‘I am not ever going to get complacent’

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Written By PATRICK Z. MCGAVIN – DAILY SOUTHTOWN |JAN 02, 2020 | 12:44 PM

Photo: Mount Carmel’s Noah Mis, left, tries to escape at 126 pounds during the Class 3A dual-team state quarterfinals against Warren at the State Farm Center in Champaign on Friday, Feb. 15, 2019. (Rob Dicker / Daily Southtown)

After finishing fifth in the state last season at 126 pounds, Mount Carmel junior Noah Mis was undeterred by the moment.

Instead, it set the wheels in motion.

“That experience told me that I could win the state title this year,” Mis said. “My mentality right now is just to go out and not have any close matches.”

Mis finished with a 31-12 record as a sophomore, and his career has been marked by vast improvement. He qualified for state at 113 as a freshman.

He hasn’t missed a beat this season. Mis (16-3) is the top-ranked wrestler at 132 in Class 3A by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association.

Mis’ highlight thus far has been winning the 132-pound championship at the prestigious Al Dvorak Invitational in Loves Park.

“Our schedule is very tough, but I love the competition,” Mis said. “I know that I am good enough to compete with kids at the highest level.”

He performs with an abandon and fearlessness, according to Mount Carmel coach Alex Tsirtsis.

“He is an extremely hard-working kid who has constant motion and attacks throughout the entire match,” Tsirtsis said. “As a coach, he does exactly what you want your wrestlers to do. He is always looking to score offensively and defensively.”

Like Tsirtsis and individual defending state champion Colton Drousias (120), Mis has roots in Indiana. He lives in Griffith.

“I already knew a couple of the kids at Mount Carmel like Colton, and my coach had also coached me when I was younger,” Mis said.

Mis’ older brother David played soccer for the Caravan. Wrestling, however, was always Noah’s preferred sport. He started at age 5.

Mis was subject to bullying when he was younger, and his parents thought wrestling would be a good route to learn how to defend himself.

His aggressive and fast style has accelerated his development. Even as he has moved up weight classes, Mis has not sacrificed his combination of speed, power and strength.

“I think the big difference from the past is that I am more confident,” Mis said. “In the past, I was a bit cautious because I was a younger kid. Now during my matches, I just tell myself to stay calm.”

His reputation also precedes him. His standout performance has made him the standard by which other wrestlers in his weight class are judged.

Knowing that only fuels his confidence.

“I am not ever going to get complacent,” he said. “There many other kids chasing me for that No. 1 spot, and the important thing for me is to work hard and keep getting better.”

A sport that he began in part to establish his own identity and develop his competitive instincts has become his primary signature.

“I have always been a good kid,” Mis said. “When people don’t feel you can do something and you prove them wrong, that is a great feeling.”

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

Article Source Written by: By Mike Garofola – Daily Herald Correspondent

With the team trophy firmly in control of Lyons Township midway through the Ed Ewoldt Invitational, all the attention turned toward winning an individual title.

West Chicago big men Miguel Rodriguez and Ryan Hannah ended the day at Wheaton-Warrenville South on a high note by claiming the top prize at 220 and 285 pounds respectively, joining teammate Pierre Baldwin to give the Wildcats three overall titles.

Lyons Township would squash the competition, outscoring runner-up Lincoln-Way East by 57 points (224.5 to 167.5) and third place Dixon (154).

Downers Grove North (131.5), led by 106-pound champion Kai Tacadena, and Oak Lawn (130) would round out the top five.

Rodriguez and Hannah were both magnificent on Saturday, Rodriguez stunning returning state qualifier and top seed Charlie Milligan (Waubonsie Valley) in the semifinals, before recording a 4-1 decision over No. 3 seed Justin Thomas (Homewood-Flossmoor) in his 220-pound final.

“It feels great to come in here (unseeded) and walking out as the champion in my weight class,” said Rodriguez. “I’m lucky to have a great partner in the room with (Hannah) — a big body guy who pushes me around, who is both athletic and tough — and there’s no doubt he’ll get me ready for the postseason, which I cannot wait for.”

