Dream season ends in title appearance for Wauconda
BLOOMINGTON - Not in its wildest dreams did the Wauconda wrestling team figure it would be competing in the final week of the season, let alone the Class 2A state championship match.
Yet, when the Bulldogs slowly began to build a head of steam in the final weeks of the season, suddenly it became clear their dream could come true.
Wauconda advanced to its first dual-team state tournament after a rousing victory over St. Patrick last Tuesday. And after enjoying an exceptional time in the quarterfinals and semifinals, the Bulldogs reached the final Saturday night at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
No. 1 Washington stood in the way off a glorious historic moment for the Bulldogs, and the Panthers proved too much, leading from start to finish.
Wauconda was unable to take a bite out of the Panthers, who won the final 58-12 to finish 24-3. Wauconda (24-5) still grabbed the first state team trophy in a boys sport in school history.
"I think all of us will be pinching ourselves for a couple of days after this accomplishment," said coach Mike Buhr, who couldn't have asked for a better first year after taking over for longtime coach Tom Nance after he retired last season. "I wasn't sure what we had in place when I arrived, but I knew we had some quality guys all throughout. And as the season went on, and everyone began to buy into what we were selling, it just got better and better."
The Bulldogs were much better than their first two opponents, eliminating a good program from Oak Forest (30-21) before ousting Cahokia 32-23.
"We weathered the storm for a little bit against Oak Forest, but once we got rolling, I felt like our confidence began to grow, especially toward the end," said senior Justin Mitchell (43-8), who decided the contest with a 2-1 victory over fellow state-qualifier Brandon Musselman. "Funny thing is, if I had won my state opener last weekend, I would have faced Musselman in the quarters."
Just prior to the Mitchell victory, heavyweight Michael Turzynski (39-15) got Wauconda going with a pin to give the Bulldogs the lead for good. After a Lucas Kaiser win at 106 pounds, the eventual state runner-up was on its way.
Against Cahokia, Tyler Stankiewicz (195), Turzynski, Evan Husko (113), Mitchell and Delon Kanari put the match out of reach, as they accounted for 18 points to end the hopes of the Comanches.
"I'm not sure exactly when it all came together for us, but it was probably when we beat Grant before a huge home crowd to win our division in the conference," said the senior Husko, who finished 41-9 at 138 pounds. "After that, we were almost unstoppable."
Against an all-star lineup from Washington, which featured Jacob Warner, the No. 1 195-pounder in the nation, the Bulldogs quickly began to chase a lead they never overcame.
"Washington has an amazing lineup, and we knew that," said Wauconda senior Devin Parrish (40-13), who was an individual state qualifier at 170 pounds. "But it doesn't matter. We gave it a good fight and were really good earlier today when we needed to be."
"This has been an incredible year, and one that I will never forget," Buhr said. "And I know for a fact that neither will any of the guys on this team."