Hubs wrestling team clinches first-ever state tournament spot

Rochelle defeats Ottawa 42-36 at IHSA LaSalle-Peru Sectional

Russell Hodges
Posted 2/19/18

Rochelle sophomore Gavin Ansteth trailed 5-2 during the third period of his varsity wrestling bout against Ottawa’s Nick Stehl on Tuesday. But as the pressure mounted and the crowd noise inside LaSalle-Peru’s Sellett Gymnasium grew louder and louder, the 160-pound Hub dug deeper than he ever had before, and he and found a way to battle back in one of Rochelle’s most important bouts of the season.

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Hubs wrestling team clinches first-ever state tournament spot

Rochelle defeats Ottawa 42-36 at IHSA LaSalle-Peru Sectional

Posted

LASALLE — Rochelle sophomore Gavin Ansteth trailed 5-2 during the third period of his varsity wrestling bout against Ottawa’s Nick Stehl on Tuesday. But as the pressure mounted and the crowd noise inside LaSalle-Peru’s Sellett Gymnasium grew louder and louder, the 160-pound Hub dug deeper than he ever had before, and he and found a way to battle back in one of Rochelle’s most important bouts of the season.

Needing three points to send his match with Stehl into overtime, Ansteth escaped for one point before taking Stehl down to tie the match 5-5 just seconds before third period time expired. With his teammates cheering from the bench, Ansteth charged Stehl and recorded one final takedown to win the match by 7-5 sudden victory.

Ansteth’s victory sparked a rally of three consecutive pins by Rochelle wrestlers, and the sophomore’s exciting victory was a key turning point in Rochelle’s 42-36 win over the Pirates in Tuesday’s IHSA Class 2A Team Sectional. By beating Ottawa, the Hubs qualify for the IHSA Class 2A Team State Championships in Bloomington for the first time in school history.

“I realized he was gassed and I knew that I had a little more energy inside me,” Ansteth said. “I went for the takedown and I got it. It means a lot to me and my teammates since we’ve been practicing so hard. It really means everything to us.”

Tuesday’s sectional match between Rochelle (18-12) and Ottawa began at 132 pounds, with Pirate standout Ethan Harsted pinning Rochelle senior Andy Silva to give Ottawa a 6-0 lead. The Hubs quickly bounced back when senior Justin Hernandez defeated Pirate wrestler Bradley Ruger by 18-6 major decision at 138 pounds, and junior Eddie Villalobos won by 24-6 technical fall against Ottawa’s Hunter Duffy at 145 pounds.

Rochelle led 9-6 when senior Ehren Metzger quickly pinned Ottawa’s Quincy Torres at 152 pounds, and Ansteth’s sudden victory over Stehl gave the Hubs an 18-6 advantage. Sophomore Bryan Garza entered the ring next, and Garza scored two takedowns before pinning Ottawa’s Pat Walsh at 170 pounds.

“It felt really great to win,” Garza said. “I knew we could get this done if we all worked together and that’s exactly what we did tonight. I knew the match would be mine if I could be good on top. I pushed through and I listened to my coaches.”

Freshman Ben Harvey took the mat next for Rochelle, and Harvey wrestled at 182 pounds for the first time this season after competing at 170 pounds in every other match. But facing a larger-than-usual opponent didn’t faze Harvey, and he worked through a tight first period to pin Ottawa’s Matt Snyder and extend Rochelle’s lead to 30-6.

“I wasn’t expecting to wrestle 182 today but that’s just how it worked out with the matchups,” Harvey said. “It didn’t matter how I got the win but the goal was to win… I thought about the team and I was able to come out with the pin in the third period. I’ve been looking forward to this since sixth grade when I first learned about high school wrestling.”

Senior Alex Harvey’s pin against Ottawa’s Tre Fritz at 195 pounds put Rochelle up 36-6, and junior Brandon Johnson faced Pirate grappler Brence Smith at 220 pounds with a chance to clinch the team victory for the Hubs. Smith led Johnson 3-1 in the third period before the Rochelle heavyweight lifted Smith off the ground for a big takedown.

Johnson then turned Smith over and pinned him as the Hubs and their fans exploded on the bench and in the Sellett Gymnasium stands. Ottawa scored the final 30 points of the match, with Cameron Vernoy pinning Rochelle junior Will Jandak at 285 pounds and four Pirates earning forfeits at 106, 113, 120 and 126 pounds.

But Ottawa was too deep down to fully come back, and the Hubs won the match by six points to avenge their loss to the Pirates earlier this season. Rochelle will wrestle Oak Forest in the state quarterfinals at Bloomington’s Grossinger Motors Arena on Saturday at 11 a.m.

“Our kids have been working really hard and our coaches have been working really hard,” head coach Rich Harvey said. “Our parents are a really big part of our program because they support our kids and they motivate them. It’s a group effort and that’s what we saw tonight in the dual. We had to get some matchups that we wanted… It was a team effort, and our kids getting pins and scoring those extra points helped us.”