Naperville Central Wrestling Starts 2017-18 Season in Style
November 25, 2017
NCHS 81 – Lane Tech 0
NCHS 62 – Batavia 12
NCHS 40 – Downers Grove South 34
Naperville Central wrestling starts the wrestling season at
3-0 after defeating Chicago Lane Tech, Batavia, and Downers Grove South at home.
Several NCHS wrestlers finished the day 3-0 including Tyler
Driessens 10, 106, Angelo Eklou 10, 195, Elrin Esporlas 10, 126, Nick Keating
12, 145, Derek McDaniel 12, Jackson Punzel 11, 182, Kyle Guttosch 11, 113, and
Cameron Palmer 11, 170. Driessens,
Keating, McDaniel, and Punzel all locked down two pins.
In the first dual, Central defeated Lane Tech 81-0. Central won all six contested matches, five
by fall. In one of the more exciting bouts,
sophomore Sean King overcame a 2-6 deficit with a pair of three point nearfalls
in the second period to pull out a 8-6 win.
In the second dual, NCHS defeated a depleted Batavia team
(the Batavia football team is competing in the state championship game on this
day). Of the eight contested matches,
NCHS won five. Nick Keating scored six
takedowns and two sets of nearfall to win by technical fall 21-5. Elrin Esporlas was able to complete a
nearfall in the final seconds of his match to complete a 6-4 come-from-behind
win at 126 pounds.
In the final dual the Redhawks pulled out an exciting 40-34
win. Elrin Esporlas scored a first
period fall to start the team score 6-4 Central, but then DGS won the next two
matches to take a 6-16 lead. A pin by
Nick Keating and a major decision by Derek McDaniel knotted the team score at
16-16. Central gave up a fall at 160
pounds but Cameron Palmer answered with a 14-2 major decision. The Redhawks took the team score lead with
wins from Punzel and Eklou 29-22. But
South answered back with two pins to make the score 29-34. Central needed two wins in the final matches
to win the dual. Tyler Driessens took
the first match at 106 pounds with a fall in the first period setting up a
winner take all match at 113 pounds.
Junior Kyle Guttosch put the dual in the win column with a technical
fall 18-2.
NCHS JV finished 2-1 with wins against Stagg and Batavia and
a loss to Downers Grove South.
Naperville put together a freshman-sophomore team to compete
at the Plainfield South Super Duals.
They finished 3-1, and second place – losing by just three points in the
finals.
Next up Central will face DVC foe Glenbard North at home on
Friday, December 1. Then on Saturday
Central varsity, JV1 and JV2 will compete in the Megaduals while the freshman
will travel to Lyons for a tournament.
GO REDHAWKS!