Indeed.

Rodriguez, who went 33-10 a year ago, had the misfortune of being in one wicked 220-pound division at sectionals — a division which produced the top four state medal winners in Champaign.

“I was still just one win from going downstate, so I kind of have a chip on my shoulder in my senior year,” admitted Rodriguez.

Hannah (16-1) was unstoppable at 285, dominating his final with Brian Smith of Homewood-Flossmoor en route to a 14-4 major decision victory.

“I feel like everything is beginning to come together for me,” said Hannah, a junior who is also a three sport star (football, baseball) and a returning sectional qualifier.

Baldwin (12-2) used a takedown just after the opening whistle to fuel his pin of Roberto Castro (Downers Grove North, 19-4) at 3:05 in his 113-pound final.

“I wanted to have a fast start in my final, set up my shots, and be quick with my feet to finish off points,” said Baldwin, a two-year starter.

Tacadena, who was second at the Ewoldt last season, had no intention of having that happen to him this time around.

“I wanted to prove to myself that I could win a tournament championship because last year I didn’t think I was as tough as I should be in big matches,” said the North junior, now 17-5.

Ian Huff (Maine West, 10-5) turned in a first class effort in his semifinal to advance into the finals, where the Warriors’ senior ran into the highflying Lyons Township senior Jimmy Ruston, who was impressive in their 138-pound final.

“I was so nervous heading into my semifinal (I mean) really nervous, but after that wild second period scramble, I settled down and wrestled with a lot more confidence,” said Huff of his 9-1 semifinal victory.

Alex Young would rebound from his heartbreaking 7-5 defeat in the semifinals to defeat crosstown rival Eric Santana (Elgin, 14-5) to claim third place at 145 pounds.ADVERTISING

The Larkin junior took a 5-4 lead against Paul Cozzo (Lyons Township) with 24 seconds left in regulation but conceded a one-point penalty at nine seconds to send the contest into overtime. Once there, Cozzi would register a two-point reversal with three seconds to go.

“I lost my focus when I was hit with that penalty for stalling,” admitted Young (13-2), who is 100% healthy after offseason shoulder surgery.

Article Source Written by: By Mike Garofola – Daily Herald Correspondent

Gio Jackson and Alejandro Mejia laugh when they call themselves a dynamic duo, but the best wrestlers from Buffalo Grove have every right to do so.

The Bison stars led their club to a pair of victories over visiting Geneva and Romeoville Monday in their home gym to move BG over .500 (9-7-0) in advance of the new year.

“We feed off each other’s success,” echoed the Bison seniors, who each recently won individual titles at the Glen Erb Invite and before that another at their own Rex Lewis.

“Having those two in the room has really made a big difference,” said BG coach Kurt Kutska. “They bring the level of intensity way up because of how hard they work, and with the results each has had because of their work rate.

“But it’s kind of funny because Alejandro is all business, while Gio is a little more carefree, always with a smile on his face. We’re obviously fortunate to have both of them with us.”

Mejia would wrestle as a freshman at BG, then, along with his family, move to Kentucky before returning last season, and advancing to sectionals.

This season he is currently the No. 10 rated 152-pounder in the state with a 19-3 record.

Jackson, who transferred from Palatine where he was a state qualifier last season, sits at No. 2 in the state polls, squashing the opposition all throughout the first half of the season on his way to a 22-0 overall record.

“I’ll continue to work on my fitness, while working to push the pace and stay quick on my feet. I know I can be cleaner and better in everything that I do, so that’s what I’ll concentrate on from here on out,” said Jackson.

Teammates Antonio Lopez (138, 16-6) and heavyweight Brandon Flores (18-5) won both matches on the day for BG as well.

Elk Grove was without four starters including its top man, Tuvshin Zuunbayen (126, 17-0), but the Grens managed to go 1-1 on the day when an Emmanuel Gonzalez pin at 285 on the final bout gave coach Dan Vargas’ club a 40-39 victory over Geneva.

