State tournament scouting, Lake County
Scouting state wrestling
Where: State Farm Center, Champaign
When: Thursday - 3 p.m. (approx.) Class 2A preliminaries, 5 p.m. (approx.) Class 3A preliminaries. Friday - 11 a.m. (approx.) Class 2A quarterfinals, 1:30 p.m. (approx.) Class 3A quarterfinals, 7 p.m. Class 1A, 2A, and 3A semifinals. Saturday - 9 a.m. quarterfinal wrestlebacks, 11 a.m. semifinal wrestlebacks, 1 p.m. third and fifth-place matches (1A/2A/3A). 5:30 p.m. Grand March followed by championship matches (1A/2A/3A) starting at 152 pounds.
Class 2AArea qualifiers: 106: Carmel Catholic freshman Christian Valadez (32-8), Antioch freshman Alex Barbarise (25-16); 113: Grayslake North senior Joe Arroyo (40-1, three-time qualifier), Vernon Hills junior Jesse Goldufsky (40-10), Wauconda sophomore Evan Husko (32-12); 120: Wauconda senior Justin Mitchell (40-6), Carmel Catholic junior Anthony Schaer (30-11); 126: Carmel Catholic sophomore Riley Palm (13-4, sixth in 2016, two-time qualifier), Wauconda sophomore Delon Kanari (9-2); 138: Grayslake Central junior Austin Connelly (35-16, two-time qualifier); 145: Grayslake Central sophomore Alex Cramer (33-2, two-time qualifier); 152: Lakes senior Xavian Girona (24-8); 160: Antioch senior Pat Schoenfelder (44-2, second in 2016, fourth in 2015, four-time qualifier), Grayslake North senior Alex Moran (39-8); 170: Wauconda senior Devin Parrish (38-11); 182: Wauconda junior Zac Finn (32-18); 195: Grayslake North junior Angel Flores (31-11); 220: Antioch senior George Bessette (26-1, fourth in 2016, fourth in 2014, four-time qualifier), Vernon Hills senior Collin Turley (42-8); 285: St. Viator senior Tony Valentino (35-0, three-time qualifier), Antioch sophomore Xavier Sanchez (34-7), Wauconda senior Mike Turzynski (33-11)
Outlook: With a school-record six individuals qualifying for the state meet this year, Wauconda has great numbers heading into the grueling three-day tournament. The Bulldogs had one champion, Mitchell, crowned at their own rugged sectional meet last weekend.
No. 1-ranked, four-time state qualifiers Schoenfelder and Bessette have golden opportunities to become the first state champions ever for Antioch after gradually climbing their way up the IHSA ladder of prominence since their freshman years.
No. 2-ranked Grayslake North teammates Arroyo and Moran should also make a lot of noise downstate. But Moran will need to potentially pull off a huge upset against Schoenfelder to reach the top of the mountain at 160 pounds as Schoenfelder is 4-0 against Moran this season.
Cramer has been impressive for Grayslake Central with a third-place finish at sectionals, while Valentino (35-0) could be a serious state-title contender if everything falls in place for him at the venue formerly known as the Assembly Hall.
Palm has been nursing a knee injury for the better part of the season. But after placing sixth in the state as a freshman, he could definitely be in line to bring home another medal on Saturday.
Class 3AArea qualifiers: 106: Libertyville senior Alex Mitchell (20-0, two-time qualifier), Mundelein junior Dane Durlacher (38-5); 113: Stevenson sophomore Tommy Frezza (36-3), Mundelein sophomore Reese Durlacher (40-7); 126: Libertyville freshman Danny Pucino (37-4); 132: Libertyville sophomore Michael Gunther (30-9); 138: Grant junior Spencer Welter (28-15); 145: Warren senior Grant Zamin (37-4, two-time qualifier), Stevenson senior Eric Carter (38-9, two-time qualifier); 152: Libertyville senior Jack Damenti (37-5); 160: Stevenson senior Dylan Geick (39-1, fourth in 2016, two-time qualifier); 170: Stevenson senior Nikita Nepomnyashchiy (18-1, two-time qualifier), Mundelein sophomore Logan Kvien (37-11); 195: Warren senior Andrew Demos (40-0), Lake Zurich senior Kyle Fleming (29-7); 220: Lake Zurich senior Josh Dyer (29-6, two-time qualifier)
Outlook: Just getting out of the Barrington individual sectional was a daunting task, but two Lake County area individuals did it while still remaining undefeated this season.
Mitchell (20-0) said he will be much more prepared for his second trip downstate this weekend after struggling with a lot of nerves in his first appearance to the State Farm Center as a junior last winter.
Demos (40-0) has had a spectacular senior season from start to finish, and his meteoric rise to a prestigious spot on the state-meet podium is pretty much a foregone conclusion at this point.
Geick is another big-time wrestler with his sights set squarely on a hopeful trip to the championship match while sophomore teammate Frezza has really blossomed into a potential star with a sectional title now under his belt.
Another young wrestler who has exploded onto the scene this season is Libertyville freshman Pucino, who also took home a sectional championship for the Wildcats.
Stevenson's Nepomnyashchiy overcame a lot of missed time due to injury to win a sectional crown while Zamin in an experienced wrestler ready to make a big splash. Mundelein's Dane Durlacher could also reach the podium after placing second at sectionals, as did Gunther of Libertyville.
- John Bumbales