Wrestling: Kennedy Keeps Fighting for Warriors

Only one remains.

Of the 11 Lincoln-Way West wrestlers that competed in Saturday’s sectional tournament, Joe Kennedy is the only one advancing to the Class 2A state finals next weekend in Champaign.

Lincoln-Way West wrestling coach Brian Glynn said Saturday’s tournament was a disappointment considering the firepower the Warrios showed in winning the Joliet Catholic Academy Regional.

“We definitely expected better results,” Glynn said. “It just wasn’t our week. We didn’t wrestle well. We couldn’t catch a break. We couldn’t get a call. Anything that could go wrong, it did.”

While Saturday’s sectional tournament at Lincoln-Way West featured two of the best teams in Class 2A wrestling, Marmion and Montini, Glynn expected the Warriors to send more wrestlers downstate. Lincoln-Way West had individuals competing for third place in five matches. None of them won.

“We didn’t win a third place match, which I expected and I know my wrestlers did,” Glynn said. “It’s just a tough feeling, a feeling like I’ve never felt before. I feel bad for my guys, because we were wrestling so well, and it was just so unexpected.”

While the team didn’t do well at sectionals, Kennedy, ranked fourth at 152 pounds in Class 2A, defeated fifth-ranked Steven Pozeg of Yorkville to reach the title bout. Kennedy lost to top-ranked Stephen Robertson of Montini and settled for a second-place finish. Glynn believes Kennedy can do well at state, though that didn’t change his overall disappointment with the Warriors' showing.

 “If (Kennedy) keeps his head on straight, he could definitely cause a couple upsets or be on that podium with a state place finish,” Glynn said. “He wrestled well, and he was the one person today who reached his goal. But, overall, it just wasn’t a good weekend.”