“The program is in great shape because of strong underclass numbers, but on the varsity level we’re a little light at some weights. But with guys like Tuvshin and Emmanuel, plus two terrific sophomores in Danny Gaskill (120, 14-6) and Brady Tosterud (182, 14-5) the future is looking bright,” opined Vargas.

Zuunbayen was first at both the Rex Lewis and Niles West, where 2019 state qualifier Ian Huck (16-4, 126) from Geneva was runner-up to Zuunbayen.

“There’s a few losses this season that I am not happy with and sectionals are always tough,” said Huck, 38-9 a year ago. “I feel that the experience of getting downstate last year, plus getting bigger in an offseason when I competed in preseason nationals, training at Izzy Style, and going to a camp at SIU-Edwardsville has prepared me for this season.”

The Vikings were down 35-17 in its final contest of the day with Romeoville but would make a valiant comeback effort in their final contest of the day, coming back from a 33-18 deficit to take a two-point advantage over the Spartans, 35-33.ADVERTISING

Richard Krieger (195), Hank Smith (220), Blake Kunkel (285) and Maguire Hokesema (106, 14-5) would score 17 unanswered points to give Geneva a 35-33 advantage until Jaden Ruiz (12-2) dashed the Vikings’ hope with a pin at 113.

Geneva is at St. Charles East on Thursday in a DuKane Conference contest.

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Article and photo by: Russell Hodges 

ROCHELLE — Eighty-four points are the maximum amount that any high school team can score in an IHSA wrestling dual. The only way that many points can be obtained is through winning every bout by either fall or forfeit, and the Rochelle wrestlers did exactly that during their dual against Marquette Academy on Saturday.

The short-handed Crusaders fielded only four varsity wrestlers, forfeiting 10 bouts to the Hubs and giving Rochelle a 60-point advantage right away. The four Rochelle grapplers who did compete took care of business, though, recording pins to help the Hubs top Marquette Academy 84-0 to close out their quadrangular meet with Rockford Jefferson and East Peoria. Rochelle improved to 10-2 overall with the three dual wins.

“The kids are continuing to show progress and this meet was a sneak peek of our full lineup,” head coach Alphonso Vruno said. “We have Diego [Escobar] down to 160 pounds now, Keegan [Davis-Carter] made it down to 138 pounds and we have Gavin [Ansteth] down to 195 pounds… We were really excited to see what this team will look like in action, and we think the kids are wrestling really well. We’re becoming a good team.”

152-pounder Zeke Horn recorded Rochelle’s first pin of the dual with Marquette Academy, dominating Branden Sampson in only 1 minute and 3 seconds. 170-pounder Bryan Garza fared equally as well against Jake Mitchell, pinning him in 1 minutes and 17 seconds. After 126-pounder Caleb Nadig won by fall over Easton Kent in 48 seconds, 132-pounder Grant Thompson stepped into the ring with Rochelle ahead 78-0.

Thompson fought a tough match against Logan Petre, but the junior slowly built up a lead after a strong performance in the second period. A near shoulder injury fired Petre up in the third, but it wasn’t enough, as Thompson recovered from a quick reversal to pin his opponent and complete Rochelle’s sweep of the Crusaders.

“I feel like I’ve improved my shots a lot,” Thompson said. “I felt that I wasn’t very confident in my shooting before this season, but these last few duals have really helped my confidence. I feel that we have another chance to go to state this year, and everyone needs to come together so we can make that happen. Everyone needs to be at their weights and go 100 percent.”

Rockford Jefferson

Rochelle opened the quadrangular meet with an easy win over Rockford Jefferson, topping the J-Hawks 77-6 behind seven forfeit victories and five falls. The varsity freshmen stepped up for the Hubs in their dual with Rockford Jefferson, as 113-pounders Josey Weber and Weldon Nay each had excellent performances against their J-Hawk opponents. Weber pinned Jadin Spicer in less than 45 seconds at 113 pounds, while Nay moved up to 120 and took down Mick Fasino with an 18-2 technical fall that featured several strong takedowns and near falls.

