Roundup for Quincy Notre Dame, Litchfield, Eastern Illinois, Heart of Illinois, Invites and South Seven and Mississippi Valley Duals

By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA

Jacksonville captures Quincy Notre Dame Invitational title

Jacksonville closed its regular season on a high note after it claimed top honors in the Quincy Notre Dame Invitational with 160 points, which was six points better than second-place Kirkwood, Missouri while Quincy Senior took third place with 152.5 points one day after it won the Western Big 6 Conference Tournament in Moline.

Glenwood (123.5), Central of Camp Point (118.5), Notre Dame (102.5), Illini Bluffs (101), Warsaw/Hamilton (93), Palmyra, Missouri (86) and Lanphier (78.5) and Pittsfield (78) were next in line in the 17-team competition that took place in Quincy.

Leading the way for coach Dustin Secrist’s champion Jacksonville Crimsons were title winners Deshawn Armstrong (120), Joe Reif (150) and Oliver Cooley (215) as well as runners-up Steven Easley (113) and Aiden Surratt (285). Jayce Evans (106), Hunter Hayes (113) and Kaleb Miller (165) took fifth, Jaeden Rhone (144) and Noah Beckmann (157) placed sixth, Peyton Acker (144) was seventh and John Martinez (285) finished eighth. John Harper (138), Malakai Padilla (175) and Carter McNeece (285) also competed on the first-place team.

The Crimsons, who are ranked 22nd in Class 2A, competed in larger tournaments at Civic Memorial, Mascoutah and Lincoln so their best previous finish was third place at Quincy Senior on Jan. 12-13. Jacksonville will be in a rugged Class 2A regional at Civic Memorial in Bethalto which also includes Glenwood and Triad.

“I am really proud of our boys,” Secrist said. “Our guys wrestled well today and were pushing each other to be better. We had five guys get to the finals and several others in the placement matches. We had some young guys step up and win some matches. It shows the growth that many of them have made since the beginning of the season. 

“Our returners did their job, as well. Dashawn Armstrong won this tournament for the second time and Joe Reif and Oliver Cooley both took care of business in the finals. Steven Easley and Aiden Surratt both had a great day just coming up short in the end. Overall it was a great day for us and I’m excited to see what happens in the postseason as we gear up for regionals.”

Top performers for coach Phil Neally’s third-place Quincy Senior Blue Devils were champions Cooper Kamm (132), Owen Uppinghouse (165), Bryor Newbold (175) and Todd Smith (285). Uppinghouse, who is 42-0, and Smith won Western Big 6 titles the previous evening while Newbold took second in the conference. Cale Mixer (144) also placed third for the Blue Devils, who understandably went with a different lineup than they’ve relied upon this season.

The Glenwood Titans, who are coached by Jerod Bruner, were led by title winner Owen Ottino (126), runners-up King Wallace (106) and AJ Williams (126) and fourth-place finishers Alex Destasio (120), Braydyn Worley (150) and Omar Alkhayyat (190). The 126 title match was unique since it was the lone one that featured two teammates, Ottino and Williams, meeting.

Leading coach Kasey Monroe’s Central Panthers were second-place finishers Jack Thompson (157) and Conner Griffin (165) while Konnor Bush (150) took third and Charlie Welch (106) and Wyatt VanDeVelde (285) finished fourth.

The Illini Bluffs Tigers, who are coached by Shawn O’Connor, had three champions, Hunter Robbins (113), who is 41-0, as well as Ian O’Connor (138) and Jackson Carroll (144) while Notre Dame’s Raiders, who are coached by Adam Steinkamp, had one champion, Ryan Darnell (190) and two runners-up, Bradi Lahr (144) and Taylin Scott (215). Palmyra, Missouri also had two title winners, Luke Lawson (106) and Brayden Pillars (157).

Other second-place finishers were Williamsville’s Matthew Miller (138), Warsaw/Hamilton’s Evan Carel (150), Illini West’s Shawn Watkins (175), Pittsfield’s Tucker Cook (190), Kirkwood, MO’s Patrick Fitzgerald (120) and Palmyra, MO’s Tyler Spicknall (132).

Owen Uppinghouse had the most team points with 31.5 while Joe Reif was second with 31 and Jackson Carroll and Hunter Robbins tied for third with 30 team points. Luke Lawson, Bryor Newbold and Ian O’Connor had 29 team points and Ryan Darnell and Owen Ottino had 28 and Cooper Kamm collected 27 team points.

Kirkwood, Mo also had seven individuals who placed third, Caleb Arthur (106), Wyatt Maxville (113), Michael Muller (120), Dylan Crupper (126), Henry Ludbrook (138), Ben Villanueva (165) and Masson Fink (285). Other third-place finishers were Warsaw/Hamilton’s Kai Humphry (132) and Malachi McKune (215), Monmouth United’s Jake McElwee (157), Lanphier’s Jaylen Crowder (175) and Williamsville’s Anthony Beckman (190).

