2017-2018 Season Notes

NCHS Begins Wrestling Season 3-0

Naperville Central Wrestling Starts 2017-18 Season in Style

November 25, 2017

NCHS 81 – Lane Tech 0

NCHS 62 – Batavia 12

NCHS 40 – Downers Grove South 34

Naperville Central wrestling starts the wrestling season at 3-0 after defeating Chicago Lane Tech, Batavia, and Downers Grove South at home.

Several NCHS wrestlers finished the day 3-0 including Tyler Driessens 10, 106, Angelo Eklou 10, 195, Elrin Esporlas 10, 126, Nick Keating 12, 145, Derek McDaniel 12, Jackson Punzel 11, 182, Kyle Guttosch 11, 113, and Cameron Palmer 11, 170. Driessens, Keating, McDaniel, and Punzel all locked down two pins.

In the first dual, Central defeated Lane Tech 81-0. Central won all six contested matches, five by fall. In one of the more exciting bouts, sophomore Sean King overcame a 2-6 deficit with a pair of three point nearfalls in the second period to pull out a 8-6 win.

In the second dual, NCHS defeated a depleted Batavia team (the Batavia football team is competing in the state championship game on this day). Of the eight contested matches, NCHS won five. Nick Keating scored six takedowns and two sets of nearfall to win by technical fall 21-5. Elrin Esporlas was able to complete a nearfall in the final seconds of his match to complete a 6-4 come-from-behind win at 126 pounds.

In the final dual the Redhawks pulled out an exciting 40-34 win. Elrin Esporlas scored a first period fall to start the team score 6-4 Central, but then DGS won the next two matches to take a 6-16 lead. A pin by Nick Keating and a major decision by Derek McDaniel knotted the team score at 16-16. Central gave up a fall at 160 pounds but Cameron Palmer answered with a 14-2 major decision. The Redhawks took the team score lead with wins from Punzel and Eklou 29-22. But South answered back with two pins to make the score 29-34. Central needed two wins in the final matches to win the dual. Tyler Driessens took the first match at 106 pounds with a fall in the first period setting up a winner take all match at 113 pounds. Junior Kyle Guttosch put the dual in the win column with a technical fall 18-2.

NCHS JV finished 2-1 with wins against Stagg and Batavia and a loss to Downers Grove South.

Naperville put together a freshman-sophomore team to compete at the Plainfield South Super Duals. They finished 3-1, and second place – losing by just three points in the finals.

Naperville Central loses to Glenbard North

12/1/2017

NCHS 20 – GN 43

Naperville lost to DVC foe Glenbard North at home on Friday, December 1, 2017. Glenbard North jumped off to a quick team lead after Carson Eipers was pinned at heavyweight in the first match of the night. Central responded with two wins in a row. Tyler Driessens scored six points in the opening period and held on to win 9-8 at 106 pounds. Kyle Guttosch looked impressive in a 16-0 technical fall at 113 pounds. Colin Baumgartner scored the first takedown in his match but lost 6-12

Glenbard North and Central traded pins in the next two weight classes. Young Elrin Espolas scored two takedowns in the first period but was pinned in the second period. Fabricio Navarro scored a come-from-behind dramatic fall with a hip toss in the final seconds of his match at 132 pounds. Ryan Silva lost his match by fall. He bumped up to 138 pounds for the event.

Central won the next two matches by close scores. Senior Nick Keating locked down a key takedown in the second period of a scoreless match and added two takedowns in the 3rd to win 4-2 at 145 pounds. Then fellow senior Derek McDaniel won his match 9-8 in what was easily the match of the night. Derek stopped a furious comeback attempt by his appoint by scoring a late third period takedown.

Glenbard North pulled away from that point. Sophomore Sean King was pinned at 160. Cameron Palmer was pinned at 170 pounds. Jackson Punzel lost to highly regarded Abe Assad by a 1-10 major decision. Angelo Eklou lost his match at 195. Ben Cianchetti dropped a decision 0-5.

Glenbard North swept the contest winning the JV1, JV2 and freshman duals as well.

Naperville Central finishes 2-1 at the Megaduals: Freshman 3rd at Lyons Tournament

12/2/17

NCHS 48 – Rockton Hononegah 21

NCHS 28 – St. Charles East 39

NCHS 40 – Oswego 18

Naperville Central (5-2, 0-1 DVC) took two out of three at the Megaduals held at St. Charles East High School. In the opening round, Central defeated Hononegah by 27 points. Central won 8 of 12 contested matches. In round two, NCHS lost to St. Charles East in a hard fought contest. The Redhawks looked impressive in the final round with a solid win against Oswego.

Top performers in on the day were Kyle Guttosch (113) and Ben Cianchetti (220). Both juniors finished 3-0 with three first period pins. Guttosch remains undefeated in the young season. Junior Jaskson Punzel won all three of his matches, all by decisions at 182. Sophomore Angelo Eklou continues to look impressive finishing undefeated on the day and balloning his record to 6-1 at 195 pounds.

Senior Nick Keating won two matches, one by fall and one by technical fall. He dropped only his first match of the year as sits at 6-1. Also ending the day with a 2-1 record was Cameron Palmer, Tyler Driessens, and Colin Baumgartner. Palmer and Driessens both earned a pin. Tyler Driessens has an impressive 6-1 record on the season. Baumgartner scored three takedowns in the final period to win 9-8 verses Oswego.

