Four locals to go for state titles

Beecher-Grant Park's Devin Mahnke will be looking to make history today as he will try to become the first wrestler from Beecher High School to win a state title at the Illinois High School Association's state finals at the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall.

Mahnke remained undefeated as he beat Macomb's Matt Surprenant 5-0 in one Class 1A semifinal. 

Mahnke and his Beecher schoolmates wrestle with Grant Park through a co-op because Beecher does not have a program. He is 35-0 and takes on Lena-Winslow's Logan Staver (33-0) for the title.

"It was a close match," Mahnke said. "He was taking outside shots and I caught him in a mistake and capitalized on it.

"I got him down and pancaked him. I wanted to finish it off, but couldn't, so I got three back points."

Thornton's Kris Williams will be looking to win his second straight Class 3A title today. He was the Class 3A 106-pound champ last year.

Williams (19-1) beat Lockport's  Brian Rossi 6-4 in overtime on Friday night in one semifinal.  He will wrestle Marist's Mark Duda (35-3) for the title. The two split their two meetings this season with Duda winning at the Marist Regional and Williams winning at the Shepard Sectional.

Mount Carmel's Bryce Brill will look to win the Class 3A 145-pound title. In 2011, while wrestling for Marmion, he won the Class 2A 135-pound title.

Brill beat Stevenson's Justin Weber with a 22-9 major decision in one semifinal. Brill (47-0) will face McHenry's Wade Lardy (44-2) for the title.

Homewood-Flossmoor's Donnie Bell will also wrestle for the Class 3A 182-pound title. He beat Mount Carmel's Jimmy Mickens 3-2 in one semifinal.

Bell (33-6) will face Oak Park-River Forest's Joe Ariola (45-0) for the title.

T.F. South's Corinthian McBridge lost in the 285-pound Class 3A semifinals and will wrestle back today.

McBridge was trying to become the first T.F. South wrestler to win a state title. Hinsdale Central's Brian Allen pinned him in 32 seconds.

In Class 1A, Illiana Christian's Zach Groen's quest for a state title was stopped in the quarterfinals when Pittsfield's Zach Abney pinned him in 1:16. Groen won his wrestleback by pinning Shelbyville's Josh Hicks in 5:36.