CHAMPAIGN — After navigating through drama off the mat earlier in the state series, Liam Kelly found some on it.
The Mount Carmel senior went to overtime against Hononegah junior Bruno Cassioppi in the Class 3A state championship on Feb. 21 at State Farm Center.Kelly dominated the extra time, winning 8-1 to earn his second consecutive state title.
Marist junior Ethan Sonne also won a 3A championship, winning an epic 15-14 decision against Lockport’s Justin Wardlow in the 157 final.
Kelly’s state-title defense was put into jeopardy when officials at the Morton Regional wouldn’t let him compete on Jan. 31. The Illinois recruit has had a non-contagious skin condition — granuloma annulare — since his freshman year and has brought a doctor’s note to every meet. He’s never been denied a chance to compete before.
Kelly’s father Michael filed suit to get his son back into the IHSA state series and a Cook County Circuit Court judge issued a temporary restraining order on Feb. 11.
The IHSA accepted the ruling, Kelly won the Hinsdale Central Sectional title and qualified for state.
He had a technical fall and two decisions en route to the final, where he wrapped up a 34-2 season with another title.
His mindset at state?
“Do the best I can, win or lose,” Kelly said. “My parents are still gonna love me, my coaches are still gonna be there, so just try to go out there and do my best.”
Focusing on wrestling wasn’t always easy while the saga was unfolding.”It’s been a roller coaster, for sure,” Kelly said. “It’s definitely been tough. But staying grounded and talking to my parents, my coaches — without them, I wouldn’t be here.
“So I definitely grew a lot in my faith and got mentally stronger during these last couple weeks.”
Kelly will be wrestling a lot more matches in Champaign for the Fighting Illini. He’ll be reunited with his brother Colin, a two-time state champ and three-time placer who is a redshirt freshman at Illinois.
“I’m so excited to come here,” Liam Kelly said. “(And) I was excited to do one last high-school match with my coach, Alex Tsirtsis. I’ll really do anything for that guy, I love him to death.
“Sonne (38-3) got to the top of the awards stand by sweating the details.
“I’m always looking at the bigger picture,” he said. “So it’s always a step in the process, and always just growing and growing, accomplishing little goals instead of focusing on the big one.”
In a tense title bout, Wordlow rallied to tie the score at 14 in the closing seconds before Sonne scored a decisive escape.Sonne’s mindset late in the match:
“It’s all about winning. Just staying gritty, just not get taken down, put the pressure (on), good position.”
The area’s other finalist was Lyons senior Griff Powell (44-5), who lost 7-3 to Marmion’s Zach Stewart in rhe 3A 138 title bout.
“It was fun,” Powell said of a prep career that included state medals the last two years (he was sixth at 132 last season). “Not the way I wanted it to end, but I had a good time wrestling with (Lyons) and all my friends and family.”
Other local placers in 3A were Brother Rice’s Oliver Davis (38-8), who was third at 144, and Dan Costello, fifth at 215; Mount Carmel’s Justin Williamson (23-10), fourth at 144, and Sebastian Gracia (28-12), fifth at 106; Sandburg’s Brady Ritter (45-8), fifth at 157; Marist’s Tommy Fidler (40-13), sixth at 150; and Andrew’s Nadeem Haleem (24-4), sixth at 138.
In 2A for St. Rita, Jack Hogan (39-5) was third at 144 and Micah Spinazzola (25-9) took fifth at 165.