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Deep lineup keys Marmion's Dvorak title

The Dvorak Tournament, arguably the most important wrestling invitational in the state during the regular season, crowned Marmion as its champion for the second time in the last four years over the holidays.

"The key to winning Dvorak was everybody scored points," Marmion coach Ryan Cumbee said. "We had 11 place-winners."

Marmion had back-to-back champions at 170 and 182 pounds in Riley DeMoss and Nathan Traxler.

The latter is ranked No. 1 in the state in his division in Class 3A and has not lost to an in-state opponent this winter.

"Nathan Traxler is starting to create separation from the other (182-pound) athletes in the state," Cumbee said. "He is looking like an elite wrestler."

Cumbee also boasts the top-ranked 220-pounder in the state in junior Lucas Warren.

But the reigning all-stater has yet to wrestle this season after a series of football and preseason injuries.

The Cadets will welcome Warren back this weekend, and he will be needed as the consensus second-ranked program has an encounter with defending state champion and clear-cut No. 1 ranked Oak Park-River Forest.

Unfortunately for the Cadets, though, the team has been injury-plagued in recent weeks.

To make matters worse, the setbacks are not of the nagging variety.

"They are serious injuries," Cumbee said of losing Sean McKenna (106 pounds) for the season with a broken ankle.

Returning all-stater Trace Carrello (160) is out at least two more weeks with a high-ankle sprain, and 113-pound starter Matt Ortiz is out with a concussion.

"I don't know if we're at the same level as Oak Park-River Forest yet," Cumbee admitted.

The Cadets enter the new year with a 15-3 dual-meet record.

Four Vikings place at Palatine: Geneva and Kaneland were at the prestigious Berman Classic in Palatine over the winter break.

The Vikings had four individuals place fourth in finishing in the second half of the tournament.

"Last year we didn't have any place-winners," Geneva coach Tom Chernich said of the Vikings' performance. "We had three guys reach the semifinals this year. I felt pretty good about that."

Colin Parsons (132 pounds), Mick Huck (145), Brock Perry (152) and Austin Chaon (195) dropped major-consolation matches at Palatine to finish fourth overall.

The Vikings began the new year with a pair of wins - over Buffalo Grove and Glenbrook North - at a triangular over the weekend.

"We had a depleted squad," Chernich said.

Geneva was without the services of Ryan O'Brien (126 pounds), Jordan Soto (138), Huck and heavyweight Mike Forni.

Geneva (11-6 in dual meets) trails Upstate Eight River leader Batavia by one match with a critical showdown with its archrival next week.

The Vikings will host their annual invitational this weekend, the Newbill.

"We want to finish in the top three (as a team) and get as many kids as possible to the finals," Chernich said of his home-invite goals.

Batavia also short-handed: The primary holiday tournament for Batavia was in DeKalb, at the Barbs' bracketed dual-team tournament.

The Bulldogs, who ended the near three-year St. Charles East River winning streak in the River in December, have St. Charles North and Geneva standing in its way of an undefeated league championship.

The two Upstate Eight champions are determined solely on regular-season dual meets.

Batavia had mixed results at DeKalb, finish 3-3 overall and placing sixth in the championship bracket.

"I'm not going to use it as an excuse, but we were missing four starters," Batavia coach Scott Bayer said. "We didn't have all of our guns. The human body is a complex thing."

But Bayer was impressed with the performance of 182-pound junior Derek Nutley, who went undefeated in his six matches.

The Bulldogs are anxiously awaiting the return of standout heavyweight Mitch Krusz.

"If we can get (Krusz) healthy for the state series, he is going to be a force," Bayer predicted.

Derain delivering for Saints: St. Charles East was included in the star-studded field at Dvorak in Loves Park (Harlem) over Christmas.

The Saints, who finished 21st in the 30-team field, were led by Keone Derain, one of two returning state qualifiers for the program who is currently ranked No. 3 in the state at 152 pounds.

The senior finished in the same spot at Dvorak to frame the Saints' top individual performance.

But St. Charles East will be bolstered for the remainder of the season with the return of its other state qualifier, 170-pounder Ramon Lopez.

The senior had been convalescing from a season-ending football injury.

Anthony Rubino is also state-ranked for the Saints at 120 pounds.

"It was good to see that type of competition," St. Charles East coach Jason Potter said of the rugged field at Dvorak. "It was good for elite kids to find where they are at."

The Saints had a clean sweep of Waubonsie Valley, Niles Notre Dame and Niles West to start 2015.

"We put up 50 points on all of them," Potter said of the triangular wins. "Any time you can do that it's a good day."

Jacquez brothers moving up: If West Aurora siblings Carlos and Isaac Jacquez were records, they would be moving up the charts with a bullet.

Carlos, a senior, and Isaac, the Blackhawks' lone returning state qualifier, are among the top 120- and 113-pound Class 3A contenders in the state after their impressive twin holiday tournaments.

The brothers won titles at Granite City between Christmas and the New Year after dropping championship verdicts at the loaded Hinsdale Central Whitlatch tournament.

Carlos, who missed the Waubonsie Valley regional last year with a broken hand, is 31-1 after recording five pins and two technical falls en route to the title at Granite City.

"He didn't win MVP at Granite City," West Aurora coach Charlie Curran said. "Being Granite City, it's a five-hour drive and we left after the 126-pound (division)."

Isaac is 28-2 after claiming the 113-pound title at Granite City.

"Isaac had a few more challenging matches (than Carlos in winning the title)," Curran said.

In its first year back in the Upstate Eight Conference, the Blackhawks (7-5 overall) are 4-1 in the Valley.

"In conference we have been doing a great job," Curran said.

O'Brien wins at Lake Park: St. Charles North sophomore Kolbe O'Brien was the North Stars' lone champion - at 113 pounds - at Lake Park over the holidays.

  St. Charles East's Ramon Lopez, top, also missed the start of the season because of a football injury. He will give the Saints' lineup a boost in the stretch run. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
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