Jacquez, Noverini fare well at state
CHAMPAIGN — Relatively new to the area wrestling scene, second-year Batavia coach Ben Morris had plenty of spare time on his hands after his lone qualifier — Anthony Scaccia — lost his first match at the Class 3A individual state finals over the weekend.
Like any other coach devoted to the sport, he was able to take in several matches over the final two days at the University of Illinois’ Assembly Hall.
In the process, Morris saw seniors Greg Jacquez and Tim Noverini close out their storied careers for West Aurora and St. Charles North, respectively.
The duo combined for six career state appearances, and Jacquez extended the Blackhawks’ streak of consecutive medal-winners to 11 years with his third-place result at 138 pounds.
Jacquez, who ended his season with a 39-5 mark, was a whisker away from a state-championship berth.
But he fell to Lincoln-Way East eventual state champion Kyle Langenderfer by a mere point in the Friday night semifinals.
“It looked like (Jacquez) got a little tired,” Morris said. “Greg looked a little off. There is no way to prepare for a match (at the state tournament). But he did what all champions do and came back to win third.”
Noverini, the only three-time state qualifier in the North Stars’ history, had a second-period fall in the fifth-place match at 152 pounds to also finish with 39 wins on the year.
“I have very good impressions of (Noverini),” Morris said. “He seems to be a person who works hard. When you don’t have the (program) tradition, it takes a little more. (Jacquez and Noverini) are trailblazers. That’s the kind of thing we need in our program.”
Kellett solid in state debut: Over the years many coaches have commented on the difficulty of being a first-time performer on the grandest stage in Champaign, a task made inherently more difficult by the always-present pageantry of the state finals.But Marmion senior Sam Kellett found a way to overcome any difficulties in forging a 2-2 record in the Class 2A tournament.#147;I was afraid of the crowd and thought I could get stage fright,#148; Kellett said after competing at 152 pounds. #147;As soon as I got on the mat and the whistle blew, it felt much easier.#148;After patiently biding his time for three years in the program, Kellett, who estimated he wrestled between #147;10-15 (varsity) matches#148; between his freshman and junior years, had 46 under his belt this season alone after ending with a 26-20 record.Along the way, he came to understand individual records can be misleading, especially after getting thrown to the wolves at several prestigious national tournaments.#147;That#146;s what the coaches kept telling me,#148; Kellett said of his early season encounters at Cheesehead, Dvorak and Ironman. #147;They told me not to look at anybody#146;s record. My record was terrible at the start of the season. (The national competition) makes your record look bad when you#146;re actually a decent wrestler.#148;Marmion coach Dean Branstetter also praised Kellett. #147;I can#146;t say enough good things about Sam,#148; Branstetter said. #147;He#146;s the kind of kid that makes you want to keep coaching.#148; Silvestro reflects on state title: Angelo Silvestro could finally breathe a sigh of relief after ending his Marmion career with the Class 2A state championship Saturday night.#147;To finally achieve what I have wanted to after qualifying three times, I#146;m just so happy,#148; Silvestro said after avenging his final loss of the year #8212; to Crystal Lake Central senior Clayton Lutzow at Dvorak #8212; Saturday night at 138 pounds. #147;It#146;s a great feeling not only to medal, but to win the whole thing.#148; 345188Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.comJohnny Jimenez of Marmion defeats Ronzel Darling of Bowen during a 2A 113-pound semifinal bout at the 2012 IHSA wrestling state finals in Champaign, Friday. 19571951Marmions George Fisher beat Montinis Michael Sepke in the Class 2A 126-pound semifinals. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com 28251747Marmions Angelo Silvestro defeats Richmonds Garrett Sutton in a Class 2A 138-pound semifinal bout last Friday in Champaign.Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com