Marmion sends three to finals

CHAMPAIGN - Anthony Cheloni was in an unfamiliar positon on the second day of the Class 3A state wrestling tournament at the University of Illinois' State Farm Center.

"He didn't even make it to state last year," Marmion top-seeded 182-pounder Nathan Traxler said of his sophomore teammate.

But South Elgin native pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the large-class semifinals on Friday night.

Cheloni had a takedown with three seconds to go to put an end to the perfect season top-seeded senior Bobby Alexander of Conant was enjoying.

The 138-pounder, one of five Marmion wrestlers to reach the semifinals, will be the first of three Cadets to wrestle for a state title on Saturday.

"I didn't know anything about (Alexander)," Cheloni said moments after the 3-0 victory. "I gained a lot of confidence (as the match progressed). Knowing that he is ranked No. 1 is a great feeling."

One class earlier, the Cadets' AJ Jaffe dropped an 8-3 verdict to New Trier senior Alec McKenna, who has dropped only one match against 46 wins.

Marmion junior Trace Carello was looking to duplicate the feat of Cheloni at 160 pounds, but top-ranked Libertyville senior Joey Gunther advanced to the championship with a 3-2 ultimate tie-breaker.

"It is what it is," Carello said.

But Riley DeMoss and Traxler more than compensated for the two earlier Marmion semifinal losses with back-to-back triumphs at 170 and 182 pounds.

In also knocking a top-seed--Minooka junior Carson Oughton--into the consolation bracket, DeMoss won a razor-thin 3-2 decision.

Something will have to give in the finals at 182 pounds on Saturday.

Traxler, the No. 2 seed, is 43-2 on the season after a quarterfinal fall and a 4-3 win over Stevenson senior Tyler Harrington.

The Cadets' junior has not lost to an in-state opponent this season.

But neither has Rockton Hononegah senior Tyler Demoss, the top seed who won his 40th consecutive match in the upper bracket.

"Anything can happen in this tournament," Traxler said. "There are so many upsets. Our (national) schedule is insane. It has really helped our younger wrestlers."

Kaneland junior Austin Parks was the only other semifinalist from the area.

But the Knights' 182-pounder was on the wrong side of a technical fall, supplied by defending Class 2A state champion Xavier Montalvo of Montini.

"I'm going to fight back and try and get third," Parks said. "(Montalvo) is fast and strong. He is an all-around good wrestler."

For West Aurora siblings Isaac and Chachi Jacquez, the quarterfinals proved to insuperable an obstacle.

The former, a 113-pound sophomore, dropped a heart-wrenching match to Glenbard North finalist Austin Gomez.

The former conference rivals entered their quarterfinal match with a combined 91-4 record.

Chachi Jacquez still has a chance for 50 wins this season after losing his 120-pound quarterfinal to Oswego senior Andrew McFall.