Scouting Fox Valley regionals
Class 3A at GrantWhen: Saturday, 9 a.m. (finals, 1 p.m.)
Advancement: Top 3 advance to Barrington sectional. Team champion advances to Rockford East dual-team sectional.
Guest list: Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake South, Dundee-Crown, Barrington, Grant, Lake Zurich, McHenry, Round Lake.
Lowdown: With Barrington, Lake Zurich and McHenry fighting it out for a regional title, the trio of Fox Valley Conference clubs will instead look to advance as many as it can into sectionals next weekend. Vinny Fontanetta (Crystal Lake South) completed a sensational regular season last weekend to move his overall record to an impressive 34-5, one year after winning 24.
Isaiah Zeigler (16-5) has parlayed a healthy senior year, plus extra work in the room with assistants Jim Brunner and Jack Mueller into a 16-5 season to give the Dundee-Crown senior a solid chance to stay alive in the postseason another week.
"The second half of the season is the first time he has been able to compete since his freshmen year," said D-C head coach, Tim Hayes.
Zeigler struggled to get his weight down last season, which led to a back injury to put him at a whopping 320-plus pounds at the start of this campaign, according to Hayes. When he finally got down to 285 pounds, the results would come around as well, which included seven wins out of eight bouts at the Mid-States Class in Whitewater, and 14 pins.
"He has really improved a lot on his feet, and he's been opening up and attempting new takedowns as well, which gives him a good chance this weekend at Grant," said Hayes.
Class 3A at JacobsWhen: Saturday, 9 a.m. (finals, 2 p.m.)
Advancement: Top 3 advance to Barrington sectional. Team champion advances to Rockford East dual-team sectional
Guest list: Huntley, Jacobs, DeKalb, Guilford, Harlem, Hononegah, Rockford Auburn, Rockford East, Rockford Jefferson.
Lowdown: There's enough individual talent from nearly half of the clubs here to call it to be a four-team race.
"Yeah, it should be a four-horse race," said Huntley head coach BJ Bertelsman, who one week ago watched his club defeat Crystal Lake Central in a dual to win its first FVC regular season title in program history.
"If we wrestle as well as we did at the Dvorak and Sycamore, we should have enough points to win, but Jacobs, DeKalb and Hononegah are right there so bonus points whenever and wherever you can get them will be a must."
The key for the Red Raiders and host Jacobs is to be at your best with your best, and that will be at the lower weights.
From 106 through 152 the players from both FVC rival clubs have been terrific, and with plenty of history during the past two seasons between most of them both during the regular season and later in the postseason when results were far more important and meaningful and you can expect some fireworks along the way.
"We're excited to be hosting this regional - we perform best a home, and having that advantage really will help," said Jacobs head coach Gary Conrad, who, despite heavy graduation losses at the upper weights still saw his club finish at 18-5 overall.
"To me, it looks like a 3-4 team race, but you cannot count out Harlem or DeKalb. We've amped up our schedule, and have seen all of the teams here, so it comes down to the seeding meeting. Our less experienced guys will need to get a pin or win here and there and a little bit of luck along the way."
The concern for both head coaches is the lack of big men, so they, along with every other team here, will swing and miss then strike out against a quartet of state bashers, who will dominate the upper weights.
No. 1, Anthony Cassioppi (Hononegah) leads the way at 285, followed by three other high profile guys: teammates, Jordan Shahrikin (182) and Blake Zalapi (220) and Dalton Hambrock from rival Harlem.
Class 3A at StreamwoodWhen: Saturday, 9 a.m. (finals, 2 p.m.)
Advancement: Top 3 advance to Conant sectional. Team champion advances to Larkin dual-team sectional.
Guest list: Streamwood, Maine West, Conant, Elk Grove, Hoffman Estates, Lake Park, Prospect, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg,
Lowdown: Streamwood is surrounded by one-half of the Mid-Suburban League including Conant and Prospect, which fought until the very end last year before Prospect earned a regional title in the closing stages of the tournament.
Those sitting outside the these two teams will have their eyes on advancing into the sectionals, which means Jordan Ryan and his mates from Streamwood. The Sabres' heavyweight presides over a super-young roster, many of whom competed in their first Upstate Eight tournament at Larkin.
Ryan (14-5), and sophomore Jamel Sheppard (152, 11-3) collected third-place medals last weekend, Ryan's coming after a heartbreaking 8-7 loss in his semifinal bout.
"Obviously, I'd rather be out in that final, but it was a mistake on my part that cost me that semifinal," said Ryan, who will play football next fall at North Central College in Naperville.
