Prep wrestling: Sycamore qualifies four wrestlers for state, Kaneland one

SYCAMORE — It wasn’t the easiest road to the state tournament for Jackson Funderburg and Lincoln Cooley after each lost in the quarterfinals of the Class 2A Sycamore Sectional on Saturday.

But both put together the three wins a row needed to make next week’s season finale.

“That’s a long road back,” Sycamore coach Alex Nelson said. “That’s a lot of wrestle back rounds you’re wrestling through. To be able to gut that out says a lot about them and a lot about their character.”

Funderburg and Cooley were among four Spartans to earn a trip to the state tournament with a top-four finish on Saturday. Zack Crawford was the only Spartan to win his final match of the day, taking third at 170.

Brayden Peet was the top finisher for the Spartans, taking second at 152.

For Kaneland, Cameron Phillips was second at 106, the lone qualifier for the Knights at the sectional that featured five of the top seven teams in the latest IOWCA poll.

“He had a great day,” Kaneland coach Kenneth Paoli said. “He wrestled really tough in all his matches. He ended up pinning multiple kids. Just a great tournament. Ended up taking second against a tough Aurora Christian kid. We’re just really proud of the effort. We’re happy he’s going downstate, but I just talked to him. He said ‘Not. Good. Enough.’ We’re going to go back to work and make a run at Champaign.”

Peet fell in overtime to Braden Stauffenberg of Aurora Catholic. Last week, Peet prevailed in overtime against Stauffenberg for the title.

“They’re two really experienced wrestlers, really good wrestlers that are on a possible collision course if they wrestle well down in Champaign to meet again,” Nelson said. “That’s how that goes. There’s just that fine line, and they’re that evenly matched.”

Peet had to get an escape in the final sudden-death overtime, but Stauffenberg literally held on for the win.

“I feel like if I could get a takedown in first, second, third period I have a chance,” Peet said. “I just have to get that takedown earlier and I feel like I have a chance.”

While upset he didn’t win the title, Peet said the main goal of the day is to qualify for state, which he did for the first time. There was no IHSA state tournament last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The ultimate goal is to just make it to state,” Peet said. “It’s a whole different ballgame. I’m proud of myself for at least making it, but I know I have to fix some things going into state next week.”

And while wrestlers like Gable Carrick and Gus Cambier lost consolation semifinal matches that would have punched their tickets to state with a win, Nelson said he was happy with how the team performed.

“You always hope for more and your heart breaks for the ones that don’t get there because they’ve worked hard all year,” Nelson said. “We had a couple come up just short with Gus and Gable in that blood round there where you have to win it to stay in it. And they fell a little short.”