Also getting wins were Derek McDaniel, Elrin Esporlas, Ryan Silva, and Fabricio Navarro. Silva won his first contested varsity match with a 8-0 major decision. Derek McDaniel defaulted in his second match of the day. He is likely to return to the line-up next week.

The JV1 team finish 2-1 at their Megadual event defeating Neuqua Valley and St. Charles East. The JV2 team finished 1-2.

The freshman competed at the Lyons Township ant took 3rd place finishing with 5 champions. They won 8 of the 10 medal matches. Cooper Bohnstedt won 90, Khush Parekh won 106, Shane Roth won 138, Joe Spore won 170, and Austin Longmire won 182. Austin Nesci took 3rd and won most pins fastest combined time. Shane Roth won the outstanding wrestler award. Ethan Jones 2nd 120, Ian VanEuwen 2nd at 152, Anthony Pendolino 3rd at 132, Jonah Boykin 3rd at 126. Team took 3rd with no 195, 220 or 285. LTHS took 1st, and NNHS took 2nd. 8 teams total.

Naperville Central falls to Neuqua Valley

December 7, 2017

NCHS 33 – NV 35

Naperville Central traveled to Neuqua Valley and lost a very tight dual to its DVC rivals. The Redhawks were missing two of their top starters. Starting at 160, senior Derek McDaniel scored 10 takedowns and secured a pin in the waning seconds of his match. Tariq Sikander stepped in at the 170 weight class by gave up a fall. Cameron Palmer responded with a first period fall moving up a weight class. Angelo Eklou was caught early and he was pinned. The back-and forth continued as Ben Cianchetti was able to secure a fall with just a fraction of a second left in the first period of his match. Sophomore 220 pounder Carson Enfield bounced to heavyweight and was pinned in the second period of what was a tight match.

At 106 pounds, Tyler Driessens secured the first decision of the night with a tight 6-5 decision. Naperville Central gave up a forfeit at 113 pounds and was defeated in the next two weight classes. Colin Baumgarter and Elrin Esporlas both lost by decisions at 120 and 126 respectively.

The Redhawks were able to win the next couple of matches. Sophomore Ryan Silva battled to a 12-8 decision at 132 pounds. Fabricio Navarro (138) wrested tough the entire match and was up 7-1 when he locked down a big fall. Matt Kaszuba stepped in for his first varsity match but was stopped by a score of 2-11. Senior Nick Keating was able to major decision his opponent at 152 pounds.

Naperville Central won both the JV1 dual and the freshman dual by large scores. Neuqua Valley did not field a JV2 team.

Naperville Central Defeats Metea Valley

December 8, 2017

NCHS 50 – MV 15

Naperville Central (6-3, 1-2 in DVC) defeated rival Metea Valley by a score of 50-15. Central won 9 of 13 contested matches. The dual started at 145 pounds and the Hawks won the first three straight matches. Matthew Kaszuba won his first varsity match and it was a first period fall. Seniors Nick Keating and Derek McDaniel followed with wins by fall and by a major decision respectively at 152 and 160 pounds. Cameron Palmer gave up a last second takedown and lost his match by a score of 1-3.

NCHS and Metea traded jabs in the next four weight classes. Jackson Punzel won by a 7-4 decision at 182 pounds, Angelo Eklou lost his match at 195 pounds by a score of 3-9. Ben Cianchetti won at 220 with a first period fall. Then, Carson Eipers lost by fall at heavyweight.

Central won five of the last six matches to secure the dual meet win. As the dual swung around to the lightest weight classes, Tyler Driessens picked up a forfeit. Ryan Chitwood won his first varsity match with a second period fall at 113 pounds. Colin Baumgartner picked up a 21-10 major decision at 120 pounds. At 126 pounds, Elrin Esporlas lost by a 6-12 decision. Leo Keating (132) won his first varsity match in DVC completion with a hard fought 4-2 decision and senior Fabricio Navarro completed the contest in style with a first period fall at 138 pounds.

Naperville Central won both the JV1 dual and the freshman dual by large scores. Metea Valley did not field a JV2 team.

Naperville Central Mickey Marchese Tournament Champions

December 9, 2017

1. Naperville Central 270.5

2. Notre Dame College Prep 162.5

3. Maine West 136

4. Hoffman Estates 105

5. Bolingbrook 100

6. Crystal Lake South 95

7. Willowbrook 87

8. South Elgin 72

9. Simeon 62

10. Lane Tech 43

11. Elgin 21

12. Streamwood 13

Naperville Central wins 40th anniversary Mickey Marchese Tournament held at Hoffman Estates High School. There were 12 teams at the event. The Redhawks outscores second place Niles Notre Dame Prep by over 100 points. NCHS advanced 10 of their 14 wrestlers to the finals and five were crowned champions.

Senior Nick Keating lead the way for the Hawks with three pins in the tournament. The 145 pounder defeated Biekki of Bolingbrook by fall in the finals. Ben Cianchetti also swept all three matches by fall to earn the 220 pound crown. He pinned Allen of Simion for the gold.

Senior Derek McDaniel had a pin and a technical fall to advance to the finals. He then defeated Muellner of Maine West by a score of 14-4 for first place at 152. Juniors Colin Baumgartner and Cameron Palmer won their weight classes at 120 and 170 respectively. Baumgartner scored a last pair of nearfall points to secure a 6-3 win in the title match verses Crump of Notre Dame. Palmer scored 4 early points and held on for a 4-2 match for the blue ribbon.

