L-Way Central steps it up at Hoffman Estates

With two-time state champion Steve Congenie of Willowbrook still on the sidelines rehabbing from off-season surgery, the 34th annual Hawk Invitational was without its top individual attraction when competition began in Hoffman Estates on Saturday.

Lincoln-Way Central seized its opportunity to become star of the day with a commanding performance, earning 11 medals with two individual champions en route to the team title by 45 points.

The Knights collected 214.5 points to outdistance 2A power Notre Dame and Central Suburban League favorite New Trier (third at 162.50). Reigning North Suburban Conference champ Libertyville (152.0) finished fourth overall with Naperville Central (136) rounding out the top five.

While area team were unable to get into the top three, they were able to celebrate four championships.

South Elgin senior Cody Pych won at 170 pounds, and Libertyville’s Pat Fitzgerald avenged a loss to Joey Nelson (Lincoln-Way Central) suffered last season with a 3-2 victory over Nelson to capture the 120-pound crown.

Naperville Central’s Tom Mitrenga used a fall at 3:53 to win his championship belt at 160 pounds, and Elgin sophomore Jeffrey Morrow prevailed 13-10 over Colin Kenyon (New Trier) in the 106-pound final.

Pych (11-2) overcame a week-long bout of the flu to grind out a 7-1 decision over Bryce Gorman of Lincoln-Way Central to give the Storm their lone title after Nick Citta fell short in his bid at 138 pounds.

“Cody had a great start, but was couldn’t keep that pace up throughout his match,” said South Elgin coach Mark Cameron. “He’s been sick all week — but he also knows that if he wants to fulfill his goal of bringing home a (state) medal, he’ll have to give six minutes up when it really counts later in the season.”

“I worked really hard in the off-season to get bigger and stronger,” said Pych, who was battling illness Saturday, “and my disappointing result at the state tournament last year really helped motivate and inspired me all through the summer and into this season.”

Citta, at 138 for the first time this season after competing at 145 up until Saturday, went back andforth with Jim Biancofiore of Notre Dame until the Storm senior fell behind for good when he conceded a reversal at 5½ minutes.

“Nick will take a look at the film and see what he needs to correct, but he’ll be in good shape from here on out now that he’s at weight,” said Cameron.

Fitzgerald (11-2) wrestled a marvelous tactical match against his state-ranked opponent, whose long, lean body offered plenty of challenges during the 120-pound final.

“It was important to keep him tied up and as close to me as possible, because if he was able to extend, I was going to be in a lot of trouble,” said Fitzgerald, who struck first with a well disguised single to go up 2-0 in the first period before taking the lead for good with an escape after starting in the down position to start the third period. “I began the season at the Moore-Prettyman at 126, and that’s not a good weight for me. But I feel very good at either (120) or 112, that’s for sure.”

Kyle May (126), Charlie Meyer (132) and Sal Ayala (160) all finished third in their respective divisions for the Wildcats, while junior Austin Pettinato (10-3) dropped a 12-7 decision to Tim Donnelly (Notre Dame) in his 145-pound final, as did Kevin Barbian at 195.

New Elgin coach Terry Stroh couldn’t have been more proud of his sophomore sensation Morrow, whose stunning 4-point explosion in the final 10 seconds of regulation pushed him past his New Trier opponent, who was leading 9-6 midway through the third period.

“We’ve been stressing to all of the guys to stay aggressive, and to keep working your moves, and Jeffrey did just that,” said Stroh.

“I’ve been working real hard in the room,” said Morrow, “and our coaching staff has been right there with me from the very beginning, staying positive with me and the entire team. Today, when I felt (Kenyon) starting to run out of gas at the end, I just continued to work and be aggressive. Right now it feels really great to win a title for me and the team.”

Maroons captain Wardell Rosemon (170) came back from a semifinal defeat to earn a third-place medal, while South Elgin’s D.J. Greene did the same in a tightly contested 220-pound division.

Lincoln-Way Central’s Tyler Price (113) and Robbie Mikenis (132) both won their second consecutive tournament crowns here, Price at the expense of Brad Martens of Geneva. Mikenis outlasted Kirk Cherep (9-3) of Naperville Central in a defensive battle which ended in OT. A controversial 1-point penalty for stalling called against Cherep drew Mikenis even in regulation.

“Calls like that are all part of the sport, and hopefully Kirk will learn from that whole sequence which led to the call, and use it in a positive way if and when he’s involved in a situation like that,” said Naperville Central coach Rob Porter, who still liked what he saw from both Cherep and Mitrenga, who was superb at 160 pounds.

“I had a tough match in my semi, where I got 2 late points to get the win (over Ayala) but I felt real good in my final to get the fall and the title,” said Cherep, who has been at 160 pounds the last three seasons and says he finally feels comfortable at this weight.

Geneva senior Jake Mills was one of three foes who could not stop 285-pound champion Nick Wolf (Plainfield North). Mills dropped a 3-1 decision in the final.

Tournament host Hoffman Estates got third-place finishes from Alex Tooren (182) and Junior Castillo (285).

Notre Dame, which came into the weekend as the No. 2 rated team at 2A, led the pack with four individual champions, and Plainfield North had three winners.