Dundee-Crown still having success

While the Dundee-Crown wrestling team doesn’t have its usual gaudy won-loss record, it still has plenty going for it.

The Chargers were 8-5 in duals through midweek (including a 36-33 win over a Hersey team coached by former D-C standout Jim Worsmley and assisted by D-C coaching legend Al Zinke), but feature numerous individuals having fine seasons.

Junior Ray Griggle is 15-3 at 220 pounds. He finished first at Hinsdale South and third at Harvard. Senior Dillon Muscat is 21-5 at 138 (second at Havard). Senior Jimmy Kuczynski is 21-4 at 21-4 (placed at both Hinsdale and Harvard and went 5-0 at the DeKalb tournament). One of Griggle’s losses was in the Harvard semifinals to a 220-pound wrestler from Elkhorn, Wis., that took fourth in the Wisconsin state finals last year.

“We are young and rebuilding this year,” said first-year D-C coach Bob Skillman, who took over for Zinke after a long tenure as an assistant in the program. “We have also been injured of late. The future could look bright if we fall into the right weight classes. We have 30 sophomore wrestlers, but many of them are bunched at the same three weight classes. This makes it very hard to fill lineups. We have to have young wrestlers wrestle up a weight class. The Fox Valley Conference is tough enough without having to wrestle up a class.”

Skillman has been pleased with the team’s work ethic and cited especially strong contributions from Muscat, Kuczynski and Griggle.

“They are great examples for the young guys,” said Skillman. “It has been our goal all year to get those three Downstate. Realizing that the traditional D-C goal is a team one, this has been a big shift for the guys.”

Burlington Central update: The Rockets were 10-4 through their first 14 matches of the season, which includes a championship at the 10-team Sterling tournament, a seventh at the 16-team Harvard tournament and a ninth at the 16-team DeKalb tournament.

Buddy Toth (160 pounds) leads the way for the Rockets with a 15-0 mark. Omar Awad is 18-2 at 170, while Johnny Major is 17-3 at 145. Brady Weinrich is 17-5 at 126. Andrew Brooks (113) and Jon Wright (120) are both 13-8. Dishon Rambo is 11-9 at 152 and Andrew Yarwood is 10-8 at 182. Toth is ranked fourth in the state.

Rockets’ coach Tony Rigitano has been pleased with the leadership of Major, Weinrich, Toth and Awad.

While Central took ninth at DeKalb, its only losses were to tournament champion Neuqua Valley and Bloomington, which went on to win its bracket (Bloomington’s only loss was to Neuqua Valley). Three teams from Central’s original pool went on to win their next pool (Central, Bloomington and Neuqua Valley).

Central faces a tough schedule in January with contests against Harvard, Richmond-Burton, Glenbard North, Crystal Lake Central and Grant.

“Hopefully it will prepare us for the postseason,” said Rigitano.

Cary-Grove update: Like Dundee-Crown, Cary-Grove features no shortage of individual standouts.

Freshman Michael Cullen has a 17-1 mark at 106 pounds to lead the way for the Trojans. His only loss was a 1-0 setback to Barrington.

“Michael has been outstanding as a freshman,” said Cary-Grove coach Ryan Ludwig. “He has the attitude and work ethic of an upperclassman.”

Mike Underwood is 16-4 at 132 pounds. Underwood is unbeaten in 6 overtime matches this season.

“Mike has a tremendous work ethic in the room and that has paid off for him in close matches,” said Ludwig. “When we seem him in overtime, we’re confident he has a great chance to win.”

Matt Fina has a 12-7 record at 138 pounds and holds a key win over St. Charles East. Garrett Glueck is 11-7 at 145, while Pat O’Malley is 10-2 at 170 pounds and Max Kersten is 10-9 at 195-182 pounds.

“Matt is really starting to come along,” said Ludwig. “Garrett is doing a nice job of refining things. It will be exciting to see what he does. Pat came out a little wait because of football. He’s hitting his stride. I’m very excited to see Max wrestle this weekend at Sycamore. He has a fantastic work ethic.”

Sophomore Logan Hanselmann (113 pounds) took second earlier at the Glenbrook South tournament.

“Logan wrestled a fantastic day,” said Ludwig. “This is his second year ever wrestling. He works out with Michael Cullen in the room. They are really able to push each other and challenge each other. It’s good for both of them.”

After duals against McHenry and Jacobs late this week, the Trojans head to Sycamore on Saturday.

“The format of the tournament has changed,” said Ludwig. “The guys wrestle in pools so every kid is guaranteed five matches. It will be a good test for these guys.”

Bartlett update: The Hawks were 12-5 through their first 15 duals, which included a 6-1 mark in Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division action. Bartlett also finished first at the Buffalo Grove tournament and third at Wheaton-Warrenville South.

In conference action, Bartlett has downed Waubonsie Valley, Lake Park and South Elgin — all squads it lost to last year.