“The freshmen were really intimidated about wrestling on the varsity level right away, but we told them we were going to put them out there this season and help them be successful,” Vruno said. “They have bought into that and they’re starting to trust the coaches. They’re working stuff they know and they’re doing it at a high level right now, which is really nice to see. Josey took an awesome shot in her match today and got the pin.”

160-pounder Diego Escobar managed to turn Ethan Pope for a pin late in the first period (1:50) before Bryan Garza followed with a fall victory at the 38-second mark in the 170-pound bout. Caleb Nadig and Grant Thompson each notched pins for the Hubs, who only dropped one head-to-head bout in the dual with the J-Hawks.

East Peoria

The Hubs faced East Peoria second in the quadrangular meet, compiling another solid team performance to win 55-15. Rochelle create a 9-0 lead after Grant Thompson pinned his opponent in the 132-pound bout and Keegan Davis-Carter held off Levi Robison to win by 8-7 decision in the 138-pound bout. State-ranked wrestler Tristen Westbay put East Peoria on the scoreboard with a 9-3 decision over 145-pounder Ethan Tooley.

Rochelle rallied off 35 straight points to emerge with a 44-3 lead entering the 285-pound bout. Zeke Horn and Bryan Garza both pinned their opponents, while Gavin Ansteth moved up to the 220-pound weight and turned Luke Brooks over for a fall at the 1:10 mark. Ben Harvey went up to the 195-pound weight and cruised over Jonah Ziegler, winning by 19-3 technical fall.

State-ranked East Peoria heavyweight Caleb Collins broke the Rochelle scoring streak, netting the Raiders six points with a fall over 285-pounder Zack Capes. 106-pounder Ivan Pineda nearly earned a major decision for the Hubs, winning 11-4 against Curtis Stage before Weldon Nay compiled a 14-8 victory in the 113-pound bout. Caleb Nadig iced the win by recording 11 takedowns in his 23-8 technical fall against Kortney Atchley in the 126-pound bout.

• By : TERRY DUCKETT
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ERIE — One week after winning the team title at Riverdale’s Jim Boyd Invitational, the Sherrard wrestling squad faced a greater challenge Saturday.

Competing at the 15-team Erie-Prophetstown Holiday Tournament, a field highlighted by reigning Class 1A state champion Lena-Winslow/Stockton, the Tigers had a sense that they would be competing for silver instead of gold.

The PantherHawks did run away with the team title, racking up 282.5 points, but Sherrard’s 147-point total was good enough to earn it second place, besting Three Rivers Conference rival Orion (137) for the silver medal.

“They’re tough as nails, and we knew it’d be pulling their way,” Sherrard coach Jeff Garrett said of the Le-Win/Stockton co-op, which has won two of the last three state team titles. “We were definitely thinking top 3 at best, and we kind of had a dogfight for second and third place.

“I’m very pleased. This is a very tough tourney, with a lot of good teams. More competition is great; that’s what you want. Win or lose, it’s about how better it makes you.”

Sherrard junior 195-pounder Josh Bynum, an individual champion last week at Riverdale, was the lone Tiger to reach the championship round, where he was pinned in 1:57 by undefeated Dixon standout Sebastian Quintana.

“I always try as hard as I can, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out,” Bynum (13-2) said. “We hadn’t seen Dixon, so this was good to know where I’m at. I’ll definitely be working extremely hard in the room.”

Also bolstering the Tigers were third-place finishes from Austin Fratzke (132) and Gavyn White (182).

Orion’s Josh Fair (182) and Brady Mulvaney (220) advanced to the title round.

Taking on Le-Win/Stockton’s Gavin Keefer, Fair (14-1) wasted no time in putting his opponent down for the count, striking gold with a 46-second pin.

“At the beginning of the season, I felt very out of shape. Throughout my matches, I’d get tired and weaker, and it’d end up feeling like a loss for me, even when I won,” he said. “I can feel it; I’m definitely getting in better shape. There’s still room to improve, though.”

