Semis tough

CHAMPAIGN -- Twenty-two local Class AA wrestlers reached the quarterfinal round of the individual state wrestling finals Friday and tried to fight their way to today's semifinal round in Champaign.

"Fight" would be the operative word in the above sentence.

"The quarterfinals are the hardest part," said Montini's Dan Stelter, after winning on a late takedown in his quarterfinal match at 160 pounds, "because you know that if you win there, you're guaranteed to place in the top six."

Seventeen of those 22 area wrestlers did just that, advancing to today's semifinals and securing a place somewhere on a podium in Assembly Hall tonight.

Driscoll's Chris Heading (103 pounds) was the lone Class A wrestler in a field of eight locals to win his quarterfinal match after waiting all day due to a first-round bye.

"It was painful to sit there and watch everyone wrestle all day," Heading said. "But by the time I wrestled, I was adjusted to all the people in here."

Wheaton North's Nate Fitzenreider was the first Class AA wrestler to advance to today's semifinals, when he'll take Carl Sandburg's Jon Morrison, who needed a last-second takedown to beat Fitzenreider in December.

"He never stops, and I relaxed for 10 seconds and paid for it," Fitzenreider said of the December bout. "This time I'll go all out. I'm ready."

Glenbard North's Tony Ramos won 7-2 over Fenwick's Chris Dardanes to advance at 125, and teammate Jimmy Chase did the same at 130 via 7-1 decision over Lakes' Matt Holmes.

Chase improved to 11-0 after sitting out the entire regular season with a knee injury.

"I'm still a little out of shape, but my knee feels fine," Chase said. It's nice to be in the semis instead of the wrestlebacks, like I was last year."

Montini's Jake Gregerson advanced at 130, and the Panthers' Geno Capezio did the same at 135. At 140 Wheaton North's Eric Terrazas won 10-8 over Glenbard South's Mark Griffin to advance, and the Panthers' Danny Monaco also advanced.

At 145, the Panthers' Vince Ramos, Montini's Isaiah Gonzalez and Neuqua Valley's Nick Proctor all advanced, and Gonzalez and Proctor will square off in a semifinal.

"My confidence is high right now, and I want to keep it going," Proctor said.

Neuqua's Jimmy Duffy will take on St. Rita's Steve Zimmerman in a semifinal at 152, and teammate Chris Spangler and Montini's Carl Foreside advanced on the opposite sides of the bracket at 171.

Downers Grove South's Ben Apland dominated his way to a 15-2 major decision over Cary-Grove's Paul Rands, Glenbard East's Pat Walker advanced at 215 on the opposite side of the bracket, and Montini heavyweight Garrett Goebel won his 50th match of the year on a quarterfinal pin.

Walker won by technical fall, pin and 10-6 decision over previously unbeaten Reggie Reed of Bloom.

"He was strong, and he was a good upper-body guy," Walker said. "I just had to get after it."