Pins spark Willowbrook past Leyden
Tyler Guerrero made sure Thursday's wrestling dual meet would not go to criteria.
Leyden needed a fall in the final match in West Suburban Gold in order to defeat Willowbrook on the first tiebreaker.
But the Warriors' junior needed only 37 seconds to ice the 39-27 Willowbrook victory Thursday night in Villa Park.
Willowbrook (11-2, 1-0) earned all but one of its seven wins via pins.
"The goal in wrestling is to go for the fall," Willowbrook coach Brandon Murphy said. "That's what we work for."
Guerrero, a 170-pounder, was the sixth Willowbrook wrestler to earn a first-period fall.
In the preceding match at 160 pounds, Silver Edesio's literal reversal with four seconds left in the third overtime enabled the Warriors to double their lead to 33-27.
Barnes trailed the Eagles' Shouwayne Johnson 8-7 after the later secured an escape in double overtime.
"(Johnson) was a good guy," Edesio said. "I knew I had to use my defensive skills to get the win."
The match was entirely closer than the final score indicated.
Willowbrook never led by more than 3 points until the back-to-back wins by Edesio and Guerrero.
Jack Jessen is one of the most imposing athletes in the western suburbs.
The Willowbrook junior has been nationally ranked ever since he entered high school two years ago.
Wrestling one weight up from his customary 182-pound slot, Jessen registered 7 takedowns in less than 90 seconds before securing the Warriors' first pin of the night in the second match.
"I just go out there thinking of winning and wanting to dominate," Jessen said. "I want to put on a show."
The Jessen fall marked the first of five straight abbreviated matches.
Leyden (0-2, 0-1) surged ahead 15-6 on consecutive pins by Ryan Jaffrey (220 pounds) and heavyweight Fernando Corona.
But Willowbrook would answer in kind when the lineup turned over.
Like Jessen, the Warriors' 106-pounder, Zach Seymore improved to 13-0 on the season with a first-period fall.
Willowbrook then took its second lead when Andrew Cueller duplicated the less-than-a-minute fall at 113 pounds.
The match would see-saw the rest of the night.
The lead was never greater than 3 points for either side, and each team ended up winning seven matches.
But the Eagles could not duplicate the Warriors' 18 bonus points.
Leyden would receive wins from Daniel Uribe (126 pounds) and Jimmy Lonigro (145) to add to the simple decision Anthony Aguilar secured in the match-opening weight of 182 pounds.
But the Warriors trumped the decisions Leyden earned as Dominic Ranieri and Oliver Elena had falls at 145 and 152 pounds to give Willowbrook a 30-27 lead.
"A lot of it falls on our guys," Leyden coach John Kading said of the Warriors' half-dozen pins. "We have to be tougher in those situations. Wrestling is a tough sport. I tell everybody that it is the toughest sport."