West Aurora's Gonzalez joins elite company
CHAMPAIGN - There was no denying Mario Gonzalez this year.
The West Aurora senior was simply not going to be denied an individual state wrestling championship on the campus of his collegiate destination.
Pitted against De LaSalle senior Clayton Kendall in the 189-pound Class 3A state title match, Gonzalez was in control for the entire six minutes Saturday evening at Assembly Hall.
Gonzalez scored the only offensive points of the opening period, capitalized on a pair of penalty points in the middle portion and cemented his 7-2 state championship with a takedown with 12 seconds remaining.
Gonzalez became the fourth state champion in West Aurora program history, the first since Israel Martinez captured his third straight title in 2000.
"Definitely a lot of relief," Gonzalez said in the aftermath of his victory. "I was a lot more excited on the inside (when the title was secured) than I showed. One of my goals coming into my senior year was to go undefeated. When I lost (to Rockton-Hononegah senior Matt Dwyer) I was devastated. It made me work that much harder."
The area had not produced a state champion since St. Charles East standout Chris Potter defended his Class AA 171-pound title in 2003, but Gonzalez ended the drought by first handling Hinsdale South senior Ryan Garringer in the semifinals.
Gonzalez was never headed in the championship match after earning a first-period takedown with 18 seconds remaining.
"It always feels good to get the first takedown of the first period," Gonzalez said. "It just sets the tone."
Gonzalez earned fourth- and third-place medals the last two years, respectively, and ended the season 44-1 with a 39-match winning streak.
Logan Arlis, on the other hand, had his dreams of completing a perfect season dissolve in the 112-pound finals against Providence sophomore Edwin Cooper.
The Batavia junior eked out a 3-2 victory over Marist sophomore Sean Raddatz for the second time this season to reach the championship match, undefeated after 41 matches.
After a scoreless opening period, Arlis' takedown negated a Cooper escape in the second period.
Cooper regained the momentum with an escape and takedown to finish out the second period, and his 4-3 lead entering the final was extended with the only points of the third period: a 2-point near fall.
The 6-3 loss ended Arlis' aspirations of a flawless campaign, even though the junior still had an historic weekend for the 51-year-old Batavia program.
Arlis became only the second athlete in school history (joining Matt Weight at the turn of the century) to reach a state final, and the Bulldogs' Danny Watson (171 pounds) and Andrew Rudd (160) also placed to establish a new single-season standard for the school.
"I wrestled (Cooper) way too tentatively," Arlis said. "I gained a lot of experience down here. I came a long ways this year.
Three other local athletes fell in the semifinals.
Watson dropped a 7-4 verdict to Lockport senior Mark Stenberg; Marmion freshman Eddie Greco and St. Charles East senior Danny Mercadante were upended by the eventual state champions at 103 and 145 pounds, respectively.
But Watson rebounded to upend state powerhouses Dwyer and Harlem junior Sterling Hecox in the third-place bracket to conclude his high school career with a sterling 43-2 record.
"I really earned my place," Watson said. "I wasn't sure if I could (beat both of them). Stenberg is really strong. It's hard to open him up to get to his legs."
Mercadante ended his St. Charles East career with a 44-4 final campaign.
The Saints' four-year leader fell to undefeated Marian Catholic senior Elias Larson (42-0) 10-3, but regrouped to stop Demetrios Mitchell (Hersey) and A.J. Knoll (Lincoln-Way East).
"Third place was still awesome, first place in consolation," Mercadante said. "I would have rather have been on the top of the podium. There wasn't anything I could do (against Larson)."
Greco was fifth at 103, the first medal-winner in Marmion history, after falling twice on Saturday.
"I'm proud of the way I finished," Greco said.
Rudd and West Aurora senior Josh Zinzer (125 pounds) rounded out the local place-winners with sixth-place results.