Last year, at 220 pounds, Ryan's short stay at regionals was enough to inspire an all-out offseason regimen to insure he wouldn't repeat his 0-2 performance.
"Oh yeah, I was upset about what I did at regionals, so right then and there I told myself I'd work harder than ever before," he said.
Sabres head coach, Bill Peach saw first hand just how far his big man would go.
"Jordan wanted to get a lot stronger, so he lifted whenever he could - in fact, one day when I was taking my kids to a park district event there he was at 8 p.m. lifting and he really hasn't stopped since then."
Class 3A at West ChicagoWhen: Saturday 9 a.m. (finals, 2:30 p.m.)
Advancement: Top 3 advance to Conant sectional. Team champion advances to Larkin dual-team sectional.
Guest list: Bartlett, Elgin, Geneva, Glenbard North, Larkin, South Elgin, St. Charles East, St. Charles North, West Chicago.
Lowdown: The news here is it appears as if the 16-year hold of the regional championship trophy by Glenbard North could be over. The heralded Panthers program does not have the full lineup power it has enjoyed for years, leaving an opening for UEC champ St. Charles East to come in and taking an advantage of.
"Now is the time for us," said St. Charles East head coach Jason Potter when asked if his club can break through against the Panthers.
The lower weights here will provide fans with plenty of viewing excitement, beginning with the Saints' UEC champ trio of Joe Ruffino (106, 34-0), Ben Anderson (113, 30-4) and Justin Benjamin (28-4), who look to sweep top honors just as they did last week before the dynamic duo of Austin Gomez and Abe Assad (145) take over for Glenbard North.
"It's not any different from last weekend at the conference tournament: it comes down to earning as many bonus points, getting guys into the semis and finals, having success in wrestlebacks to give your team as many extra points as possible," said Potter.
Two-time state qualifier Kolbe O'Brien (St. Charles North, 32-2) is ready to make it three, while UEC medalists Kevin Huck (21-9), Nick Sowers (13-1) and Cole Campbell (220) are all healthy, and equally anxious to make a splash for Geneva and head coach Tom Chernich.
Bartlett head coach, John Glorioso is thrilled with his top two, Nick Dawson (195, 21-7) and Trent Johnson (145, 20-9), who have shown they can compete well enough to stay alive yet another week.
Mark Cameron has his youngest, most inexperienced club in years, but the South Elgin head coach has seen his team progress with each week in the score book.
"Our schedule was kind of rough on our young guys early on but the great thing about this group is they work and fight hard, and setbacks just don't seem to affect them much, which says a lot about a bunch of guys who are wrestling on the varsity for the first time," says Cameron, who started just three seniors in his UEC tourney lineup and watched his club earn nine medals overall.
Alex (106, 17-10) and Bobby Tornabene (113, 25-9) each finished third overall.
Class 3A at BataviaWhen: Saturday, 9 a.m. (finals 3 p.m.)
Advancement: Top 3 advance to the Downers Grove North sectional. Team champion advances to the Hinsdale Central dual-team sectional.
Guest list: East Aurora, Marmion, Metea Valley, Waubonsie Valley, West Aurora, Batavia, Naperville Central, Naperville North, WW South.
Lowdown: Don Reynolds has been there before.
"It's brutal," the Marmion wrestling coach said of the Class 3A Downers Grove North sectional complex. "We are always in a really tough sectional."
Marmion, the reigning state runner-up, will seek its fifth consecutive regional championship this weekend at Batavia. The Cadets, ranked behind only undefeated Lockport and three-time defending state champion Oak Park-River Forest, enter the first state preliminary on the road to Champaign with the Chicago Catholic League championship under its banner.
There is a consensus among local coaches there is no minefield more hazardous than Downers North.
"There is no question that it is the toughest sectional," longtime Naperville North and Batavia coach Tom Arlis said.
"If you place at the (Downers North) sectional, you should have an opportunity to do something at the state tournament," Reynolds said.
Marmion has a formidable array of wrestlers throughout its lineup. Trevor Chembly (126 pounds), Sean McKenna (132), Anthony Cheloni (138), Jake Polka (145), Brad Gross (152), Nate Jimenez (160) and Peter Ferraro (170) are all state ranked in their weight classes.
West Aurora senior and Upstate Eight Conference champion 120-pounder Isaac Jacquez seeks a fourth consecutive state appearance. The Blackhawks' Steve Norman is also a conference champion and state-ranked wrestler at 182 pounds.
Batavia will counter with Andy Posledni, Justin Major, Joe Posledni, Seth Winkle and Nick Benson at 120, 132, 145, 160 and 170 pounds, respectively.
