In The News

 

Montini ends Eagles' run in team tourney

Leyden's Adam Schammert (standing) finished the season with a team-leading 38 victories,
including wins against his New Trier and Montini opponents in the team sectional meet.
(Jerry Daliege /For Pioneer Press)

February 27, 2008By DANNY CARLINO

 

When mentioning Leyden wrestling to people they may have thought of it as the program that won the state title 30 years ago. That may no longer be the case as the Eagles just completed a magnificent campaign that included a conference and regional championship and a sectional final appearance that ended in a loss to the eventual state champions.

"Looking back, I'm proud of everything the kids did," said Leyden head coach Jason Potter. "They took huge strides on an individual basis. They did a great drive always striving to take the program to the next level. They were out there trying to win for themselves and help the team do well. Everything they did was to bring Leyden wrestling back and set an example for the kids to come."

Leyden's last stand this season came in the team sectional hosted at the East campus on Feb. 19. The Eagles overcame an early deficit to win their semifinal match against New Trier 34-25. They then ran into the wall that is the Montini Broncos. Montini bounced York 61-6 in their semifinal tilt before doing away with the Eagles 66-12 to advance to the state finals that were moved to Moline after the Feb. 14 shooting tragedy at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

"They're a very, very good team, and we knew that going in," Potter said of Class 2A state champions Montini. "They're in a different league compared to most of the state. There are only a couple of schools that can compete with them. We just wanted the kids to end the season competitively and go out and wrestle them hard. They're almost like an all-star team and have no holes in their lineup."

Senior Bhavik Patel and junior Adam Schammert were the only Eagles to earn wins against Montini. They each won by pin with Schammert winning at 145 pounds while Patel repeated his sectional semifinal win over Montini's Sam Brody at 103 pounds.

Schammert and Patel each won against New Trier along with seniors Isaiah Recinos at 112 pounds, Matt Soch at 152, Nick Cassano at 171, John Burke at 285, and sophomore Dan Keibler at 215.

After concentrating on getting individual wrestlers ready to continue their respective seasons, the focus shifted back to team scores for the sectionals, and that was something very new to the Eagles. Potter had that experience as a wrestler, but this was his first crack at getting a team ready as a coach. That experience can only help the program as a whole.

The Eagles will lose many quality seniors including two-time state qualifier Matt Soch. They had seven seniors win at least 30 bouts including Patel's 36. Recinos won 35 times while Soch, Cassano, and Burke each had 34. Mike Feldmann won 32 bouts at 160 pounds while Mike Coccozza posted 30 victories at 130 pounds.

"These seniors' legacy is hard work and winning," Potter said. "They started from nowhere and turned the program around in four years. I look for the kids to continue the tradition and compete at a high level."

Although that's a loss of 235 wins, the Eagles are not left without a fair group to build with. Schammert will bring his team-leading 38 wins back to the fold for his senior season while fellow junior Brian Andronic won 25 times this past year. Kiebler has been quite a find as the sophomore is coming off a 22-win season and a regional title with two years to build on that success. Sophomores Jose Meneses (112 pounds) and Jeff Cascella (189 pounds) also came within a win of advancing to sectionals this season.

 

Ninth time the charm for Leyden's Patel

February 3, 2008BY SETH SCHWARTZ

The ninth time was the charm for Leyden's Bhavik Patel on Saturday.

After eight consecutive losses to Proviso East's Terry Murphy, Patel (103) picked him up, put him to his back and stuck Murphy 13 seconds into the championship bout to give regional host Leyden a major adrenaline boost.

''Patel's pin was huge,'' Leyden coach Jason Potter said. ''He overcame a major mental block. Bhavik knew he could beat Murphy, but after eight times, it's not easy. We've been working on not exposing a guy after he gets to the mat.''

Leyden won its first regional since 1991, defeating Oak Park 229-213.5. The Eagles won their second consecutive West Suburban Gold conference title last week by beating Hinsdale South on criteria.

''I am very excited about winning the regional,'' Potter said. ''We set a goal at the beginning of the year to win conference and regionals. I knew it would be tough, but we could do it if we wrestled well. It's a great accomplishment for our program, especially our seniors.''

Matt Soch (152) had a first-period pin and Dan Kiebler (215) notched a second-period pin for the Eagles' other champions.

