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Wrestling: Class 3A dual-team scouting, Northwest

Wrestling / Scouting Class 3A dual-team tournament

Where: U.S. Cellular Coliseum (Bloomington)

When: Saturday, 9 a.m. quarterfinals, 2 p.m. semifinals, 6 p.m. finals

Storyline: This is the final week of the season, and for the first time, it will include Prospect.

The Knights are in their first dual tournament Elite Eight. Head coach Tom Whalen has assembled a balanced club, thanks in part to a an organization which patiently brings along developing talent and makes it available for varsity use when needed.

Whalen also a first-class staff which includes former Knights stars Dan Keller and Shawn Stoltz as well as John Joseph, plus former long-time head coach Gary McMorrow.

A team which used to be top-heavy in the upper weights now shows some muscle at the other end of its lineup in Alex Preissing, Chris Rivera and Bobby Jarosz.

The Knights sailed through the regular season and were considered a favorite to win it all at the conference tournament, only to finish behind both Conant and Barrington when the final tally was announced.

"It wasn't the third-place finish that disappointed me, it was how we ended up in third place," said Whalen. "We still had gas left in the tank and did not go after competing that weekend in the aggressive manner in which we train. Our lack of fight at the tournament is what made me unhappy."

Whalen figures this second wake-up call was exactly what his guys needeed. And the following weekend at the Glenbrook South regional, the Knights captured five individual titles and sent eight into the sectionals after taking home a second straight regional crown to set up its sectional showdown with North Suburban Conference power Grant last Tuesday.

"I think the guys realized from that day forward at the MSL tourney, it was either go hard, or go home - and the fact is, they have worked hard from the end of last year, right on through this week in order to get themselves into the state finals."

Quarterfinal matchups9 a.m.: Prospect (21-4-0) vs. Glenbard North (26-1-0)

The No. 2-rated Panthers have plenty of state hardware in their trophy case, including a championship from 2011.

Today's quarterfinal is a rematch of a decisive loss suffered by the Knights.

"We did not meet North's intensity," Whalen said. "We lost too many close matches, and gave away too many bonus points along the way.

"Our lineup was a little different then, but we made a lot of mistakes - and they didn't. It was the first wake-up call of the year for the team, and after that day, we didn't lose another dual for the rest of the season."

Whalen says there haven't been any real surprises this season, except for the total number of 30-match and high=20-match winners the team has produced.

The quartet of state qualifiers - Matt Wroblewski (170, 42-7), Alex Pressing (120, 41-11), James Ford (220, 39-8) and Tanner Strobel (160, 35-12) - lead the way. One of the few seniors, Adrian Wroblewski (182, 38-7), is also a key, along with Jarosz (152, 36-10) and Rivera (126, 28-10).

"Our loss to Hononegah last year in the sectional duals really stayed with a lot of us, and after the season, coach asked each and everyone of us what our goal was, and we all wrote down to get downstate," said Adrian Wroblewski. "It's been what everyone has worked, and wanted during the past year. It's an amazing feeling to be going to Bloomington, and to be the first team ever at Prospect to do so."

9 a.m.: Lincoln-Way Central (18-7-0) vs. Sandburg (23-3-0)

Perhaps the best young coach in Illinois is former Big 10 and NCAA champion Eric Siebert, who since taking over for the famed Mike Polz has continued the Sandburg tradition of having one of the best-prepared clubs for the stretch run. The Eagles are making their fifth appearance in the last six years here, highlighted by back-to-back state titles in 2012 and 2013. Last weekend Rudy Yates (126, 44-0) lifted the big trophy at the state tournament, and was one of four who brought home state medals. Central is here for the third straight time and is led by big man Brian Ditchman (45-5), a two-time state medalist at 285 pounds.

11 a.m.: Deerfield (26-4-0) vs. Lockport (22-6-0)

The Warriors finally reached the final eight after falling short in recent attempts. But that was all forgotten after coach Marc Pechter witnessed Deerfield's 42-12 win over Jacobs last Tuesday night before a huge following on the Warriors' home floor. "I am just about speechless after watching the guys go out and perform like they did to get us downstate for the first time in program history," said Pechter, who along with a terrific staff turned around a struggling program and turned it into a leader.

The Warriors will have its work cut out for them when they meet the Porters, who year-in and year-out thrive in the wrestling-rich south suburbs. Junior Shayne Oster (138, 43-3) won a state title last weekend for Lockport, while four others earned state medals in Champaign as well.

11 a.m.: Oak Park-River Forest (25-0-0) vs. Marmion Academy (18-7-0)

The Cadets had a marvelous individual state tournament as they celebrated individual titles from Riley DeMoss (170, 42-5) and Nate Traxler (182, 44-2) while collecting three more top-three medals, including one for sophomore Ryan Cheloni, who topped No. 1 seed Bobby Alexander of Conant to reach the 138-pound final. Marmion coach Ryan Cumbee sends his athletes against the state's best throughout the season, and the experience from that tends to come through when it means the most. The Cadets will need to be at their best when facing the No. 1 team in nation, a squad which which boasts a power-packed lineup from top to bottom and includes state champions Larry Early III (145, 29-1) who is on his way to Minnesota, and Matt Rundell (38-3), a state champ at 160 last weekend.

- Mike Garofola

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