Central had five individuals take second in the event including Sophomore Sean King at 160 pounds. King pinned the first seed in the second round and finished 3-1 despite being unseeded. Senior Fabricio also advanced unseeded to the finals at 138 with a pair of 5-4 decisions in the quarters and semis. Jackson Punzel scored two pins at 182 before running into top ranked Jessen of Willowbrook in the finals. Tyler Driessens (106) and Angelo Eklou (195) both started in the semifinals and won their matches to get to the championship match. The sophomores both earned pins as well. Driessens pinned Engle of Bolingbrook and Eklou pinned Aldabbagh of South Elgin.

Ryan Silva took fourth at 132, winning in the quarter finals by fall. Elrin Esporlas finished 4-1 in the tournament and Ryan Chitwood finished 2-1. Both took 5th. Each wrestler earned to falls. Carson Eipers competed at heavyweight for the Redhawks, but lost both of his matches.

The Redhawks brought three non-scoring individuals to Hoffman Estates to compete and they finished with a record of 7-6 collectively. At 126 pounds Leo Keating placed 4th after winning two matches. Also wrestling at 126, freshman Anthony Pendolino ended up 3-2 (one loss by forfeit to his teammate) for a sixth place finish. Freshman Shane Roth (138) had an unfortunate day, departing by injury after at 4-0 won in the opening round.

The NCHS JV1 team took second at the Streamwood Dual Tournament. Tariq Sikander, Manny Rivera, Matt Kaszuba, and Mike Orlandino were top performers at the event.

Naperville Central Defeats Waubonsie Valley at Home

December 15, 2017

NCHS 63 – WV 9

JV1 sweeps quad at Bolingbrook

F/S Win Maine South Tournament - Five Champions

Naperville Central (7-3, 2-2 in DVC) took eight of ten contested matches and picked up an additional four wins by forfeit to roll Waubonsie Valley by 54 team points.

The dual started at 170 where Cameron Palmer broke a 6-6 tie with an escape in the third period to win by one. At 182, Mike Orlandino stepped into the varsity line-up to pick up a forfeit win. That set up a marquee matchup at 195 pounds where Jackson Punzel bumped up to wrestle Garrett St. Clair. St. Clair scored the opening takedown for a 0-2 lead after the first period. Punzel countered with a reversal to tie the score in the second period. Punzel allowed a free escape to fall behind 2-3, but scored a pair of takedowns in the third period and held on for a 6-5 decision.

Ben Cianchetti won by forfeit at 220. Carson Eipers was defeated by fall at heavyweight. Rolling back to 106, the Redhawks rattled off six straight wins. Tyler Driessens scored a takedown and moved right into a cradle to lock down a fall. Ryan Chitwood and Colin Baumgartner won by forfeit at 113 and 120 respectively. Elrin Esporlas scored a takedown with just seconds left in his match to win with a major decision 9-1 at 126. Ryan Silva looked impressive with a pin against his opponent in the 132 pound weight class. Fabricio Navarro continued to improve at 138. His fall came in the second period.

Nick Keating lost a tight match 3-2 at 145 pounds. Tariq Sikander, wrestling at 152 pounds, came from behind with a pin in the second period. Derek McDaniel completed the Redhawk win, scoring eight takedowns in route to a 20-5 technical fall.

The Naperville Central JV1 and freshman teams both defeated Waubonsie Valley. Prior to the dual, Naperville North brought a group of wrestlers for some friendly exhibition matches prior to the NCHS vs. WV dual. Both teams completed well.

On Saturday the Junior Varsity team traveled to Bolingbrook and won all three duals in the event. They defeated Oak Forrest, Joliet West and Bolingbrook.

Meanwhile the Redhawk’s put together a freshman-sophomore team and traveled to Maine South High School and took first place in the F/S Invitational. Five individual won the tournament. Austin Nesci, Leo Keating, Angelo Eklou, Anthony Pendolino, and Carson Enfield.

Naperville Central Take Two at Holiday Duals at home

December 23, 2017

NCHS 53 – Geneseo 18

NCHS 64 – West Chicago 12

Naperville Central (9-3, 2-2 in DVC) win two duals at home to improve to 9-3 on the year. Central defeated Geneseo by 35 team points and West Chicago by 52 team points. The event was competed in round robin style on two mats.

In the 24 contested matches, the Redhawks won 19. The Hawks also accepted four additional wins by forfeit.

Leading the way for the Redhawks was Cameron Palmer, Jackson Punzel and Ben Cianchetti. The trio won all six matches by pins at 182, 195, and 220 respectively. Fabricio Navarro and Nick Keating were double winners with wins by technical fall and fall each at 138 and 145 pounds.

Other twin winners were Tyler Driessens, Ryan Chitwood, Elrin Esporlas, Ryan Silva, and Derek McDaniel. Ryan Chitwood had an exciting morning, pull out two close wins. One of those wins included a five point move (takedown and three point nearfall) in the final seconds to overcome a four point deficit, score 9-8. Ryan Silva was unscored upon, winning his matches 3-0 and 5-0.

Matt Kaszuba won the only match he competed in by a score of 9-6.

