Youngsters give Naperville North at boost at WW South quad
Tom Champion has a time-honored approach.
"It was nice to see some underclassmen in the lineup," the Naperville North wrestling coach said Saturday afternoon in Wheaton. "I always like getting as many young guys in as possible. I want the seniors to lead the team, so the younger guys know what is expected of them."
Plainfield East was the class of the Wheaton Warrenville South quadrangular, remaining undefeated on the infant season with a one-sided win over South Elgin in its final match.
Naperville North suffered its lone blemish against Plainfield East with a 48-27 defeat.
The Huskies, though, are 3-1 after consecutive victories over South Elgin and WW South, both of whom were sabotaged by forfeits.
Champion has proclaimed Caleb Yu his most dangerous state threat, and the junior 170-pounder remained undefeated with wins in all of his contested matches.
Yu had the first of three straight Naperville North falls in the Huskies' 48-21 victory over South Elgin.
In the Huskies' almost-identical 49-21 triumph over the Tigers, Yu had one of the Huskies' two wins in a contested match.
"I want to be a state qualifier," Yu said. "I have to get through the sectional first."
The Huskies' Dane Tsao had a first-period fall against South Elgin; the 195-pounder had a forfeit win against WW South.
"I shot a low single-(leg takedown)," Tsao said of beating the buzzer by three seconds in his South Elgin match. "When I had him down, I cross-faced and cradled him for the pin."
There were only six contested matches between Naperville North and WW South.
In perhaps the most compelling match, the Tigers' Aidan Waszak dispatched Cosmo Champion 11-4 at 132 pounds. Waszak won all three of his matches for the Tigers.
"The first match (a fall against South Elgin) was good, but the second (against Plainfield East) I felt a little sloppy," Waszak said. "But a win's a win. I have to stick to doing with what I know best."
Josh Dorr had a fall against Naperville North for the Tigers at 138 pounds.
Carleton Best and Greg Nuter also secured wins for WW South with decisions against the Huskies. WW South is 1-5 after salvaging its day over South Elgin (0-4).
"They came out and wrestled hard," WW South coach Matt Janosek said of his severely undermanned crew. "They were aggressive in scoring points. That's what we preach. We don't focus too much about the outcome. We're more concerned with the process."
It was by no means an entirely fruitless day for South Elgin.
The Storm has a legitimate state-medal-winning-contender in Elijah Lopez at 160 pounds.
The reigning Upstate Eight Conference Tournament MVP and state qualifier had back-to-back falls against Naperville North and Plainfield East after a first-match forfeit against WW South.
Plainfield East completed its flawless afternoon with a 47-30 win against the Storm, but Colin McCloskey and Michael Roath had falls as well against the Bengals.
Lopez was assured of at least a technical fall in the waning seconds of the second period against Naperville North; the senior officially pinned his foe moments later.
Lopez did likewise against his Plainfield East opponent in the second period as well.
"I am much more relaxed, much more confident when I go out and wrestle," Lopez said. "I have those expectations to hold up to."
Lopez had a 4-2 lead against the Bengals' Tommy Manneti before using a reversal as the foundation of his second fall on the day.
"I knew (Lopez) was good," Plainfield East coach Dave Early said. "Once he got that reversal, I knew (Manneti) was in trouble."
"I really used an ankle-pick (move) well," Roath said of his pin against his Plainfield East opposite number. "That worked really well for me today. I just used what he gave me."
"I have six varsity regular starters on the mat right now," South Elgin coach Adam Lehnus said. "The other (four starters) are JV kids."
The Storm had to forfeit four classes.
"We would be right there in our matches without the forfeits," Lehnus said.