OP_021617

50 | February 16, 2017 | The orland park prairie sports
opprairie.com
ELITE SPORTS
TRAINING ATHLETES INSIDE-OUT
815.221.6000
• Mar 11 - Apr 29
• Saturdays - 8 Weeks
• $150-$180 per player
• Ages 5-6 & 7-9
www.bjesLockport.com
Wrestling
Brucki, Bateman, Scates, Nolan all advance to state
Jason Maholy
Freelance Reporter
DAVE SHALABI
(708)
705-9000
OVER 275+ HOMES
SOLD/RENTED
IN 24 MONTHS!
Dave Shalabi is a licensed real estate broker with
RE/MAX Synergy 15607 S. Harlem Ave Orland Park,
IL 60462 Each office is independently owned and operated.
*Over 275+ Homes sold/rented is based on 12/31/16
and the 24 months prior.
visit us online at www.opprairie.com
Sandburg wrestler Patrick
Brucki entered this season
with the ultimate goal of
ending his senior campaign
standing atop the podium at
the University of Illinois’
State Farm Center.
After placing third at the
Illinois High School Association
Class 3A state
tournament as a sophomore
and second last season, both
times at 182 pounds, anything
less than a state title
next weekend in Champaign
would constitute failure in
the mind of the Princetonbound
grappler. Brucki’s
mission is nearing completion,
as the four-time state
qualifier and two-time medalist
continued his dominant
season Saturday, Feb. 11, by
winning the championship
at 195 pounds at the Downers
Grove North Sectional.
Brucki (40-1) will enter
the state tournament unbeaten
against and largely
unchallenged by Illinois
wrestlers. He easily disposed
of his sectional opponents,
including two of
the top-tier wrestlers in the
state. Brucki defeated Mason
Kroening of Waubonsie
Valley 17-5 in the semifinals
before making Sergio Villalobos
of Downers Grove
look average and topping
him by technical fall 20-5 in
the championship bout.
The supremely confident
but humble Brucki said he
thinks the only opponent
who can beat him lies within.
“I’m happy with how
it’s progressing, with how
I’m wrestling,” he said after
accepting his first-place
medal. “Obviously, I’m
never satisfied, but I think if
I stay on this track, I’ll have
a good chance of taking
that title, and there’s no one
that’s going to stop me from
doing that other than me.
I’m my own worst enemy
right now, and all I’ve got
to do is trust myself, trust
my instincts, trust what my
coaches have taught me to
do and get the job done.”
Three other Sandburg
wrestlers will join Brucki in
Champaign. Cole Bateman
and Malik Scates placed
third in the sectional at 220
pounds and 285 pounds,
respectively, and Patrick
Nolan took fourth at 120
pounds.
Bateman and Scates each
will be taking their second
trips to the state tournament,
while Nolan is to go
for the first time.
Bateman qualified for
state two years ago as a
sophomore and has been
gunning for a return trip
since bowing out of the
state series at sectional this
past season. He pinned Naperville
North’s Christian
Nussbaum in the third-place
match at Downers Grove
North to head to state on a
winning note.
“That’s actually what
makes this that much
sweeter,” Bateman said.
“Last year, I didn’t wrestle
my best at [sectional] and
I ended up not qualifying
for state. From the moment
that happened until now,
I’ve been training. I haven’t
stopped since then. This
year, I want to get to the top
of the podium. That’s my
goal. I know I’ve still got a
lot of work to put into it and
a lot of stuff I have to adjust,
but that’s what I have
to do.”
Scates (34-12), a senior,
failed to medal at this past
year’s state tournament
but “had a plan” to make
it again to Champaign. He
pinned Brandon Raines of
Glenbard East in the thirdplace
bout.
“I just absolutely loved it
down there, so I was like,
I want to make sure I get
there again, and this time try
and get a medal,” he said.
“I’m ready. I could always
change a few things up, but
I think I’m getting it.”
Nolan, a sophomore who
is in his first year on varsity,
had an at times remarkable
and at other times bewildering
sectional performance.
He upset Isaac Jacquez, of
West Aurora, in the quarterfinals,
winning 12-10 in
overtime; then lost to Jacob
Dado, of Marist, in the
semifinals.
Nolan appeared to be
headed home for the season
when he trailed Metea
Valley’s Phillip Sims 10-7
with one minute remaining
in their consolation-bracket
semifinal; however, he
pulled off perhaps the most
dramatic victory of the day
by escaping, taking Sims
down and putting him on
his back for three near-fall
points and a 13-10 win.
Nolan (34-8) acknowledged
he drives Sandburg
head coach Eric Siebert
crazy.
“I make it harder than it
has to be,” Nolan said. “I
just didn’t wrestle my best,
honestly. I mean, I still
made it down state, and
that’s what my mark has
been all year. Next week, I
just have to wrestle better if
I want to place.”
Another area wrestler
who is headed to state is Andrew’s
Robbie Precin, who
won the Downers Grove
North Sectional title at 120
pounds by defeating Dado
5-3 in the championship
bout. Precin (38-1), a junior,
placed fourth in state at 113
as a freshman but missed
most of this past season after
breaking his nose.
“Obviously, I’m going to
try my hardest to get that
state title,” Precin said. “But
I just wanted to get back on
the mat [after last season],
because I wanted to prove
to everyone I could do it. I
think I’ll prove even more
once state comes. I’ve just
got to keep throttling.”
Precin, who attended
Sandburg when he qualified
for state two years ago, said
his coaches at Andrew have
been amazing and are very
supportive.
“They just want me to
have fun,” he said. “That’s
all they’re worried about,
and it’s motivating for me
for them to do that.”