After appearing in the Class 3A individual rankings on the Illinois Matmen website for the first time in his career, Glenbrook South senior 132-pound wrestler Ethan Bond said he was pleased with the recognition, but was not putting much stock into the rankings.
“I was glad to see (my name in the rankings) for the first time in four years,” said Bond, who was listed as an honorable mention selection in the rankings that appeared on Jan. 10. “But (Glenbrook South coach Pat Castillo) has always said we shouldn’t focus on the rankings, because if we’re wrestling a guy higher than us, we could psych ourselves out. So, I don’t pay much attention.”
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If unranked New Trier senior Nick Elias saw the rankings, he didn’t appear to be fazed by them when he faced Bond in the Jan. 13 dual meet between the Titans and Trevians in Winnetka. Elias defeated Bond 4-0 as the Trevians posted a 50-21 win over the Titans (16-7, 2-3 after the loss).
Castillo said Bond, like some of his fellow Titans, was not aggressive enough early in the match.
“Ethan needs to put a little more pressure on the guy, especially in the first period,” Castillo said. “Our philosophy is to try to get takedowns, especially in the first. He needs to start stronger, try to force his style a little bit quicker.”
Bond, who fell to 29-7 with the defeat, said he learned his lessons from the match and looks forward to having a chance to apply them if he sees Elias again at Saturday’s Central Suburban Meet at Maine South or in the postseason.
“I didn’t think I wrestled my best in that match,” said Bond, who lives in Glenview. “I didn’t take my best shots, and the ones I took didn’t really work out against his defense. I’m looking forward to wrestling him again in conference or regionals. It was close and I know what I did wrong.”
Glenbrook South senior 152-pounder Daniel Pravich, who lives in Glenview, is Bond’s regular training partner, and he said he fully expects Bond to bounce back from his recent defeat.
“(Bond) is one of the toughest people I know,” said Pravich, who also called Bond one of the team’s best technical wrestlers. “I know even if he did lose against New Trier, that he’ll come back and at conference, get some payback.”
In the coming weeks, Bond also will be looking to cap his impressive career with a trip to the state meet, which has so far eluded him. At the very least, he’ll be seeking a return to the sectional, which he reached as a 126-pound sophomore in 2015.
Bond said he believes he has experience and urgency in his favor.
“I think I’m more prepared than ever before to face those guys (in the state series) and make the best of it,” Bond said. “Also, being a senior, every (postseason) match is kind of sudden death for my wrestling career. If I lose two matches, that last one is it. So, I’m excited (about the challenge.).”
Disappointed by what he felt was an early exit from the 2016 postseason — he didn’t advance beyond the Glenbrook South Regional — Bond turned his training up a notch this past offseason. One of his major decisions was becoming a part of Team Poeta, a Lake Forest-based club team run by former University of Illinois All-American Michael Poeta.
In addition to training with other talented wrestlers and getting more matches under his belt, Bond said he was helped by the fact the program focused on freestyle wrestling instead of folkstyle, the latter used in Illinois high school wrestling.
“Freestyle is more about being on your feet and it’s helped me get better at finishing my shots and securing takedowns,” Bond said.
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press