Area schools qualify wrestlers for state tournament

Riverbender-area wrestlers all had difficult roads to travel over the weekend as the IHSA individual sectional tournaments took place in venues throughout the state; the top four wrestlers in each weight class all qualified for the individual state tournament that runs from Thursday through Feb. 20 at State Farm Center on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign-Urbana.

Teams who won their regional titles last week will take part in the Team Sectional tournament Feb. 23 before going on to the Team State Tournament at U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington Feb. 26-27.

Here's a look at area wrestlers who will be taking part in the individual state tournament in Champaign-Urbana:

CLASS 3A BOLINGBROOK INDIVIDUAL SECTIONAL

Edwardsville, Alton and Granite City all sent wrestlers to the individual sectional in the Chicagoland suburb of Bolingbrook hoping to reach the state tournament.

For Edwardsville, who sent 11 wrestlers to the sectional. One Edwardsville wrestler made it to the state tournament, senior Chris Prosser at 170; Prosser is going to the state tournament as a sectional champion, Prosser defeating Oswego's Josh Torres 7-4 to win the crown. Prosser went undefeated in his four bouts to reach the state tournament.

Noah Surtin reached the wrestleback semifinals for third place at 106, but was eliminated Jake Lindsey of New Lenox-Providence 5-1; at 120, Jaleen Yancey was eliminated in the second round of the wrestlebacks on a criteria decision by Tinley Park Andrew's Jake Bryson. At 126, Ben Schlueter reached the second round of wrestlebacks before being eliminated by Frankfort Lincoln-Way East's Jason Stokes on a 5-0 decision.

Rafael Roman at 138 got to the semifinals of the wrestlebacks but was defeated by Lockport's Baylor Fernandes, Roman being pinned in 1:38. Baylor Montgomery was eliminated in the third round of the 145 wrestlebacks, dropping a 9-2 decision to Pekin's Noah Justi, while Guy Brown at 152 reached the wrestleback semifinals before falling to New Lenox-Providence's Cole Smith on a 5-3 decision.

Moline's Josh Bush eliminated Mason Taylor at 160 in the third round of wrestlebacks, Bush winning on an injury default at 4:57 of the bout. At 182, Gabe Jackson was eliminated on a pin at 4:35 in the second round of wrestlebacks by Oswego's Victor Aguirre, while Will Spruell of Joliet West eliminated James Watters at 195 with a 9-5 decision in the second round of wrestlebacks. Bobby Burnside reached the third round of wrestlebacks before falling to Rock Island's Daveonta Jackson on a 4-1 decision.

For Alton, Connor Broyles won the 132 weight class to qualify for the state tournament, going unbeaten in four bouts to win the title. Broyles defeated New Lenox-Providence's Juan Bazaldua 3-2 to win his way to state. Alejandro Lopez also reached the state tournament despite dropping a 3-2 decision to Plainfield Central's Jared Ellingwood in the third-place bout.

At 106, Garrett Smis was eliminated in the second round of wrestlebacks when Surtin pinned Sims in 1:22; at 182, KeOntay Holmes reached the semifinals of the wreslebacks before being eliminated on a 12-2 decision by O'Fallon's Mason Hewitt. At 195, Keyondrick Russell reached the second round of wreslebacks before dropping an 11-2 decision to O'Fallon's Kobey Bosworth and Alecquan Russell at 220 was eliminated in the second round of wrestlebacks when he was pinned in 3:14 by Rock Island's Alex Andrews.

For Granite City, Kyle Thompson reached the state tournament with a third-place finish at 150, Thompson defeating Plainfield South's Adrian Cervantes on a 5-1 decision. At 170, Andre Weathers reached the second round of wrestlebacks before he was eliminated on a 3:07 pinfall by Oswego East's BJ Hill. At 285, Korinthian Nabors reached the third round of wrestlebacks before dropping a 5-1 decision to Joliet West's Robert Ford.

CLASS 2A MAHOMET-SEYMOUR INDIVIDUAL SECTIONAL

Civic Memorial will be sending one wrestler to the individual Class 2A state tournament as Brandon Carpenter finished fourth at 182, Carpenter being defeated on a 17-2 technical fall by Decatur Eisenhower's Matt Baker in the third-place bout. At 195, Jordan Stagner reached the wrestleback semifinals before dropping a 13-2 decision to Chatham Glenwood's Hunter Crumly to eliminate Stagner.

For Jersey, two Panthers reached the championship bouts in their weight classes to qualify for the state tournament; at 132, Brandon Crutchfield dropped a 3-2 decision to Triad's Merik Fulton in the title bout while Dylan Torrey won the championship bout at 138, Torrey taking a 6-5 decision over Carbondale's Kolbi Caffey.

At 220, Cody Vinyard reached the second round of wrestlebacks before being pinned by Triad's Matt Sarhage in 1:41 while Ethan Miller at 285 also reached the second round of wrestlebacks before being pinned by Triad's Christian North in 2:34 of the bout.

CLASS 1A CARTERVILLE INDIVIDUAL SECTIONAL

East Alton-Wood River will be sending three wrestlers to the Class 1A individual state tournament, two of the Oilers reaching the final in their weight classes.

Drew Sobol will head to Champaign-Urbana as the sectional champion at 106, Sobol pinning Litchfield's Bailey Powell in 1:58 to take the title; Zac Blasioli reached the 152 final, falling to Shelbyville's Garrett Brachbill on a 3-2 decision but qualifying for the state tournament, while Zach Kincade finished fourth at 195, being pinned by Murphysboro's Dehen Mulrooney in 2:29.

Chris Staggs reached the second-round wrestlebacks at 132, being pinned in 23 seconds by West Frankfort's Dalton Wright to be eliminated, while Lawrenceville's Jesus Cancino defeated Jake Erston 10-3 in the second round of 160 wrestlebacks to eliminate Erston. Jon Wright reached the third round of 285 wrestlebacks but fell to Murphysboro's Scott Rose 10-4 to be eliminated.

Three Roxana wrestlers reached championship bouts on the weekend to qualify for state, Jarod Foiles dropping a 12-4 decision to Benton's Oliver Davis in the 132 title bout, while Alex Maguire was defeated by Belleville Althoff's Jarrid Braunagel 16-3 in the 138 championship bout and Brett Nyswonger fell 10-2 to Mount Carmel's Andrew Wise in the 220 title bout. Owen Robinson at 285 finished fourth but qualified for the state tournament, dropping a 9-1 decision to Vandalia's Kendrick Woolsey.

At 113, David Akeman reached the second-round wrestlebacks but was eliminated on a 1:56 pin by Monticello's Grant Strode, while Blake Whyers got ot the wrestleback semifinals before being eliminated by Vandalia's Chaston Womack in a 6-1 decision. At 170, Drew Huff got to the second-round of wrestlebacks before being eliminated by Monticello's Marcus Rice on a 14-5 decision and Tyriek Holmes was pinned in 25 seconds by Carterville's Lucas Sarver in the second round of 195 wrestlebacks.

Both of Metro East Lutheran's wrestlers did not qualify for the state tournament, Edward Prenzler being eliminated by Tolono Unity's Jake Frost by an 11-3 decision in the third round of 160 wrestlebacks, while Christian Downs was pinned in 5:24 by Mount Carmel's Dalton Farrar in the second round of 182 wrestlebacks.

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