Oak Park's Lillashawn Coleman couldn't make weight [at 119] and didn't make the trip. The Huskies' Ellis Coleman (125) is ready to take on all comers after majoring Fenwick's Chris Dardanes 11-3. Ethan Moes (112) and Ben Brooks (189) had pins and Dan Martin (145) a decision for the Huskies.

Joe Romano (130), Joe Rau (160), Matt Ortega (171) and George Vitzileos (285) took first for St. Patrick.

Leyden wins second straight league title

January 30, 2008

By RICK BEHREN Contributor

A high-school wrestling meet just can't get any closer than this -- especially with so much at stake -- and Leyden head coach Jason Potter saw it coming before his Eagles even started matches against rival Hinsdale South Friday night.

"It should be a good one. It's going to be close," said Potter prior to the battle for the West Suburban Gold Division conference crown.

Leyden's Isaiah Recinos (top) improved to 32-4 at 119 pounds with a victory by pin during the Eagles' narrow win Friday night over Hinsdale South, which secured Leyden's second consecutive West Suburban Silver Division conference crown.
(Jean Wagner/For Pioneer Press)

Last week, Potter predicted the conference meet would be decided in the final match, and he was dead on. The teams were so close, in fact, that when the wrestling was done, the final determination came down to the sixth tie-breaker to finally decide the winner. Just as they did last year, the Eagles came out on top, winning their second straight conference title.

"It was just two great teams taking it down to the wire," Potter said. "And to have it come down to bonus points is incredible. It came down to the sixth criteria and I had a sick feeling in my stomach that we might lose because I've had it happen before, but we came out on top and I couldn't be happier for the team."

The drama began with the first match and continued through match no. 14 as the two teams were tied with 28 points each when all was said and done. After being equal through the first five tie-breakers, the Eagles finally came out on top with first points won in all of the matches by a 15-7 margin over the Hornets.

It looked early in the meet like the Eagles might dominate, but the wrestlers and their coach knew better. Bhavik Patel (29-7, 112 pounds) and Isaiah Recinos (32-4, 119) each pinned their opponents fairly easily to get Leyden out to a 12-0 lead.

"I knew I needed to get that pin to try and keep Hinsdale South from catching us," Recinos said after his match. "I try to get the team off to the best start possible and just stay as focused as possible and I got a good result."

The next match didn't seem as important as it would later as Jesse Marentes (125) lost a 4-3 decision on a last-second move by Hinsdale South's Norman Frazier to get the Hornets on the board at 12-3.

Leyden's Mike Cocozza (130) won a tough 5-3 decision over Tom Lonergan, but David Hernandez (135) was defeated by a score of 13-2 as Hinsdale South crept closer, pulling within 15-7. The Eagles' Brian Andrionic (140) lost via a fall to John Goldsher to get the Hornets within 15-13.

But Leyden would not give up the lead. Adam Schammert (36-5, 145) upped the Eagles' advantage to 19-13 with a 12-0 shutout decision over Logan Obermeyer. Things continued going the Eagles' way as Matt Soch (29-9, 152) chalked up the 100th victory of his high school wrestling career with a hard-fought 9-6 decision over Jamie McGuire, boosting the Leyden lead to 22-13.

"I knew this would be a tough match going in," said Soch after the victory. "(McGuire) is one of their top wrestlers but I was ready. I went back to my old wrestling style where I'm moving my feet a lot more, getting more aggressive."

Soch also praised his coaches for helping him with this victory and the previous 99.

"I'm proud to get the 100th win and I want to thank my coaches. I couldn't have done it without their help and encouragement," Soch said. "And (Friday night), the coaches told me that if I'm going to give up one point I have to get back two and I think I did that."

Mike Feldmann (28-8, 160) was next and he lost 7-4 before Nick Cassano (29-7, 171) came through with a big 3-2 decision to keep Leyden in front 25-16. Jeff Casella (189) was pinned in the second period of his match as Hinsdale South edged closer to Leyden at 25-22, and a loss by Dan Kiebler (215) knotted things up at 25-25.

With two matches to go, it would be up to the heavyweight and the lightweight wrestlers to determine the champion. Or would it?

Leyden's John Burke (29-5, 285) came through with a very important 4-0 decision over Tyler Reimer to put Leyden back on top 28-25 with one match to go -- in the 103-pound division.

"It was a very tough match for me," said a victorious Burke. "I was trying to push (Reimer) around and get him tired and try to make him fall, but he is tough. I'm glad to just come out with a win though at this point."