Also finishing in fourth place were Notre Dame’s Oliver Moore (126), Cale Hilbing (132) and Jack Myers (215), Pittsfield’s Jake Oitker (157), Waylon White (165) and Bodine Marable (175), Lanphier’s Cedar Ngiramoai (113), Warsaw/Hamilton’s Brock Burford (138) and Kirkwood, MO’s Trevor Hastings (144).

Top records for Illinois competitors following the Quincy Notre Dame Invitational include Owen Uppinghouse at 165 (42-0, 1.000), Hunter Robbins at 113 (41-0, 1.000), Jackson Carroll at 144 (40-2, .952), Oliver Cooley at 215 (38-3, ,927), Taylin Scott at 215 (38-3, .927), Bryor Newbold at 175 (37-4, .902), Ian O’Connor at 138 (39-5, .886), Joe Reif at 150 (37-5. .881) and Aiden Surratt at 285 (35-5, .875).

Deshawn Armstrong had the most total match points with 61 while Bryor Newbold was next with 52 points. Quincy Senior’s Rennie Lio and Glenwood’s Mason Streb both collected four falls. Jacksonville had the most total match points with 170 while Glenwood was second with 149 and the champion Crimsons led with 16 pins while Central, Glenwood and Kirkwood all had 15 falls.

Championship matches of the Quincy Notre Dame Invitational

106 – Luke Lawson (Palmyra, MO) F 1:37 King Wallace (Glenwood)

113 – Hunter Robbins (Illini Bluffs) F 0:36 Steven Easley (Jacksonville)

120 – Deshawn Armstrong (Jacksonville) MD 22-9 Patrick Fitzgerald (Kirkwood, MO)

126 – Owen Ottino (Glenwood) F 2:28 AJ Williams (Glenwood)

132 – Cooper Kamm (Quincy Senior) F 2:49 Tyler Spicknall (Palmyra, MO)

138 – Ian O’Connor (Illini Bluffs) MD 13-0 Matthew Miller (Williamsville)

144 – Jackson Carroll (Illini Bluffs) F 3:48 Bradi Lahr (Notre Dame)

150 – Joe Reif (Jacksonville) F 5:56 Evan Carel (Warsaw/Hamilton)

157 – Brayden Pillars (Palmyra, MO) F 2:28 Jack Thompson (Central)

165 – Owen Uppinghouse (Quincy Senior) F 0:37 Conner Griffin (Central)

175 – Bryor Newbold (Quincy Senior) F 1:36 Shawn Watkins (Illini West)

190 – Ryan Darnell (Notre Dame) D 7-3 Tucker Cook (Pittsfield)

215 – Oliver Cooley (Jacksonville) D 7-1 Taylin Scott (Notre Dame)

285 – Todd Smith (Quincy Senior) D 3-2 Aiden Surratt (Jacksonville)

Third-place matches for the Quincy Notre Dame Invitational

106 – Caleb Arthur (Kirkwood, MO) F 1:56 Charlie Welch (Central)

113 – Wyatt Maxville (Kirkwood, MO) M For Cedar Ngiramoai (Lanphier)

120 – Michael Muller (Kirkwood, MO) TF 3:29 Alex Destasio (Glenwood)

126 – Dylan Crupper (Kirkwood, MO) MD 13-5 Oliver Moore (Notre Dame)

132 – Kai Humphry (Warsaw/Hamilton) D 3-1 Cale Hilbing (Notre Dame)

138 – Henry Ludbrook (Kirkwood, MO) F 1:07 Brock Burford (Warsaw/Hamilton)

144 – Cale Mixer (Quincy Senior) F 1:43 Trevor Hastings (Kirkwood, MO)

150 – Konnor Bush (Central) TF Braydyn Worley (Glenwood)

157 – Jake McElwee (Monmouth United) F 3:13 Jake Oitker (Pittsfield)

165 – Ben Villanueva (Kirkwood, MO) F 2:33 Waylon White (Pittsfield)

175 – Jaylen Crowder (Lanphier) F 1:52 Bodine Marable (Pittsfield)

190 – Anthony Beckman (Williamsville) F 0:51 Omar Alkhayyat (Glenwood)

215 – Malachi McKune (Warsaw/Hamilton) F 4:20 Jack Myers (Notre Dame)

285 – Masson Fink (Kirkwood, MO) D 7-1 Wyatt VanDeVelde (Central)

Team scores for the Quincy Notre Dame Invitational

1. Jacksonville 160, 2. Kirkwood, MO 154, 3. Quincy Senior 152.5, 4. Glenwood 123.5, 5. Camp Point Central 118.5, 6. Notre Dame 102.5, 7. Illini Bluffs 101, 8. Warsaw/Hamilton 93, 9. Palmyra, MO 86, 10. Lanphier 78.5, 11. Pittsfield 78, 12. Williamsville 51, 13. Monmouth United 45, 14. Illini West 31, 15. Illinois United, 16. Payson Seymour 5, 17. Riverton 0.

