Glenbard North outwrestles Naperville Central

DuPage Valley Conference athletic history knows of no program like the Glenbard North wrestling team.

The Panthers have won 17 consecutive league championships.

"It's an honor to be part of the program," said Austin Gomez, the Panthers' defending Class 3A champion at 113 pounds. "Ever since I was a little kid, I have dreamed of wrestling for coach (Mark) Hahn."

Glenbard North also holds the distinction of having claimed 15 straight regional titles.

Friday night at Naperville Central, Glenbard North looked as if it were in midseason form after scoring the first 47 points of the schools' dual match en route to a 50-13 victory.

Gomez and Naperville Central junior Jake Keating, also a returning state qualifier, had the match of the night at 126 pounds.

Gomez, who won 46 of 47 matches as a sophomore, was in control early.

But Keating had his lone takedown of the match late in the second period to slice his deficit to a mere point.

"That was a big takedown," Keating said. "It put the momentum in my favor."

The two were literally toe-to-toe for much of the final period.

But Gomez secured the 11-8 victory with his fifth takedown with 13 seconds remaining.

"It's a victory," the Panthers' junior said. "I didn't wrestle my best match. That match made me realize what I need to focus on. I have to give respect to Keating. He wrestled a great match."

"I didn't really look at it like (Gomez) was a state champion," Keating said of the match.

The dual kicked off at 120 pounds, and Glenbard North showed little mercy in winning the first 10 weight classes in every conceivable fashion.

Abe Assad and returning state medalist Mike Milan bookended the Gomez win with victories at 120 and 132 pounds.

Joey Czernek had the first pin of the night at 138 pounds.

Anthony Marre, Brandon Fierro, Tom Czernek and Alex Ferriera then secured four more wins in succession for the Panthers (4-1, 1-0).

Fierro and Ferriera had falls for Glenbard North.

Naperville Central (2-2) then lost six more points due to forfeiting the 182-pound class.

Luis Penloza then capped the double-digit run of consecutive wins with a fall at 195.

"We got on a roll," Hahn said. "We are blessed. We have a great (coaching) staff, a great feeder program, great parents and great kids. Hopefully, this season we keep improving. We are inexperienced at certain weights."

Alex Hunter put the Redhawks (2-2, 0-1) on the scoreboard with a fall at 220 pounds.

Naperville Central also received wins from heavyweight Christian Nussbaum and 113-pounder Shuji Mizoguchi.

Glenbard North junior Jesse Mateo had the Panthers' 11th victory at 106 pounds.