Batavia reaches special milestone
The Batavia wrestling team wants to return to its lofty pedestal of two years ago, and the Bulldogs are optimistic the upcoming pageant-laden season is replete with more than symbolic celebrations.
Fifty years ago, Dennis Piron ushered in the Batavia wrestling program with a victory against Wheaton Christian in a dual meet.
"Everyone else lost that day," said Batavia coach Tom Arlis. "He was the only one who won. It was a hard start to the program."
The Bulldogs are celebrating the golden anniversary of the program this year, and Arlis likes what he sees thus far.
"We already got off to a great start," Arlis noted of the Bulldogs' sweep of their second quadrangular.
Batavia is in an entirely different scenario than a year ago as the injuries, murderous opening schedule and acclimation to the sport from its state-finalist football team are no longer an issue.
The previous year was a storybook campaign in which the squad captured its prestigious invite for the first time en route to a conference- and regional-championship season that ended with a sectional-final loss to Rockton Hononegah in the Class AA dual-team meet series.
"We're so much farther along than last year," said Arlis.
The Bulldogs' quest to unseat Kaneland in the highly regarded Western Sun Conference is anchored by a seasoned group of seniors underscored and a rock-solid junior class.
Rocco Wade (135 pounds), Parker Adamski (140), Bill Ayers (145), Matt McCarter (189) and Ethan Huggins (215) are the Bulldogs' senior leaders, and their year-younger teammates who are poised to put the squad over the top.
Logan Arlis (103) and Danny Watson (160) placed sixth and fifth, respectively, in their age groups at a national tournament held in Fargo, North Dakota over the summer.
"It's the biggest tournament in the nation," said Arlis. "Every college coach in the country was there."
Arlis also has high expectations for juniors Charlie Ryan and Andrew Rudd at 125 and 152 pounds, respectively.
"(Rudd) is the real deal," said Arlis.
While the program, which will officially celebrate its half-century of existence at an early January quadrangular against West Aurora, Romeoville and Marist, seeks redemption in the second year of the Western Sun, the other two area league members have aspirations of their own.
Kaneland took a page out of the Batavia hallmarks from two seasons ago with a scrapbook full of firsts last year.
The Knights not only dominated the new conference but also captured their first Class AA regional title in school history with a victory at Sycamore before falling to Honenegah in the team-sectional semifinals.
Kaneland had a senior-dominated lineup last season, and coach Gary Baum has no illusions of what its departure entails.
"That's a major understatement," Baum said of the Knights' heavy graduation losses.
The current edition, however, is hardly bereft of talent as Sean Szatkowski, one of five returning state qualifiers from the area, returns for his senior season at 112 pounds.
Jeff Stralka is back to defend his conference championship as well, and the 119-pounder has three formidable senior classmates in Christian Guyton (130), Joe Mollohan (215) and heavyweight Ben Fabrizius.
"We knew we were going to have five respectable seniors back," said Baum. "We have to balance it with working with the younger guys. In the long run it's going to pay off."
Geneva, meanwhile, will counter their league foes with returnees Sean Canfield (103), Keith Reilly (119), Willy Wilbur (125), Francis Ferrer (152) and Josh Miller (171).
West Aurora boasts three of the five returning state qualifiers, and the two-time reigning regional-champion Blackhawks are once again the model program in the area.
"I see (West Aurora) being the premier team in the immediate area," said Arlis. "They're the ones everyone has to set their goals to meet."
Mario Gonzalez, the lone area athlete to win a sectional last year, moves up to 189 after reaching the state semifinals at 171 last winter.
Senior Tanner Andrews and junior Josh Zinzer, sixth at Champaign last year, give the Blackhawks a potent one-two punch at 119 and 125, respectively.
West Aurora was bested by Sandburg in its attempt to reach the Elite Eight last year.
"Whenever you get to that level of success, it motivates you to get even better," said coach Mike DiNovo. "We brought a good handful of time-tested varsity wrestlers back. I'm excited about all the new names in our lineup."
Two-hundred and 15-pounder Dan Carey and heavyweight Juan Perez anchor the Blackhawks' upper weights.