The match would end tied 28-28 after Leyden's Jose Meneses was defeated by Jake Schramm 2-0.

"I'm very proud of the way the guys competed today," Potter said. "I knew it would be very tight at the end because we both have sweet spots in our lineups. We are tough in some of our lower and mid weights, and they are tough in the middle and top, but all of our guys hung in there and did a tremendous job. I'm proud of our seniors, especially. They wanted to put the Eagle back on the chests of our wrestlers -- and they went out and did it."

The Eagles will host their own IHSA regional at East Leyden on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.

 

Another solid showing by Eagles

January 23, 2008 By RICK BEHREN Contributor

An incredible season for the Leyden wrestling team continued last weekend with victories over the squads from four schools.

The individual performances by the Leyden grapplers were impressive, too, to say the least. Now, coach Jason Potter's squad will set its sights on this Friday's home meeting with Hinsdale South to decide the conference championship.

It definitely was a successful weekend for the Eagles (ranked 16th in the state), whose record in meets rose to 19-1 with a 55-15 victory Friday over Addison Trail and again Saturday over three opponents -- Thornton (72-9); Bloom (45-22); and Glenbard West (54-9). The only loss for Leyden this season came at the hands of Grant, the sixth-ranked high school squad in the state.

"We were very successful over the weekend," Potter said. "I think we only lost nine matches total in all three duals Saturday and not many at all on Friday. We need to iron out some kinks with a couple of wrestlers before the Hinsdale South meet, but as a team we are doing very well."

All the Eagle wrestlers left it all on the mats this weekend, according to Potter. "The guys are starting to peak now, which is good since we have our biggest meets of the year coming up," he said.

Leading the way over the weekend was senior Bhavik Patel in the 103- and 112-pound weight divisions, along with senior Isaiah Recinos (119), junior Adam Schammert (145), senior Michael Feldmann (160) and senior Nick Cassano (171).

"Patel wrestled really well this weekend and moved up to 112 to help out the team. He's 28-7 overall on the year, but four of his losses have come at 112. We try and get him in the best matches we can and he's done the job."

Recinos improved his record to 31-4 on the season as he won all of his weekend matches. "He's been just incredible for us so far," Potter said.

Schammert (35-5), Feldmann (28-7) and Cassano (28-7) wrestled to perfection over the weekend as the trio pinned all four of the opponents they faced.

"These guys all had four solid matches," Potter said. "I don't think an opponent scored a point against Schammert and the other two were just about as good. It was a very impressive showing."

Some underclassmen received an opportunity to show what they have on the varsity level and Potter said he liked what he saw.

"Jeff Cassella wrestled at 189 pounds and was 2-2 with two pins and freshman Jesus got his first varsity pin and was 2-1 in the three matches he had at 103. So, we are not only preparing our senior-laden team for some important matches this year but also getting this squad ready for the future," Potter said. "It's good to see so many guys with winning attitudes among this senior group passing it on to our next generation of wrestlers.

"It has been fun so far this year and the main reason I think this team has been so successful is because so many different guys step up and take on the leadership role every week," Potter added. "It's not just one guy every week, it's a different guy weekly."

 

Eagles win own invitational

January 9, 2008

By RICK BEHREN Contributor

Leyden's wrestling team continued its winning ways and perfect record by coming out on top again at the 32nd annual Eagle Invite Saturday.

The Eagles upped their meet record to 12-0 this season and showed why with their first-place finish (191 points) against 10 other participating schools. New Trier finished a distant second with 139.5 points, followed by Stevenson (120), Richards (112.5) and Conant 112.5 to complete the top-five places.

»

Leyden High School senior Bhavik Patel tries to take down Eamon Przekwas, from Oak Forest High School, in the semifinal round of the Leyden Wrestling Invitational. Patel won the 103-pound title, raising his record to 21-6.
(Jean Wagner/For Pioneer Press)

With a quad meet against a tough Grant squad along with Lake Park and Rockford East coming up at home on Saturday, Leyden coach Jason Potter just hopes is wrestlers will continue to work hard and improve. They showed Saturday how well they have mastered the mats at home last weekend.

The Eagles' Bhavik Patel won the 103-pound weight class, which didn't surprise his coach with Patel's 21-6 record on the season.

