Deerfield High School’s wrestling team had high expectations coming into this season, and after the last two weeks, they’re even higher.
For the first time in 31 years, Deerfield won the 3A regional title on Feb. 7, defeating host Stevenson by seven points (184-177). On Saturday, a record six Deerfield wrestlers qualified for the individual state wrestling championship tournament at the Barrington 3A sectional. They will be heading downstate to compete in the state championship Thursday to Saturday in Champaign.
“We tell them, everybody’s got a shot, because you’re there,” said head coach Marc Pechter. “We aren’t going there just to go there. We’re not just happy to be there any more. We expect our guys to wrestle hard and win matches and get on the podium.”
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It’s been an impressive season for Deerfield, which was finally able to overcome a Stevenson team that had been its nemesis the last few years.
“I’d say it’s been the seventh year in a row where we’re building to this point,” Pechter said. “We’ve been trying to break through, inching closer every year. We’ve finished second (at regionals) the last couple of years, so it was nice to finally get where we knew we could be.”
Last year, Deerfield celebrated the victory of its first individual state champion, Colton Emmerich, who is now wrestling at the University of Illinois.
Wrestlers who finished in the top five at the sectional meet advanced to the state tournament. Deerfield junior Andrew Mehrholz led the way for the Warriors, defeating DeKalb senior Brad Green in an 8-5 decision to win the sectional title at 138 pounds. Deerfield junior Sage Heller finished second at 160 pounds to Libertyville’s Joey Gunther.
The only senior to advance, Brady Glantz, finished third at 170 pounds, when he defeated Highland Park senior John Ciancio in the consolation match. At 106 pounds, Deerfield sophomore Dylan Utterback also finished third overall, defeating Wheeling freshman Mason Skloot.
At 113 pounds, sophomore Kyle Clough finished in fourth place, while junior Nick Kupets also finished in fourth place at 126 pounds.
Pechter says Mehrholz, who took third place in the state championship last year, has a good shot at improving on that finish.
“He’s been doing really well,” Pechter said. “I look forward to seeing what he does this weekend.”
He’s also hoping that Heller gets one more chance at Gunther in the 160-pound class.
“(Heller) is looking forward to another rematch,” Pechter said. “They would meet again in the state finals. Hopefully the third time would be the charm.”
After the individual state championships, Deerfield will continue competing in the state 3A playoffs as a result of their regional win. Their first match in the Super Sixteen sectionals will be on Tuesday against Jacobs High School of Algonquin. The site of the meet is still to be determined.
“We’ve been working very hard this year, and it’s paying off,” Pechter said. “This is new territory for us, but we’re wrestling like this is where we belong.”