Brothers lead West Aurora into sectional

Rob Prentiss, a longtime area boys golf coach, was once asked his opinion on an upcoming sectional tournament.

“The sectional,” he said, “separates the men from the boys.”

Is it the same in wrestling as the area programs seek to advance their sectional qualifiers to the three-class state tournament this weekend?

“Absolutely,” Kaneland coach Monty Jahns said.

“If they're wrestling at this point in the season, they're all men,” West Aurora coach Mike DiNovo said.

Thirty-two individuals — ironically 16 each in the Class 2A sectional at Sterling and the 3A tournament at Glenbard North — will vie for state tournament bids beginning tonight and concluding on Saturday evening.

Among the five Class 3A local programs participating at Glenbard North, West Aurora has nearly as many qualifiers as the other four schools combined with its seven entrants.

“We have seven guys who are going to the sectional, and I think they can all make it to state,” DiNovo said.

The Blackhawks fell short last week at Naperville North in duplicating their appearance at the team state finals last year, but West Aurora produced four of the six area large-class regional champions.

Brothers Carlos and Greg Jacquez won titles for West Aurora at 106 and 138 pounds.

“I was really surprised that I got this far,” said Carlos Jacquez, a freshman who leads all area individuals with 36 wins. “For the weekend I want to finish in the top two. That may sound bigheaded, but I plan on doing it.”

Greg Jacquez, who also qualified as a freshman at Aurora Central Catholic three years ago, seeks his third career berth to the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall.

“I won't be satisfied until the end of the year to see what I can do,” the elder Jacquez said.

Fellow senior Austin Beebe, the heavyweight champion at Naperville North, also concludes his banner season with the individual state series.

“I won't be seeing any new guys,” Beebe said of the 12-man field at Glenbard North. “I'll be seeing guys I beat (during the regular season) and I'll be seeing guys I lost to.”

Sean Anthony, the Blackhawks' fourth regional champion at 113 pounds, is another prized freshman for West Aurora.

Nate Pealstrom (145 pounds), Brandon Farias (152) and Brandon Warren (182) are the other West Aurora sectional qualifiers.

St. Charles North senior Tim Noverini has already written a script never authored in program history when he became the first two-time state qualifier in the North Stars' history last year.

The 152-pounder, one of only two once-beaten wrestlers in the area, enters with unbounded confidence after his regional title at South Elgin last week.

“Obviously, we're pretty confident with Tim Noverini (making the state field),” St. Charles North coach Ken Moromi said. “In the past (state series) he has been a little nervous. He has a lot of (postseason) matches under his belt.”

Jordan Scalice, the final area regional champion who prevailed at 120 pounds at South Elgin, and Wes Pasholk, a junior 220-pounder, also made the sectional cut for St. Charles North.

“They're peaking at the right time,” Moromi said of his three hopefuls.

Brad Martens (113 pounds), Jake Boser (195) and heavyweight Jake Mills will represent Geneva at Glenbard North; Batavia has Anthony Scaccia (138) and Connor McKeehan (220) in the field, and Cameron Carlson (160) is the lone representative for St. Charles East.

After a third straight season of disappointment for Marmon as a team, the program, which has produced seven state titles between six athletes the last two years, will have to settle for nine qualifiers to Sterling.

“We should have two or three (team state) trophies in our case, and we don't got any,” Marmion coach Dean Branstetter said after another heartbreaking runner-up finish to Yorkville last week at LaSalle-Peru.

Johnny Jimenez (113 pounds) and George Fisher (138) seek to defend their state titles at one- and two-weight classes higher, respectively, while fellow regional champions Jake Field (120), Angelo Silvestro (138), Cody Snodgrass (182) and Alex Fritz (220) look to run their collective state appearances to nine.

“(Being a former state champion) doesn't make it any easier, and it doesn't make it harder,” said Fisher.

“I have been feeling pretty good with how I have been wrestling,” Silvestro said.

Anthony Bosco (106 pounds), Ryan Riggs (145) and Sam Kellett (152) were all runners-up at LaSalle-Peru for Marmion.

“This team has practiced well all year; I'm anxious to see what they can do (this weekend),” Branstetter said.

Not to be overlooked, Danny Goress, the 138-pound champion at DeKalb last week, leads seven qualifiers for Kaneland at Sterling.

“We have to put ourselves in position to get out,” Jahns said of his team, which also features regional heavyweight champion Zach Theis. “(Goress) is making very few mistakes. That's what it takes to get to state.”