This is no ordinary wrestling tournament
Grant Goebel has wrestled in some of the biggest high school wrestling tournaments in the country while at state power Montini.
None of them mean a thing compared to Illinois' individual state tournament.
"Years from now, people will ask you if placed downstate. They won't ask you where you placed at the Dvorak tournament or wherever," Goebel said. "This is one of the tournaments you work for all year.
"Some tournaments have more significance than others, and this is definitely one that's most important."
DuPage County has another large contingent of wrestlers convening inside Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois this weekend in the first year of the state's three-class system.
Class 1A
Five DuPage wrestlers will compete downstate in Class 1A from two schools. Lisle's Brad Blechschmidt (103 pounds), David Pawlowicz (160) and Keith Murray (215) advanced, along with Driscoll's Chris Heading (119) and sectional champ Jake Randich (189).
The sophomore Randich (31-3) is ranked No. 2 by Illinois Best Weekly, and he wrestles on the opposite side of the bracket of Durand's unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Mitch Albertstett, the defending state champion at 189.
Class 2A
Montini sends an army to Champaign, with seven sectional champions leading a pack of 13 state qualifiers.
The Broncos' top-ranked sectional champions include Stephen Robertson (125 pounds), Isaiah Gonzalez (160), Carl Foreside (189) and Grant Goebel (215), with No. 2s Colton Rasche (130) and Frank Baer (140) giving Montini a legitimate chance at six state finalists in 14 weight classes.
No team in Illinois has ever had more than four individual state champions in one year.
Goebel won a 3-2 decision over Crystal Lake Central's Gage Harrah for a sectional title and will be making his first appearance downstate. He echoes the manner in which all state qualifiers aim to approach the state's biggest stage.
"I'm not that nervous because I'm prepared," Goebel said. "The coaching and the practices I've gone through - nothing surprises me at this point."
Fenton advanced two wrestlers downstate in Ryan Joy (119) and Josh Castellano (145). At 32-1 Castellano is ranked No. 2 in Illinois by IBW, and he won a sectional title via 7-0 decision over Montini's Elliot Hudson.
Castellano is opposite No. 1 Dylan Reel (38-1) of Washington in the brackets in Champaign, and a final between them would no doubt light up the crowd.
Class 3A
DuPage County sends 37 wrestlers to the 3A finals, led by Glenbard North's six and Neuqua Valley's five state qualifiers.
Defending state champions Tony Ramos (125 pounds) and Jimmy Chase (130) lead the way for the Panthers, who also send state-placer Joe Gosinski (119), Bryan Gonzalez (103), Dan Rios (112) and Charleston Soko (171).
Ramos (44-2) and Sandburg's Jon Morrison (40-1) could meet in arguably the most highly anticipated match of the tournament. They're on opposite sides of the brackets, and a state title match would pit a pair of 2008 state champions against each other.
Ramos handed Morrison his only loss during the regular season in a 3-1 decision.
Nick Proctor (160) leads Neuqua Valley into Champaign, joined by teammates Matt Cavallaris (112), Adam Stine (135), Andy Spangler (140) and Alex Cizek (145).
Proctor (37-3) has his work cut out for him in Champaign. He opens against a tough wrestler in Batavia's Andrew Rudd (33-7) today, and he could next see Sandburg's Juan Solis (38-3) in a quarterfinal, then find top-ranked Jahwon Akui (34-2) waiting in the semifinals.
Proctor lost by decision to Akui at this year's Dvorak tournament.
"He's just a hard-nosed, tough wrestler," Proctor said. "I lost to him, so I'd have nothing left to lose."
After placing third as a sophomore at 145 last year, Proctor's goal has also changed.
"My goal was just to place last year, and I did," he said. "This year I want to win it."
Naperville Central's Andy Kovalsky (135), Adam Gebner (152) and Joe Widman (285) will be downstate, and Lake Park sends unbeaten Mike DeSario (119) and Devon Smith (285) to Champaign.
Glenbard West has a pair of first-time senior qualifiers in Sam Littlehale (112) and Ethan Knowlton (130), and WW South's Spartacus Chino (135), Tim Savenok (152) and Mike Olp (189) will also wrestle in Champaign.
Knowlton is a two-time sectional qualifier, and he's looking forward to stepping on the floor inside Assembly Hall for the first time.
"It's a little surreal. It's something I never thought would actually happen," Knowlton said. "It feels great."