Schaumburg’s Marchok ready for rematch
CHAMPAIGN — Schaumburg senior Josh Marchok will be the lone Mid-Suburban League wrestler in the Grand March tonight when the 75th IHSA state wrestling tournament wraps up inside Champaign’s Assembly Hall on the campus of the University of Illinois.
Marchok (42-1), who all know by now, was beaten by Wheaton North’s Mike Swider (44-0) last weekend in the battle of unbeaten 220-pounders and Nos. 1 versus 2 at the Glenbard North Class 3A sectional, will get his chance to avenge that loss after his well-wrestled 7-3 victory over No. 3 Artie Bess (38-2) in the semifinals.
That sets up what most here have been waiting for since last weekend’s shocking news where the Stanford-bound Marchok had a 79-match winning streak snapped.
“Josh has handled all of that (stuff) about his loss like he handles everything, with a lot of class and respect for his opponents and the sport,” said Schaumburg coach Mike LeVanti, “but he went back into the room this week to work on some things, and to get himself ready, and I really feel he’s been at the best he’s been all year (down) here.”
Marchok, the defending champion, did well with the tactically smart and the superb defensive skills of Bess. Marchok was patient and equally sharp in his approach to the three-time state qualifier.
After Bess was called for his second stall call and subsequent penalty point to give Marchok a 3-2 lead, he was forced to open things up a bit, which is usually a dangerous move by anyone who is in the circle with the three-time state medalist.
“We expect the match with Mike to be a great one, and we are all looking forward to it,” offered LeVanti.
Revenge might be sweet for Marchok, but it wasn’t for Hersey junior Hunter Rollins (39-4), who was looking to erase a defeat via a fall to Lake Park senior Farai Sewera way back in the finals of the Berman Holiday Classic.
Rollins had not lost a match since, and would earn the chance to take on Sewera on Friday in the semifinals. But it was a case of deja vu all over again, this time to the tune of a 3-2 decision for Sewera.
The news continued to be bad all over the brackets, when just prior to Rollins’ defeat, Buffalo Grove senior Jordan Rathje (36-5) fell victim to No. 1 Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel, 45-1) to a major decision in their 145-pound semifinal.
Earlier, Ronnie Hauser (Fremd, 35-8) and Steph’fon Scales (Hersey, 38-6) each missed their opportunity to stay alive in the championship bracket at 120 and 132 respectively. But both came back to win their first bouts in wrestlebacks to inch closer to state medals for the first time.
Some bad luck and injuries caught a pair of superb wrestlers from the MSL in Rolling Meadows’ Joe Caprio (170) and Barrington senior star Jared Parvinmehr (113, 35-3).
Parvinmehr needed a trip to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion. Parvinmehr obviously didn’t return after an illegal throw resulted in the disqualification of Joliet Central’s Trayvon Zabala.
Caprio (42-2) might have been incorrectly called for the same disqualification in his quarterfinal withT.J. Sally (Hinsdale Central) and was tossed for his throw from that match. Caprio later came back to defeat MSL rival Cameron Thomson of Barrington (7-2) in his first match in wrestle-backs.
Bobby Alexander (Conant, 106), Coord Wiseman (Barrington, 145), Rico Zayas (Maine West, 145), Eddie Scanlon (Wheeling, 170) and Max Triveline (Prospect, 220) are all one victory away from earning a state medal through the consolation bracket.