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 COUGARS GAINING MOMENTUM
The goal of every sports team is to be playing its best for the playoffs.
While that did not happen for the Chicago Bears in a 29-21 loss to the Carolina Panthers Sunday, count the wrestling team at Plainfield South High School among those peaking for the playoffs.
The playoffs include the state series, which starts with the Plainfield Central regional Feb. 4.
A good indicator of just how sharp the Cougars are will come at the Suburban Prairie Conference megameet Friday and Saturday at Fenton High School in Bensenville.
"I think the Mega-Conference is a good late-season tournament to see just how ready teams and individuals are getting for regionals," South coach Matt Long said. "I think it¹ll let guys see how far they¹ve come from the first three tournaments of the year and let them see what they still can improve on to make it to sectionals, state, and to a possible state medal. It¹s a real good test going into our very tough regional and sectional."
Although South probably will not contend for the 19-team tournament title, the Cougars feel confident heading into the meet.
"I believe we can be in the top half of the team standings at the megameet," Long said of the Cougars, who have finished ninth in the meet the last two years. "I really think that if the guys continue to peak, that we could legitimately have half the team place at the conference."
A lot will depend on the seeds.
"If we keep wrestling well this week, we could look to get some pretty good seeds at some weights and, hopefully, have a solid conference weekend," Long said.
Expecting to be seeded at the tournament are Andrew Haney, Robert Warren, Brien Plese, Mike Bachner and Jim Neuman.
The five have been the most consistent wrestlers for the Cougars since the season started in late November.
"I think Haney, Warren, Plese, Bachner, and Neuman will continue to have a solid last few weeks of the season," Long said of the five. "So will the rest of the squad if they continue to go after people in the practice room, in our final duals and in tournaments."
Bachner leads the team with 22 wins at heavyweight.
Haney at 103 pounds, Warren at 112 and Plese at 130 each have 18 wins on the season.
Neuman is 11-7 at 215 for the Cougars, who were fourth out of 12 teams at the Kaneland Tournament Saturday in Kaneland.
Bachner was the lone champion for South, going 3-0 at heavyweight.
Plese, Aaron Kazenko at 160 and Neuman advanced to final matches, but lost to place second.
Senior Gary Hutchinson took third at 171.
The Cougars ended SPC South action with a 51-25 win over Oswego East.
South is 10-8 overall and went 2-3 in conference duals.
Winning by pins against the first-year varsity Wolves were Haney, Plese, Kazenko, Hutchinson and Neuman.
1/19/06
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South seventh at Yorkville Tournament
By Mark Gregory
If Plainfield South High School wrestling coach Matt Long seems to be repeating himself these days, that’s because he is.
The Cougars have battled the same problems from the beginning of the year until now.
A lack of depth and a need to get the right people in the right weights have plagued South all year.
While they have individual talent, the Cougars can’t seem to get over the hump as a team.
“We are still juggling too many people around, “ Long said. “We need to get everyone to their weight and have a consistent lineup. Hopefully, that will happen soon.”
South has had success from its two lightest wrestlers in step-brothers Andrew Haney and Robert Warren.
Warren (13-2) leads the team in wins from his 112- pound slot, while Haney has posted an 11-3 mark at 102.
Mike Bachner (11-2) is the only other South wrestler to post double digit wins.
A true 215-pounder, Bachner has done his damage at 275 pounds.
“I keep telling him that when he gets to his weight, he can do something, “ Long said. “I think with those three and when Brian Plese (8-6 at 130) and Aaron Kazenko (9-6 at 160) really get going, we have a solid top five.”
Those five, along with Jim Harpole at 125, were the place winners at last weekend’s Yorkville Tournament.
Kazenko led the way with a second-place showing, while Haney, Plese and Bachner all finished third.
Harpole earned fourth and Warren took fifth.
As a team, South was seventh out of 16 teams with 114 points.
That came on the heels of a 45-21 Suburban Prairie Conference South Division loss to Oswego.
“We thought we could have had a better showing against Oswego,” Long said of the Cougars’ third conference loss in three matches. “But we are still not at full strength.”
Long knows, however, this is all in preparation for what is to come down the road.
“I keep telling the kids, the dual matches and invites prepare us for what is coming up,” Long said. “The conference mega tournament, regional, sectional and state. Tournament season is when we need to be ready.”
12/22/05
South to do some soul searching
Cougars fall to 0-2 in SPC South
By Dennis Nelson
The Plainfield South High School wrestling team had just finished its second dual meet against the top teams in the Suburban Prairie Conference South Division.
A week after a 54-15 loss to District 202 rival Plainfield Central, South hosted defending SPC South champion Minooka Thursday in Plainfield.
The result was nearly identical as the Cougars absored a 59-11 setback.
South coach Matt Long can live with the fact the Cougars lost to the top two teams in the conference on consecutive Thursdays.
What he has a problem with is the Cougars' fight.
"You try to find a positive in every match and you try to find the guys that wrestled well the entire six minutes," Long said. "These are the two toughest teams in the conference, but we need to do some work."
It starts with South's mental toughness and staying power.
In the two duals, just nine of the 28 matches went the entire six minutes.
"We're getting caught with our head down, knee to our head and little things like that, you give a guy an opportunity to put you on your back and put you away," Long said. "We have to find a way to stop getting pinned."
Against Minooka, South failed to go the distance in eight of 14 matches.
The Cougars were forced to forfeit another weight.
That means nine of the 14 matches were no contest.
"We have guys who need to get into the right weight slots and it's pretty evident we need to put a full match together," Long said.
That's a fact that wasn't lost on Long after South fell to 3-4 overall and 0-2 in the SPC South.
"It's a matter of stepping out there and putting it all together," Long said. "And it has to be for a full match. One or two periods isn't going to cut it. Five minutes isn't going to cut it. Five-thirty isn't going to cut it. You have to be in it for the long haul."
The first two matches against Minooka (6-3, 2-0 in the SPC South) went the distance.
Jim Neuman won at 215 pounds and Mike Bachner was victorious at heavyweight to stake the Cougars a 6-0 lead heading into the lower weights.
Andrew Haney was in a position to pin Ben Bokoski early in the third period.
However, Bokoski reversed Haney and pinned him at the five-minute mark.
"I anticipated that was going to be a good match," Long said. "I thought it would be a dogfight. I didn't know who would be on top. But when you get the opportunity to put a kid away, you have to put him away."
Minooka did plenty of that, winning six matches by pinfall. Of those, four of them were during the first two periods.
"That's something that has to be rectified," Long said. "That has to come from the captains and work its way down."
The other South win was a technical fall by Robert Warren at 112.
