Boys wrestling: Area will be well represented at the state tournament

Coal City and Joliet Catholic Academy head up a heavy area contingent heading to this weekend’s individual boys wrestling state tournament in Champaign.

Coal City will have all 14 wrestlers competing in the Class 1A tournament, while JCA has 13 competing in Class 2A. In Class 3A, Lockport leads the area with five state qualifiers, while Lincoln-Way East and Joliet West each have four.

Coal City has had a remarkable season, even by its lofty standards. The Coalers have set the state record for falls in a season with 337, surpassing the previous mark of 301 set by Bloomington in the 2019-20 season.

Leading the charge for the Coalers are captains Braiden Young at 182 (37-1, 21 falls), Mateo Blessing at 145 (41-3, 21 falls), and Derek Carlson at 170 (34-6). Other top performers include junior Brant Widlowski at 138 (20-1, 16 falls), freshman Brody Widlowski at 113 (35-1, 20 falls), senior Drake Dearth at 220 (37-8, team-high 24 falls) and senior Joey Breneman at 195 (39-5, 23 falls).

“Our expectations are only as high as the kids put on themselves,” Coal City coach Mark Masters said. “They set the goal early in November to qualify the entire team. We just tried to put them in the right mindset and let them maximize their effort at practice. Our captains have done a great job leading our team throughout the season.

“Drake Dearth has greatly improved from last season, and Joey Breneman had a great season as well.”

JCA, meanwhile, returns state champions Gylon Sims (37-6) at 120 – he won the title at 113 last year – and Dillan Johnson at 285 (39-0). Johnson recently was moved to No. 1 in the nation at his weight class in the FloWrestling rankings and has not had a takedown scored against him in the past two seasons. Another top contender for the medal stand for the Hilltoppers is Mason Alessio at 160 (39-3). JCA is battle-tested, as its schedule throughout the season was one of the toughest in the state.

“I set up our season with a lot of tough tournaments so that the postseason can be the easy part,” JCA coach Ryan Cumbee said. “We’ve gone up against some of the best teams in Class 3A all year, so we will be ready for the Class 2A tournament.”

Area first-round state matchups

CLASS 3A

106 pounds: Maddox Garbis, Plainfield North (39-2) vs. Joey Sikorski, Geneva (39-7); 120 - Justin Wardlow, Lockport (38-12) vs. Zach Parisi, York (42-4), Brian Farley, Romeoville (23-5) vs. Teddy Flores, Maine South (37-3); 126: Tyson Zvonar, Lincoln-Way East (25-7) vs. Ben Davino, St. Charles East (46-0), Aaron Camacho, Bolingbrook (30-5) vs. Patrick Zimmer, Loyola (30-16), Carson Weber, Joliet West (38-2) vs. Luke Morrison, Maine South (23-9), Jad Alwawi, Lockport (24-13) vs. Christian Chavez, Glenbard North (40-11), Nathan Knowlton, Lincoln-Way Central (36-7) vs. Sean VanSleet, York (39-5); 132: Karter Guzman, Lincoln-Way West (38-8) vs. Donovan Allen, Marist (31-10), Carlos Munoz-Flores, Lockport (14-6) vs. Sergio Lemley, Mt. Carmel (31-10); 138: Luke Siwinski, Lincoln-Way West (25-19) vs. Cody Tavoso, Hinsdale Central (43-2), Logan Kaminski, Lockport (32-20) vs. Jacob Lachs, Glenbard West (37-16); 152: Domanic Abeja, Lincoln-Way East (20-9) vs. Collin Carrigan, Marist (22-0), Elijah Munoz, Minooka (29-5) vs. Kaden Fetteroff, Batavia (44-1), Austin Perella, Joliet West (26-10) vs. Edmund Enright, Mt. Carmel (16-3); 160: Zach LaMonto, Lincoln-Way East (38-7) vs. Gunnar Garelly, Lyons (37-9), Anthony Gulino, Plainfield North (36-16) vs. Luke Swan, Downers Grove South (35-8), Logan Swaw, Lockport, 43-1) vs. Tegan Chumbley, Marist (19-15); 170: Ari Zaeske, Lincoln-Way East (38-4) vs. Sedeeq Al Obaidi, Wheaton-Warrenville South (36-5), Tim Key, Lincoln-Way Central (40-11) vs. Jacob Liberatore, Marist (18-5), Mason Gougis, Romeoville (25-9) vs. Colin Kelly, Mt. Carmel (23-2); 195: Matthew Janiak, Plainfield South (34-6) vs. Jackson Panovich, Prospect (41-5), Jovon Johnson, Joliet West (32-11) vs. Cole Matulenko, Libertyville (40-4); 220: Leonardo Tovar, Plainfield North (43-8) vs. Dylan Berkowitz, Elk Grove (28-5), Charles Walker, Joliet Central (35-12) vs. Blake Maday, Glenbard North (37-9); 285: Wyatt Schmitt, Joliet West (39-2) vs. Drew Duffy, Glenbrook South (33-4).

