UPDATE: Evanston wrestling coach Rudy Salinas said Thursday afternoon that James Marshall-Davis withdrew from the 132-pound bracket of the Class 3A state tournament due to an injury to his right knee.
With his right leg propped up on a chair and an ice bag covering his injured knee, Evanston senior James Marshall-Davis couldn’t physically celebrate qualifying for the Class 3A wrestling state tournament.
As soon as David Rivera-Kohr came over, though, Marshall-Davis vocalized his enthusiasm.
“We did it. We did it. We did it,” Marshall-Davis screamed to his junior teammate and friend on Saturday. “All the hard work. Everything has paid off.”
Both Marshall-Davis and Rivera-Kohr advanced to the final week of the individual season for the first time in their careers after each earned wins in the wrestleback semifinals at the Glenbard North Sectional.
Marshall-Davis beat St. Charles East’s DJ McDermott 6-0 at 132 pounds, and Rivera-Kohr defeated Notre Dame’s Andy Poniatowski at 120 with a pin in the second period. Both Evanston wrestlers ended up fourth at the sectional.
“This is better than any tournament I’ve won,” said Marshall-Davis, who took fourth by an injury default. “I’m going to the big show.”
The state tournament begins Thursday in Champaign. Marshall-Davis is scheduled to face St. Rita sophomore Austin O’Connor (41-1) in his first match while Rivera-Kohr is set to take on another St. Rita wrestler, junior Jake Silzer (39-3), in his opening match.
Marshall-Davis (37-6) almost didn’t get the chance to compete at the sectional. Not long before the Evanston Regional tournament, he said he learned he had torn the meniscus in his right knee.
“I argued with the doctor to wrestle,” he said. “He said I shouldn’t. This is my senior season, so I wasn’t going to stop.”
At the sectional on Saturday, Marshall-Davis tweaked the knee in the first period of his match against McDermott, but he pressed on.
“I’ve always had trouble with that knee,” Marshall-Davis said. “Once the adrenaline kicks in, it’s fine. You just got to do it.”
Per coaches’ orders, Marshall-Davis didn’t watch Rivera-Kohr’s state-qualifying win so he could focus on his own match. But Marshall-Davis said he was invested in the match, nevertheless.
“If he wins, I win,” Marshall-Davis said. “If he loses, I feel like I lose.”
Rivera-Kohr (46-3) was matside for Marshall-Davis’ victory, and he was thrilled his teammate gutted out the win. Evanston coach Rudy Salinas said the two always root for one another.
“They are playful competitors, and they do motivate each other,” said Salinas, who had 13 wrestlers at the sectional tournament. “This is something off their checklists. They both had the goal of going downstate, and they’ve been a good influence on the rest of the team.”
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Senior Zach Warhus, a 182-pounder, was the third state qualifier for the Wildkits. Warhus (36-9) also is making his first trip to Champaign. He is scheduled to wrestle Marmion junior Nathan Traxler (37-2) in his first match.
This is the first time since the 2002-03 season that Evanston has at least two wrestlers at the state tournament.
“I am happy I will have some buddies at state,” Rivera-Kohr said.
Note
Although only three Evanston individuals advanced to the Class 3A state tournament, the season isn’t over for the Wildkits. Evanston, which won a team regional title for the first time since 2007, wrestles against Oak Park-River Forest at Niles West on Tuesday in a dual team sectional. The Huskies have won two state championships since 2009.