"Right now, you are a varsity wrestler and you should not be giving up bonus points. Period," Long said. "There's not a lot you can do when you are giving up four, five and six points every time out. You have to be in it for the long haul."
During its first seven duals, just 30 percent of its matches have lasted six minutes or more.
"There are some things mentally we have to get through," Long said. "Stepping on the mat confident is a big problem. What happens is you are constantly defending the whole match, constantly backpedaling and trying to get out of something. That's no way to wrestle."
Two days later, South placed fourth at the eight-team Sterling Invite.
Haney came away with his first tournament title at 103 pounds.
Plese reached the 130-pound final, but lost to place second.
Third-place finishes were turned in by Robert Warren at 112, Brian Warren at 119, Gary Hutchinson at 171 and Bachner at heavyweight.
South resumes SPC South dual-meet action Friday at Oswego.
Dec 16, 2005
Warren, Bachner start strong for Cougars
The Cougars opened the season with a 45-26 win over Romeoville before falling 43-30 to Bolingbrook and 44-28 to Lemont in a quad match.
In the win, freshman Andrew Haney won via pinfall in 3:05 at 103 pounds.
Haney’s step-brother, Robert Warren, also recorded a pin at 112 in 3:57 as did Brien Plese at 130, pinning his opponent in 3:12.
Warren and heavyweight Mike Bachner were the only South wrestlers to go undefeated on the day.
While Warren earned a forfeit win against Bolingbrook, Bachner won three matches.
“We came out and got after it in the first match against Romeoville,” said South coach Matt Long. “In the next two matches we didn’t have that intensity. We need to be more fired up all the time.
“We have the potential to do some good things this year. We have some talent.”
Dec 9, 2005
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By Dennis Nelson
CHAMPAIGN - The Class AA individual state wrestling meet has been the home to the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat many times.
The latter has happened 100-fold compared to the thrill of winning a state championship.
Plainfield South High School’s Craig Tokarski knows that scenario all too well after his final trek to the state meet.
Tokarski lost his preliminary round match at 160 pounds and was eliminated Friday.
The senior entered the state meet as a challenger for the championship.
He left with a bitter taste in his mouth and a 38-2 record.
”I thought Craig was the man to beat in the bottom (bracket), but it didn¹t pan out that way,” South coach Matt Long said. “He didn¹t have the tournament he wanted, but those things happen. He’s still one of, if not the, toughest kid I’ve coached. He’s right up there with the best.”
Tokarski ripped through the regular season undefeated and was Plainfield South regional champion.
He entered the Bloom sectional unbeaten before losing in the championship match to Brett Ambrosino of Sandburg (36-3).
That meant a preliminary match against St. Rita¹s Bill Cascone (34-8).
A 3-1 overtime loss ended Tokarski’s high school career.
”I was sitting pretty good heading into the tournament, but that doesn’t matter now,” Tokarski said. “The most important match is the first one and it didn¹t go my way.”
”I really liked our draw and we knew Cascone from St. Rita was a good kid,” Long said. “We knew he played the edge and tried to stay open. Craig had him on three or four good shots, he just didn¹t finish them.”
”The kid wrestled a good match and slowed the pace down,” Tokarski said. “It turned into a one takedown match. He got me in overtime. I can’t go back and change that. I have to live with it.”
Losing the sectional final a week earlier could have played a part in the match.
”We talked about that and we talked about regrouping and putting that behind us,” Long said. ”I didn¹t think there would be any residuals. He’s mentally strong, I thought he was going to put that behind him and go out there like a whirlwind.”
”That was pretty much behind me,” Tokarski said. “I didn’t worry about that too much. I worried about the match I had in front of me all week. I just didn’t execute. Things didn’t go my way.”
”I thought we’d be ready to go,” Long said. “But, you get down there and every match has the ability to go into overtime. Everybody’s going to keep it nice and tight and that’s why it’s the state tournament.”
Despite the loss, Tokarski leaves South as a pioneer for great things to come.
He went 77-9 the last two state-qualifying seasons and 132-23 for his career, which includes two years at Montini High School in Lombard.
”I told him before he left that he really did have a great season,” Long said. “He won every tournament he was in until the sectional. Look at what he’s done since he’s come into our program. As a coach, I told him how much we appreciated his contributions.
Those are going to be huge for us in the long run.”
Tokarski qualified for the Class A state meet as a sophomore at Montini.
”If you can wrestle, you can wrestle,” Long said of the differences between Class A and AA. “If he’s good, he’s good at either level. I can rattle off A and AA kids who have gone off to college and were successful. The opposite is also true. Talk to me when you have been on both sides of the coin. I’ve wrestled A and AA and coached AA kids, so I’ve been on both sides.”
”The season didn’t finish the way I wanted it to,” Tokarski said. “But overall, I was undefeated until the sectional final and had a good season. I won some good tournaments, like the conference and regional tournament. So I guess if you look at the whole season, I had a good year.”
2/17/05
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STEGER — Unbeaten through sectional competition.
By Curt Herron
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD NEWS
An impressive standard which only a select group of wrestlers from the Joliet area are able to achieve during their careers. But four individuals had the opportunity to do just that heading into the finals of Saturday's Class AA Bloom Township Sectional, and three of them managed to finish the job.
Providence Catholic seniors Sean Reynolds and Marty Engwall, Plainfield South senior Craig Tokarski and Lincoln-Way Central freshman Josh Kratovil all found themselves in a position to make some history Saturday night. And when the competition was over, all but Tokarski assured themselves of the ultimate winning streak heading to next weekend's state finals in Champaign.....
.....Just as Engwall had his work cut out for him going against a former Lincoln-Way East wrestler, so did Tokarski in his title match. The finals at 160 went into double overtime before Sandburg's Brett Ambrosino pulled out a 4-3 victory, handing the Cougar wrestler his first defeat in 36 matches. Ambrosino tied things up at 3-3 with 0:16 left in regulation following a stalling call. In the second overtime, Ambrosino rode out Tokarski to win his first sectional title, depriving the South wrestler of the same.....
.....Plainfield Central advanced three individuals — Ryan Prater (112, first), Jeremy Ellingwood (130, third) and Mike Smith (140, second). Five other area individuals also moved on — Joliet Catholic Academy's Alex Macier (160, third), Lincoln-Way East's Drake Rossi (135, second), Lockport's Mike Shaub (275, first), Plainfield South's Craig Tokarski (160, second) and Romeoville's Chris Sizemore (171, third)......
.....The two Plainfield schools advanced a total of four individuals. For Central, Ryan Prater (112) and Mike Smith (140) reached the semifinals. For South, Jeff Broadway (145) and Craig Tokarski (160) moved on and put the Cougars in position to make history.