Naperville Central finishes in 7th place at 32 Team Don Flavin DeKalb Dual Invitational

NCHS finished 3-3 in Duals

Opening Day Bracket Friday, December 29, 2017

NCHS 58 – Harlem 9

NCHS 31 – Moline 30

NCHS 8 – DeKalb 43

Gold Pool, Friday, December 30, 2017

NCHS 33 – St. Charles East 34

NCHS 28 – Prospect 43

NCHS 37 – Glenbard East 24

Naperville Central (12-6, 2-2 DVC) finished in 7th place at the 32 team Don Flavin Invitational. On day 1, Friday, December 29 Central competed in bracket three, an 8-team bracket, to determine the pool for day two. Central opened with a 58-9 win against Harlem. Central won 8 of 11 contested matches and picked up an additional three wins by forfeit.

In the semifinals, NCHS battled Moline to the last match. The dual saw three lead changes and three ties. Tariq Sikander lost a decision but then Central won three of the next four matches (wins by Palmer, Punzel and Cianchetti) to take the lead 18-6. Moline won the next three matches to take a 18-21 lead. Colin Baumgartner squeezed out a 9-8 decision to tie the team score at 21. Moline won by fall at 126 but the Hawks won the next three matches with Silva winning 3-0, Navarro winning on sudden victory overtime win 8-6 and Nick Keating pulling out a 9-7 decision. Those wins put Central up 30-27. Derek McDaniel dropped a heartbreaker at 152 ending the dual at 30-30. Central won by tie breaker criteria H, most first match points scored (14-11).

The win put the Redhawks in the finals of Bracket B where they faced the host team DeKalb. The Barbs, eventual team champions defeated the Hawks 8-43. Central did have some individual winners in the contest: Jackson Punzel, Colin Baumgartner, and Nick Keating.

Second place in the bracket put Naperville Central in the Gold pool on the second day of competition on December 30. In the first contest, NCHS got a rematch with St. Charles East. St. Charles defeated Central 28-39 on December 2 at the Megaduals. This time the dual was much closer. The Redhawks won the first three matches with Jackson Punzel winning by fall, Carson Einfield winning by decision 5-4 and Ben Cianchetti winning 11-4. But St. Charles East won the next four matches and Central had to play catch-up the rest of the way. With the team score 12-19, Elrin Esporlas won by fall to pull within 1. The Saints answered with a technical fall. Fabricio Navarro won by decision, but the Saints scored a major decision to go up by 7 team points. St. Charles forfeited to Derek McDaniel and after the two teams traded pins, Central lost by one, 33-34.

Dual two wasn’t as close as Prospect handed Central a 28-43 defeat. Central winners were Ben Cianchetti, Tyler Driessens, Colin Baumgartner, Nick Keating, Derek McDaniel, and Jackson Punzel.

The final contest of the tournament pitted two old foes, Central vs. Glenbard East. The Redhawks won 9 of the 14 matches. Ben Cianchetti stared the dual with an 8-2 win. Tyler Driessens and Ryan Chitwood won by fall and major decision respectively. Ryan Silva scored a 4-1 win, Fabricio Navarro won 12-8, Nick Keating won 3-1, Derek McDaniel and Cameron Palmer earned two falls and Jackson Punzel finished with a 3-0 win.

Jackson Punzel completed the tournament undefeated 6-0 with 4 pins. Ben Cianchetti won five matches, 2 pins, 2 decisions, and a forfeit. Cameron Palmer finished 4-2 and all four wins were by pin. Nick Keating, Fabricio Navarro, Derek McDaniel and Colin Baumgartner all picked up four wins. All three wins by Tyler Driessens were by fall. Ryan Silva finished with a winning record 3-2.

On Friday the Naperville Central JV team took 2nd place at the 12 team Libertyville Tournament. Out of the 15 participants, 10 finished in the top 3 of their weight class. On Saturday the Naperville Central freshman team competed at the Hinsdale South tournament. Alex SanFilippo took 2nd place, Alex Knusel and Ethan Jones both took 3rd. Jonah Boykin and Mason Cooperkawa took 4th.

Naperville Central Defeats Naperville North

NCHS 55 – NNHS 10

January 4, 2018

Naperville Central wins the Crosstown Wrestling Classic at home against sister school Naperville North by a score of 55-10. Central won 10 of the 13 contested matches.

Tyler Driessens scored a fall to begin the dual at 106 pounds. Ryan Chitwood followed with a 15-2 major decision at 113. The Huskies answered with a couple of wins. North’s Ben Kruk won by a score of 6-4 and Lucas Van Poucke won 6-3.

NCHS then won five matches in a row starting with a hard fought win by Ryan Silva at 132 pounds by a score of 3-2. Fabricio Navarro scored a last second takedown to win by 8 and secure a major decision by a score of 14-6 at 138 pounds. Matt Kaszuba also fought for major decision, winning 10-2.

Seniors Nick Keating and Derek McDaniel won at 152 and 160 respectively. Keating won by fall and McDaniel by major decision 18-6. Huskie’s Gabe Natar scored a victory at 170 pounds by a major decision 12-2.

The Redhawks won the final three bouts of the night, all by fall. Jackson Punzel score a second period pin at 182 pounds, Angelo Eklou and Ben Cianchetti each secured falls in the first period of their matches at 195 and 220 pounds. Carson Eipers won by forfeit at 285 pounds.

Naperville Central won the JV1 dual while Naperville North won JV2 and freshman duals.

