ROCKTON, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The boys’ NIC-10 wrestling championship was up for grabs Saturday at Hononegah. Belvidere co-op won it the last two years, but now there’s a new champion.
Hononegah went into the NIC-10 wrestling championships as the big favorite. The Indians delivered on that. They placed 12 wrestlers in the finals out of a possible 14.
The Cassioppi twins, both freshmen, got the Indians started right. Rocco won the 106-pound championship by pinning his opponent. Bruno got the job done at 113 pounds. He defeated Harlem’s Justin Lewis by Tech Fall 18-3.
At 120 pounds, Hononegah’s Carlos Borges was in the finals, but East senior Joseph Young took this match coming up with the pin. It was Young’s 31st win of the season.
At 126, Belvidere North ace Bryson Teunissen had a dominant showing. He won the championship over Hononegah’s Evan Musil by Tech Fall.
At 132 pounds, the E-Rabs got their second individual championship from junior Donald Cannon. He won a major decision over Hononegah’s Robert Darling.
At 138, Hononegah picked up another championship from TJ Silva. He defeated Belvidere’s Dominick Girardin by Tech Fall 19-3.
At 144 pounds, it was another E-Rab who flexed. Sophomore Dana Wickson won the championship defeating Hononegah’s Max Aranki by Major Decision 17-5.
At 150, this was one of the closer matches. Max Haskins of Hononegah edged Belvidere’s Andrew Bucci with a 7-3 decision.
At 157 pounds, Brody Sendele became the third Hononegah freshman to claim a championship. Sendele was simply dominating pinning East’s Ty Smart in the first period.
At 165, another Hononegah Indian delivered. Connor Diemel defeated East’s Malachi Cannon by Tech Fall.
At 175, still another Hononegah wrestler triumphed. Junior Kurt Smith defeated Belvidere’s Juan Cervantes by an 11-3 major decision.
The 190-pound match saw a Harlem wrestler and a Jefferson wrestler go at it. Andrew Redmon and Karlondo DuBois. DuBois won a tight battle by a 4-2 decision making Jefferson’s day.
At 215 pounds, Isaak Smith clinched Hononegah’s eighth and final championship. Smith scored an 8-1 decision over Zander Martinez of Belvidere.
At 285 pounds, Lee Smith gave the E-Rabs their fourth championship. He was in top form pinning Freeport’s Sami Odeh in the opening frame.
Hononegah won the team championship for the first time since 2019. East finished in second place.
TEAM FINAL RESULTS
1. Hononegah 261pts.
2. East 176
3. Freeport & Harlem 125
5. Belvidere Co-op 122.5
6. Guilford 82
7. Auburn 63
8. Jefferson 38.5
9. Boylan 3