Scouting DuPage County wrestling
Top teams: Montini, Glenbard North, Addison Trail, Neuqua Valley, Downers Grove South, Glenbard East, Naperville Central, Lake Park, Wheaton North, Hinsdale South.
Top athletes: Addison Trail: Guillermo Juarez, sr., 106, Jake Matthews, soph., 138, Brian Reyes, sr., 145, Xavier Sierra, jr., 170, Nick Skamra, jr., 182; Downers Grove North: Gavin Barton, sr., 152, Drew Bielawski, sr., 195, Robert Lara, jr., 113, Teo Paliblinski, sr., 170, Brad Rosen, jr., 132; Downers Grove South: Robert Major, soph., 145, Nick Newell, sr., 285, Jeff Nugent, sr., 152, Matt Straus, sr., 126; Fenton: Ramiro Bracamontes, sr., 160, David Burch, soph., 145, Jeremy Piskorz, jr., 138, Danny Ramirez, jr., 152, Ricky Saucedo, jr., 195; Glenbard East: Emiliano Garcia, sr., 138, Jesus Lopez, sr., 220, Reese Martin, jr., 120, Ben Pham, sr., 195, Alex Posada, sr., 145, Tyler Salvino, sr., 132; Glenbard North: Abe Assad, sr., 182, Mershad Bashang, sr., 195, George Marre, sr., 152, Anthony Pennington, sr., 170, Ronan Schuelke, jr., 106, Ryan Wharman, sr., 160; Glenbard South: Edin Ahmetovic, sr., 145, Hector Andres, jr., 106; Glenbard West: Lucas Dusik, soph., 120, Andrew Johnson, jr., 285, Jerico Malvnay, sr., 182, Will Om-Feld, sr., 138, John Solak, jr., 160; Hinsdale Central: John Antonelli, sr., 170, Jack McCarthy, sr., 152, Andrew Perez, soph., 113, Luke Skokna, sr., 160; Hinsdale South: Alex Diaz, sr., 285, Aiden McGivney, soph., 120; Derrick Singleton, jr., 113, Kennan Stewart, sr., 138; IC Catholic Prep: Finn Barney, soph., 120, Joe Bigane, sr., 182, Malachi Morris, jr., 152, Joe Scott, jr., 182, David Vargas, sr., 285, Jalen Williams, soph., 170; Lake Park: Damian Fuglewicz, soph., 145, Demarco Lee, sr., 220, Dominic Mallinder, fr., 120; Lisle: Mark Gwilliam, sr., 126, Conner Keebaugh, sr., 170, Jack Kelly, jr., 152, Kevin Paz, sr., 285, Devion Sanderson, jr., 113, Charlie Waldusky, sr., 195, Zach Zikuda, sr., 220; Metea Valley: Josh Labarbera, sr., 182, Jio Martinez, sr., 152, Phillips Sims, sr., 138, Kyle Smart, sr. 132; Montini: Dylan Burnoski, 132, sr., Peter Christiansen, sr., 195, Fidel Mayora, jr., 145, Mike McNicholas, sr., 285, Matt Ortiz, sr., 160, Jake Stiles, sr., 152, Trevor Swier, jr., 182, Nain Vasquez, soph., 113; Naperville Central: Colin Baumgartner, sr., 120, Ben Cianchetti, sr., 195, Tyler Driessens, jr., 113, Kyle Guttosch, sr., 138; Cam Palmer, sr., 170, Jackson Punzel, sr., 182; Naperville North: Jake Allgood, sr., 113, Evan Deman, jr., 106, Drake McIntyre, sr., 160, Kyle Planck, sr., 152, Jacob Pollitt, sr., 182; Neuqua Valley: Kyle Borske, sr., 220, Bryce Boumans, soph., 132, Jacob Boumans, sr., 170, Denis Murphy, sr., 126, Roberto Pena, sr., Koshal Shah, sr., 106; St. Francis: Ben Bougadis, sr., 138, Michael D'Orazio, soph., 132, Collin James, sr., 145, Coleman Lacy, sr., 126, Danny Skold, sr., 285; Waubonsie Valley: Evan Brunner, jr., 106, Michael Foster, sr., 160, Charlie Millington, jr., 285, Garrett St. Clair, sr., 220, Antonio Torres, fr., 152; West Chicago: Pierre Baldwin, fr., 106, Miguel Rodriguez, jr., 220, Brian Salinas, jr., 195, Sebastian Terrazas, sr., 160; Wheaton Academy: Derek Johanik, sr., 285, Hunter Kacmierczak, fr., 160, Jonathan Vanderbilt, soph., 120, Alex Ventimilla, soph., 132; Wheaton North: Brice Balosky, sr., 120, Logan Balosky, soph., 113, Ben Lemp, sr., 125, Quinlan Nelson, sr., 160, Antowon Tolbert, sr.; Wheaton Warrenville South: Peyton Berry, sr., 152, Preston Berry, jr., 132, Dom Duve, sr., 126, Jon Gonzales, sr., 195, Aidan Waszak, soph., 120; Willowbrook: Elijah Brockie, soph., 182, Jonathan Leal-Gerwarth, jr., 132, Richie Scheelk, sr., Zach Seymore, jr., 120; York: Zach Armstrong, sr., 182, Matt Cozzi, jr., 132, Alex Gutierrez, soph., 120, Josh Mathiasen, jr., 285.
