West Aurora nearly topples 3-time state champ Sandburg
Not many teams have been able to match three-time defending state champion Sandburg step-for-step in a tournament, but West Aurora's wrestling team did just that Saturday night.
The Blackhawks placed second to the Eagles at the formidable, 24-team Rex Whitlatch tournament, hosted by Hinsdale Central, with Sandburg posting 242.5 team points, and West Aurora putting up 235.5.
"It's been a fun weekend," said Blackhawks coach Mike DiNovo. "I told the guys that it's going to be won in the wrestlebacks, and we had 11 guys get through to place."
Lockport placed third at Hinsdale Central, with Minooka fourth and Hinsdale South fifth.
Josh Zinzer (125 pounds) and Mario Gonzalez (189) won individual titles for West Aurora, with Zinzer pinning Minooka's Marcus Rangel, and Gonzalez winning his title by going 4-0 with a technical fall, a pin and two major decisions.
"I was looking for a pin, because I knew we needed a few more points," Zinzer said. "I didn't think we'd be this close (to Sandburg), but it's nice to say we almost beat them."
The Blackhawks' Tanner Andrews beat Geneseo's Adam Sheley before placing second at 119 to Carl Sandburg's Jon Morrison, while teammate Tim Soloff was also second at 171. West Aurora's Jesse Pena finished third at 160 on a pin of Hinsdale Central's Quinn Francis.
"I knew Sheley was second in the state last year to (Glenbard North's) Tony Ramos, and I went out there with nothing to lose," said Andrews, who won a 9-6 decision over Sheley. "I just stayed aggressive, and gave it my all."
Sam McKinney (112) and Juan Perez (285) placed fourth in the two-day tournament for the Blackhawks, who also got a sixth from Dan Carey (215), a seventh from Vince Morris (135) and eighths from Brandon Walz (103) and Sam Pealstrom (140).
For four years running nobody has stayed close to Sandburg without a total team effort, and DiNovo got just that from a team he calls "a work-in-progress."
"We had guys beat guys they'd lost to earlier and guys get pins in the wrestleback round," DiNovo said. "Coaches always talk about the importance of wrestle-backs, and we wrestled well."
St. Charles North's Eric Justice continued his fine season by winning a Whitlatch title at 145 pounds, and didn't give up an offensive point through four matches in the process.
Justice won by technical fall, 12-0 major decision, and 11-1 major decision before beating Hinsdale South's Jon Goldsher for the title via 6-1 decision. Justice placed third at the Whitlatch last year at 135 pounds, but he was a different wrestler at this year's tournament.
"I just developed as a wrestler," Justice said. "I'm more confident in what I use, and I've worked my (posterior) off in practice."
The North Stars also got a fourth-place finish from Dan McSweeney at 215, and fifths from Dave Trizzino (140) and Lin Stacey (152).