Montini captures another team state championship
BLOOMINGTON - Montini's mission is complete.
The Broncos won their 14th team state wrestling title Saturday night in Bloomington, the sixth for Broncos coach Israel Martinez in his eighth year in charge. And they did so by overcoming a nervous time against Oak Park-River Forest.
"A little too close for me," was all that Martinez would say following the Broncos' 43-29 Class 3A dual team victory against an Oak Park side that sensed an upset after it went ahead 29-27 with a Nico Bolivar pin at 120 pounds.
The Huskies went on a 21-0 run - fueled by pins at heavyweight, then Bolivar's - but it was Joey Melendez, the Broncos' two-time state champion who fractured his ankle during the Chicago Catholic League tournament who came to the rescue when his mates needed it most.
"I wasn't anywhere near 100 percent for regionals, sectionals and obviously state and was planning on watching and cheering the guys on this weekend (until) things got a little too close and coach came to me asking if I could go," said the senior, who will compete at North Carolina next season.
Melendez (42-4) used all of his guile and expertise to build an early lead and earned an 11-2 major decision. Then he turned things over to three-time individual state champion Real Woods, who lowered the boom with a pin at 1:26 to finish off a valiant comeback effort by the Huskies.
"Things should never have been that close. (We) had a couple of guys who didn't get the job done for us, but Joey came through when we needed him, and with that, we come out of here with another state title," said Will Lewan, who is off to Michigan next season.
"These times at Montini are easily some of the best of my life, and all of these guys are my brothers (so) I'll miss all of them, but we all have some great memories."
The Broncos defeated longtime rival Marmion in the quarterfinal, then pounded Providence to charge into the final. They used seven pins to send the Celtics into the third-place contest, where they defeated Huntley.
Tourney visits for both Glenbard North (24-5) and IC Catholic (9-13) ended Saturday morning in the quarterfinals of the dual-team state tournament.
Glenbard North fell to Huntley (24-4), which earned its first state wrestling trophy.
IC Catholic drew eventual Class 1A runner-up Vandalia in its state opener, the first for the Knights program. The Knights leaned on two-time individual state champion Joey Bianchini (42-3).
Coach Mark Hahn led the Panthers into their 17th dual-team state appearance after outlasting the likes of St. Charles East, Wheaton North and Glenbard East to get themselves a well-deserved regional title three weeks ago.
However, the Panthers never could get in front of Huntley, trailing from the onset, then having their season end with a 35-31 defeat.
Junior Abe Assad, who last weekend won an individual state title at 170 pounds, finished off his perfect 49-0 season. Quintin Terry (43-9) and George Marre (35-13) also earned wins.