2/21/10 - Arlis Shows the Heart of a Champion
In the course of an action packed weekend, Logan Arlis became only the second Bulldog to place twice in the state tournament, and despite falling just short of the ultimate goal of a state championship, Arlis still displayed the heart of a champion. His tournament run began with a convincing 11-5 win in the preliminary round, setting up a much anticipated matchup with last year's 103lbs champion. and top-ranked 119lber, Eddie Klimara of Providence Catholic. While pushing the pace in much of the match, a 1st period takedown/nearfall sequence after a scramble, proved too big a hole to dig out of against such an accomplished opponent, and Arlis fell 6-4 and dropped into the wrestle backs. Faced with this kind of disappointment, many wrestlers have "thrown in the towel", but Arlis showed a tremendous determination to end his career on a high note, running the table in the wrestle backs to take 3rd place. Winning four straight matches in dominant fashion, none with a margin of victory of less than 4 points, including an 8-1 win over the #4 ranked wrestler in the 3rd place match. In the process, Arlis not only put an exclamation mark on his career, but ironically, the extra matches also enabled him to reach 43 victories for the season, tying the team record shared by Steve DuVall and Danny Watson. He also finished his career with 145 victories at Batavia, just 2 shy of his brother Clint's career record of 147 wins, and has left the Bulldog faithful a lot of exciting memories we will not forget.
Fellow senior Tyler Patton also put it all out on the mat, but with a tough draw, ended up losing to both the eventual runner-up and 4th place finisher at 135lbs. Tyler finished his career with 80 varsity wins, a Conference and Regional title this year, and a chance to end it on the big stage in Champaign.
Joey Shump became the first freshman from Batavia to taste action at the state tournament as a late replacement for a wrestler who was forced to withdraw, and while his time on the mat after a preliminary round loss was too short for his liking, I am sure it did nothing more than fuel his fire to make a few more return trips before his career is done.
12/18/10 - State Championships Live on the Web
Can't make it to Champaign to see the State Championships in person, no problem. This year the IHSA will be live streaming EVERY match on the web starting at 8:30 PM with the first round of the Class 3A. This round will feature batavia wrestlers Logan Arlis (119lbs), Tyler Patton (135lbs), and as of today, Joey Shump (103lbs) who is a late substitute for a wrestler who had to withdraw.
2/13/10 - Arlis and Patton Clinch Berth in State Finals
Sectionals epitomize the "thrill of victory and the agony of defeat", as each year 12 elite wrestlers in each weight class fight it out for the "golden ticket", a trip to the state finals in Champaign. This year was no exception for the Bulldogs as our six representatives took to the mat at Glenbard North. In one of the more dramatic moments of the Sectional, Logan Arlis was upset in the quarterfinals on Friday night, losing for the first time this year to the #9 ranked wrestler in the state. Arlis successfully regrouped by Saturday morning, and ran the table with 4 straight victories to take 3rd place honors, including a 1st period pin of the #7 ranked wrestler in his decisive semi-final wrestleback match. Tyler Patton looked very impressive in winning his first two matches, but had an early lead slip away in his semi-final match to drop him into the wrestlebacks as well. Patton took a page out of Arlis' book, and took his next two matches and 3rd place to and earn the right to finish his career in Champaign. Joey Shump and Luis Campos won their first matches convincingly, but lost their quarter-final matches on Friday night. They both won their next two matches on Saturday, putting them one match away from the state finals. Unfortunately for both, they fell just short of this goal, but in the process both left their mark in the Batavia record book. For Campos, a 3 year varsity wrestler, and two-time Sectional qualifier, joined the 30 win club for the first time with a season high 33 wins, and for his career notched his 80th victory. In the case of Joey Shump, his 32 wins on the season set a new Freshman record, eclipsing that set by Clint Arlis in 2002, and in the process, provided further evidence that there will be many brighter days ahead for this talented young wrestler. Fellow seniors Pat Martin and Rich Smith also capped their successful campaigns at the Sectional, and despite not advancing, can be rightfully proud of the best seasons of their careers.
We hope you will join us in Champaign this coming Friday and Saturday to cheer for Logan and Tyler (and other local wrestlers) as they battle the best for the ultimate prize, a place on the podium come Saturday night.
