Top-ranked Patrick Brucki of Sandburg may be the clear favorite to win the Class 3A 195-pound title next weekend, but Warren’s Andrew Demos also is a force to be considered.
The senior moved to 40-0 by winning his fifth tournament of the season, taking the Class 3A Barrington Sectional title on Saturday.
“I put a lot of time in during the offseason, never stopping, going all out for 12 months in order to get myself ready for my senior year,” said Demos, who beat New Trier’s Jake Lowell 5-2 in the championship mach.
Demos will be making his first appearance downstate after failing to get out of the rugged Deerfield Regional last season. That regional featured eventual state runner-up Sage Heller of Deerfield and sixth-place finisher D.J. Pennick of Highland Park at 170 pounds.
Yes, that’s right: 170 pounds.
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Demos lifted, worked out, competed, drank protein drinks and lifted even more during the offseason to get himself ready for his new weight class.
“We knew going into that regional at (170) was a tough one last year,” Warren coach Jake Jobst said. “But not getting out really helped Andrew’s offseason drive to get bigger, stronger and better, and he’s the real deal this year.”
Warren also advanced Grant Zamin (37-4), who finished third at 145.
Demos was one of nine sectional champs from Lake County. Also taking firsts were Libertyville’s Alex Mitchell (20-0) at 106 and Danny Pucino (37-4) at 126; Stevenson’s Tommy Frezza (36-3) at 113, Dylan Geick (39-1) at 160 and Nikita Nepomnyashchiy (18-1) at 170, Deerfield’s Holden Heller (38-3) at 132 and Kenny Kerstein (36-9) at 138; and Penick (35-0) at 182.
“It’s what you’ve been working for all during the offseason, and throughout the year, but now you have to make it count when you get downstate,” said Geick, who was fourth at state a year ago at 152.
Deerfield led the area with five state qualifiers, followed by four for Libertyville and Stevenson.
Advancing with runner-up finishes were Mundelein’s Dane Durlacher (38-5) at 106, Libertyville’s Michael Gunther (30-9) at 132 and Highland Park’s Alex Rosenbloom (26-5) at 145.
Tough luck found both Libertyville’s Charlie Schmidt (285) and Waukegan’s Moises Rivera (113) as both had their seasons ended by injuries. Schmidt was hurt on the first day at Barrington, while Rivera was unable to compete at the sectional after being injured at the regional the week before.
Michael Garofola is a freelance writer for the News-Sun.