Tokarski beat Justin Williams of Shepard 6-3 to run his record to 34-0 and remain on track for his second straight trip downstate. He is the only Plainfield South individual ever to qualify for the Class AA state tournament.
02/13/05
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Tokarski closes in on goal
Plainfield South senior heads to state with winning on his mind
staff writer
Plainfield South High School senior Craig Tokarski chuckles, almost embarrassingly, about it now.
Tokarski was 8 years old when he joined his first wrestling club in Chicago. He did so because he was a professional wrestling fan and thought that was the kind of wrestling he would be learning.
"When I was younger, I was probably looking at professional wrestling, I really didn't know what it would be like when I first got in it, I kind of thought it would be something like that," Tokarski said. "When I got into it, I realized, it was obviously different, and I just fell in love with the sport.
"But I thought we'd have like tag-team matches and all this weird stuff."
Tokarski never learned the art of slamming a folding chair over the back of somebody's head, but he's been just as dangerous on the mat. He has won 134 matches and qualified for the state tournament three times.
"I like the one-on-one aspect of the sport, there's not a team or anything, just you and another guy and there's really no excuses," Tokarski said. "I stayed disciplined to the sport. Some kids like basketball, some kids like baseball, I've just always liked wrestling. It's the toughest sport, bar none, I wouldn't put it up against anything else. Some kids, they want that, they enjoy being pushed."
Tokarski (35-1) has qualified for this weekend's state meet in the 160-pound weight class after just missing a medal at the tournament last year.
"Just building on last year is what I want, I was one win away from placing down there, so I want to do better than that," he said.
Tokarski has spent the last two years as the leader of a new program. His first year with the Cougars was just the second varsity season for the school. He is the only Cougars wrestler to qualify for state.
"You just take on a different role, being a leader, leading by example," he said. "You don't really have to change anything, when you're the first of a kind in a program, kids are going to follow you."
And that is what Plainfield South coach Matt Long wants.
"He came in and was a state qualifier our second year of having a varsity team, he was a real nice addition," Long said. "I want our kids to look at the whole package, his build, his physique, and realize that doesn't come without hard work, that he's as strong as he is because he works at it. I want them to look at him when he's on the mat, he just hates to lose, he will do everything that he can not to lose. He's going to work to get to the point that he's winning. It says a lot about the character you have to have in this sport; it's one-on-one."
Tokarski has been with a successful program that has a deep roster. He wrestled his first two seasons for Lombard Montini Catholic, one of the premier programs in the state, despite being a Class A school.
"Having success there, being around the kinds of kids he was around, we're talking about state champions, placers, qualifiers throughout their room, he could bring a lot of things and show these guys what it's like to work hard, to push yourself to get to that point where you're at the top tier of the food chain," Long said.
Tokarski wrestled there at 140 and went to state as a sophomore.
"The only difference in a room like that is there's just more kids that can push them," Tokarski said. "But here you can go around with coaches, we have national qualifiers on our coaching staff."
Tokarski moved up to the 160-pound weight class after qualifying for state at 152 last year.
"This year, I really hit the gym hard, lifting weights," Tokarski said. "I'm definitely stronger this year. You use the strength to your advantage. If you're stronger than a kid, it can only benefit you."
That superior strength gives him an advantage on the mat.
"My strength for one is a strong point, being able to overmuscle some guys," Tokarski said. "And my desire, I really want to go out there, I really want to win. I've been wrestling since I was 8, as well, so my technique is pretty sound."
Sound enough to possibly win a state championship.
"This year, he's more explosive, flat-out, on the mat, being on the bottom position, being on his feet in the neutral position," Long said. "He is literally finishing probably 95 percent of the takedowns he shoots. Whatever he takes, he finishes and he's more aggressive this year. He realizes this is his senior year and he wants to be in that state title hunt. He's got some high goals, and they are not by any means too high. They are very much attainable."
And there is the overwhelming confidence that can become obvious when Tokarski steps on the mat.
"Every year, you want to build on what you've done, do better, it's just a natural progression," he said. "You have confidence in your abilities, you see that it works. When you're confident, you're able to go out there, have confidence in what you're doing is going to work, confident in taking a shot and that it's going to end up in your favor with a two-point takedown; confidence is definitely a big role. If you go into something thinking you're going to lose, you've already lost, you can't have any doubts.
"Losing is definitely not an option now. I just have to keep doing the things I've been doing. Stay confident, stay positive, stay hungry, stay focused. Keep my eyes on the prize."
02/18/05
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DRAMA IS ON MAT NO. 2
By Mark Gregory
Turner Network Television's most recent network slogan is "We know drama." But, reruns of "Law & Order", "Judging Amy", and "NYPD Blue' can't match the drama on mat two of Saturday's Plainfield South High School wrestling regional. Only the top three grapplers from each weight class advanced to the Bloom sectional meet Saturday in Chicago Heights.
"The third-place match is going for blood," said Central coach Paul Faris. Wrestlers meeting for first and second place were guaranteed a spot at the sectional. For those battling for third, it was win or go home. Eight District 202 wrestlers made it to the third-place match. Three advanced.
Plainfield Central's Brandon Graves and Jeremy Ellingwood and South's Mike Bachner lived to see another meet.
Central's Brett Kinley and Devin Blumthal and South's Antonio Dinkins, Eddie Escobar and Brien Plese did not win their final matches.
Ellingwood beat Joliet's Joe Ledesma 10-5 at 130 pounds to advance to the sectional for the second year in a row. "I had to rely a lot on my conditioning. He was getting tired in the second period and I got him," said Ellingwood, a sophomore. "He was getting tired and he seemed to give up in the end."
The win gave Ellingwood (31-12) his second straight third-place finish at the regional. "It feels good coming out of one of the tougher regionals," Ellingwood said.
"Ellingwood came back huge," Faris said. "He didn't start out well and came back. We would have been disappointed if he didn't make it because he is one of our good ones."
Graves (23-16 at 152) posted a 9-6 win over Nate Maramba of Lockport to reach the sectional for the first time. "It is so hard. There is tons of pressure on you," Graves said. "I kept my mind straight. He could have pinned me; I could have stuck him. It was whoever had more heart was going to win. "I am excited. This is the first time I am going to sectional. It is amazing. I have no words to describe this."
South's Bachner felt the same pressure, if not more, facing Plainfield resident and Joliet Catholic Academy wrestler Nick Metzger (26-5) at 215.