Roxana takes top honors at Litchfield Lovellette Invitational

Roxana closed out its regular season on a high note as it captured the title at the 17-team Rich Lovellette Invitational that took place in Litchfield.

Coach Rob Milazzo’s Shells scored 217 points to take top honors while Oakwood/Salt Fork edged Lena-Winslow/Stockton 195-193 for second place and Vandalia finished fourth with 189 points. Murphysboro (113.5), Peotone (108). Peoria Notre Dame (94.5), Litchfield/Mt. Olive (81.5), Harrisburg (77.5) and Rochester (77) rounded out the top 10  teams. 

Top performers for champion Roxana were title winners Lleyton Cobine (120), Brandon Green, Jr. (132) and James Herring (285) while Lyndon Thies (157) took second and Logan Riggs (126), Braden Johnson (150), Robert Watt (190) and Donald Battles (215) finished third. Trevor Gihring (138) and Elias Thies (175) were fifth, Savion Hill (106) took sixth and Bryan Rodriguez (144) and Donavan Herrin (165) also were members of the title team.

Leading the way for coach Mike Glosser’s runner-up Oakwood/Salt Fork Comets were champions Grant Brewer (150), runners-up Tyler Huchel (120), Pedro Rangel (132) and Dalton Brown (175), third place finisher Jack Ajster (138) as well as Thomas Wells (126) and Carter Chambliss (144), who took fourth place.

The Lena-Winslow/Stockton PantherHawks, who are coached by 2020 IWCOA Hall of Famer Kevin Milder, were led by first-place finishers Eli Larson (175), Jeremiah Luke (190) and Michael Haas (215) while Arrison Bauer (132), Jared Dvorak (157) and Gannon Dunker (285) placed third and Mauricio Glass (138) finished fourth.

Coach Jason Clay’s Vandalia Vandals got championships from Max Philpot (106) and Dillon Hinton (138), second-place finishes from Elijah Mabry (113), Kaden Tidwell (190) and Dominic Swyers (215) while Brody Matthews (120) took third and Cole Yarbrough (132) was fourth.

Other champions were Murphysboro’s Bryce Edwards (144) and Liam Fox (157), Peoria Notre Dame’s Ian Akers (113), Auburn’s Joey Ruzic (126) and Richards’ Mike Taheney (165). 

Also capturing second-place finishes were Peoria Notre Dame’s Chase Daugherty (150) and Michael McLaughlin (285), Litchfield/Mt. Olive’s Vincent Moore (106), Harrisburg’s Tony Keene (126), Cumberland’s Brayden Olmstead (138), Peotone’s Micah Spinazzola (144) and Westville/Georgetown-Ridge Farm’s Gabriel Kiddoo (165).

Grant Brewer, Brandon Green, Jr., Michael Haas and Dillon Hinton tied for first place for the most team points with 28 while Joey Ruzic was right behind with 27.5 team points. Ian Akers had 26.5 points while James Herring, Eli Larson and Max Philpot scored 26 team points.

Joey Ruzic led the way with 47 total match points while Cumberland’s Sawyer Welbaum was second with 41 points. Elias Thies and Peotone’s Conor Pasch both recorded four falls. Oakwood/Salt Fork had the most total match points with 249 while Roxana was second with 233. The champion Shells had the most falls with 25 while the runner-up Comets had 22.

Top-four finishers in the Rich Lovellette Invitational who had the best records include Liam Fox at 157 (39-0, 1.000), Joey Ruzic at 126 (38-0, 1.000), Max Philpot at 106 (39-2, .951), Dillon Hinton at 138 (38-2, .950), James Herring at 285 (35-2, .946), Tony Keene at 126 (34-2, .944), Grant Brewer at 150 (32-2, .941), Pedro Rangel at 132 (36-3, .923), Brandon Green, Jr. at 132 (34-3, .919), Owen McGinnis at 144 (37-4, .902), Lyndon Thies at 157 (36-4, .900), Dalton Brown at 175 (35-4, .897), Jeremiah Luke at 190 (35-4, .897), Brayden Olmstead at 138 (38-5, .884) and Eli Larson at 175 (36-5, .878).

Championship matches for Litchfield’s Rich Lovellette Invitational

106 – Max Philpot (Vandalia) D 8-2 Vincent Moore (Litchfield/Mt. Olive)

113 – Ian Akers (Peoria Notre Dame) MD 13-4 Elijah Mabry (Vandalia)

120 – Lleyton Cobine (Roxana) D 9-8 Tyler Huchel (Oakwood/Salt Fork)

126 – Joey Ruzic (Auburn/Franklin/New Berlin) F 5:32 Tony Keene (Harrisburg)

132 – Brandon Green, Jr. (Roxana) D 5-0 Pedro Rangel (Oakwood/Salt Fork)

138 – Dillon Hinton (Vandalia) F 1:41 Brayden Olmstead (Cumberland)

144 – Bryce Edwards (Murphysboro) SV 6-4 Micah Spinazzola (Peotone)

150 – Grant Brewer (Oakwood/Salt Fork) D 5-2 Chase Daugherty (Peoria Notre Dame)

