COAL CITY – Just past the midway point of the football season, Coal City’s Ashton Harvey suffered a season-ending knee injury. Also a standout wrestler, the Coalers senior wasn’t sure if he would be able to make it back from the injury in time to compete on the mat.

He did return to the Coalers wrestling team and won the team’s only sectional championship Saturday, earning a pin in 5:19 over Manteno’s Gabe Johnson in the 195-pound title match in his final match in his home school. He leads a group of eight Coal City wrestlers that qualified for next weekend’s state tournament in Champaign by finishing in the top four at the Class 1A Coal City Sectional.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it back for wrestling,” Harvey said. “I talked to [Coal City wrestling] coach [Mark] Masters and it looked like I would be able to make it back. So I worked hard on rehabbing it and, when I got clearance, started working back into shape. I feel like I am almost at 100% right now. Once the adrenaline starts on the mat, the knee doesn’t hurt.

“It was really something to experience, winning the sectional title at my own school in my senior year. It will be good to have seven other guys there to root for and to root for me. My goal when I get there is just to work my hardest and see how things turn out.”

Other Coal City qualifiers were freshman Culan Lindemuth (third, 106), senior John Housman (second, 113), sophomore Brant Widlowski (third, 120), senior Zach Finch (second, 152), Derek Carlson (third, 160), junior Braiden Young (second, 182) and senior Dylan Cronk (fourth, 220).

Lindemuth took third place by pinning Chicago Harlan’s Jonking Williams in 3:14, while Housman was second after getting pinned by DePaul’s Max Rosen in 1:37.

Widlowski beat Chicago Phoenix’s Vin Moreno, 14-6, in the third-place match, while Finch was beaten, 9-5, in the title match by Bishop McNamara’s Luke Christie, the same wrestler that beat Finch in the regional title match.

Carlson took third after beating St. Laurence’s Henry Coughlin, 4-3, while Young lost by pin in 3:52 to Immaculate Conception’s Michael Calcagno.

Cronk lost by injury default to Reed-Custer’s Kody Marschner.

“Getting to state was the main goal today,” Young said. “I had never wrestled [Calcagno] before and he was pretty good. When I get to state, I would like to place.

“It’s going to be fun having a lot of guys going. The team aspect means a lot to us. We’ll have a full practice room, too.”

Finch was disappointed after losing to Christie but hopes to get another chance at him next week.

“It was the same type of match last time,” Finch said. “It was close all the way. I hope to see him again. I took second at state last year, so I hope to win it this year.

“It helps for us to go with more people. It’s a better experience for everybody and we all work hard for each other.”

Coal City coach Mark Masters was happy to see eight of his 10 wrestlers make it out of the sectional.

“It was a pretty good day,” Masters said. “I am super proud of the effort by all of the guys. They didn’t leave anything in the tank. I am really happy for John Housman. He’s a guy who has been battling his whole career and couldn’t crack the starting lineup until this year and now he’s going to state. Ashton Harvey really boosted the team in the practice room. He has a great attitude, he’s a two-time state qualifier, a football captain. The kids just follow him.

“Derek Carlson has been a tireless worker and is great in the practice room. He is a lot of fun at practices and his work ethic is contagious. And maybe Zach Finch can meet up with Christie one more time and beat him.”

Peotone qualified two sectional champions: junior Marco Spanizzola at 138 and senior Kevin Hogan at 145 and senior Oscar Villalobos, who finished third at 182.

“It was nice to win the title,” Hogan said. “There was no pressure because I had already qualified for state, so I could just go out there and wrestle. It’s my third time to state in high school and I am excited again.

“Me and Marco have been sparring partners since he was in sixth grade and I was in seventh. We each push each other to get better. I want to place when I get to state, but the ultimate would be to be in the Grand March.”

Reed-Custer had three wrestlers qualify for state. Besides Marschner at 220, Ryan Tribble (3rd, 138) and Logan Markle (4th, 145) also qualified.

Markle lost in the third-place match to Seneca’s Owen Feiner, who was one of two Fighting Irish to qualify. The other was Kyler Hahn, who finished second at 106 to Yorkville Christian’s Aiden Larsen.