Bachner (23-12) won the match 11-5. Metzger, a junior, was a state qualifier as a sophomore a year ago, something Bachner is shooting for his sophomore year. "There was a lot of pressure coming in here as a sophomore," Bachner said. "He was a tough kid, but I told myself I wanted to keep going for another week or two."
"We knew he was a state qualifier," said South coach Matt Long. "He dropped a tough match in the semifinals and it is a tough match to bounce back from, especially when you have been to sectional and state already. The next time you come to regionals, it is hard to come back from a loss."
Despite the odds, Long was confident Bachner would advance to his first sectional meet.
"I liked Mike's chances," Long said. "I thought they were pretty evenly matched. I knew he'd have to stay in there with him and brawl with him and that's what Mike does well."
JCA¹s Alex Macier (24-7), another Plainfield resident, earned his second-straight sectional berth on a walkover win over Blumthal at 160.
2/10/05
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DISTRICT 202 NETS THREE CHAMPIONS
By Mark Gregory
The Plainfield South High School wrestling regional was considered to be one of the best in the state of Illinois. The top three places feed into what is arguably the toughest sectional Friday and Saturday at Bloom High School in Chicago Heights. That makes it very important to get a bye in the opening round of the sectional meet.
The only way to do that was to win a regional title and three District 202 wrestlers have that distinction.
Plainfield South's Craig Tokarski improved his record to 33-0 at 160 pounds, while Central's Ryan Prater (112) and Mike Smith (140) also brought home the gold Saturday.
Prater increased his record to 34-3 and Smith increased his mark to 32-3 by becoming first-time regional champions.
Prater defeated Plainfield resident and Providence Catholic junior Ron Uccardi 1-0 for the title.
The two former sparring partners at Martinez Wrestling Club in Aurora had a battle, with the only point being scored on an optional start by Uccardi (28-12). "Ronny is tough on his feet and I knew I had to be awake to beat him," Prater said. "I have been working with Mike (Smith) and Jeremy (Ellingwood) on my feet." Uccardi seemed to have Prater taken down in the second period, but Prater rode the time out and was able to keep the match scoreless. "I knew if he scored, he would stall," Prater said. "He has a good defense and I didn't know if I could break it. I knew if he scored, I would have a hard time catching up, so I just held on."
Smith's match was no different. Smith avenged an earlier loss to Providence Catholic's Dan Ruettiger, 4-3. Ruettiger, who has not wrestled in more than a month with a wrist injury, showed no signs of his ailment, other than the protective wrap he wore. "He is a good wrestler," Smith said of Ruettiger. "It is good to get that win. He is unorthodox, he can get out of things, but physically, we are the same and both ready to wrestle. "It is the postseason and it all comes down to who wants it more."
Smith trailed early and wound up giving Ruettiger a point when he cut him loose on the start, only to come back and get a takedown for the win. "I wanted the first takedown and that didn't happen. I got the escape and then I got called for stalling, so I felt I had to cut him and go for the takedown. In the heat of the moment, you have to make those decisions and hope they turn out in the end."
"I thought Mike wrestled a very smart match, I though the officiating was excellent because they didn't award points too quickly," said Central coach Paul Faris. "I though Mike did a nice job of keeping his head."
"Prater did a great job. They have battled before and always have a good match."
South also placed two wrestlers in the finals. Tokarski and Jeff Broadway at 145.
Broadway fell 6-0 to Marty Engwall of Providence, but still advanced to sectionals his first year back in wrestling after a three-year hiatus. "This has been great. I missed the sport," Broadway said. "I have been working hard in the room trying to get better and trying to help the team get better. My goal is to make it to state and I hope I can make it next week."
"I need to run and get my lungs better. If I get my lungs I will be a much better wrestler. Everyone here has been working the last two, three years and I have just been at home getting out of shape."
"Jeff's semi-final match, he was down by five points and made a really nice move to win the match," said South coach Matt Long. "And in the finals, Engwall is a good kid. He is undefeated. I thought Jeff wrestled him well, he didn't give up a lot and made Engwall work. I think he will be ready for sectionals."
Tokarski stayed perfect and became the school's first two-time regional champ with a 8-6 win over John Drabek of Providence in the 160-pound final. "Craig does not panic," Long said. "He is very smart and very patient. He knows what he needs to do to get the win.
"He is methodical in what he is setting up and what he wants to do. Once he gets in there, you are going to have a hard time getting out of it. He is short, compact and very explosive."
"It's like Survivor, Outwit, Outplay, Outlast," Tokarski said of his methodical style where he stalks his opponent until the time is right to make a move. "Every match I try to break my opponent both physically and mentally, and get the win."
For Tokarski, the regional title was nice, but it was just one more step to his ultimate goal of winning state. "That has been my goal all year. It has been my goal since I started wrestling when I was eight years old," he said. "It should be everybody's. If you aren't going to strive to be the best, I don't really know what you are striving for."
2/10/05
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SOUTH HOSTS TALENT-RICH REGIONAL
By Dennis Nelson
The best thing about Saturday's Plainfield South High School wrestling regional is it features the Joliet area's finest teams and individuals. The worst thing about it is it features the Joliet area's finest teams and individuals.
"This is the first time Providence (Catholic) and some of these other top teams are coming into our building," Plainfield South coach Matt Long said. "If the fans come out, they are going to see guys who are not only going to be the top three at our regional, but the top three at the sectional and coming back home with medals and state championships."
State powers Providence and Joliet Township and some of the best individuals the state, much less the area, has to offer will be on display starting at 10 a.m.
The third-place and championship matches are slated to begin at 4 p.m.
"I hope we get a good crowd there," Long said. "There is going to be some pretty outstanding competition in our gym Saturday. It's going to be an awesome tournament."
The rest of the teams entered in the tournament are Joliet Catholic Academy, Lockport, Lincoln-Way Central, Plainfield Central, Plainfield South and Romeoville. The top team will advance to the Providence Catholic dual team sectional. The top three wrestlers at each weight class will advance to the Bloom Township individual sectional next weekend in Chicago Heights.
"Everybody's coming to our place and it's going to be a grind," Long said. "There's no use complaining about it. It's the hand we've been dealt the last couple of years and for the foreseeable future. In order to get through it, you have to be as tough as the competition."
South's Craig Tokarski has taken those words to heart. The senior is 31-0 at 160 pounds and should be the top seed.
"I think he's going to be ready to get out there and take it to whomever steps onto the mat against him," Long said of Tokarski, who won the school's first regional title last year at 152. "There are going to be three other good wrestlers from Providence, Joliet and Lincoln-Way Central. Even though he'll be the one seed, those are three good two, three and four seeds. I'm going to be looking for Craig to go after those guys and take it to them."