2/6/10 - Six Wrestlers Punch Ticket to Sectionals
Once you reach Regionals each year the importance of every match is magnified, and this is particularly true for the seniors who know that two losses will not only be the end of their high school careers, but for most, also their competitive wrestling career. With all five of the season-long seniors in the line-up advancing to Sectionals, three with victories in the do or die third-place match, it was obvious that they would stop at nothing to keep their careers alive for at least one more week.
Leading the way for the Bulldogs was now three time Regional Champion Logan Arlis, who stayed undefeated on the season while handling the field with relative ease. Tyler Patton continued his late season surge, capturing his first Regional crown in what was one of the toughest weight classes at the tournament. Freshman, Joey Shump, also made it to the finals, and while taking it to his opponent early, eventually fell to his highly ranked opponent from Glenbard North. Attention then turned to the third-place mat where three remaining seniors, Rich Smith, Luis Campos and Pat Martin all punched their tickets to next weeks Glenbard North Sectional with hard fought and decisive victories.
Overall, the Bulldogs, despite having to wrestle without injured and state-ranked 145lber Augie Watson, took 4th place behind Regional Champion and local power Glenbard North.
1/30/10 - JV and Freshman Conference Tournament Results
Batavia served has host for this year's JV and Freshman conference tournament and despite a rather depleted squad saw a number of individual wrestlers turn in strong performances. On the JV mats, Matt Kopala was the champion at 130lbs, and the other finalists, Dylan Beach and Ken Radcliff, finished as runners-up after closely contested championship matches. Dylan Findley came back from a first round loss to take 3rd place at 145lbs and David Carr rounded out the place winners with a 4th place finish at 112lbs. At the Freshman level, John Wagner took home top honors at 140lbs, and Connor Beach and Charlie Smorczewski were runners-up at 103lbs and 112lbs respectively.
1/29/10 - Ordering State Tournament Tickets
Hello wrestlers, parents and friends! We are just a few short weeks away from the State tournament and need to place our ticket order. Tickets are $40.00 and are for all four sessions. Getting them in advance guarantees that we will all be sitting together and that we will be as close as possible to the mat that our wrestlers will be wrestling on. I plan on placing this order after Regionals on Saturday, February 6. The tickets need to be paid for when your order is place, with checks made payable to Mishelle Shump. The web site is www.uofiassemblyhall.com if you would like to take a look at the exact times and sessions.
I will be collecting orders tomorrow at the WSC tournament and at Regionals next week. Also, feel free to call me at 630-715-9579 if you need to make other arraignments or have any other questions
1/28/10 - Senior Night at Batavia
It was a bittersweet night at Batavia as we honored our seven Seniors as they wrestled their last matches in their home gym. Logan Arlis, Luis Campos, Mike Hoefler, Wil Huggins, Pat Martin, Tyler Patton and Rich Smith have grown up before our eyes over the past four years, providing many exciting moments and representing our team, school and community well. In their last dual against St. Charles East they continued to do the same, but we also got to see a glimpse of what the future holds with the three freshmen in the lineup all winning their respective matches.
The evening started at 140lbs and St. Charles took an early lead with a second period fall. Augie Watson avenged this loss, beating state qualifier Nick Scimeca at 145lbs, and his brother Mickey won a 5-0 decision in the next match to even the match score. St. Charles went on to win four of the next five matches, including one by forfeit at 215lbs, to build a 24-10 lead. The lone bright spot in this stretch was a 14-2 major decision delivered by Luis Campos at 189lbs. Things started to change for the Bulldogs at the lightweights, with Joey Shump winning by a tech fall against a 25 match winner from St. Charles, followed by Charlie Smorczewski's pin at 112lbs, his first as a varsity wrestler. St. Charles picked up a pin of their own at 119lbs, and then Logan Arlis completed his second consecutive undefeated regular season with a 8-2 decision to bring the Dogs within 6 points. A 9-1 loss at 130lbs put the meet out of reach, but Tyler Patton, continuing his recent string of stellar performances, won convincingly over 28 match winner Alex Maynard to cap his Senior Night on a high note. Batavia ended up winning 7 of the 13 contested matches, but the forfeit and bonus points provided St. Charles its ultimate 34-27 victory.
1/23/10 - Arlis and Patton Take Top Spot at Western Sun Tournament
Logan Arlis (119) earned his third consecutive conference championship, in the process becoming only the second Batavia wrestler in history to achieve this milestone. Tyler Patton (135) won his first conference title after two runner-up finishes, exacting revenge for two earlier dual meet losses along the way. Augie Watson a runner-up, and Joey Shump, Evan Christianson and Rich Smith came back through the wrestle-backs to take 3rd. All six wrestlers were named All-Conference, with Batavia placing 4th as a team.
