High school wrestling: McHenry’s Chris Moore and Brody Hallin and Jacobs’ Dominic Ducato take 3A sectional titles

McHenry junior Chris Moore remained perfect for his record-breaking season, but it took everything he had to do it at the Class 3A Barrington Individual Wrestling Sectional on Saturday.

Moore, who is 46-0, escaped from Loyola’s Cooper Wettig with two seconds remaining in overtime for the 5-4 victory. If Wettig had maintained control those last seconds, he would have won.

McHenry’s Brody Hallin also won a sectional title at 170 pounds. Jacobs’ Dominic Ducato was the other local sectional champion, taking the 106 title.

“Chris had a battle in the finals,” McHenry coach Jake Guardalabene said. “He had to dig deep to pull that one off against a really good wrestler from Loyola. I was really happy with the way he managed a close overtime match. He had to use some skills he hasn’t had to pull out most of the season. I’m glad he got a tough match under his belt before the state tournament.”

Moore has been a huge part of the Warriors’ 21-1 season. He owns the career takedown record (in one season) and is tied for the school win record with Phil Match from 1989.

Hallin (40-2) held off Libertyville’s Austin Gomez, 5-1, for the 170 championship.

“Brody wrestled one of the best matches he’s wrestled in a while in the finals,” Guardalabene said. “He was hungry to get that one back against Gomez who he lost to last week. I loved how he wrestled all tournament.”

McHenry also will send Pedro Jimenez (126) to the state tournament next week. Jimenez was third.

Jacobs has James Wright (126) and Joey Scrivani (170) going with Ducato.

Huntley is sending Sam Henkle (132), Ryder Hunkins (182) and Markos Miholopoulos (285) to state. And Hampshire’s Dimitri Skoulikaris, who lost the 170 third-place match to Scrivani, 9-7, is the Whip-Purs’ first state qualifier as a 3A participant.

Ducato defeated Belvidere’s Brayden Tunniessen, 2-0, for the 106 title. For the second consecutive weekend, Ducato made it difficult for others to pry open the Golden Eagles’ star, who won a regional title a week ago to solidify his No. 4 spot in the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association rankings.

“Dominic has improved with each week, and his performance at the Dvorak against some great opponents has helped get him ready for these types of moments,” Jacobs coach Gary Conrad said.

Wright was runner-up at 126, while Jimenez was third.

For Huntley, Mihalopoulos lost, 3-1, in overtime to Warren’s Reyes Gonzalaz, who scored a takedown. Henkle won his third-place match by pin and Hunkins won his 7-5.

Dundee-Crown experienced a tough day as three wrestlers lost in the wrestleback semifinals, the blood round, where a victory assures a trip to state.

The Chargers’ Matt Impastato (145), Porter Leith (195) and Juan Jasso (220) all lost narrow decisions in their blood-round matches.