Marmion defends its title
The extraordinary Ben Whitford unblemished run came to a shocking close Saturday afternoon in Geneva at the 18-team Newbill Invitational.
Wrestling up one weight class at 135 pounds, the Marmion sophomore, who had never tasted defeat, had his 70-match winning streak snapped by Brother Rice senior Michael Avelar with a 5-1 loss.
Third at the Class 3A state meet last year at 135, Avelar had a takedown at the first-period buzzer, an escape in the second and a clinching takedown late in the third to hand Whitford, the reigning Class 2A state champion at 119, his first prep defeat.
“(Avelar) is a great kid,” Whitford said. “I didn't wrestle my best match. He got the best of me.”
The verdict--Whitford was not only a returning undefeated state champion but also a two-time reigning national champion--reverberated throughout the gym.
“Unbelievable,” said Geneva coach Tom Chernich. “You got to witness some IHSA history today.”
Whitford was 26-0 on the season following preliminary victories over his first two foes by fall.
“It feels like any other day,” Avelar said in the aftermath of his colossal upset. “I was able to wrestle my match. I wrestled hard and stayed active.”
“Ben has been the face of the program for the last year and a half,” Marmion coach Dean Branstetter said. “He has always maintained that (being a four-time undefeated state champion) was not his primary goal. His main goal (to win four state titles) is still intact. We just couldn't get (Avelar) out of position.”
Branstetter characterized his team as “depleted” after a rigorous December schedule cost him four starters: Eddie Gonzalez, Bryce Brill, Eddie Breen and Dan Rowland.
But the Cadets still had plenty in reserve to defend their championship.
Marmion crowned five champions and had four top-four performances to defeat Class 1A state power Stillman Valley, 208-144.
Wheaton Warrenville South had three champions to edge the host Vikings, who had two athletes drop championship matches.
Jacobs, Larkin and St. Edward were in the back half of the standings.
Marmion is particularly potent at the top of its lineup: Jonny Jimenez, Jered Cortez, George Fisher and Eddie Greco monopolized the four classes between 103 and 125 pounds for titles.
Jiminez had two falls and whitewash in the championship to win the title at 103.
“I think I wrestled hard and am happy to have helped the team win,” Jimenez said.
Cortez doubled up his opponent to win the title at 112.
“The final match wasn't what I was expecting, but I just want to focus on getting better,” said Cortez.
Fisher used a third-period reversal to secure a 2-0 win at 119, and Greco had a pair of takedowns in his hard-fought win at 125.
Angelo Silvestro claimed the final Marmion win at 145 pounds.
Geneva 152-pounder Nick Bradberry was denied by Carmel senior Tim Hourihan, 3-1 in the championship match.
“I was pretty mad that he beat me,” Bradberry said. “I beat him pretty bad before the season even started at a tournament in Michigan.”
Eric Timko met the same fate at 171 pounds for Geneva.
“Every close match that could have gone our way didn't,” Chernich said. “No one really had an outstanding day.”
Brett Barry defeated Fenton senior Chris Butz 5-2 in the third-place match at 152 pounds to frame the finest Larkin showing.
“I just came back from an injury (sprained right ankle),” said Berry, who returned to action last week after a month absence. “I wasn't expecting to do my best. I feel like I was very aggressive and went after the guys.”
Andy Koehnke was fourth for the Royals at 189 pounds.
“This is a rebuilding year for us,” Larkin coach Andre Allen said of the Royals' 14th-place finish. “We have only three guys in our lineup who were starters last year. My guys have showed a lot of heart. We're really encouraged about that.”
Jacobs also had two top-four performers to score 15 more points than Larkin.
Gabe Difecchio had a fall and two decisions to reach the title at match at 189 pounds for Jacobs.
But WW South senior Vinny Lamontagna dashed his championship hopes with a first-period fall.
“I wasn't quite prepared for the final match,” Difecchio said. “This is the best I have wrestled in quite a while.”
Austin Ryan was fourth at 103 pounds for Jacobs.
“We had two poor duals Thursday and Friday,” Jacobs coach Chris Taylor said. “It's been like Sybil--multiple personalities. The kids came out today and wrestled out of their minds.”
Garrett Watkins' eighth-place result at 103 pounds was the lone team scorer for St. Edward.