Opening Day: Preparing for disappointment

Posted by jrizzo@whig.com – April 1, 2013

It is hard to get excited for the opening day of Major League Baseball anymore. Eventually, you just run out of patience.

The Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Altoona Curve Saturday. Losing an exhibition game to your Double A affiliate makes every fan weak in the knees for the start of baseball season.

Pittsburgh is set to begin its 12th year of a five-year rebuilding plan that was trumpeted when PNC Park opened in 2001. PNC Park has lived up to the hype, becoming one of the best parks in the MLB.

As for the Pirates, well, they are set to have their 21st consecutive losing season this year. Last season, Pittsburgh became the first team in Major League baseball history to be 16 games over .500 in the first week of August and not finish with a winning record.

While hope does spring eternal for many, the losing will continue this season. Andrew McCutchen should be feared at the plate, but other than him, the Pirates lineup doesn’t have much else. Third baseman Pedro Alvarez is a boom-or-bust kind of hitter. Alvarez is going to crank some monster home runs, but he’s also going to strike out. A lot.

Can the historically injured prone starting pitcher and Pittsburgh ace A.J. Burnett duplicate his performance from last season? It is encouraging that he didn’t injure himself fielding bunts like he did last season. Behind Burnett, the Pirates feature a bunch of retreads from other teams. Jeff Locke (Braves), Wandy Rodriguez (Astros), James McDonald (Dodgers), Francisco Liriano (Twins) and Jonathan Sanchez (Royals) were all brought in via trade.

The Pirates are waiting for Gerrit Cole and James Taillon, who have both been great in the minors, but until then it appears they won’t have one home grown pitcher in the rotation.

2013 prediction: 79-83, fourth place NL Central

2013 opening day projected starters

LF Starling Marte
RF Garrett Jones
CF Andrew McCutchen
3B Pedro Alvarez
1B Gaby Sanchez
2B Neil Walker
C Russell Martin
SS Clint Barmes
P A.J. Burnett

Sorting through a busy weekend in sports

Posted by jrizzo@whig.com – March 25, 2013

America is celebrating Florida Gulf Coast University, a tiny Division I school in Ft. Meyers, Fla. What a bizarre story. A school, two years after transitioning to Division I,  with similar colors to the Hartford Whalers making a Sweet 16 run as a No. 15 seed.

What the Eagles have done is truly remarkable. With how many schools that have tried to make the leap to Division I in men’s hoops, too many have tried and failed, FGCU has set the standard. Also, the Eagles’ have done it with a fun-loving style, with interesting dance moves both on the sidelines and in the locker room.

Here’s how I think the Sweet 16 will play out.

Midwest
No. 1 Louisville over No. 12 Oregon
No. 3 Michigan State over No. 3 Duke

West
No. 9 Wichita State over No. 13 La SalleNo. 2 Ohio State over No. 6 Arizona

South
No. 4 Michigan over No. 1 Kansas
No. 3 Florida over No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast

East
No. 1 Indiana over No. 4 Syracuse
No. 2 Miami over No. 3 Marquette

U.S. soccer gets much needed win

2013 Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football fourth round qualifying standings (Top 3 qualify for 2014 World Cup).

Team GP W L T GF GA GD Pts.
HON 2 1 0 1 4 3 +1 4
USA 2 1 1 0 2 2 0 3
PAN 2 0 0 2 3 3 0 2
MEX 2 0 0 2 2 2 0 2
JAM 2 0 0 2 1 1 0 2
CRC 2 0 1 1 2 3 -1 1

Still not sold on head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, but give credit to the U.S. men’s soccer team to gutting out a 1-0 win over Costa Rica in a blizzard in Denver last Friday. It will be necessary for the United States that Clint Dempsey continues to attack effectively. Missing striker Landon Donovan hurts.

Forward Jozy Altidore, who has 13 goals in 54 appearances, has been inconsistent. Looks like Dempsey will need to be the man.

Can the Americans find a way to keep the momentum rolling Tuesday against Mexico at Azteca Tuesday? It will be tough. Expect a nasty atmosphere for the Americans at Azteca. The United States, which is 1-23-1 all-time time at that stadium, picked up its first win last year.

Without starting keeper Tim Howard and Donovan, I can’t see a win for the U.S. side. Donovan’s story is even more puzzling. He’s taking a break from soccer and doesn’t appear to be headed back anytime soon.

To be guaranteed a World Cup bid, the United States needs to finish third or better in this round of qualifying, nicknamed the “Hexagonal”. The team that finishes fourth will have to play New Zealand, which won the Oceania Football Confederation, in a home-and-away playoff series to qualify.