Besides Tokarski, the Cougars could feature a handful of others among the top four seeds. "We should have some other guys seeded in the top four," Long said. "Jeff Broadway at 152 could get a No. 3 seed. Mike Bachner at 215, Eddie Escobar at heavyweight, Robert Warren at 103 and (Brian) Plese at 125 have a shot at getting a top four seed." What that means is they will have to upset a higher seed to advance to the sectional level.
"I'm hoping the guys show up ready to go," Long said of South, which featured two sectional qualifiers a year ago. "Last year I wondered if some of the guys wanted to be there. It really opened some eyes. I hope we're ready to get after people because they are going to be ready for us."
South finished the season 10-10 in dual meets after losing three of four matches at the Super Suburban Prairie Conference Quad Saturday in Lemont.
"We've wrestled tough competition all year long and they should be prepared for the regional," Long said. "We keep getting better and better. I'm going to tell them, look at the hard work you've put in. This is why you did all that. It's real easy to say this is what I want to do and it's real hard to say this is what I'm going to do."
2/3/05
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CONFIDENCE OR COCKINESS
By Dennis Nelson
It's been said there's a fine line between confidence and cockiness. Great athletes walk that line every time they step into the arena. The ones that don't are usually left in the dust.
That's the line Plainfield South High School's Craig Tokarski walks each time he takes the mat.
It's an attitude that helped the senior become the school's first state qualifier a year ago. It's that same attitude that could help Tokarski realize his goal of becoming a state champion.
"He's got an attitude,' Plainfield South coach Matt Long said of the 160 pounder. 'He's confident and has a little cockiness about it. He has to if he wants to be the best he can be. Hopefully, the rest of the guys on the team see that and say they want to do the same. I want to be in the same spot he's in. That's a huge thing and we have some guys who are starting to show some of that."
This year, Tokarski's upped the ante, gunning to be the Cougars' first state medalist.
"Last year, the goal was to get downstate and make some noise down there," said Tokarski, who wrestled for Montini Catholic in Lombard his freshman and sophomore years. "Right now, I want to build on that. I want to make it down there again and medal or take it all."
By the looks of his 28-0 start, things are looking up.
"When you get to this point, everybody's strong, fast and has good technique," Tokarski said. "What separates one person from another is a mental attitude of who wants it more. I call that confidence."
Tokarski has plenty of that. In fact, during his perfect start, he's had nary a test.
His closest match of the season came Saturday at the Suburban Prairie Conference mega-meet.
In the 160-pound final, Tokarski beat Batavia's Greg Schroeder 3-2 to claim the school's first SPC title.
"When you get into the finals of an 18-team tournament, you are going to face a competitive kid," Tokarski said. "Scores really don't matter to me, as long as I'm on the winning end. Last year, I lost 1-0 in the final and that's been in the back of my mind."
"Craig is a workhorse," Long said of Tokarski, who is 121-21 in four years on the varsity. "He's not going to back down and he's constantly going to come at people. He doesn't wait for anybody. That was a solid win and he was never in danger."
He's won most of his matches by a pin, technical fall or major decision. A technical fall is the equivalent of a shutout in baseball. A major decision equates to a 20-point win in basketball or football.
"Right now, I've got a good start to the season and taking each match one at a time," Tokarski said. "A win's a win to me. I could care less if it's by one point or 15. I just want to go out there and win every match."
"He's set some goals that are sky high right now and he won't settle for anything less than his all out best," Long said. "I definitely think he's ready to bust out and do some damage at the state meet."
It's taken nearly the entire season, but Tokarski is finally ranked among the top wrestlers in the state on illinoismatmen.com. He is rated No. 3 in the Web site's latest poll.
"He's not ranked right now, which is fine," Long said. "Other people make those ranking and we'll let them make them. We're going to go after everybody the same way. The higher the ranking, the better I like our chances."
"I don't look too much into that," Tokarski said of the rankings. "I just worry about the guy that's across the mat from me."
Tokarski's start is the second best by a District 202 wrestler. Plainfield's John Silosky went 44-0 in 2002 before settling for fourth place at 152 pounds.
Chris Traversa went 26-0 before dropping his only match of the season during 1996. He remains the district's only state champion, winning the 112-pound bracket eight years ago.
"I did a lot of preparation coming into the season and I've been working really hard," Tokarski said. "My record really doesn't matter to me. It's icing on the cake. What really matters is regionals, sectionals and state coming up here." Over the summer, Tokarski did what it took to put himself in position to do what no other Cougar has done. His regiment included the kind of stuff you see during ESPN's telecast of the world's strongest man competition.
"I trained hard in the offseason and I came into the season with high expectations for myself,' said Tokarski, who went 38-7 at 152 last season. "I like to beat the goals I set for myself. I do a lot of weight training, I pull cars, lift stones and stuff like that. It's a little unorthodox, but it works for me."
What also works is a mental edge Tokarski possesses that could take him deep into the state meet next month.
"It really doesn't matter who I'm going against," Tokarski said. "I want to dictate the action and be able to do what I want to do. I don't want the other guy to control the match. I go out there to wrestle my type of match."
"Anybody can be knocked off, especially when this young man steps on the mat," Long said. "He's ready to go after it."
Going after it at the SPC mega-meet was Jeff Broadway and Mike Bachner, who each competed in championship matches.
Broadway (18-4) took second at 145 and Bachner (18-9) placed second at 215.
"It would have been nice to go 3-0 in the finals, but the guys wrestled well," Long said. "They wrestled hard, had a good tournament and a good weekend."
As a team, South placed ninth at the 18-team event with 89 points.
"I would like to put it together as a team, rather than three individuals," Long said. "But that's where we're at right now. I know it will come and it's going to take some time. This was a good test and a good building block heading into regionals."
Broadway went 3-1 at the tournament, winning 10-9 over Sycamore's Marcus Doctor in the semifinals to advance to the title match.
"Jeff had a great tournament and is really coming on," Long said. "he came into the tournament as the No. 3 seed and took it to the two seed for two periods, then got a little winded. But he has a lot of things going for him and we're looking for big things from Jeff."
Bachner also went 3-1, winning a pair of matches by pins before being pinned by Joe Long of Lemont.
"He's coming into his own right now," Long said. "He won the Kaneland Tournament last weekend, was the No. 5 seed coming in here and is better than that. He knew he could do better than that and he did better than that. He's wrestling with a lot of confidence and he's wrestling to win."
South will compete in a SPC Super Quad Saturday in Lemont.
1/27/05
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Cougar Wrestling
by Mark Gregory
Senior Craig Torarski leads the way for the Cougars as they enter the SPC mega meet.
At 25-0, Tokarski is expected to challenge for a conference title at 160 pounds.
