Seven GCMS/Fisher Middle School wrestlers earn state medals


DEKALB – Landen Lage and Cooper Miller of the Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Middle School wrestling team each earned third-place medals at the IESA Class A state meet on Saturday.

“It was pretty cool,” Miller said. “Being able to be towards the top of the podium felt pretty good. Thanks to everyone who’s helped me throughout the years, especially my mom and dad. They’ve put a ton of money into this sport, and for it to pay off just makes me feel so happy.”

They were two of seven GCMS/Fisher wrestlers to earn a state medal, the most in program history.

“That’s a lot to be proud of. It’s quite an achievement,” GCMS/Fisher head coach Tyler Brucker said. “There were some individuals who hoped to do a little bit better, but that’s just something that’ll make them stronger and work just as hard to improve on that for next year.”

As a team, the Falcons finished a program-best fifth in the state meet with a score of 85.

“I thought wrestled pretty well,” Brucker said. “I feel that if we would have wrestled to what our expectations were, we would have probably been in the top three, but that’s just how it is. In the state tournament, there are always outcomes that aren’t expected and some matches that don’t just sometimes go your way. That’s just part of it, and that’s why it’s a really fun tournament to watch.”

At 100 pounds, Lage won via 8-5 decision over Vandalia’s Elijah Mabry in the third-place match.

“I feel good about it. It’s not what I wanted to get, but I am not sad with getting third,” Lage said. “I thought that was a pretty good accomplishment. I’m still pretty happy that I bounced back and got third place. It’s obviously not what I wanted to get, but I had some tough matches.”

Lage won via 4-3 decision over Sandwich’s Jacob Ross and via 5-4 decision in the first round over Dixon Reagan’s Riley Paredes in the quarterfinals.

“The first couple of kids I wrestled were studs,” Lage said.

Lage lost via 1-0 decision to Coal City’s Cooper Morris in the semifinals after Morris, a returning state champion, was rewarded with a tiebreaking escape with 30 seconds left in the match. Lage bounced back with a win over Sherrard’s Quinn Zimmerman via 2-0 decision in the consolation semifinals.

At 145 pounds, the eighth-grader Miller pinned Deer Creek-Mackinaw’s Wyatt Otto in 1:27 in the third-place match.

“I wrestled that kid earlier on in the season,” Miller said. “I think I pinned him twice earlier, so I was feeling pretty confident before the match. I just tried to go out and get it done as quickly as possible.”

Miller won via 16-0 technical fall over Morrison’s Noah Stout in the first round and via 5-0 decision over Finn Lommis of Island Lake Matthews in the quarterfinals before losing via 9-0 decision to Orion’s Maximus Purdy in the semifinals.

“I felt like I could have done a little better (in the semifinals), but he’s a great wrestler, so I’m not too upset losing that one,” Miller said.

Miller pinned Stillman Valley Meridian’s Ethan Waugh in 22 seconds in the consolation semifinals.

“I was a little nervous before that one. I hadn’t seen that kid, so I was just trying to get it done as quick as possible,” Miller said. “I definitely didn’t want to go out there and try to make it go a little bit longer because then I could have ended up pinning myself like I have a few times this season.”

Miller said he feels ready to start high school competition.

“I think I’m ready. I’m looking forward to the better competition,” Miller said. “I’m going to be wrestling kids three years older than me, so it’s definitely going to be a change.”

Meanwhile, the seventh-grader Lage said he will returning to offseason work at The Compound in Chenoa.

“I’m going to keep training in the offseason throughout the whole year, and I think next year, I’ll be able to take home third place,” Lage said. “I’d like to say thank you to my parents, Andrew Ross Lage and Samantha Jo Lage, for always helping me and taking me everywhere for my wrestling career.”

 

***

Julian Rodriguez won via 8-0 decision over Coal City’s Brantley Brooks in the 70-pound fifth-place match.

Rodriguez won via 4-2 decision over Fulton River Bend’s Coltin Hartman in the first round before losing via 6-2 decision to Ottawa Sheppard’s Dakota Harmon in the quarterfinals. In wrestlebacks, Rodriguez won via 11-0 decision over Viggo Baranowski of Prospect Heights MacArthur and via 7-3 decision over PHM’s Tommy Katz before losing via 1:55 pinfall to Stanford Olympia’s Connor Collins.

At 119 pounds, Hudson Babb earned a sixth-place finish.

Babb pinned Winnebago’s Noah Pearcy in 47 seconds in the first round and won via 2-1 decision over Sandwich’s Cash White in the quarterfinals. After losing via 1:41 pinfall to Morrison’s Caleb Modglin in the semifinals, Babb won via 4-3 over Island Lake Matthews’ Aiden Marrello before losing via 2:29 pinfall in the fifth-place match to Byron’s William Julian.

Bentley Fields finished sixth at 85 pounds.

Fields won via 12-0 major decision over Braidwood Reed-Custer’s Colton Drinkwine in the first round and 10-0 major decision over Island Lake Matthews’ Tyce Doschadis in the quarterfinals. After losing via 4-0 decision to Rochester’s Pierce Bultmann in the semifinals, Fields lost via 6-1 decision in the consolation semifinals to Seneca’s Raiden Terry and via 7-1 decision to Taylor Ridge Rockridge’s Nate Lower in the fifth-place match.

