Big finish boosts Buffalo Grove

Saving its best for last, Buffalo Grove overcame a furious comeback from Hersey to defeat the Huskies in spectacular style in the final two matches of the night to capture a 40-31 victory before a big senior night audience.

The victory secures the Bison at least a share of the Mid-Suburban East title.

After dominating early, it soon became clear the Bison (4-0 in the East) were eager to put away their guests. BG built what looked like a comfortable 19-point lead (26-7) following a pin at 2:36 from one of its best, Jordan Rathje (21-1). But the hosts then watched the visitors methodically eat away at the lead, eventually grabbing their first lead of the evening when Tim Koepke recorded a fall late in the third period at 220 pounds to give the Huskies a 31-29 advantage.

“We were worried coming in with how we matched up at some (of) the weights, and we bumped a few guys up and made a few tactical switches and moves in the upper weights, hoping we could win a few matches or stay away from bonus points in order to beat a very good Hersey team,” said Bison coach Dave Durlacher.

The BG coach had many of his family members on hand as they honored his younger brother Lindsey, a former state champion at the school, who passed away in early June.

“We received some amazing contributions from many of our guys,” Durlacher said, “and really did a great job of wrestling and competing as a team. That’s how you win a close match like this one tonight, and it’s how you compete for conference and regional championships.”

One of many who earned praise from the coach was freshman Zach Masciopinto, who had the thankless task of taking Hersey’s Stephfon Scales (18-4) at 126. Masciopinto stayed away from a major decision and additional bonus points in a 10-4 decision to help keep his club well ahead at 12-3 after Robby Mowery and Chase Ori opened the proceedings with back-to-back pins.

“(Zach) was unfazed by the fact that he was facing one of the top guys in the state at his weight, and he did a very good job of frustrating Stephfon for six minutes in order to help his team,” said Durlacher.

BG senior Matt Zabrin (26-0) later in the night moved from his usual spot at 160 pounds to 182 to face Keith Pedersen. Zabrin outlasted the Hersey senior 3-1 to extend the Bison lead to 29-19

Brian Egan (19-6) and Bryan Wellbank (13-6) helped give the Bison a little more breathing room with victories at 138 and 145. Those points proved important in the eventual outcome as Matt Korff (160) and Hunter Rollins (21-3), who’d been bumped up from 160 to 170, reeled off a pair of falls to help the Huskies edge closer at 26-19 before Zabrin’s hard-fought win.

“The atmosphere tonight was great, and for me, it may have looked like to some that I was ducking Hunter (Rollins) when in fact I made the move up for the team, and nothing else,” said Zabrin, who gave away at least 10 pounds to Pedersen.

The Huskies’s fans and bench made some noise after Deon Rice (195) needed just 43 seconds to pin Chris Rambo. When Koepke did the same one match later, the home crowd fell silent when heavyweight Ed Beyer threw BG’s Eddie Haro onto his back midway through the first period.

“I was watching the scoreboard, and little-by-little, I figured this night was going to come down to my match,” said Haro (14-11), a senior. “(Beyer) was so strong and athletic. But I was feeling good, even when I got behind, and when the chance was there for me I was able to take advantage of it and go get the pin.”

With the bout tied at 6, Haro turned his big opponent and finished him. That sparked a chance of ‘Eddie-Eddie-Eddie’ from the Bison, which lasted well into the final bout of the night at 106 pounds, between Anthony Coyoc and Anthony O’Brien.

The Bison lightweight unleashed an arsenal of weapons on his counterpart, building a huge lead before capping his fine performance with a technical fall at 3:15 to seal the victory.

“This is the way it was when I wrestled — a big crowd, a great crosstown rival in your gym, and both sides competing for something important in your conference,” said Durlacher. “What a great night.”

“We were right there, but we couldn’t get the job done,” said Hersey coach Jim Wormsley. “But you’ve got to credit Buffalo Grove for winning the big matches and getting bonus points in many of them.”