Wrestling: Lyons push on despite heavy losses

Updated: November 18, 2011 7:19PM

A familiar name from the football field becomes the only returning state qualifier for Lyons Township.

Senior Jaime Jones, the leading rusher for LT’s Class 8A state quarterfinalist football squad, is the top wrestler back after the Lions graduated nine seniors, including several that competed in last year’s Class 3A state wrestling meet.

Jones (26-17 last season) went 0-2 at the state meet. LT won the regional and has three other top returnees with seniors Jack Pearson and Carter Beebe and junior Brian Krueger.

Pearson was fourth in the regional and failed to advance to the sectional.

“(Jones) was back in the room on the first day (after football),” Lions’ coach Griff Powell said. “He feels good and healthy as our returning state qualifier.”

Powell said Jones will benefit from the new weight classes introduced this season by the Indianapolis-based National Federation of High Schools Sports Associations. Jones will likely wrestle at 182 pounds.

“At 189, Jaime gave up weight for it.” Powell said.

The new weight classes are 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220, 285.

The number of weight classes remains the same at 14 in the first major change to the sport by the NFHS in 23 years.

Powell was critical of the new weight classes, which he said condensed classes at the middleweights.

“A lot of guys will battle for a few sports in the middleweights,” Powell said.

Every year, LT has been able to attract nearly 150 kids into the program at all levels. That number is far ahead of any of its other West Suburban Silver rivals. That amount of participants should lead to a quick turnaround for the Lions considering the number of seniors lost to last year’s graduation.

“That was probably the most seniors lost in a while,” Powell said. “We had a good year last year. With that many seniors, they were all talented. I believe we had a successful season, which we did.”

One of the highlights in the offseason was a second-place finish in June at Northwestern’s team camp. LT competed against l7 other teams in July in a tournament which began with teams from Illinois, New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio and Oklahoma.

“Every year we go. It was an opportunity to get matches in during the offseason,” Powell said. “It’s a great opportunity for the guys to bond as a team.

LT was set to open the season in a dual meet against Plainfield East Nov. 23 at North campus in La Grange.

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