Feb. 26, 2007 • Week in Review
Carl Sandburg proves it wasn’t a fluke, tops Montini again
By Rob Sherrill, W.I.N. High School Editor
Anyone who thought last season’s repeat victory was the best the Orland Park (Ill.) Carl Sandburg High would have to offer underestimated what the Eagles brought to the table this season.
Carl Sandburg made history — as far as public schools are concerned, at least — topping Lombard Montini High for the second time this season, 30-21, in the Class AA dual state final at DeKalb.
It was the fourth battle between national Top 10 teams in Illinois this season and the 10th this season nationally.
Many thought Carl Sandburg’s 42-24 victory over the Broncos in the final round of The Clash National Duals at Rochester, Minn. in December wasn’t truly indicative of the relative strengths of the two teams. With victories over Jackson (N.J.) Memorial High and Apple Valley (Minn.) High — teams Carl Sandburg lost to the same day — Montini already had wrapped up the Clash title and jockeyed several wrestlers up a weight against the Eagles.
But it turned out to be Carl Sandburg that padded the record books. In addition to extending its three-year winning streak against Illinois schools to 81 in a row, Carl Sandburg became the first public school team to win three consecutive dual titles in either class, and the first public school to accomplish the feat in 67 years.
Carl Sandburg (31-2) won 30 of its 39 contested matches during the day, including nine of 13 in the title match. The Eagles romped in their first two matches, 43-25 over Chicago Mount Carmel High – a match they once led 43-3- and 50-9 over Rockton Hononegah High in the semifinals.
Montini (33-2) beat Fox Lake Grant High, 43-13, and Chicago St. Rita High, 47-24, to reach the finals.
Tyler LePretre (130) scored the meet’s first upset for Carl Sandburg, edging four-time state qualifier Andrew Saunders, 5-4, in the meet’s first match for a 3-0 lead. Two-time state champions Conrad Polz (140) and Matt Cusick (145) won by decision and major decision, respectively, to help the Eagles build a 14-3 lead before four-time state champion Mike Benefiel’s pin at 160 made it 14-9.
While Montini brought its vaunted upper weights down for the state series, Carl Sandburg sent two of its hammers up, and both scored stunning victories in overtime. Eric Pretto, who competed at 160 in the state series, scored a 7-5 victory at 171 over Dan Grimes, who competed at 189, and state placewinner John Doyle (189), also up a weight, edged former 215-pound standout Ethan Winel 3-1 at 189 and it was 19-9.
A stalling call against Pretto with one second remaining in regulation tied the 171-pound match at 5-5.
State champion Garrett Goebel won his third straight close match over Carl Sandburg state placewinner Eric Rettke, 3-1, as Montini closed within 19-15. But the Eagles’ much-maligned lower weights came to the rescue again.
State runner-up Jon Morrison’s technical fall at 103 made it 24-15 and the Eagles also knocked off a pair of Montini state qualifiers to win it. Miguel Guerrero’s 9-3 victory over 103-pound state qualifier Colton Rasche at 112 clinched it for Carl Sandburg, giving the Eagles their eighth victory and a 27-15 lead.
Benefiel’s pin over Juan Soliz in 61 seconds gave him a state-record 57 victories this season.
The top two teams in Class A met in the quarterfinals, state runner-up John Van Duyne’s pin in the final match at 112 giving top-ranked Wilmington High a 29-28 victory over Harvard High. The Wildcats then went on to win their first state crown, beating Gibson City/Melvin-Sibley High, 45-17, in the semifinals and winning by criteria against Vandalia High for the title. The two teams tied at 29-29, with Wilmington taking the match by winning eight of the 14 matches. Vandalia had ended Dakota High’s hopes for a repeat, 41-24, in the semifinals.
There weren’t many individual upsets, but Saunders was a hero in Montini’s upset of Grant – its second blowout win over the Bulldogs this season – by pinning 119-pound state champion Lee Munster at 130 and beating St. Rita state placewinner Mike Migawa 5-3.
Back on familiar turf, Mater Dei boatraces Indiana duals field
Top-ranked Evansville Mater Dei High won its second straight Indiana state title and 12th in the last 13 years as they beat Mishawaka High 31-18 in a battle of the state’s top two teams in the dual state meet final.
After cruising past Avon High 65-3 in the first rouind, the Wildcats (25-0) got pins from juniors Cody Moll (103), Alex Weinzapfel (119) and Drew Lappe (135) for a 39-20 victory over Indianapolis Cathedral High in the semifinals. The pins by Moll and Wei8nzapfel, sandwiched around state place-winner Sean Herron’s decision at 112, helped Mater Dei snap a 13-13 tie and take command, 28-13.
Mishawaka (27-1), which also lost to Mater Dei in the title match in 2000, survived a tough quarterfinal match, getting past Merrillville High, 36-27. The Caveman then beat Decatur Bellmont High, 43-15, to advance to the finals.
In the final, Mater Dei, whose 11 individual state qualifiers led all schools, got a pin from Stephen Lovelace (160) and a decision from Ben Fleming (171) to take a 9-0 lead they never lost. The closest Mishawaka got was 15-12 with a 3-1 overtime victory by 119-pound state place-winner Nick Wiesjahn. Mater Dei state qualifier Zeke Zenthoefer (125) responded with a pin in the next match to restore Mater Dei’s lead to nine. The Wildcats, who held an 8-6 edge in victories, won three of the final five to close out the win.
