Wrestling: Regional scouting, Lake County
Wrestling
Class 3A
Libertyville individual regional
When: Saturday begins at 9 a.m., semifinals at 11 a.m., first and third-place matches at 3:30 p.m. (all times approximate)
Advancement: first-place team advances to Rockford East dual-team sectional on Feb. 21; top three individuals in each weight class advance to Barrington individual sectional on Feb. 10-11.
Teams: Deerfield, Stevenson, Libertyville, Warren, Mundelein, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Waukegan, Zion-Benton
Top area competitors:
• 106 - Libertyville senior Alex Mitchell (15-0), Mundelein junior Dane Durlacher (33-3), Warren sophomore Austin Nash (26-10)
• 113 - Stevenson sophomore Tommy Frezza (30-3), Mundelein sophomore Reese Durlacher (32-5), Libertyville sophomore Brandon Murphy (21-14)
• 120 - Libertyville senior Drew Onufer (25-10)
• 126 - Libertyville freshman Danny Pucino (32-4), Warren junior J.T. VanderVere (27-9)
• 132 - Libertyville sophomore Michael Gunther (25-7), Stevenson junior Michael Karp (22-16)
• 138 - Stevenson senior Brandon Zisman (20-13)
• 145 - Warren senior Grant Zamin (31-3), Stevenson senior Eric Carter (33-6)
• 152 - Libertyville senior Jack Damenti (33-3), Warren junior Kelvin Cupay (19-8)
• 160 - Stevenson senior Dylan Geick (34-1), Libertyville junior Tyler Padilla (25-8)
• 170 - Stevenson senior Nikita Nepomnyashchiy, Mundelein sophomore Logan Kvien (30-9), Warren senior Brandon Hergenreder (16-6)
• 182 - Stevenson senior Robert Pavlovics (29-7), Libertyville senior Ryan Cleary (17-21)
• 195 - Warren senior Andrew Demos (35-0), Stevenson sophomore Max Gomez (22-13)
• 220 - Libertyville senior Adam Koziol, Stevenson junior Charles Longsworth
• 285 - Libertyville junior Charlie Schmidt (34-7), Stevenson sophomore Anand Batbaatar (20-18)
Outlook: After losing the regional title to Deerfield in a tiebreaker last year, Lake County meet champion Stevenson could find itself in another battle to the wire with the Warriors for the championship this weekend. Deerfield has actually toppled the Patriots for the regional crown in each of the past two seasons, and the Warriors are once again the favorites to take home the championship Saturday. Libertyville was impressive with five individual champions last weekend at the powerful Lake County meet, while Stevenson is expected to be back at full strength Saturday with 2016 state qualifier Nepomnyashchiy returning to its lineup at 170 pounds. Warren had numerous key wrestlers out of its lineup at the Lake County meet, but the Blue Devils should also be 100 percent for the meet with undefeated Demos (35-0) and 2016 state qualifier Zamin ready to set the tone for their squad. The other three individual regionals that feed into the Barrington individual sectional and the Rockford East dual-team sectional are at Grant, Wheeling and Jacobs.
Grant individual regional
When: Saturday begins at 9 a.m., semifinals at 11 a.m., first and third-place matches at 1 p.m. (all times approximate)
Advancement: first-place team advances to Rockford East dual-team sectional on Feb. 21; top three individuals in each weight class advance to Barrington individual sectional on Feb. 10-11.