His win streak to start a season is third-best all time in the district. Two wins at the SPC meet would place him second ahead of Chris Traversa's 26-0 start in 1992.
The best start to a season by a District 202 member was in 2002 when John Silosky won his first 44 matches.
1/20/05
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Area High School Wrestling Honor Roll
103 -- Josh Kratovil, Lincoln-Way Central, 20-0, 1.000; Jake Nelson, Providence, 18-5, .783; Calvin Schmidt, Joliet, 13-4, .765; Robert Warren, Plainfield South, 15-5, .750; Ryan Nelson, Wilmington, 3-1, .750; Zack Lofdahf, Joliet Catholic Academy, 5-2, .714; Jacob Naso, Lockport, 16-8, .667; Mike Busby, Wilmington, 3-2, .600; Rich Rinaldi, Lincoln-Way East, 8-7, .533; Titan Cheatham, Morris, 9-9, .500.
112 -- Ryan Prater, Plainfield Central, 23-2, .920; Burim Hajroja, Morris, 16-2, .889; Paul Palacios, Joliet, 15-2, .882; Ryan Jahn, Bolingbrook, 15-3, .833; Mike Knowles, Lincoln-Way Central, 16-5, .762; Ian Trammel, Coal City, 15-6, .714; Ron Uccardi, Providence, 20-9, .690; Nick Pastwa, Lockport, 12-9, .571; Nick Cottrell, Plainfield South, 9-8, .529; Eric Johnson, Minooka, 10-9, .526; Jake Guntner, Lincoln-Way East, 7-7, .500.
119 -- Kyle Hutter, Providence, 26-1, .963; Jake Oster, Lockport, 24-1, .960; Thomas Gagan, Lincoln-Way Central, 19-1, .950; John Odeen, Coal City, 16-5, .762; Lamont Bowerman, Bolingbrook, 14-6, .700; Jorge Castro, Morris, 13-6, .684; Dominic Gallaga, Lincoln-Way East, 7-4, .636; Brett Kinley, Plainfield Central, 16-11, .593; Kevin Bokoski, Minooka, 13-9, .591; Mike Bodenmueller, Minooka, 2-2, .500.
125 -- Marcus White, Joliet, 21-2, .913; Mike Guerreca, Coal City, 14-3, .824; Chris Oster, Lockport, 20-5, .800; Vince Vercelli, Wilmington, 7-3, .700; Jake Beechy, Providence, 11-5, .688; Matt Bochenek, Lincoln-Way Central, 15-7, .682; Mike Butz, Lincoln-Way East, 18-9, .667; Joe Martig, Lemont, 12-9, .571; Joe Schomer, Plainfield Central, 12-10, .545; Dan Johnson, Minooka, 9-8, .529; Tim Walsh, Providence, 13-13, .500.
130 -- Stuart Jelm, Morris, 16-1, .941; Pat Talley, Wilmington, 9-1, .900; Joe Ledesma, Joliet, 14-3, .824; Jake Davito, Coal City, 16-5, .762; Lucas Roth, Lockport, 21-7, .750; David Jolin, Joliet Catholic Academy, .750; Ron Mercer, Providence, 13-6, .684; Nick Bain, Minooka, 12-6, .667; Jeremy Ellingwood, Plainfield Central, 18-9, .667; Rich Olszewski, Lincoln-Way Central, 14-7, .667; Nick Dominy, Lincoln-Way East, 5-5, .500.
135 -- Chris Kelly,, 17-0, 1.000; Scott DeChant, Providence, 21-5, .808; Luke Turner, Coal City, 15-5, .750; Jon Vidmar, Minooka, 11-5, .688; Ryan Jones, Wilmington, 6-3, .667; Martin Murphy, Providence, 4-2, .667; K.C. Lindemann, Lockport, 15-10, .600; Doug Panozzo, Plainfield South, 6-4, .600; Tom Igyarto, Lincoln-Way East, 6-6, .500.
140 -- Drake Rossi, Lincoln-Way East, 12-1, .923; Dan Ruettiger, Providence, 18-2, .900; Mike Smith, Plainfield Central, 19-3, .864; Nick Lucca, Lincoln-Way East, 9-2, .818; Joe Batir, Minooka, 15-4, .789; Brian Reynolds, Providence, 10-4, .714; Matt Combes, Wilmington, 7-3, .700; B.J. Williams, Joliet, 10-5, .667; Beau Bielecki, Lincoln-Way Central, 13-8, .619; John Pastwa, Lockport, 15-10, .600; Darin Kopp, Plainfield South, 9-6, .600; Rob Koncar, Joliet Catholic Academy, 11-10, .524.
145 -- Marty Engwall, Providence, 20-0, 1.000; Troy Johnson, Joliet, 15-2, .882; Jeff Broadway, Plainfield South, 12-2, .857; Jon Biskie, Morris, 17-3, .850; Matt Jordan, Lincoln-Way East, 10-2, .833; Mike Glielmi, Lincoln-Way Central, 17-4, .810; Gordon Kickels, Lemont, 15-4, .789; Joey Lohr, Coal City, 13-8, .619; Drew Lockwood, Wilmington, 6-4, .600; Casey Kerrigan, Lincoln-Way East, 13-9, .591.
152 -- Sean Reynolds, Providence, 27-0, 1.000; Josh Peters, Wilmington, 1.000; Brenton Valentine, Morris, 17-1, .944; Ray Richardson, Joliet, 17-2, .895; Drew Vickers, Coal City, 17-3, .850; Chad Davenport, Minooka, 17-3, .850; Nathan Maramba, Lockport, 10-7, .588; Brandon Graves, Plainfield Central, 12-11, .522; Pat Geary, Lincoln-Way East, 9-9, .500; Brian Lenard, Lincoln-Way Central, 5-5, .500.
160 -- Craig Tokarski, Plainfield South, 21-0, 1.000; Rob Murphy, Wilmington, 6-0, 1.000; Mike Snevely, Lincoln-Way Central, 13-2, .867; Alex Macier, Joliet Catholic Academy, 11-4, .733; John Drabek, Providence, 7-3, .700; Jake Ruettiger, Providence, 16-8, .667; Tom Fritz, Wilmington, 2-1, .667; Bernie D'Orazio, Coal City, 12-7, .632; Matt Vanderweit, Minooka, 12-7, .632; Patrick Conry, Morris, 9-6, .600; Devin Blumthal, Plainfield Central, 15-11, .577.
