Montini wins fifth straight state title
BLOOMINGTON — Rarely invoked, the IHSA does permit member schools to compete one class higher than their slotted distinction.
It would appear Montini, after yet another dismantling run to the Class 2A championship Saturday night at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum, may have enjoyed its last run in the middle-tier division.
“We’re going to sit down with the administration to see what is best for Montini wrestling,” coach Israel Martinez said after his Broncos fashioned unanswered runs of 23 and 30 points in dispatching Yorkville 53-12 for its fifth consecutive dual-team state championship.
Martinez said he was “100 percent in favor” of the program reclassifying to 3A.
The rematch of the 2009 state championship proved to be just as one-sided as Xavier Monalvo (160 pounds), Conor Winel (170), Jake Turk (182) Anthony Ferraro (195) and David Sarkan (220) won in succession to give Montini a 23-3 lead.
State champion Tommy Pawelski had a first-period fall at 106 pounds one match later, with Vince Turk and Michael Sepke adding pins at 120 and 126 for an insurmountable lead.
“We’re moving in the right direction, even in the state-championship matches,” Martinez said.
Montini dominated Crystal Lake Central — its state-finalist foe from a year ago — in the quarterfinals and reached the finals with a convincing 49-12 win over Bloomington in the semifinals. In claiming its 10th state title since the turn of the century, Montini finished the season 21-0.
Glenbard North, on the other hand, had its visions of a successful defense of its Class 3A championship unravel in bizarre fashion.
After handling Minooka in the quarterfinals, the Panthers were pitted against three-time state champion Sandburg in the semifinals. The Panthers appeared to have all the momentum after undefeated Jered Cortez, who ended the season flawless in 51 matches, pinned his foe at 120 pounds to give the squad an apparent 18-0 run and 29-20 lead with three matches remaining.
Cortez, though, was cited for unsportsmanlike conduct, a penalty that docked the squad a team point. Glenbard North coach Mark Hahn vehemently protested the ruling and was subsequently ejected and hit with a flagrant infraction.
The ruling cost the Panthers an additional 3 team points, meaning the Eagles trailed only 25-20.
“That obviously had an impact on the dual,” Sandburg coach Eric Siebert said.
Sebastian Pique, who won the 112-pound state title as a Hinsdale South sophomore last year and whom Cortez bested for top honors last weekend, won a key match at 126 for the Eagles. When John Pellegrino and Mitch Cook followed with similar razor-thin wins over Johnny Gosinski and Cody Brandle, the Eagles had secured an improbable 29-25 win.
“I knew the team needed it,” Pique said. “I’m used to pressure situations.”
The Panthers came back to defeat Barrington 34-21 in the third-place match.
State runner-up Brian Murphy and Cortez had technical falls for Glenbard North; Chris Gonzalez and Gosinski added falls in the victory. Barrington came out of the gate with flying colors to handle Naperville Central in decisive fashion in the first quarterfinal.
The Broncos scored the opening 13 points and later added a 20-point unanswered burst to win 44-16.
“The quarterfinal match, our guys came ready to go,” Barrington coach Ken Hoving said. “We came in wanting three matches.”
The Broncos’ bid for a first state finals berth was derailed by Oak Park-River Forest; the traditional power captured nine of the 14 weight classes to win 35-21. Daniel Davidson and Ben Calamari won back-to-back classes at 220 pounds and heavyweight to bring the Broncos to within 16-15, but OPRF had a 19-point unanswered run over the next five classes to take a 35-15 lead.
“We lost some close matches,” Hoving said. “That was pretty much the difference (against OPRF).”
Davidson took an unusual approach to secure his second-period fall.
“I chose to try to do some things to him that I’m not used to doing,” Davidson said. “I took a gamble, and it paid off.”
Barrington (18-5) placed fourth for the second time in the last three years following its consolation loss to Glenbard North (18-5). Naperville Central, meanwhile, had its season close at 12-12 with its loss to Barrington.
“Barrington is an outstanding team, so we knew we would have our hands full,” Naperville Central coach Rob Porter said. “It’s a pleasure to be at dual state again (after a three-year absence). The kids really believed in themselves after we got off to a slow start (1-8).”
Tom Mitrenga (160 pounds), Luke Roth (182), Steven Splan (120), Ben Williamson (126) and Kirk Cherep (132) were victorious for the Redhawks.
“We knew the odds weren’t very good going into it, but we were going to try our best,” Cherep said.
With its 37-33 win over Chicago Bowen, highlighted by Zach Epker and Zach Freundt securing back-to-back first-period falls at 182 and 195 pounds, Antioch secured its first state trophy in program history.
Yorkville powered past Antioch 49-15 in the semifinals, and Bloomington won the consolation prize with its 35-23 win in the third-place match.
“We’re just not wrestling very well,” Antioch coach Wilbur Borrero said after the semifinals. “I don’t mind losing, but it’s the way we’re losing. I wasn’t real happy with how we wrestled Chicago Bowen, either.”
Epker and Freundt prevailed in their semifinal matches against the Foxes, but Briley Schultz (106) and Mike Morales’ win in the penultimate match at 132 were the Sequoits’ only other wins. With its Class 3A-heavy schedule, Antioch finished the season 16-17. Sandburg scored the final 12 points against Oak Park-River Forest to capture the Class 3A championship 30-24.