1/16/10 - Bulldogs Take 2nd Place at Batavia Invitational
The Bulldogs got important contributions from up and down their line-up, placing wrestlers in 10 of 14 weight classes, but ultimately fell just short of their attempt to three-peat as champions of the Batavia Invitational. Logan Arlis (119) secured the only championship with a 4-3 win over Jimmy Nehls of Downers Grove North. Arlis earned Outstanding Wrestler for the second consecutive tournament. Joining Arlis on the championship mat, and taking up runner-up honors were Joey Shump (103), Tyler Patton (135), Luis Campos (189) and Part Martin (285). Augie Watson took 4th place after a loss to the eventual champion in the semi-finals. Evan Christianson (112) and Mickey Watson (152) battled back from 1st round losses to make it all the way back to 5th place, and brothers Rich Smith (130) and Shaquille Smith (215) finished 6th.
1/15/10 - Batavia Wraps Up Conference Duals with Win Over Rochelle
Batavia finished up the dual meet portion of the conference schedule with a 54-12 win over Rochelle and a 5-2 record. With Batavia moving to the Upstate 8 Conference next year, this wraps up a a successful run in the short-lived Western Sun, and all that remains is to see if the team can spring the upset on Sycamore and Yorkville to three-peat as Conference Tournament Champions this coming weekend.
1/14/10 - Bulldogs Roll Over Raiders
Coach Arlis put his blood pressure medication to the side for one night as the Bulldogs started fast and kept the pedal to the metal against Glenbard South. Starting the old fashioned way at the lightest weight, a forfeit victory and a pin by Evan Christianson (112) gave Batavia the early lead. At 125lbs, Logan Arlis moved his season record to 23-0 with another pin, and after Rich Smith's 9-5 decision in the next match, Tyler Patton, returning from illness, racked up his second tech fall in as many nights. The Watson brothers, Augie and Mickey, picked up back to back pins at 145lbs and 152lbs respectively, and Adam Schulz added to the tally at 171lbs. In the closest match of the night, Luis Campos won 4-2 in overtime at 189lbs and Shaquille Smith rounded out the scoring for the Dogs with their 6th pin of the night at 215lbs. The final margin of victory was 53-15.
1/13/10 - Batavia Wins a Nailbiter Against Kaneland
As has often been the case this season, Batavia had its ups and downs during its 32-30 dual meet victory over Kaneland, with Matt Goodin coming up big for the Bulldogs in the penultimate match of the night to secure the win.
1/9/10 - Bulldogs Return to Action in Home Quad
Returning to action after a three week layoff due to a combination of the holidays followed by dual meet cancelations for a viral breakout on the team and bad weather, the Bulldogs knocked off some of the rust while taking 1 of 3 dual matches in their home quad against Romeoville, Marist and West Aurora.
The day started on a high note with a 60-10 romp over Romeoville, although in their defense, Romeoville did have to forfeit five weight classes due to a bout of flu hitting their team. The Bulldogs got pins from Logan Arlis (119), Max Christianson (125) and Matt Goodin (140), and a tech fall from Mickey Watson (152). In total they won 7 of the 9 contested matches.
Next up was Marist and the Bulldogs dug themselves a 15-0 hole after the first three matches. Luis Campos (189) got the Dogs on the board with a 5-1 decision, and after giving up 6 points at 215lbs, Pat Martin picked up a second period pin at 285lbs. Moving back to the lightweights, we saw a rematch of the state championship semi-final from 2009 between Logan Arlis and Sean Raddatz of Marist. The pair faced each other twice last year, with Arlis prevailing by a point both times, but this year Arlis took any suspense out of the match with a dominating performance, registering a 21-5 tech fall late in the 3rd period. This sparked a Bulldog run with a fall from Max Christianson at 125lbs and an impressive 8-0 major from Rich Smith at 130lbs to close the deficit to 6 points. Unfortunately, despite the a determined effort of the replacements, the absence of Tyler Patton and Augie Watson, as they continue to recover from illness, may well have tipped the scales in favor of Marist as they ran of three wins, two by fall, to close out the meet with a 45-24 win.
