Boys wrestling: Sycamore’s Gus Cambier, Zack Crawford take third at IHSA state tournament

CHAMPAIGN – Sycamore senior Gus Cambier knew his match was over as soon as he got a third-period reverse.

“That reversal was the turning point of the match,” Cambier said.

Sure enough, Cambier got the pin shortly after that against Joliet Catholic’s Connor Cumbee, taking third in the Class 2A 152-pound bracket Saturday. He was one of three Sycamore medalists at the IHSA Boys Individual State Tournament in Champaign, joining 160-pounder Zack Crawford on the third-place stand.

Sycamore heavyweight Lincoln Cooley took fifth. DeKalb’s Jacob Luce finished sixth in Class 3A at 152 pounds.

Cumbee and Cambier were locked in a close match when Cambier rode out Cumbee in the second period, preventing him from scoring. Cambier started the third period on the bottom, got the reverse, and seconds later had a pin at the 4:49 mark.

“As soon as I got that [reverse] he was done, Cambier said. “He was broke. I knew it.”

Cambier finished up the season with a 46-7 record. He lost in the second round to Montini’s David Mayora on Thursday, but came back to finish his high school career with four straight wins.

“Gus was a technician all weekend,” Sycamore coach Randy Culton said. “He had one loss all weekend to the No. 1 guy in the state. The No. 2 guy in the state [Aurora Christian’s Tay Silva], he’s also in the finals, those are the two guys who gave him trouble all year. He wrestled like a technician all week. I am very, very proud of Gus Cambier.”

Luce was the lone medalist for the Barbs, taking sixth. The junior dropped two matches Saturday, losing the consolation semifinal 3-0 to Batavia’s Kaden Fetterolf followed by a loss in the fifth-place match to Downers Grove North’s Harrison Konder, 3-2.

Luce got a late reversal against Konder to take a 2-1 lead, but Luce was called for a stall shortly after that tied the match. DeKalb coach Sam Hiatt argued the call, but the ruling ended up standing.

Konder ended with an escape to take the victory, ending Luce’s season at 39-13.

Luce was not available for comment after the match. Hiatt declined to comment.

Like his teammate Cambier, Crawford took third. The Sycamore senior came in with eyes on winning a state title, having lost only once all year but suffered a quarterfinal loss to Montini’s Will Prater before coming back with four straight wins.

He beat Washington’s Zane Hulet 11-0 to take third.

“I came here and wanted to be on top of the podium,” said Crawford, who finished 46-2. “I lost the second-round match, didn’t wrestle my best. The kid came to compete. I was like you can either fold or wrestle back to third.”

Crawford said it was a challenge to regroup after the loss.

“At the start there you’re definitely challenged mentally,” Crawford said. “You’re facing such a deficit. You wanted to be at the top of the top and you realize you can’t be. I thank my coaches, my brother [Alex], my teammates, my fans for keeping me in the right mindset, keep pushing me toward where I needed to be. Which eventually was third place.”

Cooley took fifth for the Spartans, giving Sycamore three medalists for the first time since 2013.

Cooley (35-6) said he was glad he was able to build off his sixth-place finish from last season. The senior did so with a 2-1 tiebreak win over Vernon Hills heavyweight Max Accettura. Tied 1-all after regulation, Cooley prevented an escape in the first overtime, then got his escape in the second for the win.

“I didn’t think I could ride him out in the overtime, but I did,” Cooley said. “Randy always tells me to grab the ankles, and that’s what I did. And it worked.”

Culton said he was impressed with the senior’s efforts.

“You’re a heavyweight, and you go to overtime, that’s pure guts,” Culton said. “Whoever wants it more at that point. It’s just guts.”