Sports
Wrestling: Defending State Champ Minooka Denies Marist
Indians use fast start to notch 27-24 victory over RedHawks, advance to Class 3A quarterfinals on Saturday.
DARIEN–Minooka’s Bobby Zabel won and a host of Indians followed suit.
Minooka won six straight matches to start the night on its way to a berth in the Class 3A state wrestling tournament for the sixth time in the last eight years after beating Marist 27-24 in the Granite City Sectional, which was contested at Hinsdale South High School Tuesday.
Minooka (24-3) built a 21-0 lead and did not allow Marist (23-6) a chance to recover.
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Minooka will take on West Aurora at 9 a.m. Saturday in U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington.
The defending state champion Indians, who beat Marist 31-27 earlier this year, won nine of 13 contested matches and allowed just three bonus points in their four setbacks.
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“That’s big,” Minooka coach Bernie Ruettiger said. “We didn’t have to wrestle at 125 because of it. We didn’t give up any at 103, 112 and 119.”
The first match of the night set the tone as the Indians' Zabel (38-9) beat Sean Raddatz (38-12) 5-2 at 130 in a battle of state medal winners.
“I knew he was going to be tough,” said Zabel, who split two matches against Raddatz this year. “I just had to do what I do and attack. It worked out.”
“The biggest key was Bobby Zabel beating Raddatz right off the bat,” Ruettiger said.
It started a string of six straight wins for the Indians. Blake Montella (135 pounds), Leo Ruettiger (140), Kevin Akers (145), Jake Residori (152) and Kalvin Hill (160) followed Zabel’s lead, giving the Indians a 21-0 lead.
“Getting a lead like that, especially in a big dual, was huge,” Akers said. “Marist is a good team. We won against them earlier this year, but it was close. This time, it was even closer.”
After a loss, Mitch Morris beat Josh Pruitt 4-2 in overtime at 189 and Max Brozovich beat Ethan Benoit 4-2 at 215.
“We knew we could not get pinned at 103, 112 and 119,” Bernie Ruettiger said.
Although Minooka lost all three matches, it did not allow any bonus points to three state placers.
“That’s the difference,” Ruettiger said. “That’s why you have to hold them to no bonus points when you get beat. That’s what happened at 103, 112 and 119.”