Prediction for Tuesday: Mexico 1, United States 0

Looking at the WBBA All-Star game

Posted by jrizzo@whig.com – March 17, 2013

Here’s a little bit extra on the WBBA All-Star basketball game.

North 129, South 87

North           32            27           45        25—129
South           20            24           16        27—87

North double-digit scorers
Alex Fitch, Quincy Notre Dame, 25
Doug Weese, Camp Point Central, 17
Jake Voss, Payson-Seymour, 15
Matthew Kennedy, Griggsville-Perry, 13

South double-digit scorers

Kennedy Kattelman, Pittsfield, 14
Justin Roesch, North Greene, 13Corey Barnett, West Central, 10
Jordan Harr, Carrollton, 10

North MVP
Fitch

South MVP
Kattelman

Slam Dunk champion
Fitch

3-point shootout champion
Chris Dietrich, Quincy Notre Dame. Won in second tiebreaker.

Free-throw shooting champion
Barnett, made eight consecutive to win.

Quick hitters:

  • The North team controlled the game from the start, opening on a 9-0 run. Kennedy scored the first five points, followed by a free throw by Isaac Murfin and a 3-pointer by Jake Voss.
  • Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball coach Scott Douglas coached the North team, Pittsfield junior varsity coach Steve Rylander coached the South team.
  • The game itself was NBA-length, it was played in four 12 minute quarters.
  • While the South kept the game within 15, 59-44 at haltime, the North team outscored the South 45-16.
  • Brown County’s Tim Woodward was honored with a spot on the North team, despite missing the last two seasons with ACL injuries. A classy move and nice moment.
  • It was the second year of the North-South format. The North won 120-107 last season.
  • The first WBBA Classic in 1983 was played with an East-West format. The East team (consisting of Pittsfield, Perry, Brussels and Griggsville) lost to the West team (Pleasant Hill, Weest Pike, Payson-Seymour, Liberty and Berry) 110-89.

Breaking in: The best quotes of the 2012-13 winter sports season

Posted by jrizzo@whig.com – March 6, 2013

With Payson’s boys basketball team losing 66-60 to Madison Tuesday night, all area winter sports on the high school side have been wrapped up. Here’s a look back at some of the best quotes from area athletes and coaches.

Quote of the season:

“I want to be a nurse. I kind of like gross things. She had her surgery late that night and the next day she came to our game. As soon as she came up to the gym, I ran up to her and said, ‘Let me see your stomach. I want to see your scars.’ Even (Jan. 22), when we were changing before the game, I asked her to see it again. I just want to make sure it’s healing right.”

–Pittsfield’s Alyssa Heavner said about checking on teammate Shea O’Brien after she had an emergency appendectomy.

Quotable

“Everyone came to practice. We were a little drained, but we were excited basketball season was starting, so everyone else was hyped up and ready to scrimmage.”
–Canton’s David McReynolds on the Tigers’ decision as a team to attend practice the day after soccer season ended, despite being given the option to not attend by coach Andy Anderson.

“He likes to make jokes and to poke fun. He doesn’t tease me, he knows better than to do that.”
–Hannibal’s Jake Borgmeyer on how sophomore Kyle Muehring keeps things light for the Pirates’ wrestling team.

“I challenged Maranda and Madelyn to be the best players on the floor. I refer to them as big ol’ nasties because they play like big old, nasty players.”
–Liberty-Payson girls basketball coach Brad Bergman said about post players Madelyn Hyer and Maranda Neisen.

“It felt like warm water going down my lip. I went like this (motions to his lip) and it was blood.”
–Pittsfield’s Zach Abney on having his tooth inadvertently kicked through the front of his lip during a 170-pound sectional semifinal match.

“I know we can fight through it. I just have to get my players heads in it. Because once all of our heads are in it, it’s game over.”
–Quincy High School’s Jordan Fletcher on the Blue Devils snapping their 29-game Western Big Six losing streak with a 53-51 win over Rock Island Alleman.

“We had a lot of haters last year. When we got brought up to 3A, then we had doubters. It felt so good to prove everyone we had what it takes in 3A. The level of competition in 3A was high, and we had to step it up to take control.”
–Quincy Notre Dame’s Mary Beth Hugenberg on the Lady Raiders’ winning the state title.

“When the game gets down to it, whoever it is, we always want to win and will do whatever it takes. Losing is never an option with us.”
–Quincy Notre Dame’s Kassidy Gengebacher on the Lady Raiders’ attitude.

