Riverside Brookfield High School junior Edgar Mosquera worked hard to qualify for the Class 2A boys wrestling individual state meet as a freshman. After not advancing last year, advice and help from older brother Ernesto helped him work even harder.
“I knew that if I put enough in, I was going to get a lot out,” Mosquera said. “If you train and work really hard, you can do just about anything.”
On Saturday, Mosquera joined senior Josh Gonzalez and junior Ethan Rivas in earning top-four finishes at the Hinsdale South Sectional to advance to the state meet Thursday through Saturday in Champaign.
Mosquera (38-6) won the 113-pound championship in dominating fashion. Gonzalez (40-10) finished second at 144, and Rivas (24-12) admirably overcame continuing shoulder and labrum injuries for fourth at 157. Six of the Bulldogs’ 12 sectional qualifiers lost in the consolation semifinals — one victory from state berths.
In 2022, Mosquera advanced to state by taking fourth at sectionals but was 1-2 at the 2023 sectional.
“I knew I had to do something so I called my brother and asked him what are some diets because he knew a lot of that,” Mosquera said. “He paid for my [LA Fitness] membership. I ran every single day. It was a big motivation to not qualify for state [last year] but now I’m here.”
Gonzalez also has top-six all-state aspirations after qualifying for state in 2023 at 138 by taking fourth at sectionals after losing his first match. Both assured themselves of qualifying by advancing to Saturday’s championship match.
“The nice thing is if they had pressure [to qualify again], you couldn’t tell. They were very calm and cool,” RBHS coach Nick Curby said.
In the sectional final, Mosquera defeated Kennedy’s Victor Alvarado 12-4 to avenge his 4-2 loss in the RB Regional final Feb. 3. Mosquera won his three earlier sectional matches by technical fall, pin and major decision.
Gonzalez beat his division’s other two state qualifiers, including one by pin, before losing 12-2 in the final to St. Rita senior Sean Larkin (18-2), ranked No. 2 in the state.
“This is a little bump in the road, but the goal is still to be all-state,” said Gonzalez, ranked No. 11. “I’m already used to the big lights [at state], the platform, higher tempo. I would like to say mentally [I’ve progressed most] because I’m more prepared. I feel like I believe in myself, confidence. Wrestling is 99 percent mental.”
In his qualifying match, Rivas nearly looked as though he would have to take an injury default after expending all of his allotted 90 seconds with a back injury with 1:16 left in the second period.
“I was just happy to get back on my feet and keep wrestling,” Rivas said. “It was now or never so I had to go no matter what.”
Losing 8-6 to Brother Rice senior Pat Gilhooly (21-12) at that point, Rivas got a third-period takedown to pull ahead 10-9 with 45 seconds left. Two late near-fall points sealed the victory before being reversed just before the buzzer.
“It felt amazing. I was just happy to get back and pull through with the victory even with a bad shoulder,” said Rivas, who forfeited the third-place match. “That match just took all of my heart. I left it all out there on the mat.”
“To have that [injury] happen and still battle back and the whole weekend the way he was with the shoulder. To have him accomplish this goal for him was very satisfying as a coach,” Curby said.
In the consolation semifinals, senior Mateo Gonzalez (23-15 at 106) lost 15-13 in overtime, juniors Jacob Godoy (29-18 at 132) and Ricky Gutierrez-Blanco (23-12 at 138) lost 5-0 and 6-1, respectively, sophomore Jayden Tulian (22-16 at 120) lost 15-6 and seniors Cade Tomkins (26-11 at 165) and Jacob Noe (32-19 at 150) were pinned. Junior Nate Stanard (21-17 at 126) was 1-2 and juniors Matt Elzy (24-10 at 190) and Anthony Esposito (16-27 at 215) were 0-2.
Leading 12-11 late, Mateo Gonzalez lost after his opponent allowed an escape and got a takedown with six seconds left to force overtime.
“To have guys come that close and not make [state], it’s heart-wrenching as a coach and I feel how they feel, but a couple of them are underclassmen,” Curby said. “This is their fuel now for the next 12 months.”
The Bulldogs also have the 2A team Brother Rice Sectional Feb. 20. They must beat Hinsdale South and Brother Rice or Oak Forest for a downstate berth in Bloomington.
