Hersey's Scales nails down Berman title

Stephon Scales provided the cutting edge needed to collect the lone individual title in the area Wednesday night when the Hersey junior captured the 119-pound championship belt at the 56th annual Berman Holiday Wrestling Classic in Palatine.

Scales (27-1) proved to be a worthy No. 1 seed after upending Eamon Prezkawas of Oak Forest 9-2, after teammate Jeff Koepke (171) and four others were unable to join him atop the podium on the final day of this tournament, which started up in 1955.

With a solid afternoon session, the Huskies were able to hold off both St. Charles East and Lemont for seventh overall in the team race, which was won easily by Lyons Township. The Lions outdistanced runner-up Hinsdale Central by 42 points (208-166) and Lincoln-Way East, which finished at 155.

Downers Grove North, led by Jim Nehls, Jr. finished fourth with 148.5 points, while Richmond-Burton (140) and Warren (125.5) were the closest challengers for a top-three 3 spot.

Scales, who was one match away from placing last season in Champaign at 112 pounds, opened his final in style by building a 5-1 lead after the first period. He then broke it open with a near-fall in the second period to take a 7-1 cushion with him into the third period.

“The difference this season is my (takedowns) and finishing them when I hit them,” said Scales, who finished third here a year ago, en route to a 42-win season.

Koepke (26-2) who was a state medal-winner at 160 pounds last February, was involved in what might have been the most highly anticipated match of the final session when the Hersey senior met up with Richmond-Burton star Jack Dechow for top honors at 171 pounds.

Koepke, who last week finished second overall at the prestigious Dvorak in Rockford, broke on top with a 1-point escape in the second period, then took a 2-1 lead in the first OT period with another escape before drawing even at 3-3 after the 2A runner-up (at 160) from last season took a 3-2 lead with a deuce near the edge.

Dechow prevailed 4-3 in the fourth and final OT period.

“I thought the match would be a little more wide-open than it was because we wrestle each other in the off-season and know each other pretty well,” said Koepke, who was remained upbeat following his disappointing loss.

“I might have shot more than Jeff, but he is so good defensively, and I couldn't really finish any of my shots,” said Dechow, who missed most of the first half of the season after suffering a broken hand during the Rockets' football season.

Hersey teammates Conrad Bugay (125, 26-6) and Hunter Rollins (152, 24-4) came back through the consolation bracket to earn third-place medals in their respective weight divisions.

St. Charles East standout Nick Ruffino (23-2) fell short for the second consecutive season after the junior dropped a hard-fought 4-3 decision to top seed Nehls in the 130-pound final.

Both high-profile wrestlers escaped earlier in the tournament to set up their dream match, Nehls' in the quarterfinals with a 3-2 win over Matt Adcock of Lake Park to remain alive, and Ruffino, who edged the outstanding sophomore from Hinsdale Central (Ernest Battaglia) 5-4 during the semifinals.

Ruffino pulled even with his counterpart at 3-3 near the end of the second period, but an escape to start the third period held up the rest of the way.

“Jimmy is so good, but I really felt I did what I had to in that match, but just wasn't able to finish on a couple of my shots,” said Ruffino, who is using his failed bid to qualify into the state tournament last season, after doing so in his rookie year, as the driving force to return downstate in late February.

The Saints' Ryan Rubino (19-4) lost in his final to top seed BJ McGhee of Rock Island at 103 pounds.

Lake Park senior Chris Kowalski ran into an immovable object in Matt Nora of Lyons, and the No. 2 rated wrestler in the state at 152 pounds showed why he is so deserving of such an honor.

The Lyons senior impressed with a 13-3 major decision to run his record to a dazzling 22-1 in winning his second major of the season (Moore-Prettyman was the other) following a third-place finish last week at the Dvorak.

“Chris had a great tournament, but he ran into a terrific talent,” said Lake Park coach Todd Raymond, who watched Austin Schoen (125, 23-2), Blake Santi (135, 22-4) and Farai Sewera (160, 13-3) each grab fourth-place medals at the day's end.

“Coach has really been encouraging me of late, and challenging me to work harder and with a lot more heart, and I think at this tournament I was able to do so,” said Kowalski, who on Tuesday afternoon stunned No. 2 seed Hunter Rollins of Hersey before using a bit of flair with a late reversal to upset No. 3 Aaron Brewton (Warren) 6-5 in the semifinals.

Angelo San Juan's sensational run through the 112-pound bracket and several of the top seeds helped clinch a spot in the finals for the Glenbard East junior, but his ride ended abruptly at the hands of Hinsdale South sophomore Sebastian Pique.

Pique (19-1) avenged an earlier 3-1 loss with a dominant performance en route to a 12-5 victory to capture the Hornets' only individual title.

“I really wanted a chance to win today against Angelo after he gave me my only loss of the season, and right from the beginning I felt ready to go, and I never let up until the final whistle,” said Pique, who hopes to return downstate after going 38-8 last year.

“Angelo ran into a kid who had a little too much for him today, and coupled with 6 matches over two days, I really felt that and Sebastian did him in,” said Rams coach Kevin Carlson, who in 1981 became the first and only state champion at Glenbard East.

“Angelo had a great tournament here with a couple of big victories over higher-seeded kids, but he also understands there's still plenty of work ahead of him in advance of the postseason,” said Carlson of the Rams' captain, whose record now stands at 16-3.