“I just remembered that last year Jonah Coggeshall lost when a kid injury defaulted on him. I remember sitting back there and trying to calm him down and how upset he was. I knew I couldn’t do that to that kid. He worked just as hard as me to get there.”
–Quincy Notre Dame’s Gage Stephens on deciding to continue wrestling in the 138-pound state semifinals.

“I was just there for Evie because she’s always there to pick me up. So I thought, ‘Might as well get down there.’ I just had to pick her up and help us win the game.”
–Palmyra junior Katee Hinkle talks about scoring on an offensive rebound that helped Palmyra’s girls basketball team snare a state quarterfinal bid.

“We tried until I pinched or fouled a little bit. Then it would get dirty. We had to give up on that when he grew an extra two feet taller than me.”
–West Hancock senior Madison Harmon on playing pickup basketball with her twin brother, Paxton.

“From there I was like ‘Alright, I got this. I want to be Jack Lucie and pin him in the cradle.’ It made me happy that I pinned my kid in the cradle in the first time.”
–West Hancock freshman Will Lucie on winning a sectional title by using his brother’s signature move.

“There was an opportunity earlier this year, but I got nervous and I thought I was going to miss, so I didn’t do it.”
–Unity 6-foot-5 center Lane Davis on searching for the perfect moment for his first dunk.

“That’s what I told here at halftime: ‘We’re still winning by five, Jill, and you ain’t hit anything from the outside yet.’ I just told her to keep firing because she’s an excellent 3-point shooter.”
–Unity coach Brad Begeman on Jill Donley’s trey that helped the Lady Mustangs beat QHS 62-45 at the KHQA/Subway Superfan Shootout.

“When it went off my hand, I knew it was good. I shifted the ball and thought ‘Ah, yeah. I got to knock this one down for the city of Madison.’”
–Madison’s Marquis Bourney on his momentum-shifting 3-pointer during the Trojans’ 66-60 win over Payson Seymour in a Class 1A super-sectional.

“Taylor left an opening for a fat guy like me to get through, but I have to give that gal credit. She stuck tight on Taylor and made her work for every point she got.”
–Illini Bluffs coach Jim Robertson on Unity’s Maggie Bowles playing defense on Division I Mercer University women’s basketball group Taylor McClintock.

State finals roundup: QND finishes run with double-digit win

Posted by jrizzo@whig.com – March 3, 2013

Eric Orne deflected making comparisons Saturday afternoon. For the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball coach, it was time to celebrate with this group, perhaps his most unheralded group of the last four years.

Not that Orne would have ever pictured the Lady Raiders rattling off three consecutive titles, culminating Saturday with a 62-45 win over Vernon Hills at Redbird Arena in Normal, Ill.

“The first one is sweet because it takes the burden off your shoulders,” Orne said. “To win three in a row, I would have never imagined, especially for a guy who came from Ashland, Illinois.”

In the past four seasons, QND has gone 124-5, winning three states titles and earning a second-place trophy. Led by all-state seniors Jordan Frericks and Kassidy Gengenbacher, the Lady Raiders have certainly had a dominant run.

The Lady Raiders cruised Saturday by using a familiar formula. Attack early, play with high-intensity on defense and find offense when the Cougars made a run. QND opened with a 15-2 run and never trailed. When Frericks, who finished with 14 points, found herself in foul trouble in the second quarter, the Lady Raiders found a way to absorb a 11-1 Vernon Hills run.

Gengenbacher drilled several big shots and finished with a game-high 20 points. Watching from the sidelines wasn’t easy for Frericks.

“It was very frustrating,” Frericks said. “I was proud of my way for the way they took control without me in the game. They did an awesome job and I’m very proud of them.”

QND would take a 30-23 lead, but the Cougars would be within four points, 37-33, when Gengenbacher drilled a 3-pointer to seal the game with 1:57 left in the third quarter. Overcome its third-quarter funk required the Lady Raiders to be patient.

“We had to keep our composure and work the ball around,”QND junior Cassidy Foley said. “We have to keep pushing ourselves on defense and working hard on offense. I think we did well with that.”

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Raiders’ defense wore down Vernon Hills to seal the win.

“That fourth quarter, they did what they do,” Cougars coach Paul Brettner said. “They wear teams with their press and their pressure and their man-to-man.”

