Marmion dominates against Geneva

Geneva wrestling coach Tom Chernich readily admitted his mistake.

“The fact is, I'm overbooked,” Chernich said of scheduling 24 dual meets, three more than the IHSA allows. “It's all my fault. As the coach, I have to do what is strategically best for the team. On the other hand, I don't want a dual meet to turn into an embarrassment.”

But without five starters due to nagging injuries, the Vikings, winners of 10 straight dual meets to start the season, had little chance against Marmion, the Illinoismatmen.com top-ranked Class 2A team in the state.

In the 10 contested matches, Marmion had six falls and two decisions in routing Geneva 60-12 Tuesday night in Aurora in nonconference action.

“We really weren't expecting (the team score) to be close,” said Geneva junior Henry Zupke, who had one of the Vikings' back-to-back pins at 215 pounds for their two victories.

Angelo Silvestro, a Geneva resident, put Marmion (6-0) ahead to stay with a match-opening, second-period fall at 145 pounds.

“I was just working on what we have doing in the practice room,” Silvestro said. “I was working on top, getting mentally prepared (for the Cadets' weekend appearance at the Ironman Tournament in Ohio). For the weekend, I'm looking for top three, letting it all hang out there.”

Eddie Breen quickly doubled the Marmion lead to 12-0 with a pin 30 seconds before the second-period horn; Dan Rowland made it three in a row abbreviated matches with a first-period pin at 160.

In one of only two matches to go the distance, senior Jon Wolfgram used two first-period takedowns as the basis of a hard-fought 4-3 decision over Geneva senior Eric Timko.

But the theme of one-sided matches was quickly restored, this time by Geneva (10-1).

David James' quick work at 189 pounds was the shortest match of the evening; the Geneva senior needed only 45 seconds to secure the fall.

Zupke then sliced the Cadets' cushion in half to 24-12 with a second-period fall at 215.

“The kid I wrestled was a freshman,” Zupke said.

Heavyweights Alex Fritz and Jake Mills were then engaged in an epic struggle worthy of their weight class.

With the score deadlocked at 1-1 late midway through the final period, the Cadets' Fritz had the lone offensive score with a takedown to fashion a 3-2 triumph.

The final score ballooned out of control with Geneva forfeiting three classes; George Fisher (125 pounds), Eddie Greco (130) and Eddie Gonzalez (140) intensified its spread with match-closing pins.

Greco, first state medal-winner in program history two years ago as a freshman, has grand ambitions after a disappointing sophomore year.

“I've got a lot to catch up,” the St. Charles resident said. “I went in the wrong direction last year.”

“It was not a typical Marmion-Geneva match,” Marmion coach Dean Branstetter said. “It wasn't two full varsity lineups going at it.”

“I think they're the best team in the state, Class 2A or 3A,” Chernich said of Marmion.