Three Local Wrestlers To Compete For State Titles In Champaign-Urbana

CHAMPAIGN-URBANA - Three area wrestlers - Civic Memorial's Bryce Griffin, Triad's Colby Crouch, and East Alton-Wood River's Drake Champlin - won their semifinal matches and will wrestle for the state championship in their weight classes, while many other local wrestlers, including the Edwardsville pair of Bryson Nuttall and Blake Mink, were eliminated on day two of the IHSA individual state wrestling tournament on Friday at State Farm Center in Champaign-Urbana.

Here's how the area wrestlers fared in day two:

For the Eagles in Class 2A, Avery Jaime lost his first-round consolation bout at 113 pounds to Jake Nowitzki of Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge 7-0, and was eliminated, while at 120 pounds, Bradley Ruckman lost to Noah Woods of Washington 4-1, and was also eliminated. Caleb Scott won his second-round consolation bout at 126 pounds over Evergreen Park's Chance Woods 8-0 to stay alive in the tournament, while at 144 pounds, Nathan Herrin lost his first-round consolation match to Malaki Jackson of Geneseo 13-8, and was eliminated. Griffin won the semifinal match at 157 pounds over Nicholas Cheshire of Wauconda 17-5 to advance to Saturday's final, and at 165 pounds, James Wojickiewicz won his first consolation match Colin Goggin of Chicago Brother Rice Catholic 13-2, but then lost in the second round to Santino Teruta of Lombard Montini Catholic in sudden death overtime 4-2, and was eliminated.

Also in Class 2A, East St. Louis' only wrestler, Mekhi McDowell, lost in his first consolation bout to Aiden Surratt of Jacksonville in an ultimate tiebreak 3-2, and was eliminated, while in Class 3A, the Tigers' Nuttall, at 106 pounds, lost by fall to Logan Conover of Aurora Marmion Academy, and was eliminated, while Mink, wrestling at 140 pounds, won his first-round consolation match by fall over Andrew Haritos of Glenview Glenbrook South at 1:28, but lost his second round bout to Ashton Hobson of Marmion 12-3, and also was eliminated.

For the Bulldogs in Class 2A, Tyson Rakers stayed alive in the 150-pound division, winning over Andrew Musil of Darien Hinsdale South by fall at 1:01, while Ashton Zobrist, at 215 pounds. lost to Michael Calcagno of Elmhurst Immaculate Conception Catholic by fall at 47 seconds, and was eliminated.

For Roxana, in Class 1A, Logan Riggs, at 126 pounds, won his consolation opener over Thomas Soward of LaGrange Park Nazareth Academy by fall at 3:13, then lost his second-round bout to Lincoln Hoger of West Chicago Wheaton Academy in sudden death overtime 6-4, eliminating Riggs. At 132 pounds, Brandon Green, Jr. won by fall over Cole Yarbrough of Vandalia at 1:09 to stay alive in the tournament, while at 132 pounds, Braden Johnson also stayed alive by winning both of his consolation matches, pinning Andrew Fowler of Nazareth Academy at 2:26, then doing the same in the second round, winning by fall over Nate Othon of Seneca at 2:32. At 152 pounds, Lyndon Theis also stayed alive, winning his first round consolation bout over Gunner Varland of Seneca by fall at 3:36, then also winning by fall in the second round of the consolation bracket over Eli Burns of Aledo Mercer County at 2:46. At 295 pounds, James Herring lost his second round consolation match to Jaylen Torres of Wheaton St. Francis Catholic 7-4, and was eliminated.

For the Knights, in Class 2A, Will Kelly lost his second-round consolation bout at 106 pounds to Nicholas Polett of Streator Township 4-2, eliminating Kelly, while Crouch, one of the St. Louis area's best wrestlers this season, advanced to the final at 120 pounds with a semifinal win over Xavier Villalobos of Rochelle 14-4. Brody Smith, at 132 pounds, lost to James Bennett of Brother Rice by technical superiority, 22-6 at 5:32, eliminating Smith.

Champlin, the only wrestler for the Oilers in Class 1A, won in sudden death overtime in the semifinals at 215 pounds, defeating Chris Peura of Seneca 7-6.

All the place winners, including the championship matches in all weight divisions in all three classes, take place on Saturday, with the Grand March of the finalists preceding the championship bouts on Saturday night.