157 – Liam Fox (Murphysboro) D 8-4 Lyndon Thies (Roxana)

165 – Mike Taheney (Richards) D 8-1 Gabriel Kiddoo (Westville/Georgetown-Ridge Farm)

175 – Eli Larson (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) D 5-2 Dalton Brown (Oakwood/Salt Fork)

190 – Jeremiah Luke (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) D 5-3 Kaden Tidwell (Vandalia)

215 – Michael Haas (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) F 3:14 Dominic Swyers (Vandalia)

285 – James Herring (Roxana) D 3-0 Michael McLaughlin (Peoria Notre Dame)

Third-place matches at Litchfield’s Rich Lovellette Invitational

106 – Pierce Bultmann (Rochester) F 3:22 Josh Stedwill (Peoria Notre Dame)

113 – Paxton Pyatt (Murphysboro) M For Conner Carroll (Rochester)

120 – Brody Matthews (Vandalia) D 7-3 Drayven Hamm (Auburn/Franklin/New Berlin)

126 – Logan Riggs (Roxana) F 0:35 Thomas Wells (Oakwood/Salt Fork)

132 – Arrison Bauer (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) F 1:40 Cole Yarbrough (Vandalia)

138 – Jack Ajster (Oakwood/Salt Fork) F 3:35 Mauricio Glass (Lena-Winslow/Stockton)

144 – Owen McGinnis (Cumberland) SV 7-5 Carter Chambliss (Oakwood/Salt Fork)

150 – Braden Johnson (Roxana) F 1:19 Dom Paul (Richards)

157 – Jared Dvorak (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) F 0:45 Kurt Wagner (Peotone)

165 – Ian Kreske (Peotone) TF 5:20 Maxon Stearns (Murphysboro)

175 – Joey Barrow (Auburn/Franklin/New Berlin) F 3:00 Jeremiah Gill (Richards)

190 – Robert Watt (Roxana) F 1:15 Ethan Miller (Westville/Georgetown-Ridge Farm)

215 – Donald Battles (Roxana) F 1:03 Caleb Williford (Harrisburg)

285 – Gannon Dunker (Lena-Winslow/Stockton) F 0:50 Javier Horton (Harrisburg)

Team scores for Litchfield’s Rich Lovellette Invitational

1. Roxana 217, 2. Oakwood/Salt Fork 195, 3. Lena-Winslow/Stockton 193, 4. Vandalia 189, 5. Murphysboro 113.5, 6. Peotone 108, 7. Peoria Notre Dame 94.5, 8. Litchfield/Mt. Olive 81.5, 9. Harrisburg 77.5, 10. Rochester 77, 11. Auburn/Franklin/New Berlin 72, 11. Richards 72, 13. Cumberland 70, 14. Westville/Georgetown-Ridge Farm 58, 15. Prairie Central 22, 16. Hillsboro 18, 17. Carlinville 17.

Lawrenceville/Red Hill claims title at Eastern Illinois Tournament

Lawrenceville/Red Hill can claim bragging rights among some of the schools in the eastern portion of the state after it scored 193.5 points to capture top honors at the Eastern Illinois Tournament by 33 points over Richland County, which finished with 160.5 points. Host school Robinson edged Hoopeston Area/Milford 144.5-142 to claim third place in the 12-team competition while Carterville (111.5), Johnston City (101.5) and Paris (93) were next in line.

Top performers for coach Samuel Hyre’s champion Lawrenceville/Red Hill Indians were title winner Daniel Kiser (144) and runners-up Drew Seitzinger (106), Dylan Aten (126), Trevor Loy (150), Kasen Ochs (175) and Dylan Camden (285). Taking third were Jaxtyn Chansler (120) and Hudson Meek (138), Tyson Lucas (157) was fourth, Cale Seitzinger (132) and Nick Morehead (165) finished fifth, Wyatt Scott (190) placed sixth and Hudson Frey (215) also competed for the title winners.

Leading the way for coach Hassan Steele’s runner-up Richland County Tigers were first-place finishers Carson Bissey (132) and Zander Schrader (190) as well as Kaeden Davis (120) and Jashun McKinley (215), who placed second. Baxter Smith (106) and Maverik Cordell (113) took third place and Logan McDonald (175) finished fourth.

The third-place Robinson Maroons, who are coached by Tanner Keeler, were led by champions Broady Kelly (126), Ben Mullins (150) and Kahne Hyre (165) and runner-up Dreagan Johnson (157) while Trenton Riggle (144) took third and Isaac Booher (106) placed fourth.

Hoopeston Area/Milford’s Cornjerkers, whose coach is Chris Kelnhofer, got titles from Charlie Flores (106), Ayden Larkin (157) and Angel Zamora (175) while Talan Nelson (126) and Aiden Bell (132) both claimed third place.

Carterville also had two champions, Brawsen Bloodworth (113) and Zecharich Miller (285). The other first-place finishers were Oblong/Hutsonville/Palestine’s Ian Rosborough (120), Effingham’s Baker Moon (138) and Johnston City’s Jude Beers (215).