Central Defeats Wheaton Warrenville South

January 5, 2018

NCHS 41 – WWS 19

Naperville Central (14-6, 4-2 in DVC), defeated WWS in Warrenville by a score of 41-19. It was the second conference win in as many nights. Central won 7 of the 12 contested matches and also picked up two wins by forfeit. The dual started at 113 pounds and the Tigers started with two wins. Ryan Chitwood was defeated by decision and Colin Baumgartner lost by technical fall. The Redhawks got on the board when Elrin Esporlas held on for a 4-3 decision at 126 pounds. Ryan Silva’s comeback attempt fell short and he lost at 132 pounds by an identical score of 4-3.

Naperville Central, down by a team score of 3-11, rattled off eight straight wins to secure the team victory. Fabricio Navarro scored a late second period fall at 138 pounds. Matt Kaszuba got his hand raised by forfeit. Nick Keating scored a hard fought 7-3 decision at 152 pounds. Derek McDaniel scored a slew of takedowns to win by technical fall, 24-9. Cameron Palmer kept the streak going by winning 7-3. Jackson Punzel picked up the second forfeit. Angelo Eklou came from behind to win in overtime by a score of 9-7. Finally, Ben Cianchetti won by fall in the first period at 220. The Tigers took the final two bouts of the night. Carson Eipers lost by fall at 285 and Tyler Driessens lost a decision 6-4.

Naperville Central won the JV1, JV2 and freshman duals.

Naperville Central Sweeps Quadrangular at Downers Grove North

Saturday, January 06, 2018

NCHS 58 – Metamora 9

NCHS 62 – South Elgin 6

NCHS 48 – Downers Grove North 23

Naperville Central (17-6, 4-2 DVC) defeated all three competitors at the Downers Grove North Quadrangular. The wins cap off a perfect 5-0 in duals for the week for the Redhawks. Central won 27 actual matches while losing only 7. Central also accepted 7 wins by forfeit.

Seven NCHS wrestlers finished with a perfect 3-0 record for the day beginning with Elrin Esporlas. The 126 pounder locked down two pins and a win by technical fall. Seniors Nick Keating and Derek McDaniel, wrestling at 152 and 160 respectively, each walked away with three wins. Keating earned a pin and a technical fall while McDaniel had two wins by technical fall. Juniors Cameron Palmer and Jackson Punzel (170, 182) also paired for six wins. Both wrestlers earn a fall and Palmer added a technical fall.

The Redhawks also showed off some successful underclassmen. Tyler Driessens and Angelo Eklou (106 and 182) finished undefeated. Eklou had two pins, Driessens one – but added a technical fall.

Wrestlers who took two out of three were Colin Baumgartner, Ryan Silva, Fabricio Navarro, Matt Kaszuba, and Ben Cianchetti. Ryan Chitwood and Carson Eipers both came away with a varsity win.

Naperville Central JV team took 2nd place in the 16 team Bolingbrook JV Invitational. Leo Keating came away as the champion at 126 pounds. The Redhawks sent 11 wrestlers to the semifinals of the tournament. The Naperville Central JV2 team took 3rd place at the Naperville Central JV2 Invitational.

Next up the varsity will travel to Mahomet-Seymour for the Marty Williams Invitational on Saturday, January 13 while the Redhawks will put together a Freshman/Sophomore team to compete at the Oswego Duals on the same day.

Naperville Central wins the 20 team Marty Williams Invitational

January 13, 2018

Naperville Central won the 20 team Marty Williams Invitational held at Mahomet-Seymour high School. The Redhawks won the event by 145 team points. It was the 4th year in a row for Central bringing home the top trophy. There were 18 competitors that wrestled for the Redhawks and all placed 10th or better. NCHS had three champions and one runner-up. Central won 12 of the place matches.

1. Naperville Central 617

2. Mahomet-Seymour 472

3. Metamora 409

4. Rochelle 377

5. Belleville West 373

6. Normal West 371

7. Mattoon 342

8. Mt. Zion 313.5

9. Byron 309.5

10. St. Laurence 301.5

11. Champaign Centennial 292

12. Richland 289.5

13. Manteno 247.5

14. Bishop McNamara 240

15. Pontiac 215

16. Riverton 211

17. Peoria Notre Dame 196

18. Champaign Central 151

19. Rantoul 147

20. Decatur Eisenhower 116

The tournament started with each wrestler in pool competition followed by bracket competition. The pool competition determined which bracket a wrestler qualified. Central finished with a record of 27-8 in pool competition and 31-15 in bracket competition.

Senior Nick Keating was crowned tournament champion at 145 pounds. Keating used a last second takedown in his finals match to defeat Villabos of Rochelle by a score of 5-4. Fellow Senior Derek McDaniel won the gold medal at 160 pounds. He locked down a 5-2 decision against Morgan of Mahomet-Seymour. Junior Jackson Punzel came from behind to win a title at 182 pounds. Punzel, down 5-6, scored a takedown and near-fall points in the final 20 seconds to win 9-6.

Tyler Driessens scored a couple of falls to qualify for the finals at 106 pounds. He lost by a score of 3-9 to finish in 2nd place. Unseeded sophomore Leo Keating entered the tournament as a non-scorer but won 4 of 5 matches to finish in 3rd place. A pair of mid-heavyweights also took the bronze for the Redhawks. Ben Cianchetti finished 4-1 with three pins at 220 pounds while Angelo Eklou had a pair of pins himself at 195 pounds.

