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IC Catholic Prep headed to state

The IC Catholic Prep wrestling team began the 2017-18 season with four wrestlers competing at its opening two quadrangular meets.

Now the Knights will end the winter campaign at the IHSA Class 1A team dual meet in Bloomington.

Notching four pins to go along with five forfeit victories, ICCP cruised to a 57-21 win over Illiana Christian on Tuesday in a sectional the Knights hosted in Elmhurst.

Punching their ticket to state as a team for the first time in the six-year history of the program, they will compete in a quarterfinal at 9 a.m. Saturday.

"There was a lot of planning that went into it," said ICCP coach Kevin Sliva, whose team was short-handed at the start of the season due to the football state championship. "A lot of time spent behind the scenes with our coaches, planning, visualizing, coming up with a vision for the future. But instead of a few steps forward, we have taken a giant leap.

"It's so awesome. And it's all these kids. I can't say enough about them. They bought in. And when you have kids who buy in and work hard and are smart kids, it makes it a lot easier for the coaches."

Leading the charge was senior Joey Bianchini, who captured his second consecutive individual state championship last weekend. On Tuesday he notched a first-round pin at 138 pounds to improve to 41-3 on the season.

"Last weekend was more about the individual and trying to get a state title," Bianchini said, "and this week is all about the team and just doing everything I can to get six points for the team. This is quite amazing.

"Coach Sliva has done a phenomenal job with the program and all of the coaches are unbelievable. This team has really stepped up this year. We work so hard in the room and we don't let up at all."

Also picking up a first-round pin was Charlie O'Brien at 152. Both Kyle Franklin (160 pounds) and Joseph Scott III (182) came through with pins in the third period.

Malachi Morris picked up an 8-3 decision at 145. Michael Johnson, David Vargas, Finn Barney, John Golding and Joey Maci'gerace were all victorious via a forfeit.

"It's not a big surprise that we are going to state," Bianchini said. "We've done everything we could to get here and it's been working out in our favor. State is going to be crazy. We are going to go out there and wrestle our best. We have given it our all this year and we are just going to take it one match at a time."

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