Dakota trio, other Rockford-area wrestlers build momentum at prestigious tournament
MACHESNEY PARK — Many believe that a loss, in any sport, if it comes at the right time against the right foe, can someday turn into a good thing.
There were some believers in that philosophy at the conclusion of the 34th annual Dvorak Wrestling Tournament on Sunday, as eight locals walked out of Harlem's gym with a medal wrapped around their necks, but no one took home a title.
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"We kind of go out and try and find losses, in a way, because we really want the tough competition, and we go after it," Dakota head coach Matt Jacobs said. "And we see it all year long, whenever we can, and so when we get into that state series, it's nothing new to us.
"This tournament is one of those. It's just a grind to get into that top eight."
Jacobs' team came away with 108 points to finish in 12th, easily the top local team in the 39-team tourney. And the Dakota trio of seniors Phoenix Blakely and Noah Wenzel and sophomore TJ Silva all climbed their way into the finals as the only area wrestlers to make it to the championship rounds.
All three suffered losses in the finals to take second, but walked away better for it.
"I kind of figured I had nothing to lose, and I just wanted to throw everything I had at him, and see what happened," said sophomore TJ Silva.
All three losses came to the No. 2-ranked wrestler in the nation, though, according to flowrestling.com. "Obviously I didn't get the outcome I wanted from this match, but I'm going to learn from it, and it's going to teach me what it takes, and what I have to do. It was a good match, and I'm already learning from it."
No titles, but close
So, for the second year in a row no local wrestler came away with a Dvorak title, but that trio of Dakota wrestlers soared all the way into the championship bouts, and five others from the area made a run at it. Three Belvidere wrestlers advanced into the semis, which was tops out of the NIC-10 teams participating. Belvidere, Freeport and Hononegah, as well as Dakota, represented the area in this year's Dvorak tourney.
And many of them found out that when you lose in the finals of a prestigious tournament like the Dvorak, to a multi-time defending state champ, or to a USA Team member, or even to a top nationally ranked wrestler, you can still take away some positives.
"You can definitely still gain some momentum, even if you take a loss like this one," said Blakely (19-1), who lost 13-2 in the finals to Rich Township's Nasir Bailey (22-1), a Fargo, Ironman and two-time Illinois state champ, and the second-ranked 138-pounder in the country. "I kind of dominated my way into the finals, but then he was a really, really tough opponent. Which is what you want. That was tough."
Blakely's teammate Silva (17-2) used a pair of pins to get into the 126-pound title match, but then he got pinned by St. Charles East's Ben Davino, a two-time state champ.
Their other teammate Noah Wenzel (17-2) was pinned in the 220-pound final by USA World Team member Koy Hopke (17-0) of Amery (Wisconsin), who is also an individual state champ and a member of the two-time team state champs in Wisconsin.
"It's such a tough, tough tournament, and some of those brackets were really something," Jacobs said. "Overall, we wrestled pretty well."
Other locals charge to medals
Belvidere's co-op had three wrestlers make it all the way to the semis, led by Brayden Teunissen (19-1) who hauled in third at 106 and Antonio Alvarado (20-1) who finished third at 145. Colin Young (19-3) took fourth at 152.
"I wasn't on the top of the podium, but I feel like I've just gained a little edge," Alvarado said. "I was right there, and it just showed me that I have to want it even more... You can gain some confidence even without winning a tournament like this. You get to showcase what you can do, and how close you are against everyone out there."
Freeport's Jacob Redington (23-2) finished fourth at 138 and Hononegah sophomore 170-pounder Kurt Smith (13-4) took eighth at 170.
"I've got some things now that I know I have to go back and improve on," said Reddington, who lost to Bailey in the quarterfinals. "But I thought I wrestled great in this tournament. I kept my composure, and just got better the whole weekend.
"This tournament is about facing the toughest guys in the state, that's it. It gets you ready."
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on Twitter at @JayTaft. Sign up for the Rockford High School newsletter at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a wide variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears to youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star, and for over 30 years all together.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Here's how Dakota trio built momentum at prestigious Dvorak tourney
