Geneseo upends Kaneland in sectionals

GENESEO - The Northern Illinois Big XII Conference staged the ultimate wrestling crossover Tuesday night.

Unfortunately for Kaneland, though, host Geneseo will be making a third consecutive appearance at the Class 2A team state meet on Saturday at its expense.

Geneseo captured its first four matches by fall and later won five straight bouts in the latter stages to complete a 43-26 triumph over the Knights.

The Maple Leafs (21-1) will face Washington, which defeated Lincoln-Way Central, in the quarterfinals in Bloomington on Saturday morning.

Geneseo is the two-time reigning state runners-up in 2A.

Kaneland, which suffered its second loss of the season to Geneseo, had its campaign close at 10-9.

"We did our best, but I was hoping to keep (the final score) closer," Kaneland coach Joe Orosco said. "We only lost by four (31-27) the first time. We started off well with our heavyweight and 106-pounder."

The Knights had an almost flawless start as senior 285-pounder Zach Thielk needed only 27 seconds to record a fall.

Sophomore Austin Kedzie then beat the third-period buzzer by six seconds to give Kaneland an 11-0 lead with a technical fall.

"I knew I was going to overpower (my opponent)," Thielk said. "I pinned him before."

But the fireworks were just beginning.

Geneseo turned its double-digit deficit into a 12-11 lead with back-to-back pins at 113 and 120 pounds.

But the one-sided matches proved not to be an aberration.

Matt Redmond, the Knights' 126-pounder, gave the squad what proved to be its final lead with the second technical fall of the opening five matches.

"I thought (the matches) were going to be really close, actually," Redmond said of the exchange of bonus points to begin the dual. "Things went crazy out there. I thought they were going to be a brawl."

Mitch Jones had the unwelcome task of facing the Maple Leafs' 138-pound state champion in Hunter Grau, who completed the Leafs' second run of back-to-back falls to give Geneseo a 24-16 lead.

George Strang halved the Knights' deficit with a major decision at 145 pounds, but Kaneland would come no closer.

All-staters Riley Vanik and Austin Parks dropped simple decisions for Kaneland at 160 and 182 pounds; the latter match mathematically eliminated Kaneland.

The Maple Leafs' Cole Hunzeker personified the fighting spirit of Geneseo.

The junior entered the postseason with a sub-. 500 record at 170 pounds, only to become all-state and supply Geneseo with a critical win against the Knights' Colin Gussman.

"I came into the season out of shape," Hunzeker said. "I beat some kids down the stretch that I didn't beat before, like Gussman. Aggression was clearly the key to my victory tonight."

"They made some changes (to their lineup since the regular-season dual)," Thielk added. "That was a big key tonight."

Tom Price was the Knights' final champion of the season with his second-period fall at 195 pounds.