Boys wrestling: Jacobs’ Dominic Ducato, Prairie Ridge’s Tyler Evans finish third at IHSA state tournament

CHAMPAIGN – Dominic Ducato never doubted he’d win the most important match of his high school career, no matter how unlikely it seemed.

Ducato, a Jacobs senior, trailed 2-1 with six seconds left in his Class 3A third-place match during the IHSA Individual State Tournament on Saturday in Champaign but didn’t panic. He knew exactly how he’d come back to win.

He reversed Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Ethan Specht to earn two points seconds before the match ended to complete the comeback that was never in doubt.

“It’s awesome. Never give up. Six seconds left, I knew I could reverse him,” Ducato said. “I did my hardest, and I got it.”

Ducato was one of two McHenry County-area wrestlers who took third in their respective weight classes. Seven wrestlers finished in the top six.

Ducato wanted to overcome only his third loss of the season, which came in the semifinals Friday to Chicago Mount Carmel’s Seth Mendoza by technical fall. Both Ducato and Specht came close to scoring in the first two periods Saturday, but neither could grab an early lead.

The shutout finally ended early in the third when Ducato grabbed a 1-0 lead, but Specht gained two points with 30 seconds left in the match. Ducato knew he couldn’t stop moving and finally got the reverse to capture third place.

“It’s one of the greatest feelings,” Ducato said. “It really [stinks] that I lost in the semifinals, but being able to wrestle back and finally prove myself is amazing.”

Prairie Ridge’s Tyler Evans also knew exactly how he would take third at 120 in Class 2A. He knew Bremen wrestler Nore Turner’s strength was in his upper body, so Evans targeted his legs as quickly as possible to take control of the match.

Evans gained a 2-0 lead – and confidence – in the first period before running out to a 4-0 lead in the second on his way to a 5-2 win.

“To wrestle back and finish third,” Evans said, “it’s the best I could have done.”

Marian Central’s Ethan Struck (152, 1A), Crystal Lake Central’s Cayden Parks (170, 2A) and Crystal Lake South’s Andy Burburija (285, 2A) each finished fourth in their respective weights and classes. Both Struck and Parks fell behind 2-0 in their 7-2 losses, while Burburija earned an early 2-0 lead in the first period of his third-place match but couldn’t come back after giving up the lead late in the first.

Marian’s Andrew Alvarado (113, 1A) and Max Astacio (160, 1A) and Crystal Lake Central’s Ben Butler (160, 2A) placed fifth, while Jacobs’ James Wright (132, 3A) finished sixth.

Both Ducato and Evans wanted to place for the first time in Champaign. Both seniors had placed at the IWCOA state tournament in 2021 when the IHSA didn’t hold a state tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Ducato and Evans wanted to end their careers earning a medal in Champaign.

“It felt good to get the job done, get on the podium” Evans said. “Even though I didn’t finish first, I feel third was the best.”