Mulvaney dropped a 3-2 decision to Morrison’s Riley Wilkens, with a third-period escape point the difference as Wilkens (11-0) joined Mustang teammate Colton Linke (13-1) in the winner’s circle Saturday; Linke took the 126-pound title.

However, Mulvaney (16-2) believes that although the final outcome was not what he wanted, the experience will only benefit him.

“I’d say this shows how far I’ve come since I started wrestling,” said the Cambridge prep, who competes with the Chargers as part of a co-op, “and it shows me what I need to improve on.”

Rockridge, which tallied 102 points to tie Fulton for eighth, crowned a pair of champions in the senior duo of 138-pounder Dallas Krueger and 145-pounder Nolan Throne.

Throne (11-0) shared Most Outstanding Wrestler honors for the lower weights with Morrison’s Linke. He capped a dominant day with a 13-1 major decision win over East Peoria’s Tristen Westbay.

“This is kind of how I had it planned, to be more aggressive offensively, come out and get quick takedowns,” he said. “I feel like I did a good job today, but it doesn’t stop here. I’ve got to keep pushing and come prepared in February.”

Krueger, who also moved to 11-0 with his 4-1 title-bout win over Le-Win/Stockton’s Winston McPeek, likewise view’s Saturday’s win as a steppingstone to his goal of winning his first state championship.

“All of this is preparation for the state series,” Krueger said. “I’m constantly trying to be the best I can be. This is the year I want it all, and I’m going to work hard for it.”

Meet host Erie-Prophetstown (seventh, 116 points) had a pair of finalists who settled for silver medals. Jase Grunder (14-4) fell 5-3 to Illini Bluffs’ Cameron Clark in the 120-pound title bout, and Tyler Smith (16-4) dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker to Le-Win/Stockton’s Case Harmston at 170.

Fulton’s Nate Portz (11-1) reached the 285-pound finals, but was pinned in 16 seconds by Le-Win/Stockton standout Gennings Dunker.

By John Bumbales – Daily Herald Correspondent

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The 55th Annual Rus Erb wrestling tournament turned out to be a real dogfight Saturday afternoon at Glenbrook South.

Oswego took a narrow lead over Sycamore and Hersey heading into the final round of the historic tourney with the host Titans still in the mix for a top-three finish.

And with a scrappy effort, the Panthers did manage to hold off Sycamore by a 182 to 174.5 margin to take home the first-place trophy on the pre-Christmas weekend.

Glenbrook South barely edged Hersey 141 to 140 in a tough battle for the third place hardware while Lake Park (123 points) placed fifth.

Hersey’s push for fourth place was led by 285-pound champion Austin Korba, and a second-place finish from Vinny Lazzara at 126. The Huskies got thirds from Zach Joyce at 132, and Daniel Mukhamedalyev at 160.

“We just talked to the kids about learning how to close a tournament, and we’ve been in some tough tournaments,” said Hersey coach Joe Rupslauk. “All we’re trying to do is build to win a regional eventually. The kids are really excited to be here, and we’re on the way.”

Lake Park’s solid effort was started by Dominik Mallinder (13-1), who got a pin with just three seconds left in the second period to take home the 126-pound crown for the Lancers, who had a total of four wrestlers in the final round.

“I just kind of wanted to finish the match off,” said Mallinder following the late-period pin. “I want to place at state, I just need to go on a healthy diet and keep wrestling well.”

Besides Mallinder, Lake Park also got second-place medals from Joey Olalde at 138, and Ryan Riser at 152. Victor Rodriguez placed third for the Lancers at 220.

“He (Mallinder) is only a sophomore, he’s really been putting in a lot of work, and it’s made a big difference with his wrestling this season,” said Lake Park coach Mark Cameron. “It’s a pretty good tournament, we’re still not where we want to be, and we had two starters who were not able to be here today due to injuries.”

Batavia’s troops were led by second-place finishes from freshman Cael Andrews (14-3) at 113 and teammate Alex Richards at 220. The Bulldogs also got thirds from Kaden Fetterolf (106), Riley Woods (138), and Jack Brozny (160).