Colin Baumgartner competed very well at 113 pounds. He lost a couple of heart-breakers, 7-9 in the semifinals and a 9-10 overtime loss for 3rd. Still Baumgartner came away with a 3-2 record with a couple of falls.

Elrin Esporlas took 5th place, Anthony Peldolino and Fabricio Navarro took 6th, Ryan Silva and Cameron Palmer took 7th, Ryan Chitwood, Matt Kaszuba, and Sean King took 9th, Tariq Sikander and Carson Enfield took 10th.

Naperville Central put together a freshman/sophomore team and competed at the Oswego F/S dual tournament on Saturday. The Hawks finished in 7th place. Austin Nesci and Bryce Cooperkawa both won three matches at the event.

Naperville Central defeats Lake Park

January 18, 2018

NCHS 60 – LP 8

Naperville Central honors its seniors at the last home dual of the season, defeating Lake Park by a score of 60-8. Central won 8 of the 10 contested matches and picked up 4 wins by forfeit. Seniors Nick Keating, Derek McDaniel, and Fabricio Navarro all won their varsity matches. Seniors Matt Chiavola and Ryan Ho wrestled in the junior varsity dual. Chiavola won his match by a score of 2-0. Wrestling managers Keley Villanova, Yomary Gonzalez, Lydia Twaddle and Cassie Minter were recognized for their contributions to the wrestling team as well.

After Cameron Palmer got a win by forfeit, Jackson Punzel won his match 15-4 at 182 pounds. Angelo Eklou lost by a score of 3-9 at 195 pounds. Then, the Redhawks won the next nine matches in a row. Ben Cianchetti won by fall at 220. Lake Park forfeited to Carson Eipers and Tyler Driessens.

Kyle Guttosch made his return to the line-up at 113 pounds and notched a win by fall. Colin Baumgartner looked impressive with a 22-9 major decision at 120 pounds. Elrin Esporlas came from behind to win 6-3 at 126.

Ryan Silva won by forfeit, then the seniors took over. Fabricio Navarro won a 5-0 decision at 138. Nick Keating looked aggressive in a 20-5 technical fall at 145 pounds. Derek McDaniel also scored a technical fall at 160, winning 24-9. Matthew Kaszuba was defeated at 152 pounds.

Naperville Central won the JV1 dual. Lake Park did not field a JV2 team. Lake Park won the freshman dual.

Naperville Central Loses to Wheaton North

January 19, 2018

NCHS 14 – WN 54

Naperville Central (18-7, 5-3 in DVC) dropped its final dual of the season at Wheaton North on their senior night. The night was not without some success for the Redhawks. At 182 pounds, Jackson Punzel continues to look impressive, locking down a 8-2 decision. Ben Cianchetti notched another pin on his remarkable season at 220 pounds.

Kyle Guttosch, 113, in just his second match after coming back from being injured, picked up a win in workmanlike fashion by a score of 6-3. Colin Baumgartner stays hot with a win by decision at 120 pounds 12-6. Elrin Esporlas was pinned at 126, but wrestled well against Suarez up to that point.

Wheaton North won in JV1, JV2 and freshman competitions.

Naperville Central JV teams compete at DVC Tournaments

January 20, 2018

JV1 team takes 4th in the DuPage Conference Tournament

On Saturday, January 20 the Naperville Central JV teams competed in DVC tournament action. The JV1 team competed at Lake Park and finished in 4th place out of the nine teams. Wheaton North won the tournament, Naperville North took 2nd and Glenbard North took 3rd. The Hawks sent a field of 14 individuals and all wrestlers come away with at least one win.

Sophomore Leo Keating won the 126 pound weight class for the Redhawks. Keating scored two wins by fall and won in the semifinals by a score of 13-1. Anthony Pendolino took 2ndplace at 132 pounds. Pendolino won 6-0 in the semifinals to advance to the title match.

Ryan Chitwood, Michael Orlandino and Carson Enfield all took third place. Chitwood won by fall at 120 pound in the bronze match. Orlandino scored his third pin of the day in his third place match at 170. Carson Enfield won by fall in his final match.

Peter Bezanis, Manny Rivera, Sean King, and Tariq Sikander all took 4th place. Austin Nesci and Nick Hajakian both took 5th place. Senior Matt Chiavola won his final match by fall to take 7th place. Alek Van Eeuwen took 7th. Senior Ryan Ho won his first match by fall in route to an 8th place finish.

The JV2 team competed at Glenbard North High School. Joe Spore was the top finisher for the Redhawks, finishing with a record of 3-2 in the tournament and taking 3rd place. Philip Marraro and Max Sibley were 2-2 and took 4th. Ceaser Medina finished with a 3-2 record, good enough for fourth as well.

Ethan Jones finished 2-3 and a 6th place. Ben Mota and Bryce Cooperkawa both went 2-1 with a 7th place. Alex Knusel was 1-2, Jonah Boykin was 1-2, Jason Czech was 1-2, and Mason Cooperkawa was 0-3.

Naperville Central Takes 4th Place at DVC Tournament

Kyle Guttosch DVC Champion at 113 pounds

Four Redhawks Reach Finals

January 27, 2018

Naperville Central finished in 4th place at the DVC Championships held at Metea Valley High School. Four Redhawks reached the championship match including Kyle Guttosch who won the tournament. Glenbard North won the event. Wheaton North took 2nd and Neuqua Valley took 3rd.

