Glenbard North, Montini win team titles again
BLOOMINGTON — The interminable wait for Glenbard North wrestling coach Mark Hahn is over.
On an extraordinary three-match run to the Class 3A dual-team state title, the Panthers defeated three of the toughest programs in the large-school division to earn the first title in program history.
With five third-place results and a pair of runners-up since 1998, the Panthers’ 36-28 win over Lyons Twp., their 28-25 semifinal win over Sandburg — the only in-state school to beat them this year — and a second win over defending champion Minooka in the final capped a near-perfect run this winter.
“We had to go the hard way,” Hahn said after the Panthers’ 31-24 triumph over Minooka in the championship Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Coliseum. “We had some great performances.”
The championship dual started at 215 pounds, and Glenbard North shot out of the gate with back-to-back falls from Zac Durkee and Dan Buyle.
“Durkee and Buyle, if you would have thought that four years ago when they were freshmen that they would be wrestling here — those two guys — you wouldn’t believe it,” Hahn said.
“I knew that we needed a win,” Durkee said. “(Winning a state championship) was our goal from Day One. (Hahn) has sacrificed his life for us for the last 25 years.”
Buyle quickly doubled the Panthers’ early lead to 12-0 with his second-period fall.
“I feel more confident when I’m on top (to start the period),” Buyle said. “I knew it was an inspiration to get a pin for the team.”
“(The back-to-back falls) gave them a lot of momentum,” said Minooka coach Bernie Ruettiger. “When you’re down 12 points against them, that’s a lot to come back from. I think they’re the best team in Illinois.”
Glenbard North won two of the next three decisions to lead 18-6, and two-time state champion Joey Gosinski upped the spread to 21-6 with his come-from-behind win at 130. Brian Murphy and Mario Rodriquez maintained the pressure with consecutive wins at 140 and 145 pounds for Glenbard North.
It set the stage for Paul Freeman. The senior outlasted Kyle Hughes to make the lead insurmountable.
“Not a whole lot of action,” said Hughes, who had the only offensive points with a second-period takedown. The Freeman win meant Glenbard North could forfeit the final match, giving the school its first state title since the boys gymnastics team two years ago.
The Panthers’ championship was made possible by avenging a regular-season loss to Sandburg in the afternoon semifinals.
“The will to win was the difference in the match,” said Sandburg coach Eric Siebert.
Montini, on the other hand, had an entirely different day in capturing the Class 2A title for the third year in a row, the fourth overall.
The Broncos were unmerciful in their morning semifinal, setting a new record for downstate margin of victory with their 73-3 thrashing of first-time entrant Fenton. Montini advanced to meet Crystal Lake Central with a 41-24 semifinal win over Lemont.
With four individual state champions, the Tigers were ranked above Montini the whole season. By claiming eight of the 14 matches, Montini turned back the Tigers 39-29.
“We had to equalize their strengths,” Montini coach Israel Martinez said.
The four Crystal Lake Central stars combined for 23 points with three pins and a technical fall. But Montini had an even bigger night, scoring 22 unanswered points, anchored by state champion heavyweight Ross Ferraro securing a first-period fall of his own.
The biggest moment, however, came in the state-championship rematch between Montini senior Frank Baer and Crystal Lake Central junior Jason Fugiel at 145 pounds. Baer was trailing the match late in the second period when he turned and pinned Fugiel to give the Broncos a 33-14 lead. The Broncos’ state champion was banged up with shoulder, knee and finger injuries.
“There was no way I was going to sit out that last dual,” Baer said.
Stephen Robertson, the Broncos’ two-time state champion, was upset at 160 pounds in his bid to cement the team title. But Dimitri Willis was not. The Broncos’ third state champion had a second-period fall to put Montini over the top.
“My thoughts going into the match was that I figured I could beat the kid,” Willis said. “It ended up going our way.”
“Bonus points — that’s the name of the game,” said Crystal Lake Central coach Justen Lehr. “They got them, and we didn’t enough of them. We gave it a great run.”