By Rob Sherrill, W.I.N. High School Editor
Anyone who thought last season’s repeat victory was the best the Orland Park (Ill.) Carl Sandburg High would have to offer underestimated what the Eagles brought to the table this season.
Carl Sandburg made history — as far as public schools are concerned, at least — topping Lombard Montini High for the second time this season, 30-21, in the Class AA dual state final at DeKalb.
It was the fourth battle between national Top 10 teams in Illinois this season and the 10th this season nationally.
Many thought Carl Sandburg’s 42-24 victory over the Broncos in the final round of The Clash National Duals at Rochester, Minn. in December wasn’t truly indicative of the relative strengths of the two teams. With victories over Jackson (N.J.) Memorial High and Apple Valley (Minn.) High — teams Carl Sandburg lost to the same day — Montini already had wrapped up the Clash title and jockeyed several wrestlers up a weight against the Eagles.
But it turned out to be Carl Sandburg that padded the record books. In addition to extending its three-year winning streak against Illinois schools to 81 in a row, Carl Sandburg became the first public school team to win three consecutive dual titles in either class, and the first public school to accomplish the feat in 67 years.
Carl Sandburg (31-2) won 30 of its 39 contested matches during the day, including nine of 13 in the title match. The Eagles romped in their first two matches, 43-25 over Chicago Mount Carmel High – a match they once led 43-3- and 50-9 over Rockton Hononegah High in the semifinals.
Montini (33-2) beat Fox Lake Grant High, 43-13, and Chicago St. Rita High, 47-24, to reach the finals.
Tyler LePretre (130) scored the meet’s first upset for Carl Sandburg, edging four-time state qualifier Andrew Saunders, 5-4, in the meet’s first match for a 3-0 lead. Two-time state champions Conrad Polz (140) and Matt Cusick (145) won by decision and major decision, respectively, to help the Eagles build a 14-3 lead before four-time state champion Mike Benefiel’s pin at 160 made it 14-9.
While Montini brought its vaunted upper weights down for the state series, Carl Sandburg sent two of its hammers up, and both scored stunning victories in overtime. Eric Pretto, who competed at 160 in the state series, scored a 7-5 victory at 171 over Dan Grimes, who competed at 189, and state placewinner John Doyle (189), also up a weight, edged former 215-pound standout Ethan Winel 3-1 at 189 and it was 19-9.
A stalling call against Pretto with one second remaining in regulation tied the 171-pound match at 5-5.
State champion Garrett Goebel won his third straight close match over Carl Sandburg state placewinner Eric Rettke, 3-1, as Montini closed within 19-15. But the Eagles’ much-maligned lower weights came to the rescue again.
State runner-up Jon Morrison’s technical fall at 103 made it 24-15 and the Eagles also knocked off a pair of Montini state qualifiers to win it. Miguel Guerrero’s 9-3 victory over 103-pound state qualifier Colton Rasche at 112 clinched it for Carl Sandburg, giving the Eagles their eighth victory and a 27-15 lead.
Benefiel’s pin over Juan Soliz in 61 seconds gave him a state-record 57 victories this season.
The top two teams in Class A met in the quarterfinals, state runner-up John Van Duyne’s pin in the final match at 112 giving top-ranked Wilmington High a 29-28 victory over Harvard High. The Wildcats then went on to win their first state crown, beating Gibson City/Melvin-Sibley High, 45-17, in the semifinals and winning by criteria against Vandalia High for the title. The two teams tied at 29-29, with Wilmington taking the match by winning eight of the 14 matches. Vandalia had ended Dakota High’s hopes for a repeat, 41-24, in the semifinals.
There weren’t many individual upsets, but Saunders was a hero in Montini’s upset of Grant – its second blowout win over the Bulldogs this season – by pinning 119-pound state champion Lee Munster at 130 and beating St. Rita state placewinner Mike Migawa 5-3.
Back on familiar turf, Mater Dei boatraces Indiana duals field
Top-ranked Evansville Mater Dei High won its second straight Indiana state title and 12th in the last 13 years as they beat Mishawaka High 31-18 in a battle of the state’s top two teams in the dual state meet final.
After cruising past Avon High 65-3 in the first rouind, the Wildcats (25-0) got pins from juniors Cody Moll (103), Alex Weinzapfel (119) and Drew Lappe (135) for a 39-20 victory over Indianapolis Cathedral High in the semifinals. The pins by Moll and Wei8nzapfel, sandwiched around state place-winner Sean Herron’s decision at 112, helped Mater Dei snap a 13-13 tie and take command, 28-13.
Mishawaka (27-1), which also lost to Mater Dei in the title match in 2000, survived a tough quarterfinal match, getting past Merrillville High, 36-27. The Caveman then beat Decatur Bellmont High, 43-15, to advance to the finals.
In the final, Mater Dei, whose 11 individual state qualifiers led all schools, got a pin from Stephen Lovelace (160) and a decision from Ben Fleming (171) to take a 9-0 lead they never lost. The closest Mishawaka got was 15-12 with a 3-1 overtime victory by 119-pound state place-winner Nick Wiesjahn. Mater Dei state qualifier Zeke Zenthoefer (125) responded with a pin in the next match to restore Mater Dei’s lead to nine. The Wildcats, who held an 8-6 edge in victories, won three of the final five to close out the win.