171 -- John Dergo, Morris, 18-0, 1.000; Robert Bruno, Joliet, 18-2, .900; Eddie Ewing, Lincoln-Way Central, 18-3, .857; Aaron Nagel, Lemont, 15-5, .750; Chris Maramba, Lockport, 17-6, .739; Gannon Novak, Providence, 11-6, .647; Nick Dziuban, Wilmington, 6-4, .600; Karlos Ingram, Bolingbrook, 9-7, .563.
189 -- Chris Alberico, Wilmington, 7-0, 1.000; Jeremy Godina, Joliet, 10-0, 1.000; Will Raczak, Lincoln-Way Central, 20-1, .952; Brandon Valentine, Morris, 16-1, .941; Tyler Mancuso, Providence, 22-6, .786; Zack Alexander, Lemont, 12-5, .706; Matt Clemons, Bolingbrook, 11-5, .688; Tony Pecho, Lincoln-Way East, 15-7, .682; Eric Loomis, Minooka, 14-8, .636; Jordan Kielian, Joliet Catholic Academy, 7-6, .538.
215 -- Tony Vercelli, Wilmington, 3-0, 1.000; Joe Long, Lemont, 20-1, .952; Adrian Cerillo, Joliet, 18-2, .900; Nick Metzger, Joliet Catholic Academy, 14-3, .824; P.J. South, Bolingbrook, 15-7, .682; Mike Murphy, Lincoln-Way East, 18-9, .667; Steve Patterson, Lincoln-Way Central, 13-8, .619; Mike Bachner, Plainfield South, 12-8, .600; Tom O'Hara, Providence, 14-11, .560.
275 -- Ryan Bain, Bolingbrook, 15-0, 1.000; Mike Shaub, Lockport, 22-2, .917; Tim Jay, Providence, 16-4, .800; Keith Cook, Minooka, 14-4, .778; Joe Miner, Joliet Catholic Academy, 6-2, .750; Mike Susner, Joliet, 10-4, .714; Keegan Grant, Coal City, 12-5, .706; Eddie Escobar, Plainfield South, 14-6, .700; Jim Casillas, Wilmington, 8-4, .667; Justin Harrill, Morris, 11-11, .500.
NOTE: To be included on the weekly honor roll, individuals must have a .500 winning percentage or better. Also, coaches must submit records on a weekly basis either by fax (815-729-6059) or email (rkremer@scn1.com). Deadline is 5 p.m. on Tuesdays.
01/14/05
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Consistency buzz word for Plainfield South
By Dennis Nelson
There is no doubt the Plainfield South High School wrestling team has talent to compete in the evenly matched Suburban Prairie Conference South Division.
That means dual matches against the likes of Minooka, Morris, Oswego, Lemont and District 202 rival Plainfield Central will come down to heart, desire, conditioning and consistency.
The first three traits usually pave the way for the final one and that's what has kept the Cougars from being the best they can be every night.
Exhibit A came during a home conference dual meet with Minooka (10-6, 3-1 in the SPC South) Friday.
The Cougars won four matches during a 49-18 loss.
Plainfield South is 8-7 overall and 2-2 in the SPC South heading into its final league dual of the season Friday against Oswego.
Geneva, who has moved to the SPC North Division, will round out the triangular.
"There are good things happening, we just have to do it on a consistant basis," Plainfield South coach Matt Long said. "You can't worry about wins and losses if you go out there and lay it on the line. Lay it all out on the mat and I'll be pleased. But, we're not there. We're not consistant up and down the lineup."
The happening for the Cougars so far this season has been Craig Tokarski.
The 160-pound senior is 21-0 heading into the final month of the season.
"I'm looking foward to some good matches down the stretch and some good victories on my part," Tokarski said.
"He's 21-0 and he hasn't really had a match," Long said. "He's wrestling well and his confidence is sky high."
Tokarski won by injury default over Matt Vanderweit Friday.
"They are a tough team and to be honest, I expected a little more out of us tonight," Long said of the Cougars, who were pinned five times. "Their kids are fundamentally soundand their technique was crisp. There's a program in the area or the conference that I hope we can be like."
Mike Bachner had the lone pin for South at 215 pounds.
Other winners were Robert Warren at 103 and Jeff Broadway at 145.
"Looking at where we want to be, we're getting there," Long said. "We're not where we want to be at right now. I'm looking for a consistant effort no matter who it is, win or lose. We started the season at 0-4, went 4-0, then traded some wins and losses since then. We have to go out hard against everybody. When we do that, we'll be in good shape."
The Cougars won two of three matches at the Lincoln-Way Central quad Saturday in New Lenox.
After falling to the host Knights 46-16, the Cougars disposed of Sandwich 39-28 and edged Bradley-Bourbonais 36-32.
Doug Panozzo went 2-0 at 130 for the Cougars.
1/12/05
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Tokarski moves to 9-0 by winning invite title
South senior showing early dominance
By Mark Gregory
A year ago around the holiday break, Craig Tokarski was beginning to emerge as a dominant wrestler at Plainfield South High School.
The then first-year Cougar was getting acclimated to a new school, new team and wrestling for the first time in Class AA. He still became the first Cougar wrestler to qualify for the state tournament, something he hopes to build on. “He has really been impressive,” said South Coach Matt Long. “He is going out there and going after people. Last year he was feeling things out. Now, it is like every shot he takes, he finishes and that is no easy task. He is coming at them with many things on his feet. When he gets them down, he is going for the kill right away .
“He has not been tested yet and he has wrestled good kids. He is looking strong.” Tokarski has won every match this season by pin, technical fall or major decision. “He is sawing through guys,” Long said. “I want to see him get even more fierce and dominating as the year goes on.”
As a team, South finished fifth, 2.5 points out of fourth in the eight-team invite. “We did well,” Long said. “We had 13 instead of 14 kids, one kid had to sit for missing weight. We had a good showing.” Robert Warren was also in the title match at 103 pounds, but ended up second. “He pinned his first guy and majored his second guy and the third guy was just much bigger,” Long said. “Robert is only 92 or so pounds.” Taking thirds for the Cougars were Jim Harpole at 119, Brian Plese at 125 and Mike Bachner at 215.
12/15/04
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Lockport big winner in wrestling opener
At Bolingbrook: Porters sweep to three straight victories
By Randy Whales STAFF WRITER
BOLINGBROOK — The 2004-2005 wrestling season opened Wednesday as Lockport and Bolingbrook competed in a triple-dual meet and Lemont and Plainfield South competed in a double-dual with all meets held at Bolingbrook.
Lemont and Plainfield South didn't compete against one another because they are both in the Suburban Prairie South Conference and will wrestle there.
Lockport was the big winner with three victories. The Porters opened the day with a 41-24 victory over the host Raiders and followed that with a 58-14 pasting of Lemont and a 63-13 whipping of Plainfield South.