The closest match of the day was against local rival West Aurora, although ten of the individual matches ended in a pin. West Aurora drew first blood at 160lbs and 171lbs, but the Bulldogs responded with four straight pins from Luis Campos, Shaquille Smith, Pat Martin and Joey Shump to take a 24-12 lead. West Aurora state qualifier Nicholas Drendel brought the Blackhawks back within 6 points with the 7th straight pin of the dual. Logan Arlis than faced another state ranked opponent and came out with guns blazing to take an early lead, and controlled the match from that point forward to secure an impressive 10-1 major decision. Rich Smith, wrestling as well as he has all year, came back from a 3rd period deficit to get a 2 point near fall at the buzzer to win the match. The Blackhawks then racked up a pair of pins, and after a major decision at 145lbs, had assured themselves of victory with a match in hand. Mickey Watson scored a late takedown to come back for a 3-2 decision in the final match of the day to narrow West Aurora's margin of victory to 39-34.
Congratulations to Logan Arlis, Rich Smith, Luis Campos and Pat Martin who were undefeated on the day.
12/19/09 - Arlis Repeats as Champion at Glenbrook South Invitational and Named Outstanding Wrestler
Logan Arlis, wrestling at 119lbs, led the Bulldogs to a 6th place finish at the Glenbrook South Invitational, pinning his way through his bracket to repeat as champion of this 17 team tournament. In the final he faced Danny Sabatello from Stevenson, who placed 4th in the state last year, and with a lateral throw was able to finish the match late in the 1st period. For his efforts he was also voted the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. An interesting side note here is that this also represents the 2nd anniversary of the last time that Arlis lost a match other than in the State Tournament. Arlis was joined on the championship mat by Joey Shump (103lbs) and Augie Watson (145lbs), who both ended the tournament as runners-up. Other medalists were 5th place winners Tyler Patton (135lbs) and Luis Campos (189lbs), and 6th place finisher Pat Martin (285lbs). To see the complete brackets, click the link below. The Bulldogs will take a week or so off from competition and will be back on the mat on December 29th at Glenbard South in Western Sun Conference action.
12/17/09 - Bulldogs Rally Late but Fall to Spartans
In the second night of back to back duals against conference rivals and Top 5 ranked teams in Class 2A, the Bulldogs squared off against undefeated and conference leader Sycamore. The evening could not have gone much worse for Batavia in the early going, losing five straight matches to fall behind 21-0. However, the Dogs showed their resilience and worked their way back into the match starting with Mickey Watson's pin at 160lbs. Luis Campos prevailed in a close tactical battle at 189lbs, using a pair of takedowns to secure a 5-3 decision. Entering the heavyweight match, Batavia trailed 33-9, but Pat Martin showed once again how much he has improved in a year, earning a pin after taking a 6-2 lead in the 2nd period and defeating an opponent who pinned him in 37 seconds just a year ago. With the crowd getting back into the match, Joey Shump earned another 6 points with a second period pin at 103lbs, and Evan Christianson after almost pinning his opponent with his signature headlock went on to win 9-5. Logan Arlis, dropping down to 119lbs, did everything in his power to keep the string of pins alive, but despite riding his opponent for almost the entire match, and trying every trick in the book, could not turn an opponent who was arguably willing to stall his way through the match to save the Spartans three crucial team points. Arlis' decision brought the Bulldogs to within six points entering the last match, and after taking an early lead, the Sycamore wrestler rallied with a pin to secure his match and the dual. Final score was 39-27 in favor of Sycamore. The Bulldogs return to action this weekend at the Glenbrook South tournament before taking a short Christmas break.
12/16/09 - Batavia Falls to Yorkville in Western Sun Matchup
When you looked at the individual match ups, it was clear that the Bulldogs had little margin for error in their dual meet with Yorkville (ranked #4 in Class AA). The formula for success required wins in most if not all of the matches that looked even on paper, and to win the battle of pins. As the meet went on it became clear that it was Yorkville's night, but there was a lot of exciting wrestling, and the final 42-23 score in favor of Yorkville does not paint a fair reflection of how close the match really was. Logan Arlis, Rich Smith, Augie Watson, Adam Schulz and Pat Martin were the five winners for Batavia, with Martin and Watson delivering pins, and Arlis and Smith almost duplicating this achievement, but having to settle for major decisions. To read local media coverage of the meet, click on the links below.
