Glenbard North returns to the top spot
Abe Assad and Quintin Terry synthesized nostalgia and redemption into a potent formula Saturday afternoon in Aurora.
The two Glenbard North wrestlers were not about to settle for a runner-up team finish in their final year in the DuPage Valley Conference.
"We know this is our last year in the DVC," said Assad, the undefeated and top-ranked 170-pounder in Class 3A who continued his league habit of moving up to 182 pounds. "We dominated the conference for a long time. Anybody who knows wrestling knows we were on top. We had to make that statement today."
Two-time state qualifier Assad is 38-0 at his two weight classes.
Assad and Terry, the only athlete to record a fall in the finals, were two of six champions Glenbard North crowned to capture the final league title as a nine-team configuration.
Wheaton North, which ended the Panthers' 18-year conference winning streak last season, had three champions, only to fall to Glenbard North 275-238.
Neuqua Valley (188), Naperville Central (165), Wheaton Warrenville South (138.5), Lake Park (109) and Naperville North (107.5) had one champion apiece with their respective finishes at third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth.
Sixth-place Metea Valley (109.5) and No. 9 Waubonsie Valley (77) rounded out the field.
Glenbard North, Lake Park, Wheaton North and WW South are moving to the new DuKane Conference next year.
"We have a special team this year," said Terry, who terminated his championship match at 220 pounds eight seconds before the second period. "(Last season) left a bad taste in our mouths. We have been waiting to get back at it. It means everything to get this back now."
Ronan Schuelke started the Panthers' champion express at 106 pounds with all the offensive points in a 7-2 victory over top-seeded Neuqua Valley junior Koshal Shah.
Five weight classes later, Juan Rivera had a late-second-period takedown to surge ahead of Metea Valley junior Phillip Sims for good at 138 pounds.
Glenbard North siblings George and Anthony Marre then set the stage for Assad and Terry with razor-thin 3-2 decisions at 145 and 160 pounds for the Panthers.
"They wanted to come back and finish," Glenbard North coach Mark Hahn said of his six champions' return to varsity this season. "All we needed them to do was wrestle tough, wrestle for six minutes. That's what they did."
Wheaton North had back-to-back champions at 126 and 132 pounds in Jamie Suarez, who had the only near-falls of the championship, and Tyler Podnar.
"There are people here who should be ranked higher than they actually are," said Suarez, the lone athlete other than Assad ranked in illinoismatmen.com. "I was just more confident."
The Falcons' Antowon Tolbert edged top-seeded Lake Park junior DeMarco Lee at 195 pounds for the final of the three Wheaton North championships.
Naperville North senior Ben Kruk (120 pounds), Neuqua Valley junior Jacob Boumans (170) and WW South heavyweight John Cooper all needed overtime to cash in their golds.
"I knew I had to get a takedown pretty fast," said Boumans, who scored on the Panthers' Anthony Pennington with six seconds remaining. "I was getting too gassed to go any longer."
Like Suarez, Lake Park 152-pounder Vince Liebich had a whitewash in his championship match.
"It's always tough mentally (on your opponent) when you don't get that first takedown," Liebich said.
Naperville Central junior Kyle Guttosch, who missed six weeks with a broken hand, also went offensive-minded in winning at 113 pounds.
"I had to keep my cardio up while I was out," said Guttosch, who extended his season-long winning streak to 12 matches. "I knew I was going to be fresher than everyone else."