During Lake Zurich’s wrestling matches at the North Suburban Conference meet at Warren on Friday and Saturday, Bears coach Dan Strickler shouted the same instructions to his wrestlers.
The instructions advised wrestlers to use a specific move.
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“A lot of people have been asking me what the ‘super-secret move’ is,” Strickler said. “Coaches, referees are asking what the move is.”
According to Strickler, the move is simple.
“It’s hand control,” he said. “If you grab the other guy’s hands, he can’t control you. He can’t lock the cradle, he can’t hold a double leg. If you are holding his hand, he’s defenseless. That’s the super-secret move.”
Judging by Lake Zurich’s liberal use of the move at the NSC tournament, it’s no longer a secret. Based on the Bears’ success in a fifth-place finish, expect to see more of the move during the February state series.
No Bears wrestler prospered more over the two-day tournament than senior Josh Spiwak. A fourth-place finisher at the conference tournament a year ago, Spiwak advanced to Saturday’s title match at 126 pounds before losing 9-3 to top-seeded Grant junior Christian Kanzler.
Spiwak did not have an easy road. In Friday’s quarterfinal bout, Spiwak started sluggish against Wauconda sophomore Jose Munoz, but pinned him in the first period. On Saturday, Spiwak gutted out a 5-2 decision over Stevenson sophomore Ben Ponto in the semifinals. He had defeated Ponto earlier this season by a 3-0 decision.
“I was unexplainably tired my first two matches,” Spiwak said. “I don’t know why. Other than that, I feel like I wrestled well.”
In the title match, Spiwak fell behind early and could not generate much offense against the precise, disciplined Kanzler. Still, Spiwak gave the Bears their only runner-up finish.
For Spiwak, who has never competed in a sectional tournament, the two victories in a high-tension environment provided an injection of confidence heading into Saturday’s Class 3A Grant Regional.
“I feel like I wrestled adequately for what I’m capable of,” he said. “There are many things I need to work on, a lot to improve.”
“I was a little nervous with this being his senior year, [maybe] he’d crumble under the pressure,” Strickler added. “I was absolutely wrong. [Spiwak] has lived up to it and more.”
Of the 14 weight classes, Lake Zurich medaled in seven.
“We are the consolation kings,” Strickler said.
In addition to Spiwak, the Bears’ medal winners were senior Tommy Clancy (third place, 152), senior Max Brummel (fourth place, 145), sophomore Josh Dyer (fourth place, 220), freshman Joey Stutzman (fifth place, 120), senior Peter Maretis (fifth place, 160) and junior John Strojny (sixth place, 182).
Spiwak said he used his coach’s hand control move several times during the tournament. Strickler said Dyer often performs the technique.
As Lake Zurich continues to master the not-so-secret move, the season rolls on. The Bears hope that will be for several more weeks.
“We have a very tough conference,” Spiwak said. “What [the conference tournament] shows is we’ll be going as hard as we can until we break.”
Jon Kerr is a freelancer for Pioneer Press