Grecos state bound
By KEVIN DRULEY
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kdruley@kcchronicle.com
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| St. Charles East's Cody Crawford (right) wrestles Batavia's Charlie Ryan in the 130-pound semifinal during the IHSA Class 3A Leyden Sectional in Franklin Park. (Jeff Krage – For the Chronicle) |
FRANKLIN PARK – Uncharted territory looks a little less imposing to Marmion wrestlers Eddie and Pat Greco now that they've paved the way.
Six years' worth of Cadets tried to accomplish what the brothers did Saturday afternoon, and six years' worth of Cadets fell short.
"It's a lot different just knowing that you and your brother were the only two guys in Marmion history to make it downstate, and you guys did it at the same time," said Eddie Greco, a 103-pound freshman. "It just makes me feel so good."
While the Cadets set a new program standard for postseason prosperity at the IHSA Class 3A Leyden Sectional, Batavia tied its own. Four Bulldogs are headed for next weekend's state meet at the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall in Champaign, the same number that went in 1980.
What distinguishes Logan Arlis (first at 112 pounds), Charlie Ryan (second at 130), Andrew Rudd (fourth at 160) and Danny Watson (first at 171) this time around is that all are team captains.
Four St. Charles East athletes qualified, as well, one each in the top four places that guaranteed a state berth. Daniel Mercadante was the Saints' lone sectional champ at 145 pounds, with Brandon Rubino (second at 112), Nick Scimeca (third at 152) and Nick Ruffino (fourth at 125) following in line.
The format to qualify changed from years past after wrestling jumped from two to three classes this season. Before, only the top three wrestlers at each weight moved on, a difference that influenced some in the championship round.
"I didn't really wrestle my style," said Ruffino, who dropped a 3-1 decision to Niles West's Jamal Johnson for third place at 125 pounds. "I was kind of like, 'Oh, I made it. I'm satisfied.' I didn't wrestle the way I wanted to, but I'm really positive for making it down as a freshman."
Traveling to Champaign amounts to a family reunion for Arlis and his dad, Bulldogs coach Tom. The other Arlis siblings, sister Taylor and brother Clint – a 157-pound wrestler for the Illini – attend school there.
Both Arlises spent time texting one or the other late Saturday afternoon with the good news: Logan remained undefeated at 39-0 and was headed back to state for a second successive year.
"My brother and sister are both real happy to watch me wrestle down there," Logan Arlis said, "so it'll be fun."
Arlis clinched the sectional title with a 7-0 decision against Rubino, a fellow junior who he now has defeated twice in three career meetings. Rubino admitted to feeling nervous entering the finals because he had anticipated the match all week. Rubino and Arlis did not wrestle in East and Batavia's dual to close the regular season because Arlis still was at 119 pounds.
Mercadante won his sectional final, 6-5, against Tim Savenok of Wheaton Warrenville South. Watson, a state qualifier at 160 pounds a year ago, won by the same margin (3-2) in his final at 171. It wasn't his best effort, he admitted, but the senior still is 39-1.
"Coming out on top is all you've got to do," Watson said.
Pat Greco appeared on track to do just that in the 140-pound finals, rallying from a 6-4 deficit with 1:20 remaining in the third period. Three quick takedowns provided an 8-7 cushion against Willowbrook's Steve Congenie before a late Congenie reversal sent the match to overtime.
A similar maneuver sunk Greco again 21 seconds into the extra period. Looking to cover Congenie for a winning takedown of his own, Greco instead lost control and the match.
"I was coming around to finish and he just popped his hips in, and I think I might have relaxed for a second, and that's all it takes," Greco said. "He barely squeaked that one out on the end."
Greco typically sulks after any loss, but he decided to give that a rest this time around. With 100 career victories and counting after Friday's preliminary round, not to mention that historical state berth in the bag, he smiled.
Across the gym, Dean Branstetter, the program's only coach in seven seasons, was doing the same.
"He's a great guy, he puts his heart and soul into the team," Greco said. "And now it pays off."