At 80 pounds, Camden Brucker earned a sixth-place finish.

Brucker won via 5-3 decision over Glasford Illini Bluffs’ Liam Major in the first round and via 6-0 decision over Coal City’s Jason Piatak in the quarterfinals. After losing via 7-2 decision to Morrison’s Cael Wright in the semifinals, Brucker lost via 6-1 decision to El Paso-Gridley’s Tom Erwin in the consolation semifinals and lost via 10-8 decision to Johnsburg’s Chase Davis in the fifth-place match.

Kayden Fancher earned a sixth-place finish at 75 pounds.

After losing via 2:29 pinfall to Morrison’s Uryah Wright in the first round, Fancher pinned Green Oaks Oak Grove and won via 7-1 decision over Manteno’s Brody Ruff and 7-6 decision over Ottawa Sheppard’s Conner Eggers in wrestlebacks. After losing via 59-second pinfall to Taylor Ridge Rockridge’s Owen Sowards in the consolation semifinals, Wright pinned Fancher in 2:06 in the fifth-place match.

 

***

At 275 pounds, Xavier Moore pinned Sawyer Koruba of Mount Prospect River Trails in 1:32 in the first round before losing via 46-second pinfall to Dee-Mack’s Joey Humphries in the quarterfinals. Moore pinned Glenwood Brookwood’s Quintin Washington in 1:59 the second round of wrestlebacks before losing via 2 ½-minute pinfall to Vandalia’s Brody Jay in the third round.

At 95 pounds, Kaden Huster lost via 8-2 decision to Oregon’s Carson Benesh in the first round before winning via 10-4 decision to Eureka’s Henry Watson and losing via 3:16 pinfall to Kankakee Bishop McNamara’s Elio Gil in wrestlebacks.

At 215 pounds, Nathan Bristow lost via 34-second pinfall to Richmond Nippersink’s Shane Falasca and via 1:25 pinfall to Aledo Mercer County’s Brady Heinrichs.

At 135 pounds, Bryce Adkins lost via 22-second pinfall to Tristin Golden of Kankakee Bishop McNamara and via 5-4 decision to Richmond Nippersink’s Max Martin.

 

***

The state meet concluded a season in which the Falcons went 27-0 in duals and placed first in all four of their tournaments during the regular season before winning the LeRoy Regional championship and placing second in the Auburn Sectional.

“It was one for the ages,” Tyler Brucker said. “It’ll be tough in the future to ever have a season as dominating as this team was from bottom to top. We really didn’t have many weaknesses on our lineup. It was tough for teams to counter some of our kids because we just had very good kids at every weight class. To be able to fill out 19 weight classes with a very small school is tough all by itself, let along having competitive wrestlers at those spots as well.”

The Falcons had 11 wrestlers at state and 18 at the sectional round. Of the 18 at the sectional round, 10 are in sixth or seventh grade.

“We’ll continue to build. We’ll still be a very good team next year, but it’ll depend on our numbers and how kids grow throughout the year and where they end up,” Brucker said. “It probably won’t be the exact same, but that’s alright. I look forward to next year and seeing how these kids progress over to next year and grow and improve because I think, individually, they’re only going to get better and finish higher than they have this year. Everybody contributes to it. It’s a great group of kids with good coaches.”

Tyler Brucker had some season-ending thank you notes, including some to assistant coaches John Brewer and Cole Maxey as well as statisticians Greg Brucker and Eidan Huddleston, Brian Lange with the Gibson City Youth Wrestling Club and Ryan Gream with the Fisher Youth Wrestling Club.

“They’ve done fantastic jobs with all the kids. The kids always listened to them very well,” Brucker said. “I’d like to say thank our school district for the support they’ve given us from the beginning of the season, whether its equipment or mats or anything that we needed because our team was so much bigger than it had been in the past. They’ve been very easy to work, and they made it really easy for me.”

IESA CLASS A STATE MEET

At DeKalb

Team scores (top 10)

1. Vandalia, 164; 2. Coal City, 149.5; 3. Johnsburg, 114; 4. Deer Creek-Mackinaw, 105; 5. Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley/Fisher, 85.5; 6. Morrison, 79; 7. Dixon Reagan, 78.5; 8. Erie, 78; 9. Taylor Ridge Rockridge, 64; 10. LeRoy, 57.

70 pounds

Champ. Round 1 – Julian Rodriguez (GCMSF) dec. Coltin Hartman (Fulton River Bend), 4-2.

Quarterfinals – Dakota Harmon (Ottawa Shepherd) dec. Rodriguez (GCMSF), 6-2.

Cons. Round 2 – Rodriguez (GCMSF) maj. dec. Viggo Baranowski (Prospect Heights MacArthur), 11-0.

Cons. Round 3 – Rodriguez (GCSMF) dec. Tommy Katz (Prospect Heights MacArthur), 7-3.

Cons. Semi – Connor Collins (Stanford Olympia) pinned Rodriguez (GCMSF), 1:55.

