Big days for Antioch, Leyden
The Leyden dual-team wrestling sectional turned out to be quite an historic event for a couple of teams Tuesday night in Franklin Park.
In Class 2A competition, Antioch rolled past Chicago King 43-24 to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history next Saturday at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington.
The Sequoits (11-20) will face the winner of the Champaign Central-Mt. Zion meet in a quarterfinal match beginning at 11 a.m.
With the meet starting at 130 pounds, Antioch took a 3-0 lead on a 7-1 decision by senior Nick Bock.
King (10-3) tied the score with an 8-1 decision at 135, but Antioch sophomore state qualifier George Gonzalez pinned David Mathis in 1:53 to really get the Sequiots' team headed on their road to Bloomington.
Senior state qualifier Al Arden followed Gonzalez with a 12-1 major decision at 145 before teammate Hunter Moseley pinned James Simmons in 3:06.
Then Antioch sophomore state qualifier Zack Epker pinned Victor Taylor in 1:22 in the 160-pound bout and the Sequiots held a commanding 25-3 advantage six matches into the meet.
"It was awesome going downstate as an individual and then going down as a team is the best senior year you can ask for," said Arden, who led 7-0 after two periods. "We're going to have to wrestle our best, and we can't give up pins."
A pin by King at 171 cut the lead to 25-9, but a 4-0 decision by Antioch 189-pounder Teddy Montemayor and a pin by 215-pounder Lee Shannon gave the Sequiots plenty of breathing room with a 34-9 lead and five matches to go.
"Ultimately, everything worked out really well and we'll see what happens downstate," said Antioch coach Wilbur Borrero. "I thought the kids did well and after we got the first pin we were in much better shape."
Freshman 103-pounder Grant Smith recorded a pin in just 58 seconds to make the score 40-12 before 112-pound teammate Brandon Schultz got a late takedown for a 6-5 decision and a 43-12 Antioch lead. King got a pin and a forfeit win to close out the meet.
In the Class 3A sectional competition, No. 6-ranked Mt. Carmel learned that reputation will only carry you so far in the sport of high school wrestling as the unranked host Eagles stunned the Caravan 40-22 to advance to their first Elite Eight team tourney since 1986.
Leyden will take on Glenbard North at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in an 11 a.m. quarterfinal match in Bloomington.
In the other Class 3A sectional, No. 8 Plainfield Central (17-4) held off No. 22 Glenbard East (15-7) 34-27 to make its first trip to the Elite Eight in school history.
With six individual state qualifiers apiece in their lineups, Leyden (19-4) and perrenial power Mt. Carmel were much more evenly matched than people may have realized heading into the dual meet.
Starting at 130 pounds, the Caravan took a quick 8-0 lead before a 9-2 decision by Leyden 145-pounder Kevin Lewis (39-5) cut the gap to 8-6.
Trailing 13-5 after two periods in his 152-pound bout, Leyden's Stephan Kunca appeared to be headed for certain defeat. But just 14 seconds into the third period, the pumped-up Kunca shocked the home crowd with a huge pin to give the Eagles a 12-8 lead.
"From that point on I think our team knew we were going to win and that was a big one as far as momentum goes," said Leyden coach Jason Potter, who was a star wrestler at St. Charles. "I think our regional and sectional performances maybe put us on the radar, and after scouting them (Mt. Carmel) we thought our matchups would work for us."
Mt. Carmel did get an 8-3 decision at 160 and and a technical fall at 171 to regain a 16-12 lead. But Leyden would get decisions at 189 and 215 to take a slim 18-16 edge.
Then Leyden senior state runner-up Dan Kiebler (37-2) moved up from 215 to 285 and the move paid off big time as Kiebler pinned his opponent in 1:58 to put the Caravan in a 24-16 deficit with four matches remaining.
Leyden 103-pounder Alex Franco followed Kiebler with a pin in 3:59 before junior state qualifier Jesus Payan (28-7) posted an 18-5 major decision at 112 to make the score 34-16 and start the Eagles' celebration two matches early.
The teams exchanged forfeits in the last two bouts to account for the final score.