Kaneland seniors go out in style

Matt Weaver was taking the mat for the final time in his home high school wrestling career Thursday night in Maple Park.

Kaneland, which has battled youth and inexperience all season, was honoring its four seniors as the Knights' faced off against Western Sun Conference rival Geneva.

"I knew going into it that it was going to be the last time I wrestled before our home crowd," Weaver said.

The Knights' 135-pounder went out in style, securing a second-period fall to erase the Vikings' final lead and help Kaneland secure the 39-34 dual-meet victory.

The Knights improved to 10-15 overall, 2-4 in the league; Geneva fell to 4-11, 1-5.

Kaneland trailed 25-24 when the senior made his last home appearance.

"I wanted to make the best of it," Weaver said. "I squeezed as hard as I could to get the pin. It was a big win, and, fortunately, we pulled out the victory from there."

Keith Reilly had a hard-fought 3-1 win to pull Geneva within three, but the Knights' senior leader, Jay Levita, used his trump card - superior conditioning - to sustain the Knights' lead at 145 pounds.

Geneva then had to forfeit its third weight class of the evening, and Jeff Martens' meet-closing pin at 160 pounds proved meaningful only to the final score.

"The senior leadership took over tonight," Kaneland first-year coach Monty Jahns said. "It was their meet."

At the start, however, it looked like Geneva was playing the role of senior spoilers.

Geneva veterans Will Duerr and Ryan Ward staked the guests to a 10-0 lead after the first two matches at 171 and 189 pounds; the former enjoyed a 15-2 plurality and Ward had a brief night with a first-period pin.

"I knew we had lots of guys out," Ward said. "I knew I had to go out and get a pin if we were going to get the win."

Kaneland promptly answered in kind, though.

A.J. Wagner barely broke a sweat with his 20-second demolition at 215 pounds, and Kaneland heavyweight Jimmy Boyle continued his impressive growth with a second-period fall of his own.

"I didn't want to waste any time," Wagner said.

But the Knights' 12-10 lead was short-lived; the theme of one-sided matches continued; sophomore Mike Henrikson and senior Sean Canfield had a pin and technical fall, respectively, at 103 and 112 to engineer a quick 11-0 burst for the Vikings.

Eric Hansen was equally impressive for Geneva at 119, using a major decision to extend the run to 15 points.

But back-to-back forfeits reduced the Knights' deficit to one when Wagner turned the tide once and for all.

"We've got a lot of injuries right now," Geneva coach Tom Chernich said.

Frank Boenzi, the Vikings' lone returning state qualifier, is out for the season, and the absence of seasoned veterans Nick Bradberry and Collin Callahan could not be overcome.

"Callahan has been our best wrestler all year," Chernich said. "Overall, we need to get our guys healthy."