State notebook: Hugenberg continues strong playoff run

Posted by jrizzo@whig.com – March 2, 2013

Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball coach Eric Orne wanted to help 6-foot-1 all-state forward Jordan Frericks get some rest. To ease the burden, Orne gave 5-foot-10 junior forward Mary Beth Hugenberg the toughest defensive assignment.

Hugenberg’s task was to slow down Morton’s 6-2 forward Sarah Livingston, who committed to the University of Illinois, during the Lady Raiders’ 67-51 win over the Potters in a Class 3A state semifinal Friday at Redbird Arena in Normal, Ill.

Livingston finished with a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, but finished under her season average of 12.6 points per game. Hugenberg also came up big on offense, scoring 10 points and grabbing six rebounds.

Hugenberg, who averaged 11 points per game in the regular season, has averaged 13.6 points per game during the playoffs.

“She handled it great, she’s drawn the tough post assignments lately,” Orne said. “We try to guard Jordan and save her a little bit from those tough assignments because we expect so much out of Jordan. Mary’s done a great job, she thrives in that role and looks for it and anticipates well. Playing an all-stater like Livingston, I thought Mary Beth contained her and did a lot of good things on Livingston.”

QND junior point guard Kristen Gengenbacher made sure to assure Hugenberg that she wouldn’t be on an island against Livingston.

“Before the game, Mary and I were talking about how she needed to front her and we would have help side,” Gengenbacher said. “Mary was talking about how she has complete trust and faith in her teammates to back her up there. We worked well together as a team and Mary did a good job fronting her.”

Boost off the bench

QND sophomore Quenna Keating gave the Lady Raiders six points and two rebounds in 10 minutes off the bench. Keating also secured a steal in the fourth quarter that helped prevent Morton from sustaining any momentum.

Looking ahead

The Lady Raiders (29-0) will look to extend their consecutive win streak to 53 games against Vernon Hills (31-2) in the Class 3A title game. The Cougars shocked the three-time defending championships and No. 1 state-ranked Montini 50-48 in overtime Friday.

It was revenge for Vernon Hills, which lost to Montini 56-38 in the state championship game last season.

How does QND match up? From a size perspective, the advantage is in the Cougars favor.

Meri Bennett-Swanson (6-2), Lauren Webb (6-0), Sydney Smith (5-10), Alina Lehock (5-10), Kasey Firnbach (5-10), Katie Brettmann (5-10) and Monica Bahlmann (5-10) give Vernon Hills alot of options underneath. Smith (13.1 points per game), Webb (12.6) and Bennett-Swanson (10.9) all average in double figures scoring.

The Lady Raiders will need to get out in transition and try to take advantage of their speed, as the Cougars would be more than happy to slow the game down.

Rolling Meadows makes title game

Rolling Meadows beat Huntley 61-44 Friday to advance to the finals of Class 4A. QND beat the Mustangs 87-82 in overtime Feb. 2 at the KHQA/Subway Superfan Shootout at The Pit.

Rolling Meadows (30-3) will take on Marian Catholic (32-1) in the finals, which thumped the defending state champion Whitney Young 63-39. The Mustangs handed Marion Catholic its only defeat of the season, 61-55, Dec. 28.

Losson buoyed Palmyra during sluggish start

Posted by jrizzo@whig.com – February 28, 2013

Lexie Losson didn’t show any fear of drawing contact. While Palmyra girls basketball team struggled at first to match Blair Oaks physical play, Losson thrived in it during the second quarter.

Losson, a 5-foot-7 junior guard, provided a stark from taking the ball to the rim and rebounding. She scored eight of her 10 points in the second quarter and grabbed five of her nine rebounds to help spark Palmyra to a 55-49 win in a Class 3 Sectional Wednesday at Mexico High School.

“Losson has been that sixth person all year long,” First-year Lady Panthers coach Chris Parsons said. “Most teams she would be starting, for most teams she would be coming off the bench. That’s a big spark for us.”

Her aggression attacking the basket earned her three chances at three-point plays. While she didn’t convert them, it helped get Blair Oaks forward Amy Dorge in foul trouble. Losson finished 2-of-5 from the free-throw line.

The Lady Panthers’ offense struggled in the first half. Palmyra shot 2-of-14 from 3-point line in the first half and looked out of sync.

The toughness Losson provided was badly needed. The Falcons led 13-12 after the first quarter and pushed their lead to as many as 11 points during the second quarter.

Palmyra needed to find a way to keep the game close.

“The first quarter, we got pushed around,” said senior guard Alexis Van Nostrand, who finished with a game-high 17 points and six rebounds. “In the second quarter, our posts started getting in there and getting open. We all just followed.”