St. Charles East has already made noise this season as the Saints were fourth at the loaded Conant tournament over Thanksgiving.
"It has been a good start so far," said St. Charles East coach Steve Smerz. "We're looking to improve our dual-meet record and finish higher in the conference tournament (this year),"
Keenan Sellers, Billy Diamond and Adam Schaefer are stalwarts between 160 and 189 pounds for the Saints, and juniors Cody Crawford (125) and Danny Mercadante (135) are three-year starters.
The heart and soul of the St. Charles North squad is found between 140 and 152 pounds. The respective trio of Eric Justice, Dave Trizzino and Lin Stacey represents the North Stars' best hopes.
"We're a better tournament team than a dual-meet team," said Justice, the final local state-qualifying returnee.
Marmion and Aurora Central Catholic have the unenviable task of being in the same league as state colossus Montini.
But the Cadets, with a St. Charles-based group of returnees, could surprise behind sectional qualifiers Pat Greco (135) and Nico Jimenez (189).
"We're basically senior-dominated in the lower and middle weights," said Marmion coach Dean Branstetter. "We've got a chance to develop into a pretty strong team."
Aurora Central, bumped up to Class AA this year, relies on Adam Blatner (112), Kevin Iles (140) and Sean Callahan (171).
"We working hard, even though we don't have the experience," said Aurora Central Catholic coach Justen Lehr.
Wrestling at a glance
Top area teams: West Aurora, St. Charles East, Batavia, Marmion, Kaneland, Geneva
The Dirty Dozen and Class A King: Mario Gonzalez, West Aurora, jr.; Tanner Andrews, West Aurora, sr.; Josh Zinzer, West Aurora, jr.; Eric Justice, St. Charles North, sr.; Sean Szatkowski, Kaneland, sr.; Jeff Stralka, Kaneland, sr.; Nico Jimenez, Marmion, so.; Ben Fabrizius, Kaneland, sr.; Juan Perez, West Aurora, sr.; Danny Watson, Batavia, jr.; Billy Diamond, St. Charles East, sr.; Adam Schaefer, St. Charles East, sr.; Jesus Gonzales, Aurora Central Catholic, jr.
Scouting report: Can Gonzalez place himself in the rarified air of the famed Martinez brothers? The West Aurora junior is a nationally known commodity who is seeking the first state title for the Blackhawks since Nathan and Israel Martinez captured five between them during the close of the last century. Fellow state-qualifiers Zinzer and Andrews also return for West Aurora, which is coming off a regional championship and Sweet 16 team-dual honors from last year. Kaneland also had a storied campaign last season, and the central question for the Knights is overcoming their graduation losses. The reigning Western Sun and Class AA Sycamore regional champions' cupboard is far from bare with the likes of Szatkowski, Stralka and Fabrizius. St. Charles East has assembled an enviable mixture of seasoned veterans and hungry underclassmen. The Saints' legitimacy will be tested this weekend with program-status showdowns with Neuqua Valley and West Aurora. The symbolic and the unknown collide for the Batavia program this season as state-savvy coach Tom Arlis unveils the 50th anniversary edition of the Bulldogs. Arlis' son, Logan, and fellow junior Swanson are poised for breakthrough seasons after earning All-American status at a national tournament in North Dakota last summer. Geneva, the third area member of the Western Sun, could struggle early, only to become a dangerous team in the stretch run. Marmion is a program worth watching; the Cadets have been infused with talent stretching beyond its historical Aurora base, and the relatively infant squad could be the great spoiler in the regional. Justice ended the St. Charles North state drought last winter, and the senior has able companions in Dave Trizzino and Lin Stacey. Aurora Central Catholic is another program searching for identity, but the Chargers' Gonzalez brought recognition to the school with his fourth-place Class A finish at heavyweight last year.
Key dates: Dec. 14, 15: Rex Whitlatch tournament; Jan. 12: Batavia Invitational; Jan. 19: DuPage Valley Conference meet; Jan. 19: Western Sun Conference meet; Jan. 26: Upstate Eight Conference meet. Predicted state champions in team-dual: Class A, Vandalia; Class AA, Glenbard North.