Wrestling: Notre Dame rolls to title in own regional

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Niles, 1/7/11--Jimmy Gallardo, (right) of Notre Dame wrestling against Joey Lanzi, of Maine South in the 106 lbs weight class. | Vincent D. Johnson~for Sun-Times Media.

Updated: March 10, 2012 8:23AM

Facing a rigorous IHSA Class 3A schedule last season, Notre Dame posted a 29-2 record, won a regional title and finished with a top-10 ranking — even after a disappointing sectional showing.

So it was no surprise that the Dons dominated their own regional Saturday, in the squad’s first foray into the Class 2A ranks. Notre Dame was forced to drop down a notch after the IHSA revised its enrollment multiplier and made other modifications last June.

Notre Dame took full advantage, advancing all 14 of its wrestlers, including nine champions and five other top-three finishers. The Dons, losing only five matches the entire day, rolled up 278 points to Ridgewood’s 133, Chicago Uplift’s 113 and 83 or fewer for the other seven teams.

“We did what we wanted by qualifying everyone and winning as a team to get to the dual sectional,” said Notre Dame head coach Augie Genovesi. “It was challenging with all the injuries we have had, but we geared everything for this stage. We are healthier and rounding into form at the right time.”

Regardless of the class, Notre Dame’s 14-for-14 feat was a noteworthy accomplishment. The heat was on the less experienced Dons to help deliver the maximum.

Talented freshman Mike Ferri (4-1 at 120 pounds) — thrust into the pressures of an IHSA regional with only one varsity bout under his belt — won three of four matches, including a 9-4 victory in the pivotal third-place contest. Senior Anthony McDermott (14-14, 126) also went 3-1, including a vital win in his bout for third place.

Sophomore Robert Hill (7-6, 160) didn’t know he would be competing until Saturday morning, which is when senior Jack Fracek (shoulder ligament) was ruled out. Hill, who compiled a 39-3 record on the JV team, came right back from a 14-3 shellacking to win his third-place match 7-3.

Notre Dame’s three returning Class 3A state-meet qualifiers barely broke a sweat. Senior Kevin Stahmer (30-6, 182) dispatched both of his opponents in the second period. Senior Scott Smith (24-11, 113) followed a quick pin with a 16-0 tech fall. Junior Joe Cortese (20-5, 152) romped twice.

Two of the three Dons who won ESCC titles the previous week finished first again. Freshman Jimmy Gallardo (27-8, 106) looks locked and loaded for a deep run after securing two fast pins. Junior Roark Whittington (31-6, 145), quietly excellent all season, notched three one-sided victories. Senior Jimmy Biancofori (23-7, 132) criticized himself for poor weight control during the week, leading to a subpar, runner-up performance.

On a mission to make state in his last chance, senior mainstay Tim Donnelly (30-8, 138) breezed with a first-period fall and a 11-3 win, and said he felt better after recent struggles with groin and shoulder injuries. Given short brackets, seniors Colton Kelly (29-6, 195) and Ryan Walsh (25-8, 220) won their only matches on early falls. Kelly is determined to stay healthy after missing the ESCC meet with tonsil problems, and last year’s sectional with a torn MCL.

Senior Rocco Faggiano (4-3, 285), who keeps shedding rust after a long layoff, claimed second place with two pins. The football team’s left tackle had to wait forever to recover from a severe hamstring pull and a lesser knee issue.

In the day’s feel-good story, Conner Gavin (14-1, 170) earned the top spot with an exciting 6-5 victory following a first-period pin and tech fall. Racked with football injuries, Gavin wasn’t even going to wrestle until his teammates coaxed him back two weeks into the season. He then had to cut considerable weight to get down to 170 while slowly healing. The senior, who recently committed to play football for Northern Illinois, is now a serious threat.

The easy part is over for Notre Dame, which will compete in the Grayslake Central Sectional on Friday and Saturday. Six of Class 2A’s No. 1-ranked wrestlers and 48 other ranked individuals — including seven Dons — headline the Grayslake field. The top four wrestlers in each class advance to the state meet, Feb. 16-18.

“For the sectional, it’s one match at a time. The guys have to wrestle hard and not let anything bother them,” Genovesi said. “At this time of the year, a lot of wrestlers are tight and have a problem with pulling the trigger. You’ve got to go hard or you’re going home.”

No. 3 Notre Dame will face No. 12 Crystal Lake Central in the Woodstock Dual-Team Sectional on Feb. 21. Regional champs St. Patrick and Antioch are the other pairing.

Eight teams advance to the dual-team state meet on Feb. 25. Crystal Lake Central finished 11th in the Dvorak Memorial, one spot ahead of the Dons. The Tigers, led by senior superstar Gage Harrah (34-1, 195), recently captured its fifth straight Fox Valley Conference title.