Hersey's Stortenbecker escapes shadows, finds spotlight

If there ever was a wrestler who has gone from the basement to the high-rent district, it would have to be Kyle Stortenbecker.

Not exactly a household name during his first year with the varsity, a season in which the Hersey senior went 0-17, Stortenbecker has exceeded the learning curve, growing into an overall record of 23-9 with one week left before the Mid-Suburban League tournament.

"A lot of guys probably would have just quit but not Kyle," said Hersey coach Jim Wormsley before watching his 189-pounder go 3-0 against the competition at the Maine West Quad.

"Kyle started wrestling as a sophomore. He basically went from nothing ... to really being something.

"But he's really been a work in progress. He is a quick learner and a very hard worker, who is starting to catch up to everyone else because of it."

A two-year defensive starter on the Huskies' football team, Stortenbecker knew that in time wrestling could be a sport he might excel in, even after his rookie season with the big club.

"I was at 171 my sophomore year and I wasn't in the best of shape," he said. "I had a little baby fat on me, and starting at that weight and with no experience meant I was really going to get beat up every time I went out on the mat."

He followed his 0-17 start to finish 16-15 last season.

Stortenbecker was a fast learner.

Extra time during the off-season lifting, fine-tuning on the technical side of things, and just taking the experience he gained despite all of those losses helped turn around the 2006-07 season and jump-start 2007-08.

"To begin this season with 9-10 wins in a row really helped my confidence," Stortenbecker said.

"And to compete and be right there with the top seed (and state-ranked) Christopher Owens of East Moline in the quarterfinals of the Berman and lose just 6-4 gave me a ton of confidence.

"But to lose in the fifth-place match, in a match that I knew I should have won, really upset me at the time, but also helped me get focused on what I need to do to improve."

"It was great to see Kyle get all worked up and show some emotion after that loss because he's been better since then," Wormsley said.

"Coach Wormsley is a terrific coach to have. He's a real positive influence for me and he'll put the time in and extra work whenever I need it," Stortenbecker said.

A pinner by nature, Stortenbecker, who is looking at Wisconsin-Platteville, Elmhurst and others for football or wrestling next season, possesses the speed and ability to match up with the type of elite opponents he will see in the tournaments.

Big story at Fremd: Ralph Cortez, Fremd's head coach, says good fortune has smiled on him in recent years by having a group of big men stored away to unleash on opponents.

Former state champion Robert Panayi (215) and two-time state qualifier Buddy Dudczak (285) destroyed all who stood in their way while under the guidance of Cortez.

Ben Perna, a sophomore two years ago, and John LaPointe last season then came on the scene.

The health of Perna because of shoulder injuries has prevented the talented 2006 state qualifier from making regular appearances on the mats this season.

However, LaPointe (17-1), currently ranked fifth at 285 by Illinoismatmen.com, and teammate Bryan Opitz (20-5 at 215) have the Vikings' faithful thinking of Assembly Hall in Champaign next month.

"I have been very lucky to have so many talented big boys come through our program the last few years," Cortez said.

"I've known John forever, since he began as a little guy in our Palatine Panthers club program and have seen him grow into a terrific young man and wrestler at the same time.

"And although Bryan got started a little late with the Panthers, it's been exciting to see him come into his own over the past year to become a serious player at his weight class in the area."

LaPointe impressed his coach last season after going head-to-head with Montini star heavyweight Garrett Goebel (ranked No. 1 in Illinois) during the semifinals of the Glenbard North sectionals.

Goebel would defeat LaPointe 5-1, and later the Vikings' senior would advance to the state tournament with a 6-1 win over Alex Hansen of Glenbard North.

"Goebel was and is a big, strong, terrific wrestler, yet John didn't back down," Cortez said.

"John is an athletic heavyweight, who knows how to adjust to situations during a match and is a legitimate medal-winner downstate."

The two-year defensive tackle, along with defensive ends Opitz and Perna, says he felt no pressure prior to the match with Hansen, but he could sense a case of the nerves just before his state tournament opener in which he lost to Kevin McFarland of Batavia.

The joy of making it downstate still lingered even after the McFarland defeat, but a short time later L Pointe's fate was sealed when McFarland would fall to Jordan Walsh of McHenry to abruptly end any hope of a Champaign toast.

"I had really been OK after that loss and had accepted it all because I was still excited to be downstate," LaPointe said.

"But later on I was disappointed to be eliminated. This year I really feel good about my chances to medal at the tournament."

Despite having the title heavyweight alongside his name on the lineup card, LaPointe is anything but.

Not the prototypical big, slow-moving wrestler, aside from the top three in the state this season (Goebel, Walsh and Sycamore's Schelpler) LaPointe is a hybrid with speed, quickness and the technical and tactical savvy built from his younger days with the Panthers and refined along the way in a sport he says is more fun than work.

"That's why I'll wrestle in college, it's so much fun," said LaPointe, who isn't sure of his next stop on the collegiate side, but knows when he's done he'll move on to coach and teach on the high school level.

LaPointe could see Walsh at the Barrington sectional if all goes well, a match he'll cherish after missing out on a chance to defeat the McHenry senior during an early-season bout.

"I wish Ben (Perna) were healthy to give us an awesome big three with Bryan (Opitz) and myself and to provide veteran leadership," LaPointe said. "Maybe he can still make it back before too long."

Opitz has the same wish as his teammate, maybe a little selfishly because it would allow the senior to drop down to wrestle at 189 after putting together a 20-win season mostly at 215 while Perna has been on the mend.

"We really miss Ben in our lineup and it would be cool to have him back," said Opitz, who last season qualified into the Glenbard North sectionals at 189 with a 19-15 record overall.

"I feel this season with my fitness so much better than last year, I could compete with the best at 189, but if I stay at 215, I am confident that I can still reach my goal of getting downstate."

Opitz says he worked extremely hard during the off-season to get fit, stronger and to improve his technique and position. All have paid dividends, particularly his endurance.

That was never so evident than at the Harvard tournament in mid-December. Opitz came back through the back-draw to win four straight and gain a third-place finish, defeating Round Lake senior Vince Nicoline after Nicoline pinned Opitz in the early rounds to send him into the consolation bracket.

"I really believe all of the running and extra work on getting in shape and fit has paid off because I tend to pull away from my opponents later in the match and just seem to have that extra bit of energy needed to do so," said Opitz.

He's a weekend workout warrior with former Vikings' teammate and good friend Jimmy O'Shea, who is a freshman at UIC after qualifying into the sectionals last season.

"Bryan's progress has been terrific," Cortez said. "He's matured as a person and as an athlete, and because he is so coachable, he has, despite getting a late start in the sport, really come on during the past year."

At the Harvard tourney, Opitz would win 4 of 6 matches by fall, including Ernie Ramos of Huntley, before upending Nicoline 10-4 to capture a 3rd-place medal.

Opitz, who envisions a career in education and coaching after college (Grand Valley State, UW-Whitewater, Concordia, Wisconsin Lutheran will all be given consideration), says football on the collegiate side is likely in his future as well after spending two years along the defensive line for the Vikings.

"I probably missed some valuable time in the sport when I was younger," he said, "because I played a lot of soccer, but I really feel that I've been catching up and really understanding the sport during these past two seasons with the help of coach Cortez and the staff."