Falcons outrank W. Aurora
It was far from an ordinary afternoon for the Wheaton North and West Aurora wrestlers.
The calendar suggested winter break was still in session, but the two DuPage Valley Conference stalwarts were engaged in a fierce dual-meet struggle Thursday in Aurora.
But the Falcons, rated No. 5 in the Daily Herald Top 20, overcame a late deficit with wins in the final five matches to upend the fourth-ranked Blackhawks 31-22.
Wheaton North improved to 10-2 overall, 4-1 in the league; West Aurora is 10-6, 2-2.
The Blackhawks had back-to-back second-period falls from Dan Carey and Juan Perez at 215 pounds and heavyweight, respectively, to reverse a 6-point deficit into a 19-13 lead.
West Aurora then extended its cushion to 22-13 when Brandon Walz triumphed over Tyler Simmons 4-1 at 103 pounds.
It would be the final time a West Aurora wrestler would have his right arm raised by the referee, however.
In a series of classic duals between some of the top-ranked individuals in the state, Wheaton North rebounded with a vengeance.
Adrian Laskero began the Falcons' comeback with a 5-4 victory, which set the stage for a marquee matchup between Nate Fitzenreider and Tanner Andrews at 119 pounds.
Fitzenreider captured the battle of returning state qualifiers with first- and third-period bookend takedowns to secure the hard-fought 5-1 victory.
More importantly, the decision narrowed the Falcons' deficit to 22-19 as West Aurora sent state-placing Josh Zinzer to the mat at 125 pounds.
Wheaton North senior Jake Denhof evened the team score when he had three takedowns to win the war of state-ranked combatants 7-3.
"That was the first time (we have ever wrestled)," Denhof said after earning his 20th win on the season.
"The key was to go out there and wrestle my match. I was going (into the meet) expecting to wrestle (Zinzer)."
With all the momentum on its side, Wheaton North used decisive wins by Bobby Munro and Ryan Early at 130 and 135, respectively, to complete its late surge.
"I can't say enough about Jake," Wheaton North coach Steve Holland said. "I would like to think (Fitzenreider and Denhof) are potential state champions. It's always an exciting meet (with West Aurora)."
Reigning state semifinalist Eric Terrazas opened the match for Wheaton North with a one-sided victory at 140 pounds, but the Blackhawks' Sam Pealstrom had a late flurry to even the team score at 4-4 with a major decision at 145 pounds.
The Falcons captured three of the next four matches for a 9-3 run and 13-7 lead as West Aurora sorely missed undefeated junior Mario Gonzalez -- out with a skin condition -- at 189 pounds.
But the Blackhawks received consecutive pins by Carey and Perez for a 12-0 run.
"I'm getting back to my shots, and that really helped out today," Perez said. "It led to the pin today."
"Our team is definitely comprised of some excellent wrestlers," West Aurora coach Mike DiNovo said. "When Mario comes back, that's going to be nice."