Fifth-place match – Rodriguez (GCMSF) maj. dec. Brantley Brooks (Coal City), 8-0.

75 pounds

Champ. Round 1 – Uryah Wright (Morrison) 1-0 pinned Kayden Fancher (GCMSF), 2:29.

Cons. Round 1 – Fancher (GCMSF) pinned Cameron Kovach (Green Oaks Oak Grove), :48.

Cons. Round 2 – Fancher (GCMSF) dec. Brody Ruff (Manteno), 7-1.

Cons. Round 3 – Fancher (GCMSF) dec. Conner Eggers (Ottawa Shepherd), 7-6.

Cons. Semi – Owen Sowards (Taylor Ridge Rockridge) pinned Fancher (GCMSF), :59.

Fifth-place match – Uryah Wright (Morrison) pinned Fancher (GCMSF), 2:06.

80 pounds

Champ. Round 1 – Camden Brucker (GCMSF) dec. Liam Major (Glasford Illini Bluffs), 5-3.

Quarterfinals – Brucker (GCMSF) dec. Jason Piatak (Coal City), 6-0.

Semifinals – Cael Wright (Morrison) dec. Brucker (GCMSF), 7-2.

Cons. Semi – Tom Erwin (El Paso-Gridley) dec. Brucker (GCMSF), 6-1.

Fifth-place match – Chase Davis (Johnsburg) dec. Brucker (GCMSF), 10-8.

85 pounds

Champ. Round 1 – Bentley Fields (GCMSF) maj. dec. Colton Drinkwine (Braidwood Reed-Custer), 12-0.

Quarterfinals – Fields (GCMSF) maj. dec. Tyce Doschadis (Island Lake Matthews), 10-0.

Semifinals – Pierce Bultmann (Rochester) dec. Fields (GCMSF), 4-0.

Cons. Semi – Raiden Terry (Seneca) dec. Fields (GCMSF), 6-1.

Fifth-place match – Nate Lower (Taylor Ridge Rockridge) dec. Fields (GCMSF), 7-1.

95 pounds

Champ. Round 1 – Carson Benesh (Oregon) dec. Kaden Huster (GCMSF), 8-2.

Cons. Round 1 – Huster (GCMSF) dec. Henry Watson (Eureka), 10-4.

Cons. Round 2 – Elio Gil (Kankakee Bishop McNamara) pinned Huster (GCMSF), 3:16.

100 pounds

Champ. Round 1 – Landen Lage (GCMSF) dec. Jacob Ross (Sandwich), 4-3.

Quarterfinals – Lage (GCMSF) dec. Riley Paredes (Dixon Reagan), 5-4.

Semifinals – Cooper Morris (Coal City) dec. Lage (GCMSF), 1-0.

Cons. Semi – Lage (GCMSF) dec. Quinn Zimmerman (Sherrard), 2-0.

Third-place match – Lage (GCMSF) dec. Elijah Mabry (Vandalia), 8-5.

119 pounds

Champ. Round 1 – Hudson Babb (GCMSF) pinned Noah Pearcy (Winnebago), :47.

Quarterfinals – Babb (GCMSF) dec. Cash White (Sandwich), 2-1.

Semifinals – Caleb Modglin (Morrison) pinned Babb (GCMSF), 1:41.

Cons. Semi – Aiden Marrello (Island Lake Matthews) dec. Babb (GCMSF), 4-3.

Fifth-place match – William Julian (Byron) pinned Babb (GCMSF), 2:29.

135 pounds

Champ. Round 1 – Tristin Golden (Kankakee Bishop McNamara) pinned Bryce Adkins (GCMSF), :22.

Cons. Round 1 – Max Martin (Richmond Nippersink) dec. Adkins (GCMSF), 5-4.

145 pounds

Champ. Round 1 – Cooper Miller (GCMSF) tech. fall Noah Stout (Morrison), 16-0.

Quarterfinals – Miller (GCMSF) dec. Finn Loomis (Island Lake Matthews), 5-0.

Semifinals – Maximus Purdy (Orion) maj. dec. Miller (GCMSF), 9-0.

Cons. Semi – Miller (GCMSF) pinned Ethan Waugh (Stillman Valley Meridian), :22.

Third-place match – Miller (GCMSF) pinned Wyatt Otto (Deer Creek-Mackinaw), 1:27.

215 pounds

Champ. Round 1 – Shane Falasca (Richmond Nippersink) pinned Nathan Bristow (GCMSF), :34.

Cons. Round 1 – Brady Heinrichs (Aledo Mercer County) pinned Bristow (GCMSF), 1:25.

275 pounds

Champ. Round 1 – Xavier Moore (GCMSF) pinned Sawyer Koruba (Mt. Prospect River Trails, 1:32.

Quarterfinals – Joey Humphries (Deer Creek-Mackinaw) pinned Moore (GCMSF), :46.

Cons. Round 2 – Moore (GCMSF) pinned Quintin Washington (Glenwood Brookwood), 1:59.

Cons. Round 3 – Brody Jay (Vandalia) pinned Moore (GCMSF), 2:30.