Scouting report: Assad has continued the individual wrestling dynasty at Glenbard North. Mark Hahn is a celebrated name in the annals of state wrestling coaches. Hahn changed his mind about also retiring from coaching after leaving the classroom at the close of the 2016-17 school year. Assad denied current Michigan State freshman Nate Jimenez (Marmion) 7-4 in the Class 3A 170-pound championship match last February in Champaign to become one of two undefeated state champions from the area. Assad, who ultimately won two more dual-meet state series matches to finish a perfect 49-0 on the season, captured the 22nd individual state championship for Glenbard North during Hahn's 30-year career. Assad will look to follow in the footsteps of former Panthers great Tony Ramos after committing to Iowa; Ramos was a national champion for the Hawkeyes. Assad is the consensus top-ranked 182-pounder in Class 3A as the season commences in earnest. "It's tough to win a state championship," Hahn said. "It's even tougher to defend one. I expect (Assad) to be competing for a state championship. He has been working his tail off."
Every Class 3A program in the state will have to contend with Montini. Returning multiple all-staters, including champions Stiles, Ortiz and Christiansen, Montini will seek to defend its team state championship behind state-ranked veterans Vasquez, Ragusin, Burnoski, Mayora, Swier and McNicholas as well. Stiles, the defending 145-pound state champion, is the top-ranked athlete at 152 this winter. Ortiz and Christiansen are expected to defend their respective state titles at 160 and 195 pounds. Ragusin and Mayora are reigning state runners-up; heavyweight McNicholas enters the season as the second-ranked 285-pounder.
Addison Trail has been turning heads in the early stages of the season. The Blazers are legitimate West Suburban Gold and regional contenders behind returning state qualifiers Juarez, Matthews and Reyes. Addison Trail earned a top-20 preseason ranking - No. 19 in the coaches' poll - for the first time in recent memory. "I have a few kids who want to wrestle in college," Addison Trail coach Rob Serio said. "Where, I'm not sure yet. First and foremost, I want to win the conference and the regional. It would be great to get this team downstate."
The lightest weight class, 106 pounds, offers plenty of local intrigue as Glenbard North junior Schuelke, Juarez and Neuqua Valley senior Shah check in, respectively, at slots Nos. 2,3 and 7. Second-year Neuqua Valley coach Mike Mucha has the Wildcats back on the prowl. Neuqua Valley and Naperville Central are leading contenders in the new-look DuPage Valley Conference. Neuqua Valley ranked one slot behind Addison Trail at No. 20. In addition to Shah, Murphy, Jake Boumans, Borske and Pena are all ranked. "We want to be at our best when it counts in February," Mucha said. "We want to get as many guys to Champaign as possible. We seek out the toughest tournaments - Cheesehead (in Wisconsin) and Dvorak."
