Prep wrestling: Perry finding his role as a senior, with help of spladle

DeKALB — Barbs 138-pound wrestler Nate Perry isn't reliant on one move for success, but he is better at one technique in particular than his counterparts.

Perry, a DeKalb senior, utilized a spladle, or "split-legged cradle," as it was described by a DeKalb coach, to secure a fall in DeKalb's final dual victory of the day Friday as the Barbs won the Terry McCoy bracket of the Don Flavin Tournament. DeKalb defeated Prospect 51-19 to move on to the first-place Platinum Pool Saturday consisting of four teams that won their brackets at DeKalb High School.

“It started as a mess-around move that I started my freshman and sophomore year and then it got to the point where I was able to hit it when people shot on me," Perry said. "So I practice it every once in a while, but it’s not a move that I constantly practice.”

The Barbs racked up at least five points from every match in an 81-0 opening round dual win over Stagg, then rolled to a 60-15 victory over a Saint Charles East team that narrowly defeated the Barbs at the same Flavin Tournament in 2018.

“It’s always a good one against them," Clayton said of the win over St. Charles East. "We’ve always gone back and forth the last few years. That win was pretty nice. We enjoyed it.”

Sycamore went 2-1 on the day and will compete in the third-place pool Saturday.

Brownsburg (Indiana), Mukwonago (Wisconsin) and Oak Park-River Forest join the Barbs in the Platinum Pool.

Perry, a senior who secured two falls on the day, is feeling valued in his final year wrestling for the Barbs.

“This is basically my first year on varsity," Perry said. "I’ve been coming in and out throughout my career … it’s pretty impactful to be knowing that I can step in and help the team.”

DeKalb coach Sam Hiatt grinned wide thinking about Perry's victory over Prospect's Joe Miller, who has honorable mention in the IWCOA Class 3A individual rankings.

“He’s done a great job," Hiatt said. "He’s stepped up. He’s always dangerous. He’s got that spladle. He’s fun to watch.”

DeKalb's Damien Lopez (152 pounds), Bradley Gillum (160), Blake McGee (126) and Danny Curran (120) each won three contested matches.

“First dual went well," Sycamore coach Alex Nelson said about a 45-27 win over Providence Catholic. "That one we knew we were going to have our hands full with Lemont. Kids wrestled well. It’s just a different type of intensity that hopefully they saw there and they were able to rebound from there into Oswego, That was a good one to get.”

The Spartans lost to Class 2A second-ranked Lemont 60-13 and defeated the Oswego Panthers 43-28.

“We get a lot of good matches on the first day against tougher teams and the second day we’re with teams that are more evenly matched and so then everybody’s getting good matches, which is important," Alex Crawford said.

Crawford went 3-0 on the day at 120 pounds with two wins by fall and another by decision. Crawford and Zak Kozumplik (170 pounds) picked up the Spartans' lone victories against Lemont. Beating Oswego for a Spartans squad that took runner-up to the Panthers at the Rus Erb Invite.

After bumping up to 120 pounds this season, where he's locked in weight-wise, Crawford is starting to find his comfort letter at the weight.

“I had a hard time earlier in the season just making it the first couple times, but now after Christmas we get the two-pound allowance, it’s not as bad," Crawford said. "I eat the right things and drink the right stuff, so I’m feeling good.”

The Barbs have lost 285-pound wrestler George Colbert, who narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Class Class 3A Individual State Tournament, is in all likelihood done for the season due to a shoulder injury.

"Other people step up," Hiatt said. "We're a team ... anybody can be the hero in any meet. It can come down to anything."