“He (Andrews) is wrestling pretty well overall, and I think he’s just starting to learn what he is potential-wise,” said Batavia coach Scott Bayer. “I feel like Riley Woods could have gotten to the finals, and we’re a really young team this year so we’re trying to find our competitive footing.”

Buffalo Grove 220-pounder Gio Jackson (20-0) remained unbeaten with a 10-5 decision over Richards in the finals. The Bison also got a title from Alejandro Mejia, who won a narrow 4-3 decision over Riser.

“He (Jackson) remained undefeated, he’s doing what he needs to do, and he’s sticking with his plan,” said Buffalo Grove coach Kurt Kutska. “Alejandro has had a really good season, he’s wrestling with a lot of confidence, and he got certified at 145 (Friday).”

Wauconda sophomore Colin Husko rolled to the 132-pound title with a pin over St. Patrick’s Delano Walker while teammate Jack Sullivan took second at 120.

“That was the same kid (Walker) who beat my brother at the Antioch sectional so I came out hungry, and I knew who this kid was,” said Husko, who is ranked 10th in Class 2A. “I’m looking forward to state, it’s not guaranteed, and I just have to keep working towards my goal and see what happens.”ADVERTISING

Carmel Catholic’s Yovaniel Garcia got a pin for the 182-pound title while Round Lake’s Ender Kongkaeow placed second at 145. Carmel’s Vince Swindell placed third at 145.

“He (Garcia) is just wrestling well, he wrestled some tough matches here, and he’s a tough competitor,” said Carmell coach Bob Kuykendall. “We brought six guys to the tournament so we’re just waiting for guys to get healthy and get back on the mat.”

By Mike Garofola
Daily Herald Correspondent

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What makes one major wrestling tournament more prestigious than another?

How about one that boasts almost 60 of the top ten wrestlers in the state — many of whom will challenge for a state title come February.

The 54th Rex Whitlach Invitation at Hinsdale Central was the place to be Saturday afternoon, and when the dust settled four Daily Herald area wrestlers lifted championship trophies.

Warren’s Joel Vandervere validated his place as the No. 1 rated 138-pounder over the two days when he beat No. 4 Nico Bolivar (Oak Park-River Forest) in his final, while teammate Cameron Domke surely improved upon on his spot at No. 6 following his impressive effort in his championship bout.

Barrington senior Luke Rasmussen continued his perfect ways by pinning his way to the 170-pound title, but it was Downers Grove junior Robert Major who showed he belongs after sending off No. 2 Joe Chapman of Oak Park to win the top prize at 160.

Chapman’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of Major had little effect on the team title, which went to Oak Park-River Forest. The Huskies outscored the 24-team field with 211.5 points, 22 more than runner-up Lemont (189) and third-place Minooka with its 179.5

Barrington came in fifth place with 166 points, 1.5 behind Sandburg, with Lincoln-Way West, Hinsdale Central, Lyons Township, Joliet Catholic and Stevenson rounding out the Top 10 clubs at the longtime classic.

“After falling just short of reaching the state tournament for the second year in a row, today’s win over Chapman is a big step forward for me, and one that I hope to use to get downstate and go after a state title,” said Major, who rode the two-time state medal winner hard for nearly the entire third period to move his overall record to 19-0.

Rasmussen’s fourth pin of the tournament came at 4:40 to dash the hopes of hometown hero Ron Kruse, the first of only two falls recorded in a highly competitive final round of action.

“It felt good to win here at a tournament like this one, but I have still have a lot of work ahead of me to get to a point where I can challenge for a state title,” said Rasmussen (22-0), who came into the weekend rated No. 2 in the state.

“Overall I am very pleased with our effort over the two days. We claimed nine medals and stayed in the race for a top-five finish all throughout the day,” said Broncos coach Dave Udchik, who praised junior Evan Roper (11-2) for his work in order to finish third overall at 220.

The Vandervere-Domke duo were in another stratosphere over the weekend with Vandervere (13-0), a state runner-up a year ago, nearly unstoppable including his superb effort in his final with Bolivar, himself a three-time state qualifier, who will wrestle next season at Indiana University.