Paris was led by two runners-up, Carson Kollman (144) and Will Moody (190). Others who placed second were Herrin’s Brennan Jeralds (113), Charleston’s Jacob Kuhn (132),

Oblong/Hutsonville/Palestine’s Cole Littlejohn (138) and Carterville’s Jacob Grob (165).

Carson Bissey and Charlie Flores led with 27.5 team points while Kahne Hyre, Ben Mullins and Angel Zamora tied for third with 27 points. Ayden Larkin and Zander Schrader scored 26 points, Jude Beers and Zechariah Miller each had 25.5 and Broady Kelly collected 24.5 team points.

Additional third-place finishers were Paris’ Joshua Lamour (150) and Ethan Curl (215), Carterville’s Carter Jones (157), Herrin’s Kolby Coffey (165), Johnston City’s Randy Fuqua (175), Mt. Carmel’s Donald Downing (190) and Effingham’s Trenton Patterson (285).

Johnston City had four individuals who finished fourth, Ben Harris (132) and Gabe Livley (138), Jerry Tate (144) and Juan Salazar (190). Others who took fourth place were Effingham’s Mason Bushue (120) and Kaiden Stewart (126), Herrin’s Jack Finley (150) and Logan Dirden (215),

Paris’ Robert Wells (165) and Mt. Carmel’s Evan Berberich (285).

Top records for individuals in the Eastern Illinois Tournament at Robinson include Carson Bissey at 132 (39-1, .975), Angel Zamora at 175 (42-2, .955), Jude Beers at 215 (34-2, .944), Kahne Hyre at 165 (32-2, .941), Broady Kelly at 126 (24-2, .923), Zechariah Miller at 285 (37-4, .902), Ben Mullins at 150 (32-4, ,889), Ian Rosborough at 120 (29-4, .879), Dreagan Johnson at 157 (28-4, .875), Ethan Curl at 215 (24-4, .857) and Kasen Ochs at 175 (36-6, .857).

Jude Beers and Broady Kelly tied for the most total match points with 46 while Ben Mullins had 45 and Hoopeston Area/Milford’s Tucker Deck was the only individual to record three falls.

Robinson collected the most total match points with 173 while Johnston City and Richland County tied for second with 167 points. Lawrenceville/Red Hill had the most falls with 13 while Hoopeston Area/Milford and Robinson both had 12 pins.

Championship matches for the Eastern Illinois Tournament at Robinson

106 – Charlie Flores (Hoopeston Area/Milford) TF 5:20 Drew Seitzinger (Lawrenceville/Red Hill)

113 – Brawnsen Bloodworth (Carterville) F 3:14 Brennan Jeralds (Herrin)

120 – Ian Rosborough (Oblong/Hutsonville/Palestine) D 14-7 Kaeden Davis (Richland County)

126 – Broady Kelly (Robinson) D 12-5 Dylan Aten (Lawrenceville/Red Hill)

132 – Carson Bissey (Richland County) F 1:42 Jacob Kuhn (Charleston)

138 – Baker Moon (Effingham) F 3:53 Cole Littlejohn (Oblong/Hutsonville/Palestine)

144 – Daniel Kiser (Lawrenceville/Red Hill) F 3:04 Carson Kollman (Paris)

150 – Ben Mullins (Robinson) TF 5:08 Trevor Loy (Lawrenceville/Red Hill)

157 – Ayden Larkin (Hoopeston Area/Milford) D 5-1 Dreagan Johnson (Robinson)

165 – Kahne Hyre (Robinson) MD 16-4 Jacob Grob (Carterville)

175 – Angel Zamora (Hoopeston Area/Milford) F 2:46 Kasen Ochs (Lawrenceville/Red Hill)

190 – Zander Schrader (Richland County) D 13-8 Will Moody (Paris)

215 – Jude Beers (Johnston City) F 4:07 Jashun McKinley (Richland County)

285 – Zechariah Miller (Carterville) D 4-1 Dylan Camden (Lawrenceville/Red Hill)

Third-place matches for the Eastern illinois Tournament at Robinson

106 – Baxter Smith (Richland County) F 3:00 Isaac Booher (Robinson)

113 – Maverik Cordell (Richland County)

120 – Jaxtyn Chansler (Lawrenceville/Red Hill) F 3:38 Mason Bushue (Effingham)

126 – Talan Nelson (Hoopeston Area/Milford) M For Kaiden Stewart (Effingham)

132 – Aiden Bell (Hoopeston Area/Milford) M For Ben Harris (Johnston City)

138 – Hudson Meek (Lawrenceville/Red Hill) D 1-0 Gabe Livley (Johnston City)

144 – Trenton Riggle (Robinson) F 1:48 Jerry Tate (Johnston City)

150 – Joshua Lamour (Paris) D 6-3 Jack Finley (Herrin)

157 – Carter Jones (Carterville) F 0:31 Tyson Lucas (Lawrenceville/Red Hill)

