Another Western Sun thriller as Geneva nips Kaneland

Will Duerr and Ryan Ward could not have envisioned a better way to celebrate senior night.

In the final Western Sun Conference wrestling dual meet against Kaneland, Geneva had virtually no margin for error.

The match started at 112 pounds, and Geneva was forced to forfeit heavyweight.

That meant there would be only one more match - at 103 pounds - after the Vikings' duo both moved up a class to 189 and 215 pounds, respectively.

Duerr and Ryan were up to the task, however, recording back-to-back first-period pins.

Two of the better freshmen in the area - Esai Ponce and Brad Martens - squared off in the final match.

Ponce needed a major decision to force a tie for Kaneland; a technical fall or pin would give the Knights a victory.

Martens was placed in a precarious position twice in the third period, but Ponce was only able to score a simple 3-0 decision.

The Geneva seniors' consecutive falls proved to be the difference in the Vikings' 31-30 victory Thursday night in Geneva.

"Coach (Tom Chernich) told me earlier in the week that I would be wrestling up," said Ward. "He told me what the swing matches were going to be. I knew I would have to get the team 6 points in order for us to win. I went in there with the mentality to stick him right away."

Duerr set the scene for classmate and fellow honoree with a pivotal fall at 189 pounds to give Geneva the lead for good at 25-21.

"(The fall) was close to being out of bounds," Duerr said. "I just made sure he was flat on his back to get the pin."

"We know who our horses are," Chernich said. "Will Duerr has pinned some very good wrestlers this year. He hasn't got the attention he deserves yet. He is undefeated in dual meets."

Kaneland (17-9, 3-3) won three of the first four matches to take an early double-digit lead at 13-3.

Dan Goress' formidable freshman campaign earned yet another high with a major decision to start the festivities.

Devin Scholl had a first-period fall at 125 pounds for Kaneland, and Dennis Brettman followed with another convincing decision for the Knights at 130.

Geneva seniors Justin Heinz and Keith Reilly tightened things considerably with back-to-back wins at 135 and 140 pounds.

Kyle Davidson restored the Knights' breathing space with a masterful technical fall at 145 pounds, but Geneva came right back with a vengeance.

Eric Timko followed a Nick Bradberry first-period fall with a takedown in the waning seconds at 160 pounds to give the Vikings their first lead of the night at 19-18.

Nick Michels' 7-point unanswered run not only gave Kaneland its last lead but set the stage for the Duerr and Ward heroics.

"We can't get pinned there," Kaneland coach Monty Jahns said. "That was a tough (loss). Three points in two dual meets (Kaneland lost to Batavia by two on Wednesday). We just came up a little short."