Wildcats hang on, claim conference

Updated: March 23, 2011 9:34AM

As the NSC Tournament finals commenced on Saturday evening, Libertyville knew Warren was within striking range. But clutch efforts from throughout the lineup allowed the Wildcats to pull away.

Pat Fitzgerald set the tone by claiming a 112-pound title. The Wildcats' junior earned a 3-1 overtime decision over Grant junior Ben Soumar (28-8).

"I just had to match his pace," said Fitzgerald, who improved to 21-13. "However hard he was going, I had to go harder."

When the opportunity surfaced in overtime, Fitzgerald didn't miss it.

"I needed to get the front head," Fitzgerald said. "He gave it up for a second, and that's all it took."

The gravity of the match was not lost on Fitzgerald.

"I knew I would be the first match for Libertyville (in the finals)," he said. "I had to start it off right."

Libertyville finished the meet with 186 points to hold off Warren (174.5) in the 14-team gathering. Cat senior Sayad Banifazl provided a big lift by edging Warren junior Aaron Brewton 4-3 in the 152 title bout.

"To win a conference title, we had to wrestle smart," said Banifazl (24-11). "What kept me going was my team was cheering me on. I did it (beat Brewton) and I'm happy."

Wildcat coach Dale Eggert praised all of his wrestlers for erasing a deficit following the quarterfinal round.

"We did well in the wrestlebacks, especially in the consolation semifinals," Eggert said.

A good portion of the individual spotlight settled on Stevenson senior Danny Sabatello. The defending IHSA state champion did not disappoint, registering 12 takedowns to earn a technical fall in the 125 final over Libertyville junior Charlie Meyer.

"It's only satisfying to me if I dominate the kid," said Sabatello, who is 33-0. "I have to work on my takedowns so that I'm prepared for the state tournament."

The other individual NSC champs were Wauconda sophomore Devin Tortorice (now 30-4 at 103), Zion-Benton sophomore Abel Rios (27-1 at 119), Lake Zurich freshman Sean Lynch (17-3 at 130), Lake Zurich senior Alex Nigro (23-8 at 135), Mundelein senior Payton Cruz (33-4 at 140), Antioch junior George Gonzalez (37-4 at 145), Warren senior TJ Parker (32-3 at 160), Mundelein senior Pablo Mata (17-7 at 171), Antioch junior Zach Epker (33-2 at 189), Wauconda senior Brian Kent (28-1 at 215) and Vernon Hills junior Jeremy Brazil (31-5 at 285).

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