Punzel is the lone returning state qualifier for Naperville Central, but the 182-pounder has plenty of firepower behind him in Guttosch and Cianchetti. Driessens is another ranked wrestler for the Redhawks' arsenal. "Punzel's goal is to win state," Naperville Central coach Noah Fitzenreider said. "This is the kind of year we have been building for four years. Our junior class is very talented. We are pretty deep at every single class."
Metea Valley and Waubonsie Valley have their own lofty aspirations for their elite individuals. Sims is a returning all-stater for the Mustangs; Labarbera is a returning state qualifier who more than solidified his No. 5 status with an impressive championship at Barrington over the holiday weekend. "Even though the school hasn't been open forever, we have done all right," Metea Valley coach Claudio Torres said. Torres has one thing in mind for Sims, who has committed to Illinois. "A state championship," Torres said.
In recent years, the upper weights have carried the Waubonsie Valley program. Returning state qualifier St. Clair occupies the sixth slot among Class 3A 195-pounders for the Warriors. "Garrett is looking more than to just qualifying this year," Waubonsie Valley coach Brad Caldwell said. "He wants to make a step for the (all-state) podium."
The inaugural DuKane Conference campaign has no dearth of compelling storylines for the four DuPage County members. With six returning state returnees headlined by top-ranked heavyweight Justin Hull, sixth-ranked St. Charles East has been anointed the favorite. "It's not going to be any easier than the DVC," said Hahn, who also boasts all-state contenders in Marre and Pennington. "I think you could make an argument that (wrestling) is going be even deeper than football (in the DuKane)," Batavia coach Scott Bayer said. "It's going to be a pretty solid, competitive conference," added Wheaton North coach Travis Cherry, who has one of the top 195-pounders in the state in 2017-18 DVC champion Tolbert. "We're going to do everything in our power to control what we can control." The Balosky siblings also merit watching for the Falcons.
Lake Park features a fearsome competitor in Lee, the defending sectional champion who stormed to the title at Barrington. "Lake Park is going to be tough," Hahn said. "It's not getting any easier," WW South coach Matt Janosek added. "There is a lot of great coaches in the new conference." Former WW South coach Ryan Ferguson is now in charge at Lake Park.
In order to emerge victorious in the West Suburban Silver, Addison Trail will in all likelihood have to overcome Downers South. The Mustangs, behind Major, earned the No. 23 slot in the coaches' preseason poll. In the ever-competitive Silver Division, Glenbard West, York, Downers North and Hinsdale Central have the unenviable task of neutralizing consensus second-ranked Oak Park-River Forest. "We expect to be competitive, even though we are young," Glenbard West coach Nick Posegay said. Hinsdale Central has a legitimate state contender at 160 pounds as Skokna is ranked third.
In the single-division Upstate Eight Conference, defending Valley Division champion Glenbard East has ranked athletes in Posada, Pham and Lopez to supplement lone returning state qualifier Martin. First-year Upstate Eight member Glenbard South envisions greener pastures at the conclusion of the year as the only Class 2A school. "The whole season is practice until the regional," coach Derrick Crenshaw said.
Hinsdale South cannot be discounted in the West Suburban Gold as a defending Class 2A regional champion. Steve Matozzi takes over the reins his older brother Mike occupied at the Darien school for many years. The Hornets' Singleton, McGivney, Stewart and Diaz are all state ranked in 2A.
St. Francis' Skold is the only Metro Suburban returning Class 2A state qualifier from the area. The senior all-state football lineman will bump up a weight class to tangle with the top heavyweights. "We've got some good programs that we're excited to compete with," St. Francis coach Dan Page said of the Spartans' maiden year in the Metro Suburban.
The Class 1A schools in the area have IC Catholic Prep at the top of the list. Vargas was fifth in the state last year while helping the Knights to an Elite Eight berth against eventual runner-up Vandalia. "It was a great experience for the kids," ICCP coach Kevin Sliva said. "It was beyond our vision as a program when we first started. We're getting a late start (this year) because of football, but we will improve and peak by the end of the season."
- Kevin McGavin