Boys wrestling: Genoa-Kingston’s Brady Brewick takes third at IHSA state tournament

CHAMPAIGN – Brady Brewick didn’t want to waste a second Saturday afternoon to celebrate a moment he has waited his entire life for.

Brewick, a senior, bear-hugged both of his Genoa-Kingston coaches on the State Farm Center floor before sprinting up the arena’s stairs to share the special moment with his family. He had waited four years and his dream finally came true. Brewick placed third in the Class 1A 165-pound bracket in his first trip to the IHSA individual state tournament.

Lost in the celebration was the fact that Brewick became the Cogs’ second placer in program history, its first since 2010.

“It means so much,” Brewick said. “I’ve been working my butt off the last 12 years, it’s finally paying off.”

Brewick was the highest placer amongst Chronicle-area wrestlers.

Sycamore senior Gable Carrick (Class 2A, 215 pounds) DeKalb senior Jacob Luce (3A, 165) and Kaneland senior Kamron Scholl (2A, 120) each placed fifth in their respective weight classes. Carrick won his final match by major decision 12-2, Luce won his match by major decision 11-2, and Scholl held on to win 3-2.

Brewick reached the third-place match after losing in the semifinals Friday night. He used his past experience against Rockridge’s Ryan Lower from the previous week’s sectional to help him win his rematch Saturday.

Brewick fell behind 1-0 in the first period after Lower earned a point by escaping. Brewick took a 2-1 lead in the second and built a 4-1 lead in the third before ultimately holding on for the last 30 seconds.

Brewick said he knew Lower was going to keep taking shots at his right side like he had the previous week. Once Brewick noticed the same move continuously Saturday, he kept his right leg back in order to help pick up the win.

Although Brewick wanted to become the program’s first state champion, he never doubted he could come back and pick up a win Saturday.

“I knew in my heart that I was up there with everyone,” Brewick said. “I knew I could beat anybody.”

“It means so much. I’ve been working my butt off the last 12 years, it’s finally paying off.”

—  Brady Brewick, Genoa-Kingston senior

Carrick wanted to make the most of his first trip at state after coming close to qualifying the previous two seasons. He lost his opening match but then went on to win four of his next five matches to take fifth place.

“It means everything,” Carrick said. “All the work that I’ve put in the mat room since kid’s club, it all paid off for this moment right here.”

Luce had come into the tournament with high expectations, hoping to come away with a title. But coach Sam Hiatt said he was proud of the way his senior wrestled after losing his semifinal match Friday night. He said it was a great season for Luce who finished 44-4.

Luce said despite the two losses it was a fun weekend, and staying focused in his final match was easy.

“It was the last match of my season, my career and representing DeKalb is important to me, so I wanted to go out on a win,” Luce said. “I was a little injured, a little beat up, but you find a way to tune that out. You get rid of your losses and you wrestle your best. You don’t want to end your career knowing you could have done more.”

Brewick hoped his special moment Saturday would be something that could help motivate other young wrestlers in the Cogs’ program. After working hard his entire wrestling career to reach that special moment, he wants that moment to be more than a once-in-a-while event for other wrestlers.

“I’m really hoping I set a good example for everyone younger than me,” Brewick said. “All my teammates in the last four years, everyone who’s coming through the program. I hope they know just because they go to a small school like Genoa that doesn’t really care much about wrestling that they can still come here and dominate.”