165 – Kolby Coffey (Herrin) F 3:15 Robert Wells (Paris)

175 – Randy Fuqua (Johnston City) MD 8-0 Logan McDonald (Richland County)

190 – Donald Downing (Mt. Carmel) F 5:03 Juan Salazar (Johnston City)

215 – Ethan Curl (Paris) F 2:50 Logan Dirden (Herrin)

285 – Trenton Patterson (Effingham) TF 4:47 Evan Berberich (Mt. Carmel)

Team scores for the Eastern Illinois Tournament at Robinson

1. Lawrenceville/Red Hill 193.5, 2. Richland County 160.5, 3. Robinson 144.5, 4. Hoopeston Area/Milford 142, 5. Carterville 111.5, 6. Johnston City 101.5, 7. Paris 93, 8. Herrin 77, 9. Oblong/Hutsonville/Palestine 73.5, 10. Effingham 72.5, 11. Charleston 54, 12. Mt. Carmel 50.5.

Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher wins Heart of Illinois Tournament title

Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher gave itself a great boost going into the Class 1A regional that it hosts on Saturday that involves many of the same teams that it outscored to win the title of Heart of Illinois Conference Individual Tournament at Ridgeview in Colfax.

Coach Cody Moody’s champion GCMSF Falcons scored 199 points to finish 19.5 points in front of runner-up LeRoy/Tri-Valley (179.5) while El Paso-Gridley (101) took third place. Tremont (77), Deer Creek-Mackinaw (70.5), Eureka (66), Ridgeview/Lexington (47) and Heyworth (32) also took part. The top seven teams in the HOI Tournament will be joined by Olympia, Pontiac, Prairie Central and University High in an 11-team regional that will take place in Gibson City.

Top performers for Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher were champions Shawn Schlickman (132), Corbin Ragle (144), Carson Maxey (150), Jaxon Wright (175) and Aiden Sancken (190) while Hudson Babb (126) and Cooper Miller (165) placed second. Gage Martin (120), Sam Manson (157), Cohen Kean (215) and Aiden Cornell (285) all claimed third place while Jakob Howell (138) finished fourth. 

Leading the way for coach Brady Sant Amour’s runner-up LeRoy/Tri-Valley Panthers were title winners Brady Mouser (113), EJ Chaon (120), Connor Lyons (157), Jacob Bischoff (215) and Tate Sigler (285) while Brock Owens (144) finished second. Claiming third place were Colton Prosser (138), Bo Zeleznik (165) and Adam Moore (190) while Matt Helfrich (126) and Gannon Pinkerton (175) both took fourth place.

The El Paso-Gridley Titans, who are coached by 2007 National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Illinois Chapter Lifetime Service Award recipient Joe Cliffe, were led by runners-up Nolan Whitman (120), Waylon Melick (157), Ryden Barker (190) and Parker Duffy (215) while Braden Gibson (150) and Dominic Ricconi (175) took third and Orion Dunlap (165) was fourth.

And the Tremont Turks, who are coached by 2006 IWCOA Hall of Famer TJ Williams, received titles from Mason Mark (138) and Bowden Delaney (165) while Riley Poisal (106) took second place, Chase Stedman (126) claimed third and Trip Pitts (132) finished fourth.

Other Heart of Illinois Tournament champions were Heyworth’s Landon Nieslawski (106) and Ridgeview/Lexington’s Danny Tay (126). Also claiming second-place finishes were Deer Creek-Mackinaw’s Ashten Finch (132), Payton Hixon (150) and Joey Humphries (285), Eureka’s Henry Watson (113) and Wyatt Zacha (175) and Ridgeview/Lexington’s Judson Stover (138).

Shawn Schlickman scored the most team points with 24, which was two more than four who were tied for second with 22, EJ Chaon, Bowden Delaney, Mason Mark and Carson Maxey. There was a seven-way tie for sixth with 20 team points between Jacob Bischoff, Connor Lyons, Corbin Ragle, Aiden Sancken, Tate Sigler, Danny Tay and Jaxon Wright.

Others who claimed third place were Eureka’s Owen Stoller (132) and Heyworth’s Trevor Soice (144). And additional fourth-place finishers were Eureka’s Parks Leman (120), Sam Hoffman (150) and James Minder (285), Deer Creek-Mackinaw’s Caleb Greeer (144), Liam Kilgore (157) and Ryker Gemberling (190) and Ridgeview/Lexington’s Hunter Tillotson (215). 

Individuals with top records after the Heart of Illinois Tournament were Bowden Delaney at 165 (38-1, .974), Brady Mouser at 113 (34-2, .944), Jacob Bischoff at 215 (33-2, .943), Danny Tay at 126 (35-4, .897), Aiden Sancken at 190 (26-4, .867) and Mason Mark at 138 (34-6, .850).

Owen Stoller had the most total match points with 31 while Colton Prosser was next-best with 28 match points. Cohen Kean, Adam Moore, Shawn Schlickman and Owen Stoller all had three falls. LeRoy/Tri-Valley had the most total match points with 184 while Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher recorded 20 pins and LeRoy/Tri-Valley collected 18 falls.

