By Steve Millar
Correspondent
As Sergio Lemley embarks on the final couple weeks of a storied high school wrestling career, the Mount Carmel senior is determined to soak it all in.
Lemley has won three state championships, capturing two as a member of the Caravan during his freshman and junior seasons, and one while competing for Chesterton (Indiana) as a sophomore after COVID-19 shut the season down in Illinois.
The Michigan recruit will take momentum into this weekend’s bid to go four-for-four after winning the 132-pound title Saturday at the Class 3A Hinsdale Central Sectional.
“When we went to Florida a couple weeks ago and then it was regionals, I thought, ‘Dang, this is my last regional, my last sectional, state is around the corner,” Lemley said. “Now, it’s only a couple days away.
“I’m thankful to be a part of this team and have this last stretch here.”
Lemley (31-1) was dominant at the sectional, winning all three of his matches by fall or technical fall, including a 23-7 tech fall over Marist’s Donavon Allen in the finals.
Allen actually scored the first takedown and led Lemley 2-0 until the final seconds of the first period, when Lemley came up with a takedown and a two-point near fall. Lemley rolled from there.
“That definitely gave me some momentum,” Lemley said. “He got the first takedown but I wasn’t really freaking out about it. I know my strength is my pace and longevity. I wanted to keep on going and whatever happens, happens.”
Lemley was one of 10 Mount Carmel wrestlers to qualify for the state meet, which begins Thursday at the State Farm Center in Champaign.
Seth Mendoza (113), Eddie Enright (152) and Colin Kelly (170) were also sectional champions.
Enright (16-3) upset top-ranked and previously unbeaten Kaden Fetterolf of Batavia, 6-2, in the semifinals before topping Marmion’s Collin Carrigan, 6-0, in the championship match.
“It’s a confidence boost, for sure,” said Enright said, who placed second at sectionals in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. “I had a tough semifinal match and got through that. I wasn’t too worried about the finals. I was just focused on wrestling the best I could and getting ready for next week.”
Also advancing to state for Mount Carmel were Damian Resendez (2nd at 120), Liam Kelly (2nd at 138), Rylan Breen (2nd at 182), William Jacobson (2nd at 195) Lukas Tsirtsis (4th at 106) and Jairo Acuna (4th at 126).
Marist matched the Caravan with 10 state qualifiers, led by sectional champs Will Denny (145) and Peter Marinopoulos (195). Denny (24-6) pinned West Aurora’s Dom Serio in the finals.
Denny has been on a mission after falling one win short of medaling at state last season.
“I have a huge picture of the podium at state from last year that I wasn’t on,” Denny said. “It’s sitting up in front of my bed, so every morning I wake up I see that. It’s driven me every day to know I want to be on the podium this year.”
Marinopoulos (19-0), an Illinois recruit, was on the podium last season, but in second after losing the state championship match. He’s chasing the top spot this year and looks primed to get it after dealing with some injuries earlier in the season. He beat Jacobson by a 15-5 major decision in the finals.
Marinopoulos is headed to state with his brother, George, a sophomore who finished third at 106.
“It’s special because this is the last time we’ll wrestle with each other for a while,” Peter Marinopoulos said. “Hopefully he comes with me to Illinois later. The last couple times wrestling with him at Marist, that’s been special for us.”
Other RedHawks to qualify for state were Allen (2nd at 132), Jacob Liberatore (2nd at 170), Luke Liberatore (2nd at 220), Michael Esteban (3rd at 120), Ricky Ericksen (3rd at 160), Tommy Fidler (4th at 113) and Conor Phelan (4th at 182).
Sandburg had three wrestlers survive to make it to state: Rocco Hayes (2nd at 106), Ryan Hinger (3rd at 132) and Mike Rydell (4th at 220).
Hayes (37-6) beat Wheaton-Warrenville South’s Aarav Ledvora by a 21-6 technical fall in the semifinals to seal his trip to state before falling 3-1 to Marmion’s Nicholas Garcia in the finals.
Hinger and Rydell both survived the “blood round” – the consolation semifinals where the winner qualifies for state and the loser’s season is over.
Hinger (37-8) pinned Batavia’s Moses Yanez in that round before beating Marmion’s Brody Kelly 6-0 in the third-place match.
“Last year, I came a touch shy of making it to Champaign, so I’m glad that this year I got the job done,” Hinger said.
Rydell’s match against Downers Grove North’s Cael Brezina was tied 5-5 late in the third period before Rydell pulled out a 10-5 win.
“The guy wrestled a little strange for my style,” Rydell said. “I like hands on and he was keeping space. I went for my underhook and I knew I could make the big move.
“It feels good. All the hard work I’ve put in. This is my first competing in the state series, so to be one-for-one making it to state feels great.”
Rydell (32-17) lost 8-4 to Marmion’s Ed Perry in the third-place match.
Gunnar Garelli (37-9) was the only Lyons wrestler to advance to state, finishing second at 160. Garelli upset third-ranked Noah Quintana of West Aurora 4-3 in the semifinals before losing 2-1 in overtime to Downers Grove South’s Luke Swan in the championship match.
“It was bittersweet,” Garelli said. “It’s good to qualify. That’s the most important thing, living to see another day. I can reassess what went wrong in the finals and improve on it for state. Overall, it’s a good day.”
Morton’s Anthony Lopez will make a second straight trip to state after a fourth-place finish at 120.
Lopez (32-3) lost twice at the sectional after beating defeated only once all season prior, but he came through with his season on the line, beating Downers Grove South’s Donnie Fields 12-6 in the blood round.
“It feels amazing,” Lopez said. “Last year, I went to state, and now getting to go back again, it feels even better.
“After the semifinal loss, I worked through it. That’s the only way to bounce back from a loss.”