The future appears to be bright for the Fenwick High School wrestling team.
The present isn’t exactly gloomy, either.
Though it won’t be reflected in their dual meet or invitational results this winter, the Friars are building a solid foundation under second-year head coach Tony Poro.
The bulk of Fenwick’s roster consists of underclassmen, including several that could advance out of regionals.
“We have a young team,” said Poro, a 2004 Fenwick graduate now in his ninth year of coaching in the program. “The benefit is there is a lot of promise. I’ve seen them wrestle and seen several of them place at tournaments.
“But when things don’t go well I have to remember that some of them have only been wrestling for two years. They’re still new to the sport, so they’re getting to know their bodies in a wrestling situation. But every problem is fixable.”
The Friars had three place-winners at Saturday’s Prospect Invitational. Adam Aguilar, who was a sectional qualifier at 120 pounds last season, finished seventh at 132, and fellow sophomores Harrison Graves and Liam Mahon placed eighth at 220 and heavyweight, respectively.
Aguilar figures to be one of the team leaders on the mat, while Mahon has the potential to advance out of regionals. Poro expects the same from freshmen Brian and Kevin Ziech.
The twins already are making an impact at 160 and 170. Brian Ziech has a 7-3 record while Kevin is 2-2.
While it is common to see freshmen do well on the varsity, it usually happens at the lower weights. To have rookies step up at the middle weights bodes well for the Friars.
“I don’t think we have ever had that,” Poro said. “I’ve been part of this program for 18 years and we’ve never had that (because) other guys start out at the lower weights and move up.
“It’s fun to watch (the twins). I’ve know them for a while. They listen, they come in ready to work. I think the sky is the limit for them.”
Junior Sean McGee is another promising wrestler. He finished fifth at 152 at the Hinsdale South Tournament.
Juniors Jackson Haeflinger and Jack Lambert have been solid