"I think (Saturday) is the best he has wrestled all season," Potter said. "He is putting it all together now and really wrestling outstanding."

Another first place came from Isaiah Recinos (24-3) at 119 pounds. "He's been really on a tear recently," Potter said. "He beat a really good kid from Oak Forest for the championship today. He wrestled really well and he's been our hottest wrestler over the past few weeks."

Adam Schammert (25-4) came away with a first-place finish after he went down a weight class to 145 pounds. "It's really helped him (moving down in weight)," his coach said. He's on a big streak now. He won here today and got a third at Palatine and it's good to see him wrestling well."

Michael Feldmann's victory at 160 was sweet revenge. Feldmann had lost to his opponent twice earlier in the season, but pinned him Saturday for the championship, upping his record to 20-7 on the season.

"It was a really exciting finals match," Potter said. "He really wanted it, you could tell. He wasn't going to be denied this time. He's showing that he's really improving over the course of the season."

Coming in with second-place finishes for Leyden were Matt Soch (21-8) at 152, Nick Cassano (20-7) at 171 and John Burke (21-4) in the heavyweight division.

Potter has high hopes for his grapplers for the remainder of the season and believes they are capable of continuing their winning ways.

"I just want the kids to continue to work hard and continue to get better," he said. "We've got some tough matches coming up and I want them to be ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead. I expect our seniors to keep leading us. These guys have accomplished a lot already and expect their success to continue this season and in the future. They have a lot to be proud of and I'm hoping the best is yet to come."

 

Leyden back in spotlight

By Mike Garofola | Daily Herald Correspondent

Published: 1/6/2008 12:46 AM

It seems you cannot mention Leyden wrestling without making reference to the Eagles coaching staff … and especially head coach and former two-time state champion Jason Potter.

The St. Charles High School alum has taken what was a down-and-out program just three seasons ago and turned it into an up-and-coming group capable of bigger and better things not only this season, but in the years ahead.

The Eagles throttled the competition Saturday on their own mats at the 32nd annual Leyden Invitational to capture their first team title since 1993.

They captured four individual titles while outdistancing runner-up New Trier 191-139.5. Stevenson was third with 120 points.

"We have an amazing coaching staff, of course headed by (coach) Potter who when he arrived here told (this) current group of seniors that if we worked hard and dedicated ourselves to becoming better could accomplish some really good things before we graduated," said senior Mike Feldman, who with his fall at 160 pounds joined teammates Bhavik Patel (103), Isaiah Recinos (119) and Adam Schammert (145) to accept championship medals.

"There's still a long way to go and I really feel that there are some matches that we should be winning and not losing.. but with that said ... the positive results that we've had of late (third at the Berman) and today is definitely giving the guys the type of confidence that breeds success," Potter said.

The Eagles locked up their championship long before the final round.

The Eagles' senior duo of Patel (19-6) and Recinos won their title matches on adjacent mats at 103 and 119. Recinos (23-3) took home a second straight crown after his 5-0 decision over Ryan Burton of Oak Forest.

"It's been rare of late for me to go six minutes to get a win, but it's great to win an individual championship and team title on our home mats," Recinos said.

Just after Richards senior Paul Kiolltyka, last year's MVP, defeated Stevenson junior David Lamberti (14-6) 11-4 in the 125-pound final, New Trier senior Sam Campbell (15-0) staked his claim to the 2008 MVP honors with an impressive win over Lakes junior Matt Holmes at 130.

Holmes (19-3) nearly unbeatable this season, fell victim to the two-time state qualifier who is nearly all the way back after missing a portion of the first half of the season with a variety of skin irritants.

"Of my losses this season (to Izzy Montemayer, Grant) and Grayslake Central's (Ryan Lund), I am always losing it at the ankles either by a pick or trip," Holmes said. "Sam did the same thing to me today, and I just didn't react well or wrestle to my potential in that match."

Teammates Aaron Cashmore (135) and Damian Brown (160) earned fourth-place medals.

Stevenson received championships from Bobby Vagun (152) and Stefan Melynk (215).

"We received strong efforts from both Bobby and Stefan, which showed in their end results.. but we fell badly in the wrestle-back portion of the tournament and that came back to hurt our chances of taking home a second-place team trophy," said Patriots coach Shane Cook.

Melnyk (19-6) pinned Leyden sophomore Dan Keibler at 5:15. Vagun (15-2) defeated Leyden's Matt Soch 8-6 in overtime.

