in Illinois and Throne has placed 2nd and 3rd in Champaign. The two Rockridge seniors have thus posed for pictures on every step of the podium inside the State Farm Center except one.

And the desire to scale the highest step on that podium has been palpable in the Rockridge practice room.

“That hunger is there. It’s their senior year,” Rockridge coach Lucas Smith said. “They’ve both always been driven but this year there’s a higher motor to get where they want to be at the end of the year.”

Krueger set a new career pin record at Rockridge this year, while Throne set a new career mark for tech falls. Both program records were held by former Rockridge great Steve Amy. Throne’s lone remaining goal is to climb to the top step of the podium in Champaign.

“I want it bad,” Throne said. “Just the thrill of getting (to the finals) last year and taking third the year before — I’ve broken records for my school and pretty much done everything I can and this is the last step, the last thing I want. It’s everyone’s dream and it’s been a goal of mine since junior high.”

Like Rockridge, both Dakota and Riverdale are sending multiple Oregon sectional champions to Champaign.

Riverdale’s Colin Altensey (106) and Bryan Caves (220) won sectional crowns, as did Dakota’s Maddux Blakely (113), Phoenix Blakely (120), and Andrew Wenzel (170).

Both Caves and Wenzel are also currently ranked No. 1 in their divisions. Caves was a state runner-up at 195 last year and he’ll be joined by Riverdale state qualifiers Brock Smith (113) and Trystan Altensey (170).

Wenzel is a returning state champion for Dakota. He went into last year’s state finals ranked second before winning it all in his first trip downstate.

“I knew I could probably place and I just went out there to wrestle and have fun,” Wenzel said. “I just kept winning and was able to get to the finals and it was awesome to win it all.”

Wenzel won by fall on the sectional title mat at 170 in Oregon on Saturday against Johnsburg’s Ethan Shedbalkar. He’s looking forward to walking into the rarefied air of the State Farm Center again this year.

“You feel the awe of that arena and I feel like I can take that and use it, and have fun with it,” Wenzel said. “I’ll train, keep my weight in check, and get ready to go down there and have some fun again.”

Sectional runners-up Aidan Nardin (160) and Evan Riggle (182) will join Wenzel and the Blakely brothers downstate for Dakota.

Two additional top-ranked wrestlers won sectional titles in Newman Central Catholic’s Kyle Tunink (152) and West Carroll’s Ethen Doty (132).

Tunink (41-1) won a 5-0 decision over Alleman’s Jack Patting on the title mat, while Doty (37-2) dominated his way to a sectional crown.

Like Wenzel, Doty returns to Champaign as a state champion, having won the 1A title at 126 last year.

West Carroll coach Jeff McIntyre sees the same Doty he saw last year — strong on his feet and a hammer on top — with a few tweaks.

“He’s wrestling well and just goes out and goes about his business,” McIntyre said. “He changed up a little from what he did last year, we’ve tried to encourage him to use other parts of his repertoire and he doesn’t have to win with only a few things, he can win with a lot of things. So he’s been changing up and it’s been working for him.”

Other sectional champions at Oregon included Harvard’s Nik Jimenez (126), Winnebago’s Bryce Faworski (160), Johnsburg’s Justin Peake (182), Dixon’s Sebastian Quintana (195), and Byron’s Tyler Elsbury (285).

Quintana won a bracket at 195 that included four Illinois wrestlers ranked in the top 10 at 195

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Other state qualifiers from Oregon:

106: Garrett Luke (L.-Winslow); Isaac Bourg, (Yorkville Christian); Ethan Struck (Marengo).

113: Brock Smith (Riverdale); Donovan Crumpacker (Stillman Valley); Dillon Raab (Lena-Winslow).

120: Aiden Livingston (Stillman Valley); Jase Grunder (Erie); Joe Resendez (Marengo).

126: Colton Linke (Morrison); Carlos Sanchez (WInnebago); Jaden Rice (Lena-Winslow).

132: Marey Roby (Lena-Winslow); Billy Taylor (Alleman); Braulio Flores (Sandwich).

138: Adam Meenen (Rock Falls); Winston McPeek (Lena-Winslow); Luke Bennett (Genoa-Kingston).

145: Allen Catour (Orion); Simon Rillie (Lena-Winslow); Connor Brooker (Putnam County).

152: Jack Patting (Alleman); Jason Hermann (Lena-Winslow); Noah Schnerre (Orion).

160: Aidan Nardin (Dakota); Michael D`Orazio (St. Francis); Marcus McKenna (Polo).

170: Ethan Shedbalkar (Johnsburg); Trystan Altensey (Riverdale); Case Harmston (Lena-Winslow).

182: Dalton Wood (Richmond-Burton); Evan Riggle (Dakota);Logan Jennings (Stillman Valley).

195: Brock Wood of Richmond (Richmond-Burton); Nathan Rosas (Harvard); Josh Bynum (Sherrard).

220: Peyton Lind (Byron); Erik Garcia (Genoa-Kingston); Gavin Mason (Seneca).

285: Nate Portz (Fulton); Charlie Jagusah (Alleman); Jose` Garcia (Genoa-Kingston).