For a fraction of a second, heavyweight Dom Swanson was on his back. Huntley’s highest hopes were in peril.
A fraction of a second later, Swanson rolled through a scramble and pinned Prairie Ridge’s Dereck Pearson, giving the Red Raiders the first Fox Valley Conference team title in program history.
Huntley posted a 194-191 edge over runner-up Crystal Lake Central.
“I knew we needed a win,” Swanson said. “I’m glad I knew because it gave me more incentive. I wanted it more. And everyone wrestled great today.”
Gannon Kosowski (106) and Josh Stenger (120) also won as Huntley’s three individual titles led the 13-team field. The Red Raiders also got a second from Petros Mihalopoulos (285), plus three third-place finishes on a historic day for the program.
“We won nine out of 13 matches in the final round,” Huntley coach BJ Bertelsman said. “The first one in the school’s history? I’m happy.
“Every guy won a match on our team. Stenger had a good tournament, (Kosowski) was awesome, and (Mihalopoulos) was unseeded and got to the title match. I just told (Swanson) to go wrestle and win, and he did.”
Stenger (37-4) posted a pin and two wins by tech fall, capped by a tech fall over Crystal Lake Central’s Connor Burns.
“These past few months have been really good for me,” Stenger said. “Winning (tournaments) at Granite City, Sycamore, and now this — it’s a really big confidence booster going into the regional.”
Jacobs, which beat Huntley in their regular-season dual meet, finished third at Hampshire. The Golden Eagles got firsts from Beau Harrier (113) and Dean Lane (160) and led all teams with five wrestlers reaching the title mat.
Lane (27-1) didn’t give up a single offensive point during the tournament and won a 5-0 title-mat decision over Woodstock’s Kevin Zange.
“I haven’t given up a lot of points this year,” Lane said. “I haven’t been afraid to scramble like I was last year. I worked so hard in the offseason, and this feels great. I was fifth here last year.”
The face of domination in the tourney belonged to Dundee-Crown’s Christian Brunner. The senior and returning state medal winner improved to 38-0 with a pin against Mihalopoulos for the title at 195.
Brunner pinned all three of his opponents in the two-day event and has been the top-ranked wrestler at 195 all season by Illinois Matmen.
“For the most part, I’m just trying to have fun,” Brunner said. “I’m definitely better on my feet this year, I’m scoring quick now, and I think I’ve got something like 31 pins. I’ll look at who I’m going against at next week’s regional, but I just have to go out and wrestle.”
Dundee-Crown also got a second from Chase Rapp (182) in placing 10th. Hampshire finished 11th, with Casey Allen (132) and Wylie Allen (152) winning titles.
Wylie Allen (31-2) rode out Woodstock North’s Jake Fiorito to end each period during a 6-2 decision win.
“That’s always been the best part of my wrestling, and my shots are better,” Wylie Allen said. “I’ve worked hard on my shots and on bottom. I feel a hundred times better than last year.”
Gary Larsen is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