"I am still not as sharp and in the best of shape after coming back from a recent concussion," said Vagun, who recorded a takedown 33 seconds in the extra period to secure his win.

Taras Martyniouk (17-5) fell short in his bid against Schammert at 145 pounds.

Bob Kelly (29-4) was the lone bright spot for Vernon Hills as the senior went through a pair of opponents, including Jim Bardusk of Oak Forest to garner the big prize at 189.

Kelly's major decision (20-7) in the semifinals set up the final against Bardusk. Their match opened with a first period which mirrored more of a chess match than a wrestling bout, until Kelly opened things up in the second period en route to a 12-1 major decision win.

"I was really able to go to work on (Bardusk) in that second period after starting out on top," said Kelly, who outscored the senior with a trio of near-falls, including one last one just before the buzzer.

"Technically I feel like I am wrestling better this season compared to (this) same time last year, and I feel ready to make a big push forward in the final weeks ahead."

Conant was within striking distance early, but a tough second round in both sides of the brackets did in the Cougars, who were unable to match last season's team title and settled for fifth place with 107.5 points.

"This is a team which has just two seniors in the line-up, which bodes well for the future, but sometimes comes up with a round like we had early on in the tournament," said Conant coach John Kane.

Senior Adam Wright (16-3) was runner-up at 140 to Rob Frias of Richards, while junior Kyle Reid (16-7, 135) earned a second-place medal.

Wright was in a tight match for all six minutes against Frias, who prevailed in the third period.

"He didn't show a great desire to wrestle the entire match, but I just couldn't get myself free from him to do much of anything," Wright said.

 

Clovis a beast at Berman

By Mike Garofola | Daily Herald Correspondent

Published: 12/29/2007 12:01 AM

California wrestling power Clovis flexed its collective muscle Friday afternoon.

The Cougars broke open a close race for the top spot with eventual runner-up Leyden, running away from the Eagles and the rest of the field to capture the 53rd annual Berman Holiday Classic at Palatine on Saturday.

Just 12 points behind Clovis when the day began, Leyden finished 81½ points behind the champion Cougars (287½-206).

Lincoln-Way Central (185) was third, Hinsdale South (161) fourth and Hinsdale Central (151) fifth.

"There's no shame to finish second behind a nationally ranked team like Clovis, or at a tournament (like) this one which has an Illinois power like Lincoln-Way (Central) and so many other teams here," said Leyden coach Jason Potter.

"On the day, we obviously would have liked better results from some of the guys, but we have a lot to build (from), especially from what Isaiah Recinos accomplished."

At 119 pounds, Recinos (20-2) first stunned 2007 state medal winner and top-seed Justin Farmer (Lincoln-Way Central) with a fall at 1:14 in the semifinals. Then with the same stealth-like speed, Recinos pinned Warren junior Connor Drew at 1:03 of the final.

"When you're as close to Isaiah as we are everyday, you really believe that he is capable of beating anyone," Potter said.

"Having (this) type of tournament gives me a huge boost of confidence for the rest of the season," said Recinos, who recorded 4 pins in the two-day tournament.

Leyden's Bhavik Patel (17-6) fell short in his final against Madison Gambrell (10-1) of Clovis, as the junior ranked No. 3 in Central California ended Patel's hopes via a pin at 3:28.

"It's been a lot of fun since we arrived in Chicago on (Christmas Eve) and I really don't know if winning (here) or actually watching a real snowstorm for the first time is the highlight for me so far," Gambrell said.

Gambrell was one of seven Cougars in the finals -- five of whom claimed titles.

Glenbard East senior Pat Walker (19-0) collected his second-straight Berman title and later a second consecutive MVP award after defeating Clovis senior Brett Sanchez (11-2) by a fall at 3:10.

Palatine senior Ross Grande took the 152-pound title with a 5-3 win over Jason Callahan of Glenbard East.

Grande (21-2), who exploded for a 12-2 major decision in the semifinals to advance over Leyden's Matt Soch, fell back into a more conservative mode to edge Callahan (14-4).

"It's all about working harder than your opponent and just going back to basics," said Grande, who finished second here last season.

"Ross didn't go out and be as aggressive as he has during this tournament, and probably wrestled not to lose in his final," said Palatine coach Dan Collins. "But he put in a solid effort all throughout the weekend to earn his title."