"These were the first meets of the year and overall it went well," Lockport coach Joe Williams said. "There were some things I was concerned about and we tried a few different things, but it worked out OK."
The Porters (3-0), who are coming off a 20-1 campaign last season, disposed of Bolingbrook and then cruised. Against the Raiders, Lockport won 8 of the 14 matches, but two were by forfeit as Bolingbrook had no wrestlers at 103 and 160.
Sophomore Chris Oster at 125, junior K.C. Lindemann at 135 and sophomore John Pastwa at 140 all recorded pins to help propel the Porters.
While Bolingbrook lost the war, it won the heavyweight battle as senior Ryan Bain defeated Lockport senior Mike Shaub 3-1. Both wrestlers are ranked among the top five in the state.
"Mike Shaub is a great wrestler and with both guys ranked in the top five I'm glad we came out on top," Bolingbrook coach Mike Papes said. "They could meet again and we have to make sure Ryan keeps improving as the season goes on."
Bain, who had pins in his final two matches, got a takedown to jump ahead 2-0 and both wrestlers got an escape to round out the scoring.
"Bain's a big boy and he got in close and got a takedown," Williams said. "I had a feeling whoever got the first takedown would get the win."
"We had some first meet jitters, but overall I'm pleased," added Williams, whose team has six seniors. "We have some technical things to work on, but the will to win was there."
Bolingbrook rebounded in the second dual to topple Plainfield South 59-18.
"We have a very young team with only three seniors," Papes said. "We're working hard and I'm very happy with the performance of Karlos Ingram today. He got three wins for us at 171 today (two on pins). He's a strong kid who is also one of the top ranked shot putters in the state."
The Raiders aren't the only ones with a young team. Plainfield South (0-2) also has just five seniors on its squad.
"I think once we get the kids down to their weights and are able to fill all the weights, we'll look good," Plainfield South coach Matt Long said. "Then we'll be able to send 14 guys out there and be competitive."
Lemont (1-1) bounced back from the loss to Lockport with a come-from-behind 42-33 victory over the Raiders (1-2). Freshmen Ryan Leibforth and Gordy Kickels had big wins at 145 and 152. Then in the final match, with the meet on the line, Zach Alexander got a pin at 189 to clinch it for Lemont, which also has only four seniors.
"Zach did a great job," Lemont coach John St. Clair said. "Before we he went out there I told him, 'If you win, we win.' We put it on the senior's shoulders and he came up with a pin."
"Last year we came to this meet and got tore up by both teams," added St. Clair. "This year, we took a step forward and beat a normally strong Bolingbrook team and we split. That's what I'm happy about."
11/25/04
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South, Tokarski looking to take next step
Returning state qualifier leads Plainfield South
by Mark Gregory
A year ago, Craig tokarski transferred in from Montini Catholic High School and put Plainfield South High School on the map by becoming the program's first wrestler to qualify for the state meet.
Now he is looking to secure the school as a wrestling power, while putting himself on the map as one of the best in Illinois.
It starts with South's first meet of the season at the Bolingbrook quad tonight in Bolingbrook.
"He has some big goals. He is aiming high," said South's coach Matt Long. "I know he wants to come home with some hardwear."
Tokarski will go through the same regiment as he did a year ago and wrestle at 160 pounds to start off the season.
He is certifies by the state at 152.
"He certified at 152 and will wrestle 160 again like at the beginning of the season and see where he wants to go middle or end of the season. I am going to gauge off what he wants to do," Long said. "He is bigger and stronger this season. I will go off of what he has to say, I will put in my opinion, but he is his best judge."
"He wants to send a message to everyone he wrestles this year."
Tokarski went 38-7 a year ago, winning two matches at the state meet.
"He is a leader this season, not only physically, but he is vocal, which I love," Long said. "He was a leader on football. He played both sides and gave it his all. I believe in him, no matter what sport he does. He is out there for buisness. He is there to get a job done."
Tokarski was a fullback and linebacker for Coach Barry Reade on a team that won two games, the most in school history.
Along with Tokarski, Long is looking for leadership from Darin Kopp, Jorge Leal, Steve Petrusich and Jefferi Broadway. All but Leal were on the football team.
"I am looking for senior leadership," Long said. "I am looking for senior leadship on the mat, off the mat and in the classroom. I think this year's group can lay the foundation for that."
Kopp will wrestle at 135 or 140 for the Cougars, while Leal will be at 189.
Petrusich and Broadway will be at 145 or 152. Long is hoping Petrusich is at 152 and Broadway can get down to 145.
Broadway was not with the team a year ago after transfering in from Joliet Township mid-year. He didn't wrestle for the Steelman, but has been in the sport since a young age.
"Jeff is very sound. He has very good things in his bag. He s very explosive and will be very fun to watch," Long said. "He aid he was burnt out and didn't wrestle freshman or sophomore year. He is back and despite missing time, he is very, very seasoned. You can tell he did some serious wrestling."
Freshman Robert Warren will be at 103 for the Cougars.
"Warren is a very skilled wrestler," Long said. "He is a light 103-pounder, but he will scrap every match."
Sophomore Nick Cottrell will be at 112, while Jim Harpole should hold down 119.
Junior Brian Plese will be at 125.
After a successful freshman season at 103 on the varsity, Plese did not have the year he wanted last season.
Long thinks everything is in place for him to get back on track.
"He has a lot of tallent and has done a lot of work in the offseason. He is stronger this season." Long said. "He started on fire last season, then there was a time he lost his confidence and was down. He has it this year. We just have to keep him up. He is a very sound individual. He knows what he is capable of."
Plese posted 17 wins two years ago and had a similar 17-10 record last season despite hopes of improvement.
"He struggled with a few injuries early, he dropped a few matches and it hurt him. The extra year of maturity will be a big thing for him. The things that rattled him won't anymore. He will be ablt to bounce back faster."
Juniors Brian Giron and Kyle Davis will battle for 130.
Doug Panozzo and Kopp will be at 135 and 140, while Kenny Godinez will battle Broadway at 145.
Petrusich and Tokarski will see time on the mat at 152, as will Jared Leonard and John Heoh.
Gary Hutchinson will be behind Tokarski at 160.
At 171, Dan Sitinsky and Anthony Dinkins will fight for a spot.
Leal will hold down 189 and Mike Bachner will be at 215.
Eddie Escobar, Jim Neuman or Carlos Sanchez will wrestle for heavyweight.
"It looks good in the way of depth," Long said. "We have never been this deep at the varsity level. Last year we gave away two to five forfeits in every match we lost."
11/24/04
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