Austin O’Connor and Jake Silzer continue to be one of the best 1-2 punches in the state at St. Rita, but on the mat, they’re more yin and yang than carbon copies.
“We’re completely different,” said Silzer, an Illinois recruit seeking his third Class 3A state medal. “I’m the wrestler that always has close matches — that’s my style — and he’s the one that breaks things open and wins big.”
Consistently winning is a shared similarity. The duo combined to go 88-6 for the Mustangs last season. O’Connor grabbed his second state title as a 132-pound sophomore, while Silzer finished third at 120.
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“It helps me get better watching him and seeing what he does,” Silzer said.
The two have been friends since meeting through a youth wrestling program about eight years ago. O’Connor said it’s been beneficial to drill against a high-caliber opponent.
“It gets pretty intense sometimes,” O’Connor said. “His style tries to slow me down and it gets pretty frustrating. I don’t like to go against guys who try to slow me, so it’s good practice.”
O’Connor has his sights set on a third state title, but he also has his sights set on St. Rita’s all-time pin record, which is held by coach Dan Manzella, a 2003 grad who wrestled at Illinois.
“Coach had 100 pins in all four seasons, and I’m close to that halfway through my junior year,” O’Connor said. “He thinks I’ll shatter it. I’ve been messing with him about beating his record.”
So far this season, O’Connor has pins against 17 of 21 opponents, pushing his career total to 76.
While Silzer is set to graduate in 2016, the dynamic duo could team up again at Illinois down the road.
“I’m still open to where I want to go, but Illinois, North Carolina and Missouri are my top three,” O’Connor said.
Tisza returns: After missing nearly his entire junior season with a torn meniscus, T.F. South’s Jake Tisza is excited to be back on the mat and competing for his father Mike, the Rebels coach.
“I missed it,” Jake Tisza said. “I came back last year with one practice going into a meet, and then I went into conference, regionals and sectionals. I was close (making it to state), but not close enough.”
Tisza missed the 3A cut for state by a single spot. He’s hoping to buck the trend this season at 170 and he’s looked good so far, winning tournaments at Buffalo Grove and Rich East.
The senior said there’s no extra pressure to perform, even with his father guiding the program.
“He does a good job of not being a coach at home, just being a dad,” Jake Tisza said. “I think my dad’s mastered it. I love my dad being a coach.”
Jake’s older brother, Blake, was a state qualifier at T.F. South and now competes at Millikin.
The Clash: With three consecutive state-quarterfinal appearances, Lincoln-Way Central has turned into one of the Southland’s most consistent programs.
This season, though, the Knights are a bit more inexperienced than in years past.
“We’re wrestling nationally ranked kids, so when you throw a sophomore out there who’s never wrestled on varsity before, it can be tough mentally,” Central coach Jason DePolo said. “So that’s been a big thing for us (as coaches), to keep it positive.”
Freshman Jackson Hosman has impressed, while returning state qualifiers Vinnie Piunti, Jake Dudek and Bryan Ditchman have performed well in leadership roles.
Central will need the best those four have to offer this weekend. The Knights trek to Minnesota to compete in The Clash, a 32-team dual tournament featuring some of the nation’s top teams.
Logan Malloy is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.
TOP 10
Last week’s ranking in parentheses
1. Sandburg (1)
2. Mount Carmel (2)
3. Lockport (3)
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4. Lincoln-Way West (4)
5. Marian Catholic (8)
6. Lincoln-Way Central (5)
7. Marist (6)
8. Lincoln-Way East (7)
9. St. Rita (9)
10. Providence (10)
Wrestler of the week: Marian Catholic’s Kordell Norfleet won the battle of returning state qualifiers, defeating Triad’s Cole Wittig in the 182-pound championship of the Granite City Invitational. Norfleet (10-0) added three first-period pins to reach the finals.