Wrestling: Regional pairings ‘not what’s best for kids’

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Tom Kokkines, taking down an oppenent in a 2009 match, was among the reasons Plainfield Central was able to upset Neuqua Valley for a regional crown on Saturday. | File photo.

Updated: March 11, 2012 8:31AM

For the second year in a row, the IHSA assigned the two top-ranked teams in Class 2A to the same regional, resulting in the runner-up being eliminated from the dual meet series.

Last season it was Marmion losing out to Montini. This year, Lemont finished second to Montini at the Evergreen Park Regional, despite winning five titles.

“My view is that the IHSA has been doing this for years,” Lemont coach John St. Clair said. “It isn’t just us; Sandburg and Marist in the same regional has the same negative effect in Class 3A as having us and Montini in the same regional in 2A.

“When I saw the pairings come out, I obviously wasn’t happy, but there is no use complaining or whining about it. Instead we went to work in the room and decided that we were going to give them our best shot. Why not?”

What’s even more disappointing for Lemont’s coach is that although this is his best team, the Indians were denied a chance of a fourth straight state trip and third consecutive trophy.

“Why don’t we have a ranking system in place for the teams in our sectional?” St. Clair said. “That’s how they do it in volleyball, softball, baseball, basketball and more that I don’t know about, but not in wrestling.

“We just get what we get and have to live with it, and that’s just not what is best for the kids or the fans of this sport. Our fans are just as, or more passionate, than any other sport and that is proven time and time again in Champaign.”

Plainfield Central advances

In order for Plainfield Central to win its second regional title in three years, it needed to beat another state-ranked team that already had defeated the Wildcats.

That’s just what coach Jim Kappas’s squad accomplished in claiming the title in the Class 3A Neuqua Valley Regional, 170-142 over the host.

The Wildcats had four champions and three other sectional qualifiers to finish ahead of a Neuqua Valley team that won 37-35 in their dual meet in mid-January.

“I feel that we won the regional in the first round when we had two unseeded wrestlers, Peter Perich and Tom Kokkines, who upset seeded wrestlers that they both had lost to in previous weeks,” Kappas said. “It really set the tone for us.

“We’ve stressed to our wrestlers that our five-week season began with conference, and all of the challenging tournaments and duals we had were preparation. The boys know we have more goals ahead that we want to accomplish as a program.”

Multiple regional championships

Providence’s Eddie Klimara, Wilmington’s Trent Lyons and Reed-Custer’s Billy Chancey joined elite company by winning their fourth straight regional championships. Winning their third consecutive regionals were Joliet Central’s Trayvon Zabala, Minooka’s Bob Zabel and Jake Residori, Lockport’s Brad Johnson and Wilmington’s Alex Peterson.