Q-C area qualifies 8 to state wrestling
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By Shannon Heaton | Sunday, February 10, 2008 |
They're the eight men in.
In, as in Illinois high school wrestling's version of the "Big Dance," the Class AA state tournament at the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall in Champaign. They are five champions, one runnerup and two third-place state qualifiers. Four come from the Western Big 6, four from the North Central Illinois Conference.
All eight have their eyes set on the big dance's big prize -- a state championship -- after finishing in the top three in their respective weight classes this weekend at the Rock Island Sectional meet.
First to punch his ticket, and unwillingly first to draw negative attention from many of the fans in attendance at the Rock Island Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon, was Geneseo senior Adam Sheley. In the third high school meeting Sheley's had with Dixon's Joe Roth, their match in the 119-pound finals was the closest.
Sheley got a takedown, however briefly, at the edge of the mat with 14 seconds left in regulation, enough to take a 3-2 win over Roth. In keeping Roth from both escaping (which Roth was able to accomplish) and returning the takedown favor, Sheley was warned for fleeing the mat.
That earned some boos from the pro-Dixon portion of the crowd, and Sheley waved at them to sit down afterward, in an unusual display for him.
"It was all I needed, I guess. I knew I had to ride him or cut him and take him down, so I cut him," Sheley said. "I had control (with the go-ahead takedown). Whether you have it for one second or longer, if you have it, you get the two. I'm glad I won, but I think I could have wrestled better."
In the next finals match, Rock Island junior Sepehr Kalhor had to go overtime, scoring a takedown with 40 seconds left to defeat Rockford Boylan's Tyler Butler, 4-2. In each of Kalhor's three sectional matches, he had to go overtime, beating -- essentially -- the other three best wrestlers in the weight class in the process.
The OT matches pointed out the need for the emphasis placed in Rocky practices on surviving, and even thriving, in extra-time situations.
"I hate it when I'm actually going through it (a practice), and I've gotten beaten up a lot in practice, but I've paid my dues for it," Kalhor said. "I wanted to give (retiring coach Larry) Kanke and the other coaches at least one sectional champion. They come in on Saturday and Sunday mornings and open the doors for me. I'm so grateful for that."
Kalhor wouldn't be Rock Island's only sectional champion, as senior Reese Taylor added another to the list with an 11-6 victory over Hononegah's Rob Fenicle, in a rematch of the finals of the Sycamore Invitational five weeks ago.
"The first time, I was a little bit slower and I wasn't riding as well. This time, I tried to be aggressive and work on my riding," Taylor said. "That's what I'll need at state. Last year, even though I was pinning everyone around here, it was tough when I got to state. This year, I'm glad to get these matches. That's what's going to get me a medal next weekend."
Geneseo's BJ Weber won his third tournament in as many Saturdays, taking out Belvidere's Harrison Ford, 5-1, in the finals at 285. In winning, he gained some revenge for Ford beating him 6-1 for third place in Geneseo's Bi-State Invitational.
"I knew exactly what he was going to do, I knew a headlock was coming," said Weber of his finals opponent. "I had really wanted to place higher at the Bi-State, and I've been thinking about (the first meeting) for a long time."
Sterling's Austin Hanabarger matched Weber's run of Saturday titles, adding a sectional title at 135 to go with last week's regional title at Moline and NCIC title at Rock Falls two weeks ago (at 140 pounds there). He pinned Nate Messenger of Yorkville in three minutes and 12 seconds in the title match.
Though Rock Island's Donotello Crisp wound up second at 145 pounds, no one came further than Crisp in getting himself into next weekend's "show." He was the fourth seed in regionals at Moline, finished third there, and then won three matches -- including two against wrestlers with 30-plus wins -- to reach the final, where an early deficit found him falling to Dixon's Colin Brinkmeier, 7-0.
"It took a lot of dedication, a lot of heart. Coming out third at regionals and going to state, it goes to show that you've got a lot of heart," Crisp said of his post-season run so far. "I wish I had come out more aggressive (against Brinkmeier) and not thought that even if I lost, I was still going to state. But it has been a lot like a rollercoaster."
United Township's Christopher Owens will return to state in 2007-08 at 189 pounds (he qualified at 215 a year ago). Even though he lost in the semifinals to eventual sectional champ Zach Smith of Boylan, he rallied with two consolation wins, including a 4-2 decision over Huntley's Tony Benning, qualifying him third.
"I had kind of watched that kid (Benning) throughout the tournament and saw that he gassed in the third (periods) a lot," Owens said. "So I figured I'd keep it close and then hit him in the third. Wrestling's a big chess match and you have to plan your moves."
Rock Falls got a third from Koty Schwarz at 152, where he won by major decision over UT's Anthony Angel, 13-5. Several locals -- including Angel, Sterling's Brandon Sotelo (125), Moline's Eric Carlson (160) and Nate Rodriguez of Rock Island (215) -- all finished fourth and will serve as state alternates. They could wrestle at state if one of the top three in their weight classes can not, for whatever reason, next weekend.
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