Championship matches for the Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament

106 – Landon Nieslawski (Heyworth) F 0:21 Riley Poisal (Tremont)

113 – Brady Mouser (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) TF 5:06 Henry Watson (Eureka)

120 – EJ Chaon (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) F 1:28 Nolan Whitman (El Paso-Gridley)

126 – Danny Tay (Ridgeview/Lexington) SV 4-2 Hudson Babb (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher)

132 – Shawn Schlickman (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) F 3:57 Ashten Finch (Deer Creek-Mackinaw)

138 – Mason Mark (Tremont) D 10-5 Judson Stover (Ridgeview/Lexington)

144 – Corbin Ragle (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) D 4-2 Brock Owens (LeRoy/Tri-Valley)

150 – Carson Maxey (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) F 2:00 Payton Hixon (Deer Creek-Mackinaw)

157 – Connor Lyons (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) F 3:04 Waylon Melick (El Paso-Gridley)

165 – Bowden Delaney (Tremont) F 0:38 Cooper Miller (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher)

175 – Jaxon Wright (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) D 16-9 Wyatt Zacha (Eureka)

190 – Aiden Sancken (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) D 7-0 Ryden Barker (El Paso-Gridley)

215 – Jacob Bischoff (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) SV 3-1 Parker Duffy (El Paso-Gridley)

285 – Tate Sigler (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) D 8-1 Joey Humphries (Deer Creek-Mackinaw)

Third-place matches for the Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament

120 – Gage Martin (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) F 1:10 Parks Leman (Eureka)

126 – Chase Stedman (Tremont) F 2:35 Matt Helfrich (LeRoy/Tri-Valley)

132 – Owen Stoller (Eureka) F 2:37 Trip Pitts (Tremont)

138 – Colton Prosser (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) F 0:49 Jakob Howell (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher)

144 – Trevor Soice (Heyworth) MD 10-0 Caleb Greeer (Deer Creek-Mackinaw)

150 – Braden Gibson (El Paso-Gridley) F 1:27 Sam Hoffman (Eureka)

157 – Sam Manson (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) F 2:32 Liam Kilgore (Deer Creek-Mackinaw)

165 – Bo Zeleznik (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) F 1:03 Orion Dunlap (El Paso-Gridley)

175 – Dominic Ricconi (El Paso-Gridley) F 1:54 Gannon Pinkerton (LeRoy/Tri-Valley)

190 – Adam Moore (LeRoy/Tri-Valley) F 1:46 Ryker Gemberling (Deer Creek-Mackinaw)

215 – Cohen Kean (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) F 0:32 Hunter Tillotson (Ridgeview/Lexington)

285 – Aiden Cornell (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher) F 1:25 James Minder (Eureka)

Team scores for the Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament

1. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher 199, 2. LeRoy/Tri-Valley 179.5, 3. El Paso-Gridley 101, 4. Tremont 77, 5. Deer Creek-Mackinaw 70.5, 6. Eureka 66, 7. Ridgeview/Lexington 47, 8. Heyworth 32.

Marion claims top honors at South Seven Conference Duals

Marion went 4-0 to take first at the South Seven Conference Duals, which took place in Carbondale, and the hosts went 3-1 to take second. In the second round, Marion captured a 66-18 win over Carbondale. And in the fifth round, the Wildcats won 43-31 over Mt. Vernon, who went 2-2 to claim third place. Marion also won 59-24 over Centralia and 63-10 over Cahokia.

Coach Darren Lindsey’s champion Wildcats not only won their third South Seven Conference title in five years but they also collected their 20th dual meet of the season to finish 20-5, making this the seventh-year in a row that Marion has won 20 or more duals. The Wildcats coach was most concerned about Mt. Vernon in the duals since the Rams had finished ahead of his team in all of their tournaments but he believed that his Wildcats were peaking at the right time and his team’s performance resulted in another South Seven Conference title for Marion. 

Leading the way for the champion Marion Wildcats were Jkwon Williamson (4-0 at 113), Riddick Cook (4-0 at 120), Caden Frey (4-0 at 144), Caleb Ohnesorge (4-0 at 150), Justin Murphy (4-0 at 157), Tate Miller (4-0 at 165), Evan Francis (4-0 at 190), Juelz Elliott (3-1 at 106), Hunter Gibb (3-1 at 138), Greyson Sanders (3-1 at 175) and Bryan Madinger (3-1 at 215/285). Wildcats who received South Seven Conference first-team honors were Willamson (113), Cook (120), Frey (144), Ohnesorge (150), Murphy (157), Miller (165), Francis (190) and Madinger (215).

Marion is a young team with two seniors, five juniors, four sophomores and three freshmen in the varsity lineup. Tate Miller, a junior who was a 30-match winner in each of the past two seasons, is back from an injury and has a 19-6 record. Others with top records include Caden Frey (33-9), Jkwon Williamson (29-14), Evan Francis (26-19) and Juelz Elliott (25-17).

