Loss fuels South’s Fontanetta

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CHAMPAIGN – After losing in his quarterfinal match for his first loss of the season, Crystal Lake South’s Nick Fontanetta quickly adjusted his goal to taking third place at 103 pounds.

Belleville West’s Mech Spraggins pinned Fontanetta 21 seconds into the second period. That loss made Fontanetta approach his first match in the consolation bracket with a little more intensity.

Fontanetta beat Hinsdale Central’s Tommy Ward, 11-7, to advance to the consolation quarterfinals.

“It made me more aggressive,” Fontanetta said of the loss. “I needed to come back in the tournament.”

With Ward rallying for a 6-5 lead in the second, Fontanetta got a reverse at the end of the period and another to start the third to win it.

“I knew I was still going to pull it out,” Fontanetta said of giving up the lead. “He just caught me.”

Also for the Gators, Kean Loupee won his opening–round consolation match to stay alive in the tournament. Loupee lost his first match with an 8-6 overtime decision by Hinsdale Central’s Joe Strocchia. Strocchia advanced to the semifinals, so Loupee was eligible for wrestlebacks.

Also alive in the consolation bracket in Class 2A is Crystal Lake Central’s Jason Fugiel. Fugiel lost to Lincoln-Way West’s Joe Souder, 4-2 in overtime.

Also losing in the Class 2A quarterfinals were Prairie Ridge’s Zach Synon (112), Richmond-Burton’s Joe Ellis (125) and Marian Central’s Jared Koch (171).

Ellis lost to Carbondale’s Zane Richards, the top ranked wrestler at 125 by Illinoismatmen.com, in an 11-3 major decision.

Rockets’ coach Bret Wojcik said that he was pleased with Ellis’ effort.

“He wrestled his butt off,” Wojcik said of Ellis. “[Richards] is real good.”

In Class 1A Dillon Cowan (135) lost to Petersburg’s Takii Agnew, 3-1 in overtime.

The area had 18 wrestlers in the quarterfinals – two in Class 1A, 14 in 2A and three in 3A. Twelve qualified for the semis at 9:30 a.m. today.