High hopes at S. Elgin regionals

Since West Aurora fielded its inaugural wrestling squad in late 1953, the team has never accomplished what it can Saturday at home.

The Blackhawks are in search of a third consecutive Class AA regional championship.

"That's what we aim to do," West Aurora coach Mike DiNovo said. "The guys know it's there. That's the way I like to frame it."

The sport has a unique postseason arrangement; the first component is the individual state series as the top-three place winners in the regional complex advance to the sectional, where another finish in the top three ensures advancement to the state finals at the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall in Champaign in two weeks.

There is a peculiar twist, however.

The 32 regional team champions in turn qualify their entire lineup for the dual-team state series that concludes at Northern Illinois' Convocation Center in DeKalb the following weekend.

"It's a difficult thing with the team sectional coming after individual state, especially if you have guys who don't make the final two stages (of individual competition)," DiNovo said. "The idea is to be there for each other."

Fate could very well be on the Blackhawks' side Saturday as Mother Nature may have extended a helping hand.

The regional was originally slated for East Aurora High School, but the Tomcats' famed gym sustained water damage during the near-record rainfall amounts of last August.

As a result, the eight-team competition will be held at West High and home cooking is not the only disadvantage the other schools have to overcome to end the Blackhawks' two-year champion run.

The IHSA and its much-conversed commitment to geographical representation are once again in the crosshairs as Aurora and Naperville, the second- and third-largest cities in the state, respectively, do battle.

With the exceptions of Upstate Eight Conference powerhouse Neuqua Valley heading to Romeoville and the inclusion of Wheaton Warrenville South, Naperville North and Naperville Central will send their finest against the Aurora contingents of West High, East High, Marmion, Central Catholic and Waubonsie Valley.

"As far as where we go, it doesn't matter to us," said Marmion coach Dean Branstetter, whose team has made dramatic inroads this season while simultaneously searching for its ever-elusive first state qualifier.

"We're going to try and get as many kids through as we can."

For the West Aurora standouts who have already been immersed in state success, the chance for making program history is icing on the cake this weekend.

"(I am) going in there to win it, to dominate it," said Mario Gonzalez, the Blackhawks' superstar 189-pounder who has legitimate designs on a state championship. "I am hoping we can win it (the regional) all four years in high school -- that's one of my main goals as an individual and as a team."

Gonzalez, the lone sectional champion from the Tri-Cities last year, finished fourth in state at 171 pounds last season, and the junior is itching -- no pun intended -- after missing three weeks with a skin condition.

"I thought I was going to be out of shape," said Gonzalez, who made mincemeat of his conference competitors last weekend in earning his second straight league title. "I came back much better than I thought I would. Now I'm back to normal."

West Aurora qualified all but one competitor in the 14 classes last year in storming to the crown at East Aurora, and fellow state qualifiers Josh Zinzer and Tanner Andrews are set for return engagements.

"I think we have a good chance of winning it (the regional) three years in a row," said Andrews, up two classes at 119 pounds after making the Champaign cut at 103 last year. "I'm fully confident I'll make it state this year, and my goal is to place."

Zinzer was sixth in state last year, and the Blackhawks' mainstay at 125 pounds is also primed for another run at glory.

With Gonzalez a near-forgone conclusion at 189 pounds, West Aurora has talented athletes at 215 and heavyweight, respectively, in Dan Carey and Juan Perez.

"I just feel really confident about the strength of our lineup from (103) to heavyweight," DiNovo said.

For Marmion, Matt Grange is the career-win leader at 125 pounds for the Cadets, and St. Charles resident Pat Greco is state-ranked at 135. Dan Deufel is also a threat at 130, and sophomore sensation Nico Jimenez returns from a football-and wrestling-addled shoulder injury at 171.

"We probably won't get many seeds," Branstetter said of garnering top-four status. "We never do. It's no big deal."

The West Aurora regional champion advances to the Glenbard North team sectional; individuals will compete at Naperville North next Thursday and Saturday.

South Elgin regional:ŒThe northern tier of the area heads to South Elgin, and conventional wisdom suggests either St. Charles East or Batavia will hoist the team trophy Saturday.

"I think we have a pretty good chance," St. Charles East coach Steve Smerz said. "For determining the team (champion), it's going to come down to bonus points. We have been wrestling well. It's going to be tough."

"This is where all the pressure is," Batavia coach Tom Arlis said. "Everybody on your team has to score some points (to win)."

The teams' midseason dual-meet encounter went decisively in favor of the Saints, but Batavia has been on a roll in tournament action ever since.

Following an early-season victory at Downers Grove South, the Bulldogs captured their own 15-team tournament as well as the Western Sun Conference meet.

Batavia will send five conference champions -- Logan Arlis (103 pounds), Charlie Ryan (125), Rocco Wade (135), Danny Watson (160) and Matt McCarter (189) -- to South Elgin, and the Saints counter with four of their league winners: Alex Maynard (103), Cody Crawford (125), Danny Mercadante (130) and Adam Schaefer (189).

"We've stepped it up in the practice room," Logan Arlis said. "We know we have to beat (St. Charles East for the title). We have to work harder than them."

The team title will more than likely not only come down to bonus points and winning close decisions but also the role of spoilers from other schools.

St. Charles North has a quartet of what coach Arlis refers to as "wild cards," in Eric Justice, Dave Trizzino, Lin Stacey and Dan McSweeney.

The best bet for Geneva is sophomore heavyweight Frank Boenzi, who is coming off a fourth-place showing at the Western Sun.

The South Elgin qualifiers also advance to Naperville North.

The final area program, Kaneland, travels to LaSalle-Peru, and the Knights have high aspirations for Sean Szatkowski at 112 pounds and undefeated 119-pounder Jeff Stralka. Ben Fabrizius is nearing 30 victories on the season after winning the heavyweight title in the Western Sun tournament.

For Kaneland coach Gary Baum, retiring from the sport after two decades at the conclusion of the season, the goal is simple.

"Not to finish last and get out as many guys as we can," Baum said. "I would think (Yorkville is the team to beat)."

The LaSalle-Peru regional feeds into the Rock Island sectional.