Teams: Barrington, Grant, Lake Zurich, Round Lake, Dundee-Crown, Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake South, McHenry
Top area competitors:
• 106 - Grant freshman Zach Hitzler (22-10), Lake Zurich sophomore Justin Wollard (24-13)
• 113 - Grant sophomore Dylan Rienkinberger (27-11), Round Lake freshman Daniel McPherson (25-11)
• 120 - Grant freshman Ethan Geist (26-15)
• 126 - Lake Zurich senior Maxx Wayne (29-10), Grant junior Tucker Rogan (22-17)
• 132 - Grant junior Sam Maldinado (23-17), Lake Zurich senior Nick Swanson
• 138 - Grant junior Spencer Welter (23-14)
• 145 - Lake Zurich sophomore George Gritsonis (15-14)
• 152 - Grant senior Jacob Melton (2016 state qualifier)
• 160 - Lake Zurich junior Nick DiMaggio (22-13)
• 170 - Lake Zurich junior Josh Goldberg (26-12)
• 182 - Lake Zurich senior Billy Busse (7-3)
• 195 - Lake Zurich senior Kyle Fleming
• 220 - Lake Zurich senior Josh Dyer (23-5), Grant sophomore Ryan Tenaga (14-9)
• 285 - Lake Zurich senior Mike Bertoia (16-2), Round Lake junior Javier Ambriz (13-15), Grant junior John Japzyk (13-21)
Outlook: Barrington looks like the team to beat, while four Fox Valley Conference squads will also compete in Fox Lake. Grant finished ahead of Lake Zurich by 13.5 points last weekend at the Lake County meet in Zion. But with two No. 2 seeds out of their lineup along with some other key wrestlers, the Bears should fare better this weekend. After reaching the state meet last year, Dyer looks like he will take the first step in his quest to return to the State Farm Center in Champaign Feb. 16-18, while numerous area individuals should easily make the top-three cut to advance to the Barrington individual sectional next weekend. Grant's young squad should gain some valuable experience from the powerful, pressure-packed meet, while Lake Zurich's relatively experienced team is hoping to make its impact felt in a big way.
Class 2A
Grayslake Central individual regional
When: Saturday begins at 9 a.m., semifinals at 11 a.m., first and third-place matches at 1:30 p.m. (all times approximate)
Advancement: first-place team advances to Crystal Lake Central dual-team sectional on Feb. 21; top three individuals in each weight class advance to Wauconda individual sectional on Feb. 10-11.
Teams: Antioch, St. Viator, Grayslake Central, Grayslake North, Lakes, Carmel Catholic, North Chicago, Vernon Hills, Wauconda
Top area competitors:
• 106 - Antioch freshman Alex Barbarise, Wauconda freshman Lucas Kaiser
• 113 - Grayslake North senior Joe Arroyo (two-time state qualifier), Vernon Hills junior Jesse Goldufsky, Wauconda sophomore Evan Husko
• 120 - Wauconda senior Justin Mitchell (34-6), Vernon Hills junior Blake Teschky
• 126 - Carmel sophomore Riley Palm (sixth in Class 2A), Vernon Hills freshman William Darling
• 132 - Lakes senior Ishmael Velasquez (7-1, state qualifier), Grayslake North senior Miguel Carrera, Grayslake Central sophomore Joey Murphy (27-15), Vernon Hills junior Scott Harris
• 138 - Lakes senior Dylan Terranova (20-8), Wauconda senior Tyler Husko, Grayslake North sophomore Adam Blonski
• 145 - Grayslake Central sophomore Alex Cramer (27-1), Carmel senior Bobby Pryhocki (state qualifier), St. Viator senior Joe Debartolo, Antioch sophomore Mikey Volkmar
• 152 - Lakes senior Xavian Girona (20-7), Grayslake Central junior Austin Connelly (28-13)
• 160 - Antioch senior Pat Schoenfelder (three-time state qualifier), Grayslake North senior Alex Moran
• 170 - Wauconda senior Devin Parrish (32-10), Antioch senior Greg Kane
• 182 - Grayslake Central sophomore Ethan Torres (16-14), Wauconda junior Jared DeWyze, Grayslake North junior Zach McCauley
• 195 - Wauconda senior Tyler Stankiewicz (18-8), Grayslake North junior Angel Flores
• 220 - Antioch senior George Bessette (three-time state qualifier), Vernon Hills senior Collin Turley, Wauconda senior Frank Milella (27-12)
• 285 - St. Viator senior James Valentino (two-time state qualifier), Wauconda senior Mike Turzynski (26-9), Antioch senior Xavier Sanchez
Outlook: Antioch has reached the dual-team sectional five times in the past seven seasons. But the Sequoits lost their head-to head battle against Northern Lake County Conference champion Wauconda in a dual meet, and the Bulldogs are hoping that they can take first place in what should be a competitive regional. There will be some elite individuals on display from Antioch in multiple-state medalists Schoenfelder and Bessette, while Wauconda has a few state-ranked wrestlers in its lineup. The other three regionals that feed into the Wauconda individual sectional and the Crystal Lake Central team sectional are being held at Fenton, Woodstock North and St. Patrick.