12/12/09 - Bulldogs Claim Mustang Invitational Title
The Bulldogs battled all day long with Hinsdale Central for the top spot at the Downers Grove South Mustang Invitational, and translated a strong final round to pass the Red Devils for the top spot, with bonus points providing the margin of victory. Leading the way were champions Joey Shump (103lbs), Logan Arlis (125lbs), Augie Watson (145lbs) and Luis Campos (189lbs). Arlis earned the distinction of completing a rare four-peat, winning an individual title at this tournament in each year of his high school career, and with Freshman Joey Shump winning the first tournament of his career, we hope that three years from now he will have matched this achievement. Other place winners were runner-ups Evan Christianson (112lbs) and Tyler Patton (135lbs). Jake Schulz (119lbs) and Pat Martin (285lbs) secured critical pins in winning their 3rd place matches, and Max Christianson (130lbs) finished 4th.
12/10/09 - Bulldogs Fight to the Finish to Beat Geneva
Similar to last week against DeKalb, Batavia built a comfortable lead in the early going against Geneva, only to see it almost slip away before securing the victory in dramatic fashion. The match started at 112lbs, and Evan Christianson, after falling behind early, had two third period takedowns to win 7-4. Jake Schulz followed at 119lbs, and like Christianson, came back from an early deficit to take a 5-4 lead after a 2 point nearfall in the 3rd period, but after giving a late reversal, lost 6-5 in a well wrestled match. Logan Arlis was next on the mat and he made short work of his opponent, winning by pin at 1:21. Max Christianson, a late substitute for Rich Smith at 130lbs, came up big, besting Arlis by 5 seconds in recording a first period pin of his own. After Tyler Patton won an 11-8 decision in the next match, the Bulldogs had built an 18-3 lead in the match. A loss by pin at 140lbs cut into the lead and set up a pivotal match of the night. In what on paper looked to be a very close match featuring Augie Watson of Batavia against Willy Wilbur of Geneva, turned into a one-sided affair. Watson got an early takedown and rode out Wilbur the rest of the period, and then starting down in the second period quickly reversed his opponent with a Granby and then took him to his back for the pin. At 152lbs, Dylan Findlay faced a 3 year varsity wrestler from Geneva and was in early trouble fighting off a pin on a couple of occasions. To Dylan's credit he regrouped after the first period and wrestled his opponent evenly the rest of the way, saving a couple of critical team points in the process. Freshman Mickey Watson wrestled a very solid match at 160lbs winning 8-4, establishing a 14 point lead for Batavia. In a match reminiscent of the 152lb match, Adam Schulz went down 7-0 in the first period and hung on to avoid a pin at the buzzer. He then proved again that he is tough on top, riding out his opponent in the second period, and when the match ended 9-2, he had successfully kept the damage to only 3 team points. In another anticipated matchup, Luis Campos and Ryan Ward faced off in a re-match of last year's conference championship match, with Ward from Geneva exacting a little revenge for his previous loss with a 3-1 decision in a match as close as the score suggests. At 215lbs, last week's hero Shaquille Smith faced undefeated Will Duerr of Geneva, with Duerr's experience seemingly making all the difference as he twice rolled through a throw to take Smith to his back, and on the second occasion, in the 3rd period, secured the pin that brought Geneva within 2 points at 27-25. Pat Martin was next to take the mat in a rematch of last year's heavyweight match. Once again both wrestlers went for the headlock early, and just like last year, Martin had better position and ended the match with a pin in less than 40 seconds to give Batavia the win with a match in hand. In the last match of the night, Joey Shump faced a familiar opponent in Brad Martens of Geneva, and after a close first two periods, Shump gained the upper hand late in the match to secure a 9-4 victory and a 36-25 Batavia victory.
12/09/09 - Regional and Sectional Assignments Announced
The IHSA has released its Regional and Sectional assignments for this year's state series. The Bulldogs will travel to St. Charles East for the Regional and then to Glenbard North for the individual sectional. The regional will includes both the aforementioned teams as well as local rival Geneva.
12/7/09 - Steve Cherry Injury Update
For those of you who have been wondering why there has been no mention of Steve Cherry, a Junior and two year varsity wrestler, in this year's team updates, I regret to inform you that he recently had a bone scan and found out he has two fractured vertabrae in his lower back. He'll be resting for two months and doing physical therapy after that, and barring a miracle will be out for the season. We wish Steve a speedy recovery and hope that he comes back stronger than ever for his Senior year.
