Marchok, Schaumburg pin narrow defeat on Rolling Meadows
It's not often you get a definitive, know exactly what you need to do moment in a wrestling meet from the team perspective.
But it happened at the IHSA Class 3A regional at Schaumburg.
It's always pin and you win in wrestling, but Saturday it was pin and everybody wins - at least everybody wearing a Schaumburg singlet - when Saxons sophomore Josh Marchok stepped on the mat to face Larkin's Cam Martin at 215 pounds.
And 2:15 into the match, a pin is what Marchok got, giving him an individual regional championship and propelling Schaumburg a 193-192 victory over Rolling Meadows for the team title.
"(Schaumburg coach Matt) Gruszka let me know that it was important for me win," Marchok said of what he knew going into the match. "And 'pins are nice,' is what he said."
Gruszka said he knew Rolling Meadows was going to be a tough team to beat.
"They were ready today," Gruszka said. "We were down the whole tournament until the very last match. Ending with my three big guys, I wouldn't trade that for the world."
The big guys Gruszka is talking about are Marchok, junior Joe LaManna (189) and senior Danny Malik (171). Each won an individual title, and their combined record this season is 97-7.
Malik started the Saxons' closing run with a pin of his own, his third pin of the day.
"Making the pin set the tone for LaManna to get in there and do his job," Malik said. "His job was to score and get big team points so we could catch up and win this thing."
Saxons senior Pat Scully (119) and sophomore Tim Ferguson (112) were also individual champions.
Ferguson came into the meet as an underdog. His three wins Saturday evened his season record at 19-19.
"I've worked hard to try to get to here," Ferguson said. "I got fortunate today. I've worked hard, and the training has really helped me throughout the year."
The Mustangs were runners-up with four individual champions: Kory Jauch (125), Nick Calandra (130), Dennis Caravello (140) and Joey Caprio (152).
Caprio, a sophomore, pushed his record to 37-5 by scoring a 6-3 decision over Maine South's Joe Brewster (34-3).
"When he first got the takedown on me I thought, 'Oh god. I'm down,' " Caprio said. "But when I got that last takedown I knew it was my time to shine. I just picked up the intensity the rest of the match."
Conant finished third with two individual champions: freshman Ben Clifford (103) and senior Gino Castiglione (145).
Castiglione defeated the wrestler he called his rival in the final, Hoffman senior Brian Kempf.
"He beat me in the regular season, so it felt good to beat him here," Castiglione said.
"We've gone against each other since like seventh or eighth grade. I was looking forward to it all week. I knew I was going to face him in the finals."
Maine West also picked up two individual champions: seniors Jeff Vernola (135) and Chris Pack (160).
"I'm excited because the work I've put in is really paying off," Vernola said. "It shows on the mat, it shows in my body, it shows even in my schoolwork. Wrestling really has changed my life."