High school wrestling: Marian Central's Dylan Connell, Huntley's David Ferrante win state titles

CHAMPAIGN – There was nothing flashy, no frills. There was just Dylan Connell methodically taking out an opponent for his third consecutive state championship.

The Marian Central junior made it 3 for 3 in his career, capping a 44-0 season. Connell beat Grayslake Central’s Joey Jens, 5-0, in the IHSA Class 2A state championship match at 170 pounds Saturday night at State Farm Center in Champaign.

“The job’s not done,” Connell said. “Got to get another one next year.”

Also reaching the top of the podium from McHenry County was Huntley’s David Ferrante, who won his second consecutive Class 3A title at 170. Three other local wrestlers finished as state runners-up: Marian's Elon Rodriguez (Class 2A, 120), Harvard’s Nik Jimenez (Class 1A, 126) and Johnsburg’s Justin Peake (1A, 182).

Connell, an Illinois commit, won his match as he did his previous two state titles: by riding on top of his opponent for long stretches of time and not allowing an escape.

“Coming into those big matches, you’ve got to stay heavy on top,” said Connell, who won his previous titles at 152 and 160 pounds. “It wears your opponents down, brings the will out of them, and it helps to take off the time.”

In winning his third title, he joins rarefied air. He is the fourth McHenry County wrestler to achieve the feat. He joins Richmond-Burton’s Jordan Blanton (2005, 2006, 2008), Crystal Lake Central’s Trevor Jauch (2009, 2010, 2011) and Central’s Joey Kielbasa (2009, 2010, 2011). Tigers teammates Jauch and Kielbasa capped their three-peats on the same night.

Connell is now atop the Hurricanes' leaderboard, as well. Only Rich Powers (Class A titles in 1986 and 1987) had ever won a state title at Marian before Connell.

Connell already has his eye on a fourth.

“Gotta go right back at it, work hard this summer, get back to it and keep grinding,” Connell said.

Only 14 wrestlers have won four IHSA state championships in a career, none from McHenry County.

Ferrante, a Northwestern commit, won his title moments after Connell, on the mat right next to him. Ferrante (46-2) defeated Barrington’s Luke Rasmussen, 8-2, avenging a loss to Rasmussen in the sectional semifinals last weekend.

“After that match last week, I talked to a lot of my coaches,” Ferrante said. “They said, ‘You’ve got to keep wrestling through every position, stay focused no matter what happens in the match. Just keep coming on him.’”

Ferrante fell behind, 2-0, early, but wasn’t rattled. He scored a second-period takedown to give himself a 3-2 lead and might have pinned Rasmussen had time not run out in the period. He controlled the match the entire third period.

“With David, the goal of the other guys is to keep it thin,” Huntley coach B.J. Bertelsman said. “We wanted to open up the offense, multiple layers to his offense. Pressure forward, but not push into him. For the most part, he executed.”

Ferrante ended his Huntley career as a two-time champion and a three-time state medalist. His title last year was Huntley’s first.

Marian’s Rodriguez (42-3) lost his title match to Thornton Fractional North’s Nasir Bailey, 4-2. Rodriguez couldn’t escape from Bailey, who held tight on top of Rodriguez for the entire third period.

“His grip strength was really good,” Rodriguez said. “I wasn’t expecting it. I could have done a lot better things on neutral.”

Harvard’s Jimenez (47-1) was trying to become the Hornets’ first state champion since 2013 He and Peoria Notre Dame’s Tristan Daugherty both entered the night 47-0 on the season, but Daugherty had three previous state medals to his name. He added a state championship as his fourth. Daugherty won by technical fall, 20-5.

Jimenez, a sophomore, said he’ll use it as motivation for next season.

“It was crazy,” Jimenez said. “He was beating me up. He just outwrestled me. I guess I didn’t train enough this year. Next year, I’m going to come back and get that state title.”

With a win, Peake (26-3) would have become Johnsburg’s first state champion. Instead, he becomes its third runner-up. Belleville Althoff’s Joe Braunagel held on for a 5-4 win in the title match.

“I knew I had to do something,” Peake said. “I got that stalling call right at the end, but I just came up short.”

Peake is a two-time state medalist after taking third at 182 in 2019.

IHSA state championship matches

Class 3A

170: David Ferrante (Huntley) def. Luke Rasmussen (Barrington), 8-2.

Class 2A

120: Nasir Bailey (TF North) def. Elon Rodriguez (Marian Central), 4-2.

170: Dylan Connell (Marian Central) def. Joey Jens (Grayslake Central), 5-0.

Class 1A

126: Tristan Daugherty (Peoria Notre Dame) tech. fall Nik Jimenez (Harvard), 20-5.

182: Joe Braunagel (Althoff Catholic) def. Justin Peake (Johnsburg), 5-4.