12/5/09 - JV Squad Takes 1st Place at Geneva Tournament
Heading into Saturday's Frosh-Soph Geneva Invite, the young Bulldogs' prospects for a team championship would have seemed to be longshot with only 11 wrestlers for 15 weight classes, but when the final whistle sounded, Batavia and its ten medalists hoisted the team championship trophy overhead. In a very competitive field comprised of 17 frosh-soph teams, including powerhouse programs such as Dundee-Crown and Wheaton North, Batavia's squad stepped up, wrestled tough and came out with a big win. Leading the way were the Bulldog's two tournament champions, Evan Christianson (119) and Alec Lyons (285). Other medalists included runner-up finishers Jon Wagner (140) and Matt Baker (152), third place finishers Emidio Dorado (95), Connor Beach (103), Matt Kopala (130) and Kenny Radcliff (135), fifth place medalist Charlie Smorczewski (112) and seventh place winner Bennett Hartmann (160). Key to the Bulldogs' success was that every member of the squad contributed to the team score. The majority of victories included bonus points from major decisions and pins and although Jovanni Correa (215) was the only wrestler eliminated from action in the final wrestle back round, he contributed to the victory with advance points and bonus points.
12/5/09 - Varsity Has Ups and Downs at Naperville North Quad
In a day of lopsided decisions, the Bulldogs beat the host Naperville North, but lost to #13 ranked Lyons Township and #14 ranked Carl Sandburg.
The day started with a match up with Lyons Township and early on was a back and forth affair with the teams trading pins in the first four matches, with Luis Campos (189lbs) and Joey Shump (103lbs) doing the honors for Batavia. After another Lyons pin, a 9-0 decision from Jake Schulz (119lbs) and a 13-1 major from Logan Arlis (125lbs) put the Dogs on top by a point. Once again the score was tied after a loss by major at 130lbs and Tyler Patton's 8-2 decision at 135lbs. A pin for Lyons at 140lbs was matched by one from Augie Watson in the next match, tying the score at 28-28. Unfortunately this is when the Bulldogs ran out of steam, and three straight Lyons' victories, two of them by fall, led to a disappointing 45-28 defeat.
Next up was Carl Sandburg, a perennial powerhouse that has been operating under the radar so far this year, but if they wrestle the way they did against Batavia, they won't be a secret for long. Sandburg's lineup was solid from top to bottom and the match was never close, but it was not without some exciting moments including Joey Shump's 4-2 overtime victory, Logan Arlis' hard fought 2-1 decision, and a 10-1 major decision delivered by Augie Watson. The final score was 54-10 in favor of Sandburg.
With little time to regroup, the Bulldogs finished the day against the host Naperville North. This one is always special for Coach Arlis as a teacher at the school, and as someone who built the Huskies into a powerhouse in the 1990's and the early part of this decade. Thankfully, the team bounced back from their earlier losses to take 9 of 14 matches and in the process save Coach Arlis from taking a sick day on Monday!! To recap the match, Pat Martin (285lbs) got the team off on the right foot with a 1st period pin. Following his example, the first three lightweights, Joey Shump, Dylan Beach and Jake Schulz all ended their matches early. After Logan Arlis' 15-4 major decision against state qualifier Frank McKeown, the Bulldogs had a 28-0 lead that would prove to be more than enough. Also finishing the day with a win were Tyler Patton, Matt Goodin, Luis Campos and Shaquille Smith, bringing the final margin of victory to 48-21.
Congratulations to Joey Shump and Logan Arlis who won all three of their matches.
12/3/09 - Bulldogs Secure Dramatic Win Against Conference Foe DeKalb
If the opening match of the conference season is anything to go by, we are in for another thrilling season of wrestling, although I am sure the coaches could live with a little less "excitement" at times. The visiting Barbs, like the Bulldogs, are one of the early favorites in the conference, so making a statement in the first dual was important for both teams.
