Marmion takes third at team state
It was as tough a loss as Ryan Cumbee has ever experienced.
"All the losses hurt," the Marmion wrestling coach said after Michael Callahan dropped a razor-thin decision to Marist 138-pounder Mario Leveille. "That one hurt a lot longer."
Marist claimed the Class 3A state semifinal 27-25 with its last win, but the Cadets showed tremendous recuperative powers in their third-place match against Rockton Hononegah Saturday evening at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington.
Rockton closed to within 19-18 of Marmion, but A.J. Jaffke, Anthony Chelino and four-time state champion Johnny Jimenez won consecutive matches between 120 and 132 pounds to secure the Cadets' 36-22 victory.
Jimenez, in his final appearance, mathematically sealed the Cadets' major-consolation championship with his 11-3 major decision with two matches remaining.
The Wisconsin-bound Jimenez concluded his storied career with four more wins in the team state series to finish 45-3 on the season.
"The loss earlier in the day was heartbreaking," Jimenez said. "We were expecting to take first place. We got past it and wrestled our hearts out tonight to take third. I was trying to stack up points for my team."
Trace Carello and Nick Ferraro had technical falls in two of the three opening weight matches to stake Marmion to an early 10-3 lead.
Lucas Warren had the only fall of the match - a first-period pin at 220 pounds - for six more invaluable Marmion points.
Chelino also added a technical fall for Marmion at 126 pounds, and Callahan eased the sting of his 3-2`semifinal loss with the final win of the year for Marmion at 132 pounds.
"I wanted to get the pace going," said Carello, who opened up the third-place match at 152 pounds. "I accepted the challenge. I just wanted to get it going. I was looking for takedowns. That was a tough loss to Marist. We did not have the best morale coming into (the Rockton match)."
"I am as much to blame as anyone for (the semifinal) loss," Cumbee said. "I could have made better (personnel) decisions. Hindsight is 20-20."
Marmion scored the first 19 points against Marist, but the RedHawks stormed back with a 27-6 match-ending run.
In the Class 3A championship match, Oak Park-River Forest scored the final 9 points to defeat Marist 31-22.
"My (current) Marmion team is better than any team I was ever on in high school," said Cumbee, who was part of three state-championship squads at Providence. "Oak Park is a step above us; that's how good they are."
In its final Class 2A state tournament, Montini captured its seventh consecutive state championship over Geneseo.
The Cadets' league rival broke a tie with Providence with 11 state championships to set a new state benchmark.
Marmion advanced to the Final Four with a double-digit win over Plainfield Central in the quarterfinals.