Palatine's Dale Jarosz (18-2) was unable to secure a second-straight title. Jarosz (130 pounds) drop a 2-0 overtime decision at 130 pounds to Clovis senior Stephen Weimer (14-1), ranked No. 3 in California.

 

Leyden looks tough in Berman

By Mike Garofola | Daily Herald Correspondent
December 28, 2007

Leyden's terrific effort during the quarterfinals by Leyden helped draw Jason Potter's club closer to nationally ranked Clovis High School of California at the 53rd Berman Holiday Wrestling Classic at Palatine Thursday afternoon.

The Eagles advanced seven wrestlers into today's semifinal matches, which are set to begin immediately following the 9:30 a.m. consolation quarterfinals.

Championship matches are scheduled for 5 p.m.

"You can sense the confidence beginning to build in and around this team, and it's the type of thing that can snowball and help everyone from here on out," said Potter, whose Eagles are second with 132 points, 15 behind Clovis and a dozen ahead of third-place Lincoln-Way Central.

Hinsdale Central (93) and Lyons (83½) round out the top five. Hinsdale South (79½), defending champion Minooka (79), Warren (75½), Downers Grove North (75.) and Glenbard East (72) complete the top 10 in the 25-team tournament -- the longest running in state history.

Leyden's Adam Schammert (18-3) took the old saying, "It's not how you start, but how you finish" to its limit when the junior fell behind 5-0 in his quarterfinal match against Broderick Forcier of Lyons.

Schammert roared back to record a fall at 3:32 and join mates Bhavik Patel (103), Isaiah Recinos (119), Mike Cocozza (130), Matt Soch (145), Nick Cassano (171) and John Burke (285) in today's championship round.

"I got caught a little early, but I knew that if I stayed composed that I could get back in (this) match because I wasn't tired and had plenty of energy left," said Schammert, who recently defeated Forcier (8-6) in overtime to win a tournament title at Lyons.

"I knew as soon as I caught (Forcier) in a Saturday Nite Ride, it would almost impossible for him to get out before pinning him."

Next for Schammert at 145 pounds is Lincoln-Way Central senior Jake Nelson (14-1).

Cocozza (16-4) cruised through a pair of opponents with a fall and major decision at 130 pounds. He will face 2007 state medal-winner and defending 112-pound champion Dale Jarosz (17-1) of Palatine.

Jarosz, a three-time state qualifier, defeated Antioch's Robby Lindstrom (17-3) to earn his semifinal berth.

"It's all about training and eating right and getting ready for the last half of the season, and I feel that I am really ready for what's ahead (for) me and another run into the state tournament," Jarosz said.

Palatine's 152-pounder Ross Grande (19-2) made easy work of a pair of matches, including a technical fall in the quarters over Alex Ortiz of St. Patrick. Grande meets Soch (17-3) in the semifinals.

"Ross is more aggressive and has open things up a bit more of late," said Palatine coach Dan Collins of his 152-pounder. "There's an air of more confidence in his step and that's something he will need the rest of the way."

Hersey senior Kyle Stonebecker (15-4) just missed upsetting top-seed Christopher Owens (15-1) of East Moline United in his 189-bout.

Even at 4-4 with Owens, a champion at the Lyons tourney two weeks ago, Stonebecker gave up a takedown near the edge in the waning seconds in a 6-4 defeat.

"Kyle is about another 2 weeks away from being able to go the full six minutes, then he should be in good shape," said Hersey coach Jim Wormsley. "You've got to remember he started wrestling as a sophomore where he went 0-17 on the year. He's come a long way and will only get better before the year is out."

Eagles edged out by Lions

December 19, 2007

By DANNY CARLINO Contributor

To say the Leyden wrestling team has had a good start to the season would be a huge understatement. The Eagles took the reputation that comes with an undefeated dual-meet record of 10-0 into the Lyons Township Invite on Saturday and proved it was no fluke, taking second only to the hosts in a tough field. The Lions took first with 218.5 while Leyden followed with 200.5 on the day. Despite such a good result, there was still some disappointment about not coming out on top.

"Our goal is to go in first, and teamwise I'm disappointed we didn't win, but our guys couldn't have wrestled a whole lot better," said Leyden head coach Jason Potter. "They put in great individual performances. I'm not sure how it happened, but the score fell the way it did. Sometimes mathematically it doesn't work out your way with pins and byes and things like that. At the same time, our goal is to always have our guys go in and wrestle to the best of their capabilities."