The meet started at 285lbs, and Pat Martin, wrestling perhaps the most complete match of his varsity career, took an early lead with a takedown in the first period and after reversing his opponent to start the 2nd period, put together an excellent pinning combination to draw first blood for the Dogs. Moving back to the lightweights, Joey Shump controlled his match from the opening whistle, and with a series of takedowns and tilts closed out his match with a 16-1 tech fall in the middle of the 3rd period. DeKalb responded quickly with a pin and tech fall of their own at 112lbs and 119lbs to tie up the team score. Logan Arlis put the Dogs back on top after corralling his defensive minded opponent, and with a 2nd period pin proved you can run on the mat, but there is no where to hide. After dropping a decision at 130lbs, the Bulldogs pulled away in the next three matches with a pin from Tyler Patton, and major decisions from Matt Goodin and Augie Watson. With Batavia holding a commanding 31-14 lead with 5 matches remaining it looked like the Bulldogs would cruise to victory, but instead, four straight losses, including 2 pins and a controversial takedown call at the buzzer gave the Barbs a 1 point lead going into the last match of the night at 215lbs. All hopes for a Batavia victory were now on the broad shoulders of sophomore Shaquille Smith, wrestling in his first match of the season. Not intimidated, "Shaq" was clearly the more aggressive wrestler, getting a 1st period takedown and then riding out his opponent in the 2nd period. Early in the 3rd period, with his opponent tiring, Smith saw an opening and took him straight to his back for the pin and the win, securing a 37-32 victory for the Bulldogs, and making Coach Arlis' 100th dual meet victory as Batavia's head coach a very memorable one.
11/28/09 - Batavia Evens Record for the Season
Batavia took 2 of 3 dual matches at the Naperville Central Quad, evening the team's dual meet record at 3-3. The day started against an improved Lane Tech team who kept the match interesting early on. Evan Christianson, wrestling at 112lbs, recorded a second period fall to give the Dogs an early lead, but after forfeiting 119lbs and losing a close decision at 125lbs, Lane Tech had taken the lead. Logan Arlis wasted little time pinning his opponent at 130lbs to put the Dogs back on top, but after a loss at 135lbs the match was tied again. At that point the Bulldogs went on a spurt, winning six matches in a row, including first period pins recorded by Tyler Patton, Mickey Watson, Adam Schulz and Luis Campos. A loss at 215lbs was followed by pins from Pat Martin at 285lbs and Joey Shump at 103lbs to close out the match, putting an exclamation mark on a 50-18 victory.
The second match against Naperville Central proved to be a much tougher test, with Batavia winning only 4 of the 10 contested matches. Wins came from major decisions from Logan Arlis and Luis Campos, pins by Augie Watson and Pat Martin, and Joey Shump's victory by forfeit. The final score was 37-26 in favor of Naperville Central.
The last match of the day against Downers Grove South got off to an exciting start with Max Christianson's 5-3 OT victory at 125lbs. This started a string of six straight Bulldog victories to start the dual, building what would prove to be an insurmountable 31-0 lead. In this stretch Logan Arlis won by fall, Rich Smith had a 17-4 major decision at 135lbs, followed by a second period pin for Tyler Patton, a forfeit win for Matt Goodin and Augie Watson's 2nd pin of the day. Luis Campos won by forfeit at 189lbs, but the only remaining match victory was a pin by Joey Shump at 103lbs. The final tally was a 43-28 victory for the Bulldogs.
Logan Arlis and Luis Campos both went 3-0 to keep an unblemished record for the season, and were joined by Joey Shump and Augie Watson as wrestlers perfect on the day.
To see action photos taken at the meet go to the 2009-10 Photos under the Photos tab on the Home Page.
Batavia will resume action with its first conference dual meet of the season, at home against DeKalb on Thursday, December 2nd.
11/25/09 - Bulldogs Open Season at Glenbard North Quad
The 2009-10 wrestling season officially kicked off with the traditional pre-Thanksgiving quad at Glenbard North. The Bulldogs went 1-2 in their dual meets with a number of strong individual performances against top-level competition. The night started with a "baptism by fire" as the Dogs faced pre-season #1 ranked team Minooka, a task made that much more challenging having to forfeit two weight classes the entire night. Minooka wasted no time showing why they are expected to challenge for a state championship, building a 22-0 lead before Batavia finally got on the board with a 3-0 decision by Logan Arlis at 125lbs. Decisions by Matt Goodin at 140lbs and Luis Campos in the final match at 171lbs were the only other remaining bright spots for the team in a match that ended with Minooka winning 51-9.
The Bulldogs bounced back in the second dual of the night, a back and forth affair with Lincoln Way Central. After falling behind 10-0 after the first three matches, sophomore Jake Schulz earned his first Varsity win with a pin at 119lbs, and when Logan Arlis repeated the feat in the next match the Dogs had taken a 12-10 lead. A forfeit at 130lbs put Batavia behind again, but pins by Tyler Patton at 135lbs and Augie Watson allowed them to regain the lead. Freshman Mickey Watson picked up his first victory with a pin at 160lbs and after a close loss at 171lbs, Luis Campos was able to secure the final 36-34 victory for Batavia with a vital first period pin at 189lbs.
