Randich brothers take to South Elgin quite well
Brothers Tom and Jake Randich never envisioned wrestling in anything but Driscoll Catholic black and gold, but the red, navy and silver of South Elgin is growing on them.
The residents of Wayne were both state qualifiers as Highlanders. Tom, now a senior, made it to the state meet in Champaign as a 189-pound Driscoll sophomore. Jake, now a junior, qualified for the state meet as a freshman at 171 pounds and he was the Class 1A state runner up last year at 189.
However, the Randich brothers found themselves in the unwanted position of seeking a new school when it was announced last spring that Driscoll would close its doors at the end of the 2008-09 school year.
"It was tough," Tom said. "I always wanted to graduate from there because there was so much pride in that school. It (stunk) that we had to give it all up and everybody had to split off and go their separate ways. But I just try to make the best out of every situation I'm put in."
Montini seemed like a natural fit. Driscoll's rival in the Suburban Catholic Conference, Montini is home to one of the state's best wrestling programs. Tom and Jake spent a day last May shadowing a Montini student through classes, but something didn't feel right.
"I just didn't like it as much," Jake Randich said. "It wasn't the same as Driscoll. If we were going to go to a different school, we might as well go to the one right here since we live right down the street from South Elgin."
Montini's loss turned out to be South Elgin's gain, not that adding a pair of state-caliber wrestlers didn't come without its own unique set of concerns for fourth-year Storm wrestling coach Mark Cameron.
"What worried me a little bit when I heard they might be coming here was how they were going to fit in with the team because I knew we were going to have a pretty strong team this year," Cameron said. "You worry how they are going to mesh."
Tom and Jake weren't complete strangers to the students at their new school. Before they attended Driscoll, they attended Kenyon Woods Middle School, which feeds into South Elgin. That helped from an adjustment standpoint.
They were also a perfect fit for the South Elgin wrestling program from a strategic standpoint. Tom planned to wrestle at 171 pounds; Jake at 215. Those happened to be two weight classes in which this year's South Elgin team was lacking. Once the season started Tom's and Jake's work ethics soon dispelled any concerns as to how they would jell with the team.
"After seeing them for a week they fit right in," Cameron said. "They get along with the other guys, they work really hard in the room and they've done everything I've asked. They're just awesome kids.
"Having them in the room, guys who have been downstate, brings a little different perspective to practice. They can kind of pass on what it's like to be down there to the other kids. You can talk to the kids about what it takes to get to state and you can explain it to them what it's like to be down there. But when you have another high school kid who has been down there, who has been on the podium and they can hear it from them, it makes it more real."
Jake is the laid-back type, while Tom is almost like another coach. Cameron says he'll hear a voice behind him during matches yelling advice to the wrestler on the mat. "It's Tom," Cameron said. "He's got a mind for the sport".
Tom soon began to advise the younger wrestlers in the program, and he challenged any teammates not giving maximum effort. He impressed the coaching staff so much he was named a team tri-captain two weeks into the season.
The Storm wrestling program has enjoyed its best season to date in 2009-10 with Tom and Jake on board. South Elgin set a school record for victories (20-10), finished third at the Upstate Eight Conference meet and sixth at the Class 3A St. Charles East regional with 92.5 points.
Seven Storm wrestlers earned all-Upstate Eight Conference honors: freshman Cory Pych (103 pounds), senior Kevin Gianaris (110), sophomore Nick Citta (125), senior Tyler Toczek (149), Tom Randich (171), Mike Shoening (189) and Jake Randich (215).
Jake Randich (41-1) won a regional title for the third straight year. Tom Randich (29-8) and Toczek (33-9) were each defeated in regional final matches but advanced to this weekend's Glenbard North sectional meet by finishing in the top three. The Randich brothers are hoping to return to state as representatives of their new school.
"I should win it," Jake said of the sectional. "I'll be pretty disappointed if I don't. I want that bye downstate. My goal is to win (the state title). I think I can do it."
"I'm really excited for it and I'm really nervous for it," Tom said of the sectional. "I'm going to wrestle my hardest. It's my last year."
Cameron believes Tom and Jake have legitimate shots to reach state. The top four finishers at the sectional advance to Champaign.
"Looking at the brackets, I think both of them have a pretty good chance of getting downstate," Cameron said. "Jake's been wrestling really well as of late. Tom didn't have a great day on Saturday in his finals match (a 3-1 loss in overtime), but he's had a really good week of practice. Now's a really good time for him to put all of it together and it looks like he is. If he wrestles the way I think he can over the weekend, I think there's a really good chance he can get down."
The Randich brothers enjoy wrestling for their new school and their new team. "The room is run great," Tom said. "Coach Cameron really has a good program going and he really works us hard." However, neither has forgotten his black-and-gold Driscoll roots.
The colors of his singlet may have changed, but Tom pays a nod to his former school by wearing a pair of black wrestling shoes with gold trim.
Jake has already ripped through a similar pair of leftover Driscoll footwear this season. He now takes the mat in a secondary pair of black-and-gray wrestling shoes also used during his Highlander days. But the backups have begun to rip, too,
"I don't care," Jake said. "I'm going to keep wearing them."
Some habits die hard.