Leyden finished the day with six winners medals, a second-place finisher, and three wrestlers who took third place. The senior-laden team showed its experience, getting seven wrestlers to the championship bout.

Senior Bhavik Patel won at 103 pounds with a close match in the final, winning 6-5. Classmate Isaiah Recinos pinned his opponent in the title bout at 119 pounds, while 130-pounder Mike Cocozza did the same.

Junior Adam Schammert had to go to overtime to claim the 145-pound championship, winning 8-6 over his opponent from LT. Senior Matt Soch also knocked off a Lyons wrestler by a 5-1 score at 152 pounds while fellow senior John Burke pinned his way to the 285-pound title.

"Anytime you take six championships in any tournament it's exciting," Potter said. "We have a senior-heavy team this year. That young team I used to have are now finally seniors. We have seven seniors in the lineup and five other sophomores stepping in. I think this year they're getting a lot of valuable experience. The success of the seniors is rubbing off on everyone. We're 10-0, we finished third at Conant and second at Lyons."

The only finalist to not come away victorious was junior Brian Andronic. He lost the 140-pound title bout by a 3-0 score, but a second-place finish in this meet is nothing to be ashamed off.

Seniors Mike Feldmann (160), Nick Cassano(171), and sophomore Danny Keibler (215) each finished in third in their respective weight classes. They had great days that were sullied by a hiccup in their semifinal matches. There's never a good time to have a bad match, but Coach Potter was satisfied by how those three came back to wrestle hard and smart and not let the disappointment of the semifinals affect how they performed in the third-place bouts.

Junior Jesse Marentes earned some team points and a medal of his own, taking fifth place at 125 pounds.

Coming up this week are a pair of good dual competitions that will put the Eagles' undefeated record to the test. They are at Downers Grove South on Thursday night for a West Suburban Gold tilt before hosting Naperville Central on Friday.

"It's not something that we really need to talk about," Potter said of his team's perfect record. "Our goal is to go out and beat every team we face. The way we look at each win is as a stepping stone. Every week we want to get better. There are more challenges ahead, and our goal is to win. If they wrestle up to their capabilities, I think it's something we can achieve. It's going to be tough, though."

Scouting Northwest suburban wrestling teams

By Mike Garofola 11/30/2007

WEST SUBURBAN GOLD

Leyden

Coach: Jason Potter (third year)

Last year: 16-4 overall, 5-1 and WSG champs, regional runnerup

Key losses: Chris Reed (3-time sectional qualifier, 31 wins, Illinois), David Turner (18 wins), Juan Giron (19 wins).

Top returnees: Seniors Matt Soch (145, 3-time sectional qualifier, 29 wins), Bhavik Patel (103, 112, 2006 sectional qualifier, 26 wins), Isaiah Recenos (119, 28 wins), Mike Cocozza (130, 135, 22 wins), Mike Feldman (160, sectional qualifier, 28 wins), Nick Cassano (171, sectional qualifier, 20 wins), John Burke (285, sectional qualifier, 21 wins); juniors Adam Schammert (152, 2-time sectional qualifier, 26 wins), Brian Andronic (135, 140), Jose Flores (125, 130), sophomores Vito Martinelli (189) and Dan Kiebler (215).

New on the mats: Jose Meneses (103), Jesse Marentes (125), Alonso Chavarria (140, 145).

Outlook: Eagles will use final regular-season victory over Hinsdale South from a year ago as a springboard to the 2007-08 season. Win gave the club a desired and deserved divisional title. "When we sat down with a lot of these guys as freshmen, we said hard work and dedication will be rewarded some day," said Potter. "We are there now, but the team isn't satisfied or taking anything for granted. Everyone is working harder knowing the sky is the limit." Potter feels a regional crown is a reasonable goal in late February, as is sending many on and through the sectionals and into the state tournament. Soch, Schammert, Cocozza and Patel are the Eagles' star power. However, look for others from a veteran lineup to break-through along the way.

 

Eagles off to fast start

November 28, 2007

By RICK BEHREN Contributor

Expect bigger and better things from Leyden's mat men during the upcoming season.

The wrestling team is already off to a fast start on the 2007-2008 campaign and return all but three starters from last year's 16-4, 5-1 (West Suburban Gold) squad. Another bright spot is the fact that eight of the returnees had 25 or more victories for the Eagles.

