All
of the following dual team sectionals are scheduled for Tuesday, February
23rd.
IHSA Class 1A Wilmington Dual Team Sectional
Match 1 at 6:00 pm: Wilmington vs. Braidwood (Reed-Custer)
Match 2 at 6:00 pm: Gibson City vs. Melrose Park (Walter Lutheran)
Oregon Dual Team Sectional
Match 1 at 6:00 pm: Sherrard vs. Erie/Prophetstown
Match 2 at 6:00 pm: Harvard vs Stillman Valley
Stanford (Olympia) Dual Team Sectional
Match 1 at 6:00 pm: LeRoy vs. Petersburg (PORTA) (1A)
Match 2 at 6:00 pm: Camp Point (Central) vs. Eureka (1A) March 3 at 6:00 pm: Granite City vs. Orland Park...
Colton Rasche, 130 pound 3x All-State wrestler for the defending 2A State
Champion Montini Broncos, has committed to continue his wrestling career at
the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Rasche (39-5) has
compiled a 179-26 career record and is currently ranked #1 in class 2A by
Illinois Matmen and #20 nationally by Intermat.
Montini vs. Marmion!!!
check out the Story/Replay of the Live Dual on the Illinois Mat Man!
Montini Vs. Marmion Broadcast Replay
Saturday, January
30, 2010 ~ Illinois Matmen News
The
Montini Catholic versus Marmion Academy dual meet has been archived for
those that couldn't watch it live. Special thanks toIzzy
Style Wrestlingfor
sponsoring the broadcast.
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Drew Vrbenec didn’t get the ending to his individual
wrestling career he would have liked.
But for years now, there’s always been another chance for Montini
wrestlers to make their final high school meet a memorable one.
“It’s a good way to end senior year,” Vrbenec said after helping the
Broncos win their fifth state title overall and fourth in a row in Class 2A.
“Last weekend didn’t go my way particularly. I didn’t end up placing in
individual state, but I guess I kind of made up for it here.”
Montini (21-0) beat the second-best team in 2A, Lemont, in the regional
to advance to the team state series and steamrolled the competition once
there. On Saturday at U.S. Cellular Coliseum, the Broncos beat 2011
runner-up Crystal Lake Central 50-10 in the quarterfinals, rolled by
Bloomington 49-12 in the semis and cruised past Yorkville 53-12 in the title
match.
So dominant was Montini that four-time state placer KeVon Powell walked
on the mat just once, and that was only to take a forfeit in the final bout
of the semifinal.
“He’s been banged up all year,” Montini coach Israel Martinez said of
Powell. “I gave him the day off. I said, ‘Just sit back and enjoy it.’”
That advice was taken by all of the Broncos, who staked their claim as
the state’s top team regardless of class by beating 3A champ Sandburg to win
the Hinsdale Central tournament in December and knocking off 3A runner-up
Oak Park-River Forest in a dual.
“Winning never gets old,” said junior Edgar Ruano, who also played for
the Broncos’ Class 5A football champs along with wrestling teammates Michael
Maduko, David Sarkan and Anthony Ferraro.
“The transition [from football to wrestling] is usually kind of rough the
first couple months,” Ruano said. “But once we get rolling ... we start
winning. We’ll always be ready for state.”
Jake Turk (182), Sarkan (220), state champ Tommy Pawelski (106), Vince
Turk (120) and Michael Sepke (126) all had falls in the title match, while
Xavier Montalvo (160), Ferraro (195), Jordan Laster (113), Chris Garcia
(132) and Vrbenec (138) each contributed major decisions.
All of the starters in the title bout will be back other than Vrbenec and
Conor Winel, who won a decision at 170.
“What most people don’t know is we’ve got three guys who are freshmen who
are unbelievable,” Martinez said. “Next year we’ll be better than ever.”
Football | State finals notes: Montini's Rhode caps
comeback season with seven TD passes
Montini's Jordan Westerkamp wouldn't take the bait
when asked which was more impressive, his 331-yard, five-touchdown receiving
performance in the Class 5A state final or Ty Isaac's 515-yard,
six-touchdown rushing performance for Joliet Catholic.
"I don't like to talk about myself," Westerkamp said.
"I don't do that.
"Their backs were amazing."
Westerkamp wasn't about to leave out a third
candidate, his quarterback, John Rhode, who threw for 587 yards and seven
touchdowns.
"To have a game like
this, with the numbers, it's unbelievable," Westerkamp said.
Passing fancy: Rhode, who was a two-year
starter at Marian Catholic before transferring to Montini for his senior
year, put together an impressive stretch after missing the Broncos' first
five games with
a broken thumb.
His finale gave him 3,034 yards and 42 touchdown
passes in nine games.
Coach Chris Andriano has called the 6-foot, 195-pound
Rhode the best quarterback he's had in his 33 seasons as Montini's coach.
His college future is undecided.
"I haven't really thought about it much until now,"
Rhode said.
BLOOMINGTON - After what he and his Montini
teammates have endured this year, Frank Baer wasn't going to let an ailing
left shoulder stop him now.
