Junior Edgar Mosquera became the first boys wrestling state finalist in Riverside Brookfield High School history since 1983 and just the second top-six all-stater during that period.
Rather than reflect on making history, Mosquera continues looking to 2025 after losing 11-2 to Rock Island senior Truth Vesey for the Class 2A state championship at 113 pounds Saturday in Champaign.
“I’m still disappointed that I got second. I look to achieve anything I set my mind to,” Mosquera said Sunday.
“It really upset me after I trained so hard that I couldn’t get what I thought I worked hard enough for. It’s fine, though. This summer I’m going to train twice as hard, three times, and next year I’m going to be the state champ.”
Mosquera (41-7) made an impressive return after first qualifying for state in 2022 and going 0-2.
Senior Josh Gonzalez (41-12 at 144), who was 1-2 at state, joins Mosquera with the most single-season victories during Nick Curby’s eight seasons as head coach heading into the 2A team sectional Tuesday at Brother Rice. Junior Ethan Rivas (24-14 at 157) was 0-2 at state after overcoming shoulder and labrum injuries just to qualify.
Mosquera became the Bulldogs’ first state finalist since Dave Vohaska’s second state title in 1983 and first all-stater since Al’len Carter was fifth in 2A in 2015.
Mosquera won his first three state matches with 8-2 and 3-2 decisions and a third-period pin. Vesey (37-7) was an all-state fifth in 2023 and the only repeat all-stater within the weight class.
“[Mosquera] was confident throughout [state], which led to a lot of the success he had. He just ran up against a better wrestler at that time,” Curby said. “When the brackets came out, he knew he had a good shot to get a medal. As the tournament went on, the way he was wrestling, winning matches, he was growing more and more confident he could get in the finals.”
At the RB Regional Feb. 3, Mosquera lost in the finals to Kennedy’s Victor Alvarado 4-2 but felt a legal move that would have at least tied the match was not allowed.
In the Hinsdale South Sectional final Feb. 10, Mosquera beat Alvarado 12-4 after other dominant victories by technical fall, pin and major decision.
“Losing [regionals] made me feel really upset,” Mosquera said.
“You can really do anything that you put your mind to. I believe that and I was so close [to winning state]. It’s going to be all over again but it’ll be just way better.”
At 2023 state, Gonzalez was 0-2 at 138. This time, Gonzalez won his opening match 4-3 with a late escape but then was beaten by the state-runner up by technical fall (15-0) and the fourth-place finisher 6-4 in the consolation bracket.
“I lost to two all-state wrestlers. But I felt like I was right there,” Gonzalez said. “It’s been a wonderful experience. It’s been amazing going downstate two years. It’s awesome. The environment is like no other.”
Rivas was pinned in both matches. He started 15-4 before his injuries, then went 3-7 but rebounded for an admirable finish.
“It’s just hard when you’re one appendage down. But he battled,” Curby said. “Just getting down there on that [state] floor really set the table for next year.”
