All season, 103-pound freshman Matt Kucala was the leadoff man for the Providence wrestling team. Saturday night he batted third and hit a home run.
The Class AA team championships started with the 215-pound match, but the Celtics’ Kucala was ready when it was his turn.
Trailing Mt. Carmel’s Frank McNaughton 6-2 in the second period, he reversed the Caravan junior, hit his favorite move and pinned him at 3 minutes 32 seconds. That pin started a string of five straight victories that helped the Celtics to a 31-27 victory and their second straight dual-meet team title.
“I kind of liked having two matches before me,” said Kucala, who had lost to McNaughton in a dual won by Mt. Carmel at the end of the regular season. “I got some time to relax and didn’t have to be the pacesetter.”
Providence (29-2) had won every tournament it had competed in this season with strong lower weights. This weekend at Eastside Centre was no different. Kucala was 3-0–all pins–while Paul Augle (112 pounds), Mark Warren (119) and Ryan Cumbee (125) were perfect in three matches. Rick Olszta was 2-0 at 130.
In the finals, Providence moved too far ahead for Mt. Carmel’s upper weights to be a factor. The Celtics, who had defeated Rockford East 38-17 in the semifinals, clinched the title with a 3-2 victory by 160-pounder Justin Ruggio, star tailback on Providence’s state football champions. They then forfeited the final two weights.
“Frankie (McNaughton) is winning, and he gets pinned,” said Mt. Carmel coach Bill Weick, whose team finished 24-1. “That’s a nine-point swing right there. They beat us those five weights in a row where they have been tough all year. We just couldn’t get anything going. We needed to win one of those first two. We had a chance but didn’t finish it up.
“They have a nice team, we have a nice team. Start it up again and who knows what happens?”
Providence lost to Mt. Carmel 35-19 in the regular-season finale. The Celtics lost at 103, 112 and 130 in that match but turned those bouts around in the finals.
“At 103, after losing (in the regular season), coming around and getting a pin–that was huge,” said Providence coach Keith Healy, who has coached two state championship teams and three third-place finishers in six years.
“(Mt. Carmel’s Kevin) Butler and Augle had been another loss. Then Ricky Olstza coming down to 130 was the kicker. That was one thing we wanted to do–get another win where we had a loss last time.”
Mt. Carmel had to overcome two undefeated teams to get to the finals. The Caravan rolled over Granite City (24-1) in the quarterfinals and took care of Moline 29-26 in the semis.
Providence beat Maine West 41-22 in the quarterfinals.