"If your arm's falling off, you gotta go out there and win it for the team,"
the senior 145-pounder said Saturday night. "I got banged up in the dual
earlier this week, but I had to wrap it up, keep going hard and get it
[done] no matter what it took."
Baer and the Broncos did their jobs well enough to earn a 39-29 win over
Crystal Lake Central in the Class 2A championship match at U.S. Cellular
Coliseum.
It's the fourth consecutive state title for Montini (26-6) and the Broncos'
ninth since 2000. The first eight came under coach Mike Bukovsky, who
retired after last season and was replaced by Israel Martinez.
"Coach Bu put in place a philosophy and system," Martinez said. "I just had
to jump in [his] place and drive the car. We took a couple different turns
than Bu does, but we still ended up on the same road."
The Broncos beat Crystal Lake Central (21-3) in the title match for the
second straight season after earlier edging rival Marmion by one point to
win the Yorkville Regional.
"At one point we were underdogs to Marmion," Montini 285-pounder Ross
Ferraro said. "But since the regional, there's been no doubt in my mind we
were going to win state."
Austin Marsden, the 2A champ at 215, gave Crystal Lake Central a 6-0 lead
with a 1:54 fall at 215 pounds. But Montini won the next five matches to
take control.
Ferraro and KeVon Powell (112) had falls, Michael Sepke (125) won a major
decision and Tommy Pawelski (103) and Michael Gibson (119) had decisions to
stake the Broncos to a 22-6 lead.
Crystal Lake Central got a technical fall from one of its three-time state
champs (Trevor Jauch at 140) and a 1:04 pin from its other three-time winner
(Joey Kielbasa at 152) sandwiched around Baer's pin at 145 to stay
within striking distance.
Then Frank Abitua won 9-6 at 160 over Stephen Robertson, a two-time 2A champ
who lost to Kielbasa in last week's 152 final. That made it 33-23 with two
bouts remaining, but Dimitri Willis iced it for Montini with a 2:16 fall at
171.
It continued a wildly successful ride for Baer, Willis and Ferraro, all
starters on Montini's Class 5A football champions who also won individual
and team state titles in wrestling.
"It's special," Baer said. "You go into high school with the dream of
winning one [team] state championship. To come out with two football and
four wrestling, it's a dream come true."
First-time finalist Sycamore
(22-2), which lost 46-27 to Crystal Lake Central in the semis, beat Lemont
(20-7) 42-18 for third place.
Football | 5A final: Another
Westerkamp helps Montini capture repeat title
CHAMPAIGN — —
By the time he was 15 yards into his pattern, Jordan
Westerkamp was 5 yards clear of the two players trying to defend him.
The early distance Montini created was also too much for Chatham Glenwood to
overcome.
There were no last-minute heart-pounders this time because quarterback Matt
Westerkamp connected with his cousin Jordan often Saturday morning as
Montini repeated as 5A state champion with a 34-21 victory over Chatham
Glenwood atMemorial
Stadium.
Jordan Westerkamp, whose brother Christian caught a touchdown pass and
two-point conversion in the final minute of Montini's 29-28 victory over
Joliet Catholic in last year's state final, had five of his seven
receptions, 127 of his 146 yards and all three of his touchdowns in the
first half as the Broncos built a 28-7 lead.
"The Westerkamp connection was on fire again today," said 32nd-year Montini
coach Chris Andriano, who won his third state championship at the Lombard
school. "Jordan is a special receiver. There aren't too many kids with his
ability.
"This is something he has been working on since he was a little kid, so it's
not a surprise. His dad (Bob) was a great player for us in the 1980s, his
brother was the hero of last year's championship game and now Jordan is just
a junior. I guess I'm coming back next year."
Glenwood (10-4) managed to control the Westerkamps in the second half, but
the damage was done.
Three first-quarter fumbles by the Titans gave Montini (12-2) opportunities.
Matt Westerkamp (14-for-25, 199 yards) knew how to butter the Broncos'
bread. Undaunted by the double coverage, the Westerkamps connected on
touchdowns of 13, 23 and 51 yards in the first two quarters to give Montini
a three-touchdown lead.
"I feel like more a part of it this year because last year I was only a
sophomore," said Jordan Westerkamp, who has an offer from Illinois. "This
year, me and Matt being able to hook up made me feel more a part of it. It
is unbelievable. Last year I was with my brother, this year with my cousin.
Next year is going to be lonely."
Player of the game:Jordan
Westerkamp, Montini, 7 receptions, 146 yards, 3 TDs.
Key performers:Montini
— Zech Tredenick, 4 sacks, 9 tackles; Matt Westerkamp, 14-for-25, 199 yards,
3 TDs; Phil Giordano, 2 sacks. Glenwood — Devin Von Nordheim-Moore, 20
carries, 144 yards, TD.
Individual
Rankings
By
Andre' Morgan
The
Montini Catholic versus Marmion Academy dual meet has been archived for
those that couldn't watch it live. Special thanks to