Managing fouls

Parsons had to be cognizant of the foul situation. The Lady Panthers were whistled for 23 fouls and had two players, Losson and Allie Dietrich foul out. Evie Miles and Katee Hinkle also had four fouls.

“I always foul,” Hinkle said. “I always get myself in trouble. He’s (Parsons) really good about telling me to stay focused.”

When Parsons realized he substituted the wrong player in the fourth quarter, he had to hold his breath. Parsons accidentally put Hinkle in on defense in the fourth quarter. She had been playing with his fourth foul since the 2 minute, 36 second mark of the third quarter.

“With kid gloves,” said Parsons about how he wanted to handled substitutions. “When you have your best shooter and leading scorer with four fouls, you’re scared. I messed up one time on a timeout and put her in on defense. She’s a smart player and there were a couple times she got a little handsy, but she was smart and able to stick it out.”

Looking ahead

Palmyra (24-5) will meet North Tech High School (20-6) in the state quarterfinals at 7:45 p.m. Saturday at Moberly Area Community College. The Golden Eagles beat Hermann 65-62 Wednesday night to advance.

North Tech is led by senior Viviana Carter, who averages 16.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. Junior Anjanee Miller is another low-post threat, averaging 13.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

Khalia Miller also contributes 15 points per game.

Fun with numbers: Rounding up QND-Champaign Centennial

Posted by jrizzo@whig.com – February 24, 2013

Quincy Notre Dame’s girls basketball team rolled to its fourth consecutive sectional title with a 62-37 win over Champaign Centennial Saturday at Mt. Zion High School. The Lady Raiders, who are 27-0 and ranked No. 2 in Class 3A, only beat the Chargers 47-43 Dec. 21 in Champaign, Ill.

What made for such a big gap in the result?  Take a look at the two box scores from the games.

Dec. 21
Notre Dame

Kassidy Gengenbacher                15 points
Jordan Frericks                              14
Mary Beth Hugenberg                   11
Kristen Gengenbacher                  7
Olivia Hyer                                        0
Ericka Obert                                      0
Hannah Marcolla                             0

Centennial
Chelsea Cross                                   19
Chantal Meacham                           11
Devin Kyler                                          5
Stacia Simmons                                  4
Lauren Cloyd                                       2
Katelynn Martinez                            2
Jada Caston                                          0

Score by quarter

Notre Dame                  2      13       16     16-47
Centennial                    8       9         11      15-43

Saturday’s Game

Kassidy Gengenbacher                          19 points
Mary Beth Hugenberg                            13
Jordan Frericks                                          9
Cassidy Foley                                              8
Kristen Gengenbacher                             7
Ericka Obert                                                  2
Quenna Keating                                           2
Maggie Schwartz                                         2
Sarah Arnold                                                0
Shelby Ulrich                                                0
Hannah Marcolla                                        0
Sarah Arnold                                                 0
Olivia Hyer                                                      0

Box score

Quincy Notre Dame 17 13 16 16-62
Champaign Centennial 4 10 10 13-37

Three things jump out from the two games:

1. Cassidy Foley had a major impact on both sides of the ball. She missed the first game with and Meacham, who Foley limited to four points on 2-of-9 shooting Saturday, finished with 11 points.

“She did a tremendous job,” QND coach Eric Orne said. “A box score doesn’t say what an asset Cassidy Foley is. She’s a tremendous defender, a lockdown defender and she shutdown Meacham.”

Foley scoring eight points offensively gave QND a balanced offensive attack. The Lady Raiders starting five all contributed seven points or more.

2. The Lady Raiders accepted Chelsea Cross was going to score and focused on shutting down everyone else. Cross was 9-of-13 from the field Saturday and scored by posting up and attacking the rim.

“We had to keep track of her and help with her,” Hugenberg said. “That was the main focus. You couldn’t just leave her (alone).”

3. During the first game, the Chargers were able to get the Lady Raiders playing their pace and actually led 8-2 after the first quarter. Saturday, QND opened up with a 10-0 lead and never trailed. For a Centennial team that probably wanted to keep the game in the 40s, a slow start was the last thing it needed.

Rounding up: QND-Springfield Southeast

Posted by jrizzo@whig.com – February 15, 2013

Springfield Southeast girls basketball coach Sandi Devoe wanted to play a fast-paced game. So did Quincy Notre Dame.

