The way Danville senior Marcus Carpenter looks at it, things even out.
The 103-pounder doesn’t see his 4-foot-10-inch stature as a disadvantage or an advantage. The muscular Carpenter, who didn’t start wrestling until his freshman year, just deals with it the best he can. At the Class AA state individual wrestling meet Saturday he dealt with it pretty well, beating Burim Hajroja of Jacobs 6-5 to reach the finals.
Carpenter, who lost to Grant’s Jimmy Kennedy 2-1 in the finals, is a tough opponent.
“Usually I’m the smaller one,” Kennedy said. “It was definitely a change of pace.”
While it’s difficult to get under Carpenter and he’s right there to attack opponents’ legs, there also are drawbacks to being short.
“With their long arms and legs, [opponents] are able to cradle me up and get in on me just as easily as I get in on them,” he said. “It feels real good to prove a whole bunch of people wrong. I get respect from everybody, something I didn’t have when I came into this tournament.”
In the finals, Carpenter led 1-0 going into the third period, but Kennedy (42-0) scored a reversal with 1 minute 32 seconds left in the match. Carpenter, who entered the state meet with a 29-1 record, wasn’t able to take the sophomore down but was happy with his effort.
“I’m not disappointed at all,” he said. “I got beat by the best in the state. There’s nothing more you can say.It gave me a lot of satisfaction to get here.”
“It’s been all heart, spirit and dedication on his part,” coach Joe Davis said.
Not done yet: The season isn’t over for many of the competitors in the state individual championship. Sectional competition in the team dual state series is Tuesday, with several excellent matchups. Defending Class AA state champion St. Rita will meet Gordon Tech in the Mt. Carmel sectional, and defending Class A champion Montini will meet Illiana Christian in the St. Francis de Sales sectional. Semifinals start at 5:30 p.m. with finals to follow. Sectional winners advance to the state finals Feb. 28 at Wharton Fieldhouse in Moline.
Three-peat: Sandwich’s Brent Skorup and Walther Lutheran’s Christian Winston had faced off in the Plano sectional each of the last two seasons. Both times, Skorup had escaped with a one-point win.
The pair met again in the 119-pound semifinals Saturday and Skorup, a senior, came out on top again 6-4 in double overtime.
“He’s very fast and strong and quick,” Skorup said of Winston, a junior. “He’s got it all. I just went with what I do best.”
Skorup lost to Montini freshman Mike Benefiel 7-3 in the title match. Winston, who led Skorup 4-1 late in the second period of the semifinals, finished third.