Dundee-Crown's Brunner stays undefeated with Newbill title

Christian Brunner was in unfamiliar territory Saturday evening in Geneva.

The Dundee-Crown senior, the undefeated and top-ranked Class 3A 195-pound wrestler in the state, was on the wrong side of the first points of his championship match against Harlem senior Jenner Hecox.

But Brunner negated the opening Hecox points with a reversal and added a takedown late in the second period to forge the second deadlock of the match.

"I knew once I tied up the match that I would be in good shape," the Purdue-bound Brunner said.

Brunner had the only offensive points of the third period and secured the hard-fought 7-6 victory to defend his Newbill Invitational championship at Geneva High School.

The reigning all-stater extended his season-opening winning streak to 27 matches in defending his Newbill title.

Brunner not only was named the tournament MVP but also won fastest-pin with his 22-second fall in his opening match.

"It was the closest match I have had all year," Brunner said of the final.

Hecox threatened Brunner with a pin after a scoreless first period. But Brunner literally reversed the tide by putting the Harlem senior to his back with a second-period reversal moments later.

"I was much better on top," Brunner said.

"One ninety-five was stacked," host Geneva coach Tom Chernich said.

Hecox had to get past Wheaton Warrenville South fifth-ranked junior Andrew Leonard in the semifinals simply to have the opportunity to face Brunner in the championship match.

Harlem advanced five wrestlers to the championship round to capture the 21-team invitational title with 146.5 points. Defending champion Alton was 25 points behind to finish runner-up.

Among the seven schools in the Daily Herald coverage area, Lake Zurich defeated WW South by 7 points to earn local team honors with its sixth-place result. Geneva, Dundee-Crown, West Aurora, Larkin and West Chicago rounded out the Daily Herald teams in the field.

D-C crowned a second champion when 220-pounder Christian Rodriquez had a pair of escapes to earn a 2-1 win over another Harlem athlete in Brandon Elliott.

"My cardio (was the difference)," Rodriquez said. "(Brunner) has helped me build it up. We wrestle very hard in the wrestling room every day."

"It's the first invite he has ever won on the varsity level," D-C coach Tim Hayes said of Rodriquez.

The 120-pound championship between returning all-staters Mike Tortorice and Issac Jacquez was one of the other marquee finals.

Tortorice, third a year ago at 113 pounds, had a second third-period takedown seconds before the final buzzer to hand the West Aurora junior, fifth a year ago at state, a 5-2 defeat.

"I wasn't expecting it to be so defensive," the Carmel senior said. "The third period I knew I had to score or I would lose the match."

Jacquez had earlier potential takedowns negated by being out of bounds.

"It could have been a different match with a little bigger mat, a little more area," West Aurora coach Charlie Curran said. "The difference is I think we have to be a little more offensive."

None of the programs had more than two champions, but Carmel added its name to the list when senior Nathaniel Morris emerged victorious at 160 pounds.

"I feel like having enough conditioning to keep going (was the difference)," Morris said. "You just can't stop midway through a match and try and coast from there. You have to make sure you dominate on the mat and go from there."

Riley Palm was the Corsairs' third finalist on the afternoon, but the 106-pounder dropped his title match to Brother Rice freshman Hassan Johnson.

Larkin junior Hugo Barraza had the only point of the 126-pound championship match against Lake Zurich sophomore Ben Baca for the Royals' lone title.

"I thought it was going to be a high-scoring match," said Barraza, who improved to 22-3 on the season. "I wrestled (Baca) before (in the Buffalo Grove semifinals won by Baca), and it was pretty neck and neck. I am just going from there."

Larkin filled only half of the 14 weight classes.

"We brought seven guys and we placed five," Larkin coach Steve Hoyt said. "I have to be happy with that. What it came down to every match was that we were just relentless."

The other two local athletes to make the finals, Lake Zurich heavyweight Eric Brown and West Chicago 182-pounder Trey Lally, both had their matches end on the wrong side of pins.

Lally was wrestling at a disadvantage.

"I screwed up my neck last week," said Lally, who lost to Alton junior Keontay Holmes. "I couldn't really shoot. I had to be more defensive-(minded)."

Leonard rebounded with a second-period fall in the major consolation final at 195 pounds to win one of two third-place matches for WW South.

"I got in a weird scrambling situation and ended up with a headlock," the WW South standout said. "I need to get better at my neutral position."

Lake Zurich had eight wrestlers place to lead the seven Daily Herald schools.

"I felt like we had a really good day wrestling," Lake Zurich coach Tom Strickler said. "We have a young team, a very inexperienced team. I feel really good about these guys."