“The big difference for me this year is being 100% healthy and if I stay that way there’s no reason why I can’t be a state champion, and the No. 1 guy in the country at the end of the season,” said the Northwestern-bound Vandervere, who is No. 4 in the latest national poll by the InterMat Wrestling site.

Domke (16-0) mashed all four of his opponents starting with a trio of pins to advance into the finals against Ray Hernandez of Lemont, who kept it close through two periods until the Warren star went to work en route to a 9-4 decision.ADVERTISING

“I’m in a great room, with a great teammate to train with (Vandervere) so there’s no reason, if I continue to work hard that I cannot get to state and win it all,” said Domke.

Stevenson freshman Lorenzo Frezza (13-4) was second at 113, while seniors Reese Martin (Neuqua Valley, 17-1) and Justin Brown (14-3) of Grant were second overall, as was Dzhabrail Khurshidov (West Aurora, 20-3) at 195.

By: Dan Cohen

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Photo – WREX – The 170# championship bracket’s top half has an all-local semifinal on Sunday, featuring Dakota’s Andrew Wenzel, and Freeport’s Keondre Jackson, who both won their quarterfinals.

MACHESNEY PARK – The 32nd annual Dvorak wrestling invitational began at Harlem High School the Saturday before Christmas, continuing one of the most prestigious wrestling tournaments in the Midwest.

There’s plenty of local talent in contention for championships after a busy first day of matches. Freeport’s Markel Baker put together two victories via decision to reach the 113# semifinals.

At 132# at the Dvorak, Tommy Curran of DeKalb made it to the semifinals in the championship bracket. His teammate Damien Lopez is also in the semifinals at 152#, and the Barbs also have Bradley Gillum in the 160# semis.

The Herald News By CURT HERRON Email Follow

Photo: Submitted to The Herald News

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HINSDALE – When an area can boast having four teams in the top nine of one of the top wrestling tournaments in the state and also have the second- and third-place teams and have an athlete who receives the most outstanding wrestler award, it’s viewed as a good day by all.

And that was just the perspective from the four state-ranked teams who took part in Hinsdale Central’s 54th annual Rex Whitlatch Invitational, which featured 25 teams, including many of the state’s best programs and individuals.

Oak Park-River Forest had three champions and three second-place finishers to post 211.5 points, which was good for the team championship. Lemont took second with 189 points, while Minooka scored 179.5 points to finish third ahead of Sandburg (167.5) and Barrington (166). Lincoln-Way West (124.5) was sixth and Joliet Catholic Academy (114) ninth in their debuts in one of the state’s oldest and respected tournaments.

Those four schools sent eight individuals to the title mat and came away with three champions. In a matchup of two unbeaten competitors, JCA’s Dean Hamiti posted an impressive 13-2 victory over OPRF’s Joshua Ogunsanya in the 152-pound finals. That win, after three falls, helped the junior improve to 15-0 and earn the event’s top honor.

“I wrestle through every position the best that I can,” said Hamiti, a two-time defending state champion. “I think that I can get out of anything and can score as many points as I really want to if I push as hard as I can for the whole six minutes. I don’t know if anyone can stop my offense or defense if I get around. But I still respect everyone like it was a state final. Even if it’s the first round, I get ready the best that I can and try to finish a match quickly.”

The other two tournament champions from the area know all too well about competing for big titles at a high level. Lemont senior Kyle Schickel and junior Apollo Gothard both placed second in Class 2A a year ago, and Schickel is a three-time state runner-up.

In the 145 finals, Schickel improved to 13-1 after capturing a 21-7 victory over Lincoln-Way West senior Garrett Geigner, who fell to 12-2. And in the 220 pound finals, Gothard saw a lead slip away and had to go to overtime against Minooka’s Drew Gutknecht. But he got a quick takedown to claim a 5-3 win to improve to 13-0, while the Indians senior fell to 14-2.