Leyden wrestling coach Jason Potter says Mike Cocozza (top) "technique-wise" is the best wrestler on the team. He will wrestle at 130 pounds this season.
(Ray Luna/For Pioneer Press)

Leyden already has defeated Rolling Meadows in a dual meet by a 45-17 score on Nov. 20 and it placed third among 21 teams last weekend at the Conant Invitational, which featured wrestlers from some of the top programs in the state, according to head coach Jason Potter.

"Already the kids have stepped up and wrestled well under pressure," Potter said. "The guys we expected to get the job done did and many others stepped up. It was very exciting to see what was accomplished in the dual meet against Rolling Meadows and at Conant.

At the Conant Invite, Leyden followed a good first round with a poor second-round effort, but neither coach nor grapplers panicked.

"We felt we could place near the top and we knew it would be a challenge because we were missing four of our guys for one reason or another," Potter said. "After the bad second round, I told the team to relax and come back strong the next day, which they did."

It was a mighty comeback indeed, as Leyden went on a run of 17 victories in 20 matches, losing two of those by just one point.

"The kids reacted and catapulted back into contention and placed third overall," Potter said. "I am very pleased with the effort. Even though we had no champions, we wound up with three seconds, a third, three fourths and a fifth."

Potter said he believes this squad will be stronger than ever by the middle and end of the season, barring injuries.

Leading the Eagles at 103 pounds will be Bhavik Patel, a senior who also may see some time wrestling in the 112-pound division, Potter said.

"He worked a lot this summer and has improved year to year. I think he is finally realizing he has a lot of potential, so I look for him to be very successful for us," Potter said.

Seniors Isaiah Recinos (119) and Mike Cocozza (130) also received high praise from their coach and should prove very valuable to the team.

"Isaiah beat a lot of good wrestlers last year and by the time of the conference meet, he had gotten to the point where I believe he could beat about anyone in the state. I expect a very exceptional year from him," Potter proclaimed. "Technique-wise, I think Cocozza is the best wrestler on the team. He just needs to get in the right frame of mind to realize his capabilities and just take it from there."

Junior Brian Andronic (135) also was on the varsity last year and is very competitive, according to Potter.

"He made huge gains on the mat last season," he said. "I think he will win 25 to 30 matches for us this year."

Matt Soch (145) qualified for the state meet last year and Potter said the senior has the potential to make a return trip Downstate.

"It's Matt's senior year and I think he is ready to put himself on the map as one of the state's top wrestlers," Potter said.

The most physical wrestler and the most unorthodox on the team are junior Adam Schammert (152) and senior Michael Feldmann (160), respectively.

"Adam is a very physical kid, probably the most physical on the team, and no matter who he is facing he does whatever you ask him to do," Potter said. "In the past he has been in the weight class where we needed him most, but now he won't have to watch what he eats and just go out there and perform.

"Michael is very unorthodox with a style that is truly his own," he said. "He can score from any position and can pin anybody. He is 6-1 already this year with five pins his first weekend."

Nick Cassano (171) is off to a great start and finished second at Conant. "He has wrestled off the board so far and he just goes out and competes," Potter said. "He's great at practices and a lock to be one of the best guys in the state at 171. I'm excited about what he's done already and about what's to come."

Sophomore Angel Maldonado and junior Jerry Larsen will compete in the 189-pound class for the Eagles.

"Angel wrestled for us as a freshman last year," Potter said. "He has high intensity and I look for him to be a main cog for us. Larson is only a second year wrestler and he battled hard last season. I look for big improvements out of him."

Sophomore Dan Kiebler will tackle the duties in the 215-pound division. "He's another great kid -- a big kid with great athleticism," Potter said. "I look for him to improve physically and mentally by the end of the year."

Potter said people tend to overlook heavyweight John Burke, a senior, on the mat at times, which could work in his favor.

"He's not the tallest heavyweight, but he just goes out and battles hard every match," he said. "He also got a second at Conant and I think he is really going to take some huge steps forward this season. I look to him to be one of our leaders."

The Leyden coach says he also expects some major contributions from some new faces in the 103- to 125-pound divisions, including Jesse Marentes, Jorge Flores, Hector Garcia and Alonzo Carvarria.

"With what I have seen already this year, look for these guys to provide us with a very fine, exciting season ahead," Potter said.