Twelve of the fourteen Central wrestlers matched or exceeded their seeds in the event and several Central wrestlers avenged losses from competitions earlier in the season. The Redhawks finished with a record of 24-24 on the day.

Junior Kyle Guttosch won two matches by fall in route to the finals. He pinned Ciccia of LP and Pagal of GN in the semifinals. Guttosch, the number one seed, then beat Balosky of WN in the finals by a score of 7-4. Besides a late reversal to Balosky, Guttosch did not give up an offensive point in the tournament. Guttosch remains undefeated in the season.

Three more Redhawks made the finals and finished in second place. Senior Nick Keating, 145, was seeded fourth coming into the event. He defeated Berry of WWS in the first round, then avenged a loss to Bratland of WV in the semifinals, winning by major decision 12-1. Keating just missed a DVC championship, losing to Marre, GN by a score of 2-3. Fellow senior Derek McDaniel seem to have an identical tournament. McDaniel, seeded third at 160, pinned Burke, MV in round one, and then defeated Dowell WN 8-5 in the semifinals. McDaniel lost to Dowell last week by one point. In the finals, McDaniel lost to brother Marre of GN also by a score of 2-3. Ben Cianchetti, 220, matched his seed of 2 by taking second. Cianchetti scored a couple of pins to advance to the finals, first Ramsey of NN, then Borski, NV in the semis. Cianchetti was pinned in the finals by Terry, GN.

Senior Jackson Punzel, 182, finished the tournament 3-1 and took third place. Punzel was narrowly defeated in the semifinals by a score of 6-7, but came back with a couple of pins for his bronze medal. Ryan Silva and Fabricio Navarro both took 4th place at 132 and 132 respectively. Silva finished 2-2 with wins against Kradle, GN 7-5 and Summers NN 15-5. The win against Kradle was a come-from-behind effort. Navarro also finish 2-2 with wins against Gallogos, NN 7-5 and a pin against Gonzalez, WN.

Three Central wrestlers finished with wins in their 5th place matches. Tyler Driessens, 106, scored wins against Balosky, WN 5-0 and Waszek WWS 8-6. Driessens must be satisfied with his efforts as he avenged losses to both opponents from earlier this season. Colin Baumgartner, 113 took 5th place with wins against Moranchel, GN 10-4 and Khamissi, WN 12-6. Baumgartner lost to the first and second seeds in the tournament. Elrin Esporlas, 126, was unseeded but battled to a 3-2 record. Esporlas nearly beat Anchan, MV, losing 3-4. His wins were against Duve, WWS 2-1 and Pena, LP 12-1. He recorded a win by injury default from VanPoucke NN.

Cam Palmer, 170 won his final bout to take 7th place by fall over Terry, WV. Angelo Eklou, 195 and Carson Eipers, 285 took 8th and Matt Kaszuba, 145 took 9th.

Naperville Central Finishes in 3rd Place at the IHSA Regional

Seven Individuals Advance to the IHSA Sectionals

February 3, 2018

Redhawk Nation came together to host the 2018 IHSA Wrestling Regionals. Central wrestlers responded by advancing seven individuals to the sectionals. Jackson Punzel and Ben Cianchetti both stepped up to the top of the podium, winning the tournament. Nick Keating and Tyler Driessens both made the finals and took second. Kyle Guttosch, Colin Baumgartner and Derek McDaniel punched their ticket by winning their third place matches. Ryan Silva and Carson Eipers both just missed qualifying, taking 4th place. They are both alternates for next week.

Naperville Central won 23 matches and lost 19. Aurora Marmion Academy won the tournament with 247 points. Wheaton Warrenville South took second with 168 points. Naperville Central scored 160.5 points. Naperville North was fourth with 116 points. Nine teams competed in the event.

Jackson Punzel and Ben Cianchetti both took identical roads to the championships. The 182 and 220 pounders were both seeded first and both had quarterfinal byes. Punzel scored a fall in the second period of his semifinal match against Gonzales of WWS, Cianchetti in the first period of his semifinal match verses Hunger of West Aurora. Punzel locked down his opponent for a pin in the second period of the finals match with White of Metea, Cianchetti was able to finish off his opponent in the first period of his finals match to Ferrer, WWS. Cianchetti only needed 2:35 of total wrestling time to win the tournament.

Nick Keating took 2nd place at 145 pounds. Keating advanced to the finals by defeating Tinajero of Marmion in the semifinals by a score of 5-3. Keating fell to Bratland of WV in the final by a score of 7-8. Tyler Driessens took a silver at 106 pounds. He defeated Waszak, WWS by a score of 6-5 in the semifinals.

Three Redhawks were forced to win their last match to advance to the sectionals. Kyle Guttosch was able to do just that by fall in the first period to Dorr of WWS at 113 pounds. Guttosch finished the day at 3-1. Colin Baumgarter, 120, scored a 15-8 decision in the blood round to Coyle of Batavia. It was the second time in the same tournament that Baumgartner was able to defeat Coyle. Derek McDaniel was able to win his bronze medal match by a score of 5-3 over Dalan, WWS to get to sectionals.