Key wrestlers for the Hawks include junior Sal Annoreno (20-1 at 132 pounds), senior Jake Joiner (18-3 at 152), sophomore Ryan Hennessey (13-3 at 120), senior Nick Mokodanski (12-4 at 160), sophomore Anthony Zipparro (16-5 at 113), senior Anthony Radun (14-5 at 106) and senior Tom Gbean (12-4 at 182).

“This team is tough all the way up and down the lineup,” said Bartlett coach Karl Bratland. “They are truly buying into the philosophy that hard work levels the playing field. Through simple effort and fight, each guy is beginning to believe they can compete with anyone. We have positive energy in the room and at all of our competitions. They have the will to be successful and do what is necessary to get better every day. What we may lack in depth we make up for in team chemistry and the willingness to sacrifice for the team. Each and ever guy has a role on this team. They all are beginning to realize this and filling (those roles) nicely.”

Bratland also lauded the efforts of unsung competitors such as Andrew Guerrero (220), Nick James (126), Ryan Hennessey (120) and Anthony Zipparro (113).

“Each of those guys have won us some key, hard-fought matches and helped us secure dual wins and tournaments. They are starting to come into their own and performing as consistent contributors to the team. I expect big things from them in the future.”

Bratland has big plans for this group over the next month.

“I told these guys from the beginning that I want to set history here at Bartlett this year,” he said. “I want to do things no other wrestling team has ever done in the history of the school. We have set this goal in motion by beating teams we have never beaten before, winning the Buffalo Grove tournament. We hope to finish out the conference dual season unbeaten the rest of the way. If we finish outside the top three at the conference tournament, we will be disappointed. Then the goal becomes getting as many guys to sectionals as we can, qualifying multiple guys to the state tournament and having a place-finisher once we get there. These are more of the objective goals. Ultimately, we hope for improvement every day and for each guy to reach his potential as an individual.”

Huntley update: The Red Raiders were 7-4 overall and 2-2 in conference action through midweek. Four of Huntley’s wins have come against teams that defeated it last year.

Senior Josh Symbal, headed to Augustana to play football this fall, is ranked fifth in the state at 182 pounds with an 18-2 record. His only losses this season have come to Class 2A’s top-ranked wrestler (Richmond-Burton’s Jake Dechow) and the Class 3A No. 7-ranked 170-pounder (Neuqua Valley’s Connor Swier).

Other key performers for Huntley include freshman Brandon Meyer (10-3 at 126), junior Jon Walker (13-5 at 138), junior Zach Stenger (14-7 at 106), junior Brandon Mabry (13-8 at 170) and senior Jacob O’Neil (9-9 at 120).

Coach B.J. Bertelsman has been pleased with the team’s commitment this season and with the number of freshmen that have come out for the team. That freshmen group includes Meyer and Ricky Vigil (113).

“Every time they (Meyer and Vigil) go out, they look better and better,” said Bertelsman.

Bertelsman would like to see the team above .500 both overall and in conference, finish in the top half of the conference, get five or more wrestlers to sectionals, get two or more wrestlers to the state meet and produce the school’s first place-finisher at state.

Crystal Lake South update: The Gators were 11-3 through midweek. That mark includes key wins over Leyden, Rockton Hononegah and St. Rita. South also took fourth at the Barrington tournament.

Seniors Tim Gerszewski (152 pounds) and Nick Fontanetta (120) are a combined 32-2 (Gerszewski is 18-1 and Fontanetta is 14-1). Sophomore Nick Gill is 22-3 at 126. Junior Nick Peters is 18-2 at 138, while freshman Eric Barone is 16-7 at 132. Senior Mike Romanelli is 14-6 at 220.

“We have a very versatile group mixed with upperclassmen and lowerclassmen,” said South coach Ryan Ryan. “We have some great role models on and off the mat who demonstrate good character for the younger guys. When healthy, we are dangerous.”

Ryan has been particularly impressed with Gerszewski, Gil, Peters and Fontanetta.

“Tom, hands-down, is the hardest worker. He’s very coachable and is always looking to improve,” said Ryan. “Nick Gil is hard-nosed and will not let anyone stand in the way of his goals. Nick Peters is a difficult wrestler to get your hands on. He is never in one spot and is very coachable. Nick Fontanetta is extremely talented and dangerous in all positions.”

Ryan was pleased with Gerszewski’s performance at the prestigious Dvorak tournament.

“Tom had a pretty incredible Dvorak tournament,” he said. “He still did not finish the way he wanted, but at least he made some noise in the process.”

Ryan is anxious to get his team back to full strength.

“We’re looking to get some of our guys healthy and back on the mat as soon as possible,” said Ryan. “Our goals are still the same and will not change for adversity. We will face it as best as we can and continue to learn from whatever tests us.”