West Aurora’s Evan Matkovich took a huge leap between his freshman and sophomore seasons, going from a young wrestler who couldn’t even get out of the regional to being a state qualifier.
He spent the offseason working to take the next step in an effort to wind up on the podium.
“It’s not enough,” Matkovich said. “Now it’s time to place. That’s the goal now.”
After a summer working out at SPAR Wresting Academy, Matkovich is on a mission.
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He continued that Wednesday night with a 12-0 major decision over East Aurora’s Joaquin Ramirez at 144 pounds in an Upstate Eight Conference dual meet between crosstown rivals.
The Blackhawks rolled to the 69-6 win behind pins from Joseph Huicochea (126), Peter Kabene (132), Jack Platt (138), Dominic Serio (157) and Manuel Chavez (175). East Aurora’s lone win came via a pin from Hiran Lopez (215).
After reaching state last season, Matkovich’s mind shifted to the next level for his junior year.
Among the wrestlers he worked with at SPAR was Mount Carmel’s Seth Mendoza, a two-time state champion and Missouri recruit. That has helped him hone his vision for the future.
“I’ve just been grinding there,” Matkovich said. “Hopefully, it works out this year. It makes a huge difference working out through the offseason. You can just see the jump.
“From my freshman year not even making it out of regionals to last year qualifying for state, it makes a huge difference. I have such good partners over there.”
Matkovich (6-2) is disappointed with his two losses so far this season, but West Aurora coach Andrew Plata is happy with the way he has processed those setbacks.
“He’s doing a great job of making the corrections,” Plata said. “When we say there’s something he needs to work on, it takes him a little bit of time in practice, but he makes the corrections and you see it in competition.
“He’s a great listener, especially when it comes to having a specific focus. He knows what he has to work on.”
That’s one of the things Plata is most impressed with concerning Matkovich’s development — his willingness to adapt and improve to reach the levels he feels he can reach.
“We talk about it in the room, we work it and work it, and that’s how he continues to grow,” Plata said. “It gives him confidence to go out there and make those adjustments.”
Wednesday’s match could have gone a different way early on. Ramirez took it to Matkovich from the opening whistle, but Matkovich recovered to dominate the match.
“I feel like my later pace wore him down,” Matkovich said. “I was just working on my shot defense and going on top, and pushing the pace helped.”
Ramirez was impressed with what Matkovich had to offer. A growth spurt has made Matkovich lankier, which worked to his advantage Wednesday.
“I knew he was very good, so I just tried to do my best to push the pace so that I could get the jump on him,” Ramirez said. “And then it was just working against that kid to not get turned.
“He creates a lot of space, especially with how long his arms are. There’s a lot he can do to make space where he feels comfortable. It’s just really hard to break that barrier.”
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Matkovich is still adjusting to his new height and weight, but he feels good so far. A move down to 138 later in the season can’t be ruled out, but either way, he’s ready to make a splash this winter.
“I got a lot taller,” Matkovich said. “I didn’t put on a whole lot of muscle, but I worked a lot on my technique. I’m not going to be losing muscle (moving to 138). Maintaining my weight is the key.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.