Wrestling: Unbeaten Harlem handles Trevians at sectionals
BY GARY LARSEN Contributor February 22, 2012 12:34AM
Wheeling 2/21/12 New Trier High School varsity wrestler, Chris Alcock (junior), wrestles Harlem High School junior, Jordan Northrup, during a meet at Wheeling High School, on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. | Ruthie Hauge ~ Sun-Times Media
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Updated: April 2, 2012 8:06AM
New Trier knew what it was up against in taking on unbeaten Harlem in the Class 3A team sectional at Wheeling.
New Trier lost 41-24 to the Huskies, ending their season on Feb. 21, but the Trevians competed well against one of the best teams in Illinois.
“We knew it would be tough going in but we’re a tough team and we don’t get a lot of respect,” New Trier senior Jack Conner said. “People underestimate us but hopefully the program will start to get the respect it deserves.”
Harlem earned a 9-5 edge in matches won, including four pins and a pair of major decisions. The Huskies led 16-0 after three matches before New Trier’s Colin Kenyon won by fall at 106 pounds.
Teammate MJ Pritchard followed with a tech fall win at 113 and New Trier’s Chris Alcock did his part at 120 to keep things close.
Alcock held Harlem state champion Jordan Northrup to a simple decision win, and teammate Alec McKenna followed by holding Harlem’s Zac Denny to a decision at 126 pounds.
“Alcock and McKenna challenged those guys,” Trevians coach Marc Adelman said. “They held their own against some of Harlem’s best guys so you have to be proud of them.”
Harlem got pins from Tanner Anthony (132) and Jake Baxter (138) before Jake Messink (145) secured the dual win with a major decision.
Conner ended his high school career with a major decision at 152 pounds and the Trevians’ Paul Papoutsis won by decision at 160. Luke Hidder’s pin at 170 followed before Harlem ended the night with a decision win at 182 pounds.
“We knew they’d be tough. They’re not undefeated for no reason,” Tadelman said. “I thought we battled them. Overall I thought we wrestled well.”
Seniors Conner, Hidder, Scott Schwartz, and Arash Ghafouri will depart Tadelman’s program.
“They were here the first year I started coaching at New Trier and they’ve worked hard and set a good example,” Tadelman said. “They’ve battled injuries, ups and downs, and I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about our seniors.”
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