“The team is looking really good and I think that we’re finally starting to believe in ourselves,” Schickel said. “This year, we’re just trying our best every day to push these kids to do what they’re truly capable of doing because most of our team are underclassmen since we only have five seniors.”

Gothard also is excited about what the Indians might be able to achieve this season.

“This is really awesome, honestly,” Gothard said. “We’ve all grown up together and since some of the kids are seniors, this is the last year that we’re all together. I’d rather wrestle a ranked wrestler every day than wrestle kids I know that I can beat every day. I want to have that competition each week.”

The Indians had one other finalist, junior Ray Hernandez, who reached the 132 title match, but fell 9-4 to Warren’s Cameron Domke, who improved to 16-0. Hernandez is 11-3.

Also reaching the title match for Minooka was Jake Shipla, who lost to Sandburg’s Mike Bosco (14-0) in the 285 finals as the Indian senior fell to 11-2 on the year.

JCA freshman Gylon Sims got to the finals at 106, but was beaten by Sandburg’s Sammie Hayes (17-0) by a 12-1 score as Sims fell to 14-2.

Third-place finishers included Minooka’s Michael Ruettiger (132) and Jack McClimon (145), Lincoln-Way West’s Javen Estrada (138) and Payton Geigner (160), and Lemont’s Grant LaDuke (152). Fourth-place finishers were Lincoln-Way West’s Karter Guzman (106) and Brock Pfeifer (152), Lemont’s Kyle Zator (160) and Minooka’s Michael Carey (126).

His first name is from ‘Rocky’ in honor of Apollo Creed. Now, Apollo Gothard wants to be a state champion in wrestling for Lemont.

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Article Written By: PATRICK Z. MCGAVINDAILY SOUTHTOWN |DEC 19, 2019 | 1:33 PM

Lemont junior Apollo Gothard thinks about it often.

In last season’s Class 2A 220-pound state championship match, Gothard suffered a bittersweet 1-0 loss to Cahokia’s Jacob Bullock.

“I play the match in my mind all the time, but I do not really dwell on it,” Gothard said. “Now, I am playing to win, and I do not want second place ever again. I am fixing all of my mistakes.”

Winning regularly has remained a constant for the dominant Gothard, who finished 44-3 last season. 

Competing again at 220, he has a 9-0 record this season with seven pins.

He’s also the top-rated wrestler in 2A at 220, according to the rankings of Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association.

Even so, Gothard is not one to be content with either the past or his current status.

“He has a great love for the sport,” Lemont coach John St. Clair said. “He puts in a tremendous amount of work during the offseason. 

“He is never one to just believe that wrestling is from November to February. He puts work into getting stronger.”

Gothard made an auspicious debut as a freshman by finishing fifth in the state at 195.

The 6-foot Gothard combines strength, quickness, balance and a hyper-competitive drive, according to St. Clair.

When he was barely able to walk, Gothard saw his older brother Damyen practicing on the mat and realized that would be his destiny.

“I wanted to do it so badly,” he said.

His father, Keith, is responsible for Apollo’s distinctive first name.

“All of my siblings have unique first names, and when it came to me, it was my dad’s turn,” Gothard said. “He was watching ‘Rocky’ and he heard the name, Apollo Creed, and he just said that was a champion’s name.”

Last season, Gothard also helped the Indians qualify for the 2A dual-team state quarterfinals.

Now, his quest is to be the last man standing. Wrestling is his only sport, a point of pride and a mark of his identity.

“I wrestle five days a week,” he said. “I spent a lot of time on the mat and in the weight room. I have the attitude that I am better than everyone and I have put too much into this to lose.”

During the offseason, he trained at a facility in Addison that also involved work in the Brazilian martial arts technique of jiu-jitsu.

“We all believed we let one get away last season,” St. Clair said. “The kid he lost to is a Division I wrestler. Definitely, I’d say, coming that close and coming up a point short is a driving force for him.”

At his weight class, Gothard is setting the standard. And that’s how he wants it.

“I just love everyone else knowing I am the best,” he said. “I love that other people want to chase after me. I always want to be the best and achieve whatever I can.”

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