Riverside Brookfield High School senior Nick O’Connor enters this boys wrestling season with a stronger body and hopefully stronger feet.
“I’ve been working out a lot more, been in the weight room more,” O’Connor said. “People have been telling me they think they can see it, at least in my legs, so I hope I’ll be able to improve with my wrestling strength-wise.”
O’Connor is among six returning 2025 or 2024 individual sectional qualifiers for the Bulldogs, who graduated most of their starting lineup and a program-record 16 seniors.
The Bulldogs were Class 2A RBHS Regional team champions for their fourth regional title in the past five postseasons. They finished second to Glenbard East in the Upstate Eight Conference East Division and eighth at the UEC Tournament.
Senior Miles Russell-Barnes (8-10 record at 113 pounds last season) and O’Connor (30-12 at 175) were 2-2 at sectionals with Russell-Barnes one backdraw victory from reaching state. Junior Tony Lombardo (21-17 at 138) was 1-2 and seniors Joey Alberts (14-21 at 283) and Tony Miranda (5-5 at 150) were 0-2. Senior Jayden Tulian, one victory from reaching sectionals, was a 2024 sectional qualifier at 120, one victory from reaching state.
“I just wish I did better [at sectionals] but I think I’ll definitely be able to improve,” O’Connor said. “[It’s] just a confidence thing. I really have to just show up and wrestle. A lot of times I don’t finish matches very well. I want to be able to push through that seven-minute mark.”
Needing top-three regional finishes to advance, Russell-Barnes and Lombardo were regional champions, O’Connor was second and Miranda and Alberts were third. Tulian (16-16 at 126) was fourth.
O’Connor also might have been a regional champion if not for his opponent accidentally stepping on his foot and O’Connor falling as a result.
“It wasn’t intentional,” O’Connor said. “I probably could have continued to win that match or score more points but that really took it out of me, trying to get off my back.”
Back at 175 this season, O’Connor won 7-1 in the Bulldogs’ season-opening 67-6 dual loss at Lyons Township Nov. 27. Sophomore Riley Cavaliere also won 11-5 at 106. Other varsity newcomers in the dual included seniors Gerald Evans (190) and Kevin Zuniga (285), junior Colin Tomkins (144) and sophomores David Lopez (126), Elijah Rembis (165) and Josh Villeda (157).
“I miss those seniors [from] last year. They really showed me the ropes for my first year on varsity,” O’Connor said. “There’s definitely maybe a gap in our room right now, but I think that we all still bring the effort every day and that’s the most important thing for our team.”
LTHS boys wrestling
After placing as high as seventh in years past, Lyons Township senior boys wrestler Griff Powell experienced a national championship at 138 pounds at the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals, Oct. 22-26, in Des Moines, Iowa.
“I would place but never at the top of the podium, which is always where you want to be,” said Powell, who hopes to be there again this 3A high school season after taking an all-state sixth at 132 in his first state trip as a junior.
Now competing at 138, Powell (6-0) was ranked No. 1 pre-season for his 3A weight class and beat two all-staters enroute to taking the title at the Barrington Invitational Friday.
“It just shows that my hard work is paying off. I’ve made those jumps and I’m getting ready to make another jump to be better in the country, not just in the state,” said Powell, who will wrestle next season for Illinois. “Obviously [the goal is] to be a state champ but more than that, I want to dominate, show everyone I’m on a different level. [Last season] I took backseats to people. I’m better now. That’s my mentality.”
Sophomore Louie King (19-18 at 106) and seniors Cornell Fennessee (25-16 at 165) and Jimmy Hillmann of Brookfield (29-19 at 285) also return as 2025 sectional qualifiers. King, who came one sectional victory from reaching state, and Fennessee were 2-2 and Hillmann was 1-2. Now at 132, King is currently injured. Junior Ignacio Rodriguez, now at 113, was a 106 sectional qualifier as a freshman and fourth at regionals last year (16-19 at 106).
The Barrington Invite was completed in one day because of Saturday’s impending snowstorm. Sophomore Jesse Nunez-Garcia (6-1 at 150) and Hillmann (5-1 at 285) were fifth, senior Luke Wilhelm (5-2 at 190) was seventh and Fennessee (3-2 at 165) came one victory from placing. The Lions were 10th of 33 teams.
“If you place at the Barrington Tournament, it’s one of the toughest tournaments throughout the year. All of those guys proved that they can wrestle at a high level,” said LTHS coach Griff Powell, also father of the Lions’ returning all-stater. “Griff’s wrestling well right now. He’s getting better, putting a lot of things together, wrestling with some confidence. And he’s scoring a lot of points.”
Last season, Powell had a 35-7 record and reached 100 career victories during his 2-3 state performance. He came one sectional victory from state as a freshman and had to withdraw during sectionals as a sophomore because of an injury. In the Barrington final, Powell won 6-3 over Grant’s Eric Rodriguez, third in 3A at 138 last season. In the semifinals, he won 5-1 over Providence’s Tommy Banas, a two-time all-stater and the No. 1-ranked 138 wrestler for 2A.
How well many newcomers progress will determine the Lions’ team success. Ten made their varsity debuts in the season-opening 67-6 victory over Riverside Brookfield Nov. 27. King and sophomore returnee Sal Alvarado at 106 are expected to return soon.
“It’s nice to see how some of these kids compete at the varsity level,” coach Powell said. “I was very pleased with how aggressive we are. I think we’ve got some promise for throughout the year.”