All of the South Seven Conference teams will compete in Saturday’s IHSA Class 2A Marion Regional, which will be at Wilson Gym. They’ll be joined by East St. Louis Senior, Mascoutah and Waterloo, which also won its 20th dual meet and earned a share of the Mississippi Valley Conference title with Civic Memorial and Triad, a first for Waterloo. Individuals advance to the Mahomet-Seymour Sectional and the ream champion will compete in the Taylorville Sectional.

Leading performers for coach Gerald Richards’ runner-up Terriers were Isaac Smith (4-0 at 132), Orio Weisburg (2-0 at 106)Hatem Alshammari (3-1 at 126), Thomas Imboden (3-1 at 165), Connor Day (3-1 at 175) and Zane Wiiliard (3-1 at 285).

Turning in the the best showings for coach Alejandro Wajner’s third-place Mt, Vernon Rams were Dillon White (4-0 at 138/144), Maddox Randall (4-0 at 175), Jhymear Smith Henson (4-0 at 285), Mason Randall (4-0 at 190/215), Sean Harrington (3-1 at 150/157) and Malakai Mays (3-1 at 157/165).

Centralia’s leaders were Brylan Guthrie (4-0 at 106), Nate LeCrone (4-0 at 126) and Cameron Haake (3-1 at 120). And posting the best records for Cahokia were Demarious McGill (3-1 at 132) and Quinterrous Jones (3-1 at 215).

Nine individuals led the way with 24 team points, Riddick Cook, Evan Francis, Caden Frey, Brylan Guthrie, Nate LeCrone, Caleb Ohnesorge, Mason Randall, Isaac Smith and Dillon White. Jkwon Williamson had 40 total match points and Justin Murphy had 39. And Riddick Cook, Isaac Smith and Dillon White all had four falls. Marion had the most team points with 231 while Carbondale was second with 171. And champion Marion also led in the most falls with 29.

Civic Memorial, Triad, Waterloo share title at MVC Super Duals

Civic Memorial, Triad and Waterloo all went 4-1 at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Duals which took place at Triad in Troy so they all earned a share of the conference title.

All three of the head-head duals were decided by three points and two of them were by the same score, 42-39. In round one, Waterloo edged Civic Memorial 42-39. In round three, Civic Memorial got past Triad 42-39. And in round four, Triad prevailed over Waterloo 36-33.

Turning in the top efforts for coach Chase Guercio’s Waterloo Bulldogs, who won their first conference championship, were Jackson Deutch (5-0 at 175), Ty Kinzinger (4-0 at 126), Matthew Deutch (4-1 at 106), Konnor Stephens (4-1 at 120), Bladen Sease (4-1 at 157), Brady Rose (4-1 at 165) and Drew Glowacki (4-1 at 285).”We broke our school record for dual wins in a single season and we ended with a record of 20-6,” Guercio said. “This was also our first conference championship win in school history.”

Leading the way for the Triad Knights, who are coached by 2022 IWCOA Hall of Famer Russ Witzig, were Will Kelly (5-0 at 106), Shane Siep (5-0 at 113), Colby Crouch (5-0 at 126), Brody Smith (5-0 at 132), Ben Baumgartner (4-1 at 138) and Bobby Patterson (4-1 at 190).

“It’s nice to win another conference championship but we really didn’t want to split it 3-ways with Civic Memorial and Waterloo,” Witzig said. “This team has overcome quite a bit of adversity this year losing three starters since Christmas break and wrestling with some injuries so it was a good way to end the regular season.”

Top performers for coach Jeremy Christeson’s Civic Memorial Eagles were Bradley Ruckman (5-0 at 120), Bryce Griffin (5-0 at 157), James Wojcikiewicz (5-0 at 165), Jake Herrin (5-0 at 285), Nathan Herrin (4-1 at 144), Anthony Michelon (4-1 at 150) and Luke McCoy (4-1 at 175).

Highland went 2-3 to finish fourth and was led by Tyson Rakers (5-0 at 150), Ethan Greenwald (5-0 at 190), Ashton Zobrist (5-0 at 215) and Gavin Merkle (4-1 at 113).

Mascoutah finished fifth and was led by Jordan Sonon-Hale (5-0 at 138), Brock Ross (5-0 at 144) and Jayden Wilkinson (4-1 at 132). And Jersey Community’s top performer was Kaeden Hutchens (4-1 at 215).

There was an eight-way tie for first in team points with 30 between Colby Crouch, Jackson Deutch, Bryce Griffin, Jake Herrin, Tyson Rakers, Bradley Ruckman, Brody Smith and Jordan Sonon-Hale. Mascoutah’s Sean Murphy had the most total match points with 41. And Jackson Deutch, Bryce Griffin and Tyson Rakers all had five falls. 

Waterloo had the most team points with 247 while Triad was second with 226. Triad had the most total match points with 104 while Mascoutah was second with 73. And Civic Memorial and Waterloo both had 26 pins.