CLASS 2A

106: Noah Avina, JCA (25-22) vs. Jeremiah Lawrence, De La Salle (43-5); 113: Cory Zator, Lemont (36-6) vs. Noah Woods, Washington (33-14), Jason Hampton, JCA (35-8) vs. Tommy Tourdot, Rochelle (19-7); 120: Gylon Sims, JCA (37-6) vs. Javier Enriquez-Lynd, Bloomington (21-16); 126: Carter Mikolajeczak, Lemont (40-8) vs. Tyler Weidman, Grayslake Central (36-11), George Hollendoner, JCA (10-12) vs. Jordan Rasof, Deerfield (42-5); 132: Nolan Vogel, JCA (29-20) vs. Jacob Redington, Freeport (37-3); 138: Sammy Schuit, Lemont (29-8) vs. Patrick Tinsley, Wheeling (29-11), Jake Hamiti, JCA (34-15) vs. Josh Gonzales, Riverside-Brookfield (31-14); 145: Luke Hamiti, JCA (24-23) vs. Kannon Webster, Washington (46-0), Johnny O’Connor, Lemont (41-5) vs. Tristan Willoughby, Rock Island (29-19); 152: Connor Cumbee, JCA (28-16) vs. Aiden Burns, Fenwick (20-9), Noah O’Connor, Lemont (35-10) vs. Seth Digby, Lake Forest (33-10); 160: Mason Alessio, JCA (39-3) vs. Vincent Fiorovanti, Fenwick (21-12); 182: Nico Ronchetti, JCA (29-16) vs. Ethan Rivera, Mt. Vernon (34-7); 195: Nathan Wrublik, Lemont (26-4) vs. John Barrick, Crystal Lake Central (10-3), Zach Pomatto, JCA (23-15) vs. Josh Hoffer, Washington (30-18); 220: Hunter Powell, JCA (26-16) vs. Joe Midona, Riverside-Brookfield (31-6); 285: Dillan Johnson, JCA (39-0) vs. Camden Harms, Mahomet-Seymour (44-7); Alex Pasquale, Lemont (34-8) vs. Jayden Burch, Jersey (40-3).

CLASS 1A

106: Culan Lindemuth, Coal City (38-9) vs. Maddux Steele, Canton (39-8); 113: Brody Widlowski, Coal City (35-1) vs. Kaiden Richards, Murphysboro (40-12), Ethan Othon, Seneca (42-10) vs. Tyler Hudel, Oakwood (34-9), Landon Dooley, Wilmington (37-9) vs. Alex Powell, Litchfield (41-5); 120: Dylan Crouch, Dwight (33-8) vs. Tony Kane, Harrisburg (42-2), Aidan Kenney, Coal City (29-14) vs. Layton Cobine, Roxana (29-9); 126: Micah Spinazzola, Peotone (38-11) vs. Bowden Delaney, Tremont (41-4); Brock Finch, Coal City (35-14) vs. Trevor Hodges, Canton (44-2); 132: Jake Piatak, Coal City (6-1) vs. Mason Mack, Tremont (43-6), Santino Izzi, Peotone (38-14) vs. Ian O’Connor, Illini Bluffs (44-7), Sam Berger, Reed-Custer (10-3) vs. Holden Brazelton, St. Joseph-Ogden (45-2); 138: Brant Widlowski, Coal City (21-1) vs. Owen McGinnis, Cumberland (42-7); 145: Mateo Blessing, Coal City (41-3) vs. Will Winter, Clinton (27-5), Ian Kreske, Peotone (36-16) vs. Chase Daugherty, Peoria Notre Dame (31-6); 152: Landin Benson, Coal City (22-5) vs. Bryson Capansky, Oakwood (40-8); Marco Spinazzola, Peotone (36-3) vs. Braden Johnson, Roxana (29-12); 160: Jack Poyner, Coal City (35-12) vs. Angel Zamora, Hoopeston (40-10), Asher Hamby, Seneca (39-6) vs. Gage Swekard, Dee-Mack (40-11); 170: Rex Pfeifer, Reed-Custer (43-5) vs. Bodie Salmon, Mercer (27-7), Collin Wright, Seneca (41-12) vs. Kyus Root, Tolono Unity (45-6), Derek Carlson, Coal City (34-6) vs. Rese Shymansky, Farmington (37-4); 182: Braiden Young, Coal City (38-1) vs. TJ Connor, Tremont (41-8); 195: Joey Breneman, Coal City (39-5) vs. Aidan Sancken, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (31-4), Chris Peura, Seneca (44-7) vs. Max Ryner, Macomb (48-3); 220: Drake Dearth, Coal City (37-8) vs. Drake Champin, Wood River (44-6), Alex Cardenas, Peotone (37-12) vs. James Herring, Roxana (35-5), Kody Marschner, Reed-Custer (36-2) vs. Craid Madello, Robinson (24-4); 285: Gunnar Berg, Reed-Custer (38-5) vs. Shaun DeVries, Dixon (34-8), Michael Gonzalez, Coal City (27-7) vs. Alex Diaz, Plano (37-6).