Ryan Silva, wrestling at 138, made the 3rd place match but fell short of qualifying. Silva was 2-2 on the day. Carson Eipers drew a bye into the bronze match, but he too was defeated. Leo Keating, Fabricio Navarro and Angelo Eklou all won matches at Regionals.

Naperville Central Competes at IHSA Sectional

Jackson Punzel and Ben Cianchetti Qualify for State

February 10, 2018

Seven Redhawk wrestlers competed at Hinsdale Central at the IHSA Individual Sectional Tournament with dreams of qualifying for State. The two-day tournament was reduced to a single day due to inclement weather on Friday. All seven Central wrestlers came away with at least one win and six of the seven won at least a pair. NCHS finished the tournament with a 14-12 record overall.

Junior Jackson Punzel, wrestling at 182 pounds, finished in second place and became a state qualifier. Punzel earned a first round bye by virtue of his reginal championship. He qualified for the semifinals when he defeated McNeal of Thornton by a score of 19-11. In the semifinals, Punzel defeated #5 ranked Benoit of Mt. Carmel by a score of 5-2. The win put Punzel both in the finals and earn him a trip to Champaign. Punzel was defeated in the finals to Swier of Montini by a score of 2-5.

Junior Ben Cianchetti, wrestling at 220 pounds, also had a first round bye. He pinned Joy of Chicago Kennedy to make the semifinal round. Cianchetti was defeated by Nako of Blue Island by a score of 1-8. Needing a win to avoid elimination, Cianchetti scored a third period escape and followed that up with a late takedown to defeat Aqel of Tinley Park Andrew. The nail-bitter win punch Cianchetti’s ticket to the State Farm Center next week. Cianchetti came from behind to defeat Flavin of Downers Grove North in the third place match for 3rd. Cianchetti avenged a loss to Flavin from earlier in the season.

Seniors Nick Keating and Derek McDaniel saw their illustrious seasons come to a close at the tournament. Both just missed a trip to state. Keating, 145, pinned Gaylord of Marist to open the tournament before losing to Stiles of Montini by a score of 4-15. Keating bounced back with a pin against Urbanski of Chicago Kelly. In the quarterfinal wrestle-back, Keating lost a hard-fought match against Tinajero of Marmion by a score of 2-5. Tinajero later qualified for state when he won his subsequent match. McDaniel, 152, opened with an 11-2 decision against Nash of Stagg before losing in the quarterfinals to top ranked Lewan of Montini by fall. McDaniel returned with a second period fall against Canvin of Oak Lawn. In the quarterfinal wrestlebacks, McDaniel fought down to the wire with Acevedo of West Aurora. McDaniel earned a penalty and an escape in the third period to tie the score 3-3. Then, with just 20 second remaining, McDaniel scored a takedown off a duck-under for a 5-3 lead, but slipped on the maneuver to his back and was pinned in the final seconds.

Tyler Driessens scored a couple of wins in the tournament wrestling at 106 pounds. He pinned Pohl of Lyons Township and won 16-1 to Espinosa of Chicago Kelly. His efforts were ended by nemesis Waszak of Wheaton Warrenville South by a score of 0-2. Colin Baumgartner also scored a pair of wins at Sectionals wrestling at 120 pounds. Baumgartner won 6-2 against Galindo of Tinley Park Andrew and locked down another decision verses Pentoja of Reavis by a score of 13-8. He was eliminated by fall to Edwards of Wheaton Warrenville South. Kyle Guttosch, 113 lost a tough battle to Cummings of Downers Grove North 5-8 before pinning Wynn of Thornwood. Guttosch was defeated by Caliendo of Batavia 4-9 in his last match.

Punzel and Cianchetti Compete at State

February 15-17, 2018

Central wrestlers Jackson Punzel and Ben Cianchetti put their talents to the test at the All-State Arena on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign this weekend. Jackson Punzel finished in the final 8 with a record of 2-2 in the tournament. Ben Cianchetti was defeated in his only match.

Jackson Punzel, wrestling in the 182 pound weight classes, defeated Logan Roach of DeKalb to open his efforts. The final score was 10-5 as Punzel scored five takedowns in the match. The win put him against #1 ranked Jack Jessen of Willowbrook in the quarterfinals. Jessen won by technical fall 6-21 and eventually went on to win the weight class. Punzel was pushed to the consolation bracket where he faced Yousif Salah of Lockport. Punzel gave up the first takedown. After Salah was penalized a point for an illegal slam, Punzel scored a reversal to go up 3-2 after the first period. In the second, Punzel scored an escape and a takedown to move up 6-2, then was able to turn Salah to his back for near-fall points. Punzel then pinned Salah with one second remaining on the clock in the second period.

The win advanced Punzel to the final eight wrestlers in the bracket, one win away from the podium. Unfortunately, Punzel was defeated by Danny Benoit of Mt. Carmel by a score of 2-4.

Ben Cianchetti competed in the 220 pound weight class and was defeated by Josh Anderson of Edwardsville by fall in the second period. Cianchetti scored the first takedown on a single leg and was working a turn when he was reversed to his back in the first period. Cianchetti chose top in the second period, but gave up an escape and takedown before succumbing to the pin. Cianchetti was eliminated from the tournament when Anderson was defeated in the next round by Koeppel. Anderson finished in the place round, finishing in the top 8.

Nine Redhawk wrestlers and Keley Villanova made the trip to Champaign to support Punzel and Cianchetti.