In the final match of the night, Batavia faced a revamped Glenbard North team, who proved that while they may have lost some their "star power" that they have plenty of new faces who are ready to make a name for themselves. Three straight Panther pins put the Bulldogs in an early hole, and it was not until Logan Arlis' tech fall that the Bulldogs got into the win column. A forfeit and couple of close losses had Batavia looking at at 30-5 deficit, until Augie Watson cut into the lead with a pin at 145lbs. A forfeit victory at 171lbs and pins by Luis Campos at 189lbs and Pat Martin at 285lbs made the final score respectable, but the outcome was rarely in doubt in a 46-29 loss.
On the night, Logan Arlis and Luis Campos led the team with perfect 3-0 records and Augie Watson added a couple of pins to go 2-1. Next action for the Bulldogs is Saturday at the Naperville Central Quad.
11/19/09 - Wrestle-Off Results
All those in attendance at this year's Varsity were treated to a number of closely contested matches and got a look at some of the newcomers who will be leading the Bulldogs into action this year. Those winning varsity spots are as follows:
103: Joey Shump (Fr.)
112: Evan Christianson (So.)
119: Jake Schulz (So.)
125: Logan Arlis (Sr.)
130: Rich Smith (Sr.)
135: Tyler Patton (Sr.)
140: Matt Goodin (Jr.)
145: Augie Watson (Jr.)
152: Cullin Rokos (Fr.)
160: Mickey Watson (Fr.)
171: Dominic Guzaldo (So.)
189: Luis Campos (Sr.)
215: Shaquille Smith (So.)
285: Pat Martin (Sr.)
Also, congratulations to seniors Logan Arlis and Tyler Patton who were named team captains for the 2009-10 season.
10/4/09 - 2009/2010 Season Preview
Each year as the leaves begin to change color and I feel the first chill in the air my thoughts turn to the upcoming wrestling season. Over the past few years, the Bulldogs have provided us many exciting moments and a great deal of team and individual success. Having graduated only four seniors, this year's team will have plenty of varsity experience among them, but they will have to replace the leadership and bonus points provided by All-Staters Danny Watson and Andrew Rudd, state qualifier and career pins leader Charlie Ryan, and two year varsity starter Jake Hilliard. With this in mind I thought I would list my Top 10 things to look for in the upcoming season so here goes (in no particular order):
1.) Can the Bulldogs "three peat" as conference tournament champions in the last year of the Western Sun Conference?
2.) Can Logan Arlis follow up his 2nd place finish in the 2009 state tournament by becoming the first Bulldog ever to win a state championship?
3.) Can Coach Arlis win his 100th dual at Batavia and pass Brian Drendel to move into second place all time behind Jim Rumple?
4.) Can a healthy Tyler Patton, and fellow senior and two year starter Luis Campos, take the next step and finish their careers in Champaign? Will Augie Watson, after a strong showing at Sectionals as a sophomore, follow in his brothers footsteps and make it to state as a junior?
5.) Who will be this year's "dark horses"; wrestlers who have put in their time in the practice room waiting for their shot in the Varsity line-up and end the year with 20-30 wins?
6.) Can the talented group of incoming freshman led by All-American Joey Shump and IKWF state qualifiers Charlie Smorczewski, Mickey Watson make an immediate contribution at the varsity level?
7.) Can the team "three peat" as Batavia Invitational champions and reclaim the Downers Grove South Tournament top spot after settling for second place last year?
8.) Will the team retain local bragging rights by beating Geneva, St Charles East, Marmion, Kaneland and West Aurora again this year?
9.) Can the team knock off some of the perennial powerhouses on their schedule like Glenbard North, Minooka, Sandburg or Lincoln Way East?
10.) Who will be the wrestlers on any level who inspire us by getting the very most out of their talent, and never quitting, no matter what?
10/3/09 - All-American Mark Jayne named Assistant Coach
We are pleased to announce that Mark Jayne will be joining the Bulldog wrestling program as an Assistant Coach for the upcoming season. Coach Jayne has excelled at every level of wrestling having earned three Ohio state championships as a prep wrestler and then becoming a Big Ten champion and All-American at the University of Illinois. He has coached the past three years at Marmion Academy and has had a big hand in the emergence of that program and now brings his considereable talent and experience to Batavia. To read more about Coach Jayne, you can see his full bio in the Coaches section of the website.
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