BLOOMINGTON • It all now comes down to one dual. One dual starting at 150 pounds for everything these teams have worked for all season leading up to this point. For Washington, they are chasing their seventh title in the last ten years. For ICCP, they have been building and are now in the finals as they are looking for their program’s first trophy, and they are hoping it is the tallest one offered.
Washington
42-26 • defeated Chicago Brother Rice
60-12 • defeated Mahomet-Seymour
In each of their duals, Washington has been Washington—very businesslike and very dominant. Against Chicago Brother Rice, they won eight of the fourteen bouts, and each win was attached with bonus points.
For their semifinal dual against Mahomet-Seymour, they simply showed up and wrestled. In the first five bouts, the dual was close, it was three matches to two, in favor of Washington, and the score was 16-12, Washington. In the next nine bouts, Washington did not lose a single one of them. Simply dominant.
Back in the finals, which has become almost their IHSA right over the past ten years, this is where they have shined; in fact, none have shined brighter. Two years ago, they upset a Joliet Catholic Academy team that was looking to repeat in the final match of the dual. Last season, they upended Montini Catholic in the same manner, a final bout win. The Panther Magic is real, and now they face an IC Catholic Prep team that comes in with all the same accolades and hype as the previous two teams.
Will the 2A Giant Killers prevail and go seven for ten, or will it be the Knights galloping off with the championship?
ICCP
47-22 • defeated Geneseo
29-27 • defeated Montini Catholic
After defeating a very tough and scrappy Geneseo team, ICCP would have to do what they were unable to do last season in the Sectional Finals, defeat Montini Catholic.
The dual opened at 144 pounds, and Montini quickly jumped out to a 5-0 lead when Kam Luif won by technical fall by the match’s conclusion. Aiden Arnett would answer back with a major decision, but Kevin may and Santino Tenuta, at 157 and 165, would win by major and another technical fall to push Montini out to a 14-4 lead.
IC’s Brody Kelly would step onto the mat at 175 pounds and claim the first six-point team point score with a fall in 00:39. This would bring IC closer, but they would still trail in the dual, 14-10. Foley Calcagno (190) followed with a major decision, and Isaac Barrientos (215) would make it three-for-three with a sudden victory win, 7-4. IC was now in front, 17-14.
At heavyweight, the Broncs would turn the tide in a major way. They would gather decision wins from Gavin Ericson-Staton (285) and Erik Klichurov (106) while also picking up a 10-2 major from Allen Woo (113). After Woo, there would be one more win by way of a decision from Bobby Ruscitti (120) to make it four in a row. Montini would reclaim the lead, 27-17. Now, if they could capture one more win in the final three weights, the Broncos would meet up with Washington for a rematch of last year’s state championship dual. ICCP would have other ideas.
At 126 pounds, Max Cumbee would claim a 9-3 win, closing the gap to a seven-point lead, and at 132, IC captain and leader, Deven Casey, made it a final-bout dual with a 00:56 fall. The match would be in the hands of IC’s freshman, Jacob Alvarez, and he would not disappoint.
When it was over, the freshman had matured and won a tight 4-0 bout. His win clinched the dual and pushed ICCP into the finals where they will not face Washington.
Third Place Dual
Both Mahomet and Montini are coming off of different types of loses. For Mahomet, they may have known Washington was too much this season. For Montini, their goals of a state championship have been snatched away. Montini, in all likelihood, will bounce back, because that is what champions do. However, if Mahomet can get out to an early lead and maybe take advantage of some of that sorrow, they may be able to come away with a heck of run in the third-place bout.
Quarterfinals:
45-32 • Mahomet-Seymour defeated Crystal Lake Central
56-13 • Montini Catholic defeated Chatham Glenwood
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• TC LIFONTI / LEAD WRITER FOR ILLINOIS MATMEN / tclifonti.com
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• TC LIFONTI / LEAD WRITER FOR ILLINOIS MATMEN / tclifonti.com
