Marmion displays its depth
Even with its two returning state qualifiers on the sidelines, Marmion showcased its versatility and depth Tuesday night against St. Charles North and Geneva.
With Eddie Greco, fifth in state last year at 103 pounds, and Northwestern-bound 145-pounder Pat Greco out of action, Marmion was precision-like in its wrestling triangular victory over the North Stars and Vikings in Aurora.
"We're still trying to figure out who our top 14 kids are," said Marmion coach Dean Branstetter. "That's what you hope for when kids are out - that others step up. You are only one injury away from (disaster)."
In the opener, Marmion (5-0) steamrolled the North Stars 66-3 behind six pins, two technical falls and a forfeit. Junior Sam Gustafson was the only blemish in the Cadets' one-sided first victory; the North Stars' 145-pounder eked out a 7-6 verdict over Mike York, who was subbing for Pat Greco.
Geneva (5-2) was similarly unkind to the North Stars in the middle match, unleashing a tsunami of dominant encounters to record a 66-12 victory. Kevin Deisher and Timmy Noverini had back-to-back falls for St. Charles North (1-5) at 125 and 130 pounds to record the North Stars' lone wins.
The two preliminaries cleared the way for the main event. Marmion heavyweight Alex Fritz had a third-period fall to nullify a pair of Geneva simple decisions at 215 and 103 pounds. Sam Kellett spelled the younger Greco - out two more weeks with a hip injury - and the sophomore answered the call brilliantly. Kellett duplicated his earlier fall against St. Charles North, and the momentum swing was unmistakable.
"I really though we were going to win at 12," Geneva coach Tom Chernich said.
"I just listened to my coaches and did what they told me to do," said Kellett.
"Sam knows how to wrestle," Branstetter said. "We told Sam tonight that he had to go 2-0. We showed some depth."
When George Fisher, Ben Whitford and Ryan Riggs followed with falls between 119 and 130 pounds, the Cadets' 24-point unanswered run turned a 6-6 deadlock into a commanding 30-6 cushion. Bradford, the Cadets' heralded freshman standout, improved to 9-0 on the season after taming Noverini 16-9 at 130 pounds in the opener.
"He's the best freshman I've ever seen," said St. Charles North coach Ken Moromi.
"We took control of all the matches," Whitford said. "I had a couple of mistakes but nothing that cost me the match."
"(Whitford) strives for perfection," said Branstetter.
Geneva would make inroads against the Cadets' lineup, largely courtesy of convincing falls by Keith Reilly (140 pounds) and Eric Timko (160), but Marmion veteran Nico Jimenez closed out his 171-pound match - after an earlier pin at 189 against St. Charles North - with another fall to punctuate the Cadets' dominance.
"We work hard as a team, not just as individuals," Jimenez said. "You have to do what you've got to do."