The Lady Raiders beat the Spartans 90-64 in the Class 3A Jacksonville Regional championship game by moving at a break-neck pace. QND, which is 25-0 and ranked No. 2 in Class 3A, never stopped pushing after building a 32-12 first quarter lead and led by 40 by the end of the third quarter.

“We always pride ourselves in our conditioning, we’re always up and down the floor and I think it’s hard for teams to stick with us,” Kassidy Gengenbacher said. “They may stick with us through the first and second quarter, but they are going to be exhausted in the third quarter and that’s when we get our second wind. That’s when we go at it and take it to teams.”

QND had success on offense by sharing the ball and getting easy looks. The Lady Raiders recorded assists on 23 of their 34 field goals made and shot 61 percent (34 of 56) from the field.

“Pushing the ball, I think we did well at getting steals and looking up and our team was running the court well,” said QND junior guard Cassidy Foley about what made the offense successful. “We were finishing, I think we did great at that tonight.”

The Lady Raiders wanted to take advantage of their speed. QND focused on funneling the ball into the post quickly against the Spartans’ Brionna Taylor and Shauneira Wilson. It resulted in a lot of easy opportunities for Mary Beth Hugenberg, who finished with 22 points to set a career high for the second time this week. Kassidy Gengenbacher (27 points), Jordan Frericks (22) and Kristen Gengenbacher (10) also finished in double figures.

QND coach Eric Orne said that was something the Lady Raiders found in their scouting report.

“That came from a good scouting report from coach Meyer,” Orne said. “Kevin does a great job all year long and we utilize that situation and found a soft spot and took advantage of it. That’s what you have to do in the postseason is try to take advantage of what is an opportunity for your team to move on.”

Southeast, which is 25-5, wanted to try and stop QND from attacking the basket.

“Defensively, it was more or less was to keep them in front of us,” Devoe said. “Take away the drive and if they were going to shoot it, it needs to be a long shot. (Jordan) Frericks, always let her know we’re there.”

Illini West brothers hope to reach state together

Posted by jrizzo@whig.com – February 7, 2013

Dakota Huss worked all week to raise his self-esteem. Only one step away from earn a trip to the Class 1A state wrestling tournament, the 132-pound Illini West junior knows he won’t have any more easy matches.

Huss’ plan is to win his first match and see where things go from there.

“That’s one of my weaknesses is mentality,” he said. “I’m trying to get my confidence up and work on my wrestling and keeping the weight down.”

Chargers coach Steve Wood said Huss won’t have time to overthink things this Saturday at a Class 1A Olympia Sectional in Stanford, Ill. Dakota, along with his brother Dustin, a 126-pound sophomore, both qualified for Sectionals for the first time by finishing third at the Macomb Regional last Saturday.

“When he’s on the mat that’s a big thing, can’t overthink things,” Chargers coach Steve Wood said about Dakota’s mentality. “You have to know what you’re going to do before you step on the mat. He has a legit chance to get through if he wrestles as well as he has late in the season.”

This season has seen both wrestlers take a step forward. Dakota has a 23-6 record and had a career-best regular season tournament finish when he placed second at the Quincy Notre Dame Invitational. He was the top seed in his weight class and lost to Quincy High School junior varsity wrestler Jimmy Tedeschi in the finals.

Improvement has come thanks to his success on his feet.

“I think my shots were making most of my success from winning my matches,” Dakota said. “I just need to keep shooting and ride on top a little better.”

Dustin hasn’t worried too much about qualifying.

“I’m not thinking about it really, ” he said. “I was pretty surprised I qualified for (Sectionals). I’ve been practicing my hardest and trying my hardest.”

The two brothers have a friendly rivalry. They drill together, but Dakota gives his brother credit.

“I think Dustin is better, actually, ” Dakota said. “It came natural to him, I had to work a little harder at it.”

Hoping to build up his young program, Wood has worked to keep his young wrestlers in the right state of mind.

“I told them, ‘It’s in a high school gym. It’s not like you’re walking into the coliseum. Don’t get stage fright’,” Wood said. “It’s not changing anything that you’ve done this year. It’s not bright lights, big city yet. I just don’t want them to have this as their only goal. I want them to have the mindset that they aren’t satisfied with being at Sectionals, there is another step.”

Local wrestlers to keep an eye on

3A - Dakota Downs (Quincy High School, 170).

1A - Jared Welty (Central, 106), Will Lucie (West Hancock, 106), Jack Lucie (West Hancock, 126), Gage Stephens (Quincy Notre Dame, 138), Zach Abney (Pittsfield, 170), Jeffrey Haley (QND, 195), Lucas Dively (Central, 285).