The primary threat for East Aurora is senior Matt Young, the Upstate Eight Conference champion at 160 pounds whose older brother, Tim, was a state champion two years ago.
Class 2A at SycamoreWhen: Saturday 9 a.m. (Finals, 12 p.m.)
Advancement: Top 3 advance to Sterling sectional. Team champion advances to Rochelle dual-team sectional.
Guest list: Burlington Central, Hampshire, Kaneland, Belvidere, Belvidere North, Boylan, Rochelle, Sycamore.
Lowdown: The biggest and best news coming from the three area clubs was the defeat of then No. 1 Cody Baldridge by Kaneland star Riley Vanik, who would defeat the Morris junior 3-1 in overtime in the finals at the NI-Big 12 tourney two weeks ago.
The victory makes the four-year veteran the man to beat here at 182, along with the Burlington Central pair of Austin Macias (120) and Nick Termini (26-1), who has enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign which should see the No. 4 rated 138-pounder cruise into the sectionals, where both he and the No. 2 rated Macias (24-1) will have a more difficult field of opponents to take on.
"We won't take anything for granted at this time of the year, I know both Austin and Nick feel strongly that way, as does Erik (Hansen, 195) who each understand that anything can and will happen in the state series," says BC head coach Vince Govea
Kaneland boasts a fearsome group of five in addition to the aforementioned Vanik, all of whom are highly capable of winning regional titles, beginning with 2016 2A state runner-up Austin Kedzie (120, 25-2) as well as Hayden Patterson (170, 28-9) and Colin Gussman (220, 30-4) who along with Vanik are easily the most quotable big men in the area.
Sophomore, Nathan Orosco (24-13), who also won a NI-Big 12 title, is the likely favorite at 106.
Over at Hampshire, the Whip-Purs' second-year head coach, Brian Iossi, likes what he sees from several of his guys, who each have a chance to make a headline or two in this upcoming 2A state series.
"I believe my big 4 of Christian Rivero (106), Casey Allen (145), Max McGowan (160) and Pawel Barnas at 285 are pushing for a trip to Champaign, and each should be looking to win an individual title this weekend at Sycamore," says Iossi.
The Whips' head coach says his men are peaking at just about the right time, reminiscent of last season when Wylie Allen caught fire down the stretch to become only the second in program history to collect a state medal, and first since 1985.
"I wish we had a conference tournament this year in order to tune up before regionals, but we beefed up our schedule this year, and have done some different things in the room to stay sharp, so I think the guys will be ready," said Iossi, who adds that both Mark Brown (138) and Nathan Price (152), because of their work ethic alone give each a good chance of advancing.
Class 1A at Aurora Central CatholicWhen: Saturday 9 a.m. (finals, 1 p.m.)
Advancement: Top (3) advance to Byron sectional. Team champion advances to Rockridge dual-team sectional.
Guest list: Aurora Christian, Aurora Central Catholic, Harvest Christian Academy, Genoa-Kingston, Alden-Hebron, Mooseheart, North Boone, Somonauk, Wheaton Academy.
Lowdown: Justin Pearch promised that his new program at Aurora Christian would make a statement by the end of its first full season and oh brother, did it.
The Eagles will enter this regional with an impressive 14-7-0 overall record, and an equally impressive starting lineup, which features a trio of freshmen led by the No. 1 ranked 120-pounder in the state, Noah Villarreal.
"Our freshmen came to us with plenty of IKWF and club experience, but even with that there was a period of adjustment for all of them with their academics, practice schedules, tournaments, and everything else associated with being freshmen. Once they sorted it all out, things came together for all of us in the room," said Pearch, who one year ago was an assistant at state power Montini.
"We're confident we'll be able to get some very good results this weekend at regionals, and if all goes well, I can honestly say that we can get ourselves several regional champs."
No. 4, Cameron Johnson (106, 25-0), No. 11, Zeke Marshall (113, 21-2) and the top rated Villarreal (24-1) lead the way with another freshman, Angel Jaimes (19-5), one to keep an eye on according to his head coach.
"Angel might be our biggest surprise thus far," Pearch said. "He got a slow start coming off football, then had to find his way in a big man's weight class (22) which is filled with upperclassmen, but with each week he gets better and better."
ACC sophomore Garrett St. Clair (28-4) is coming of his Metro Suburban Conference championship with plenty of momentum as he looks to solidify or perhaps move up from his place as the No. 12 rated 170-pounder in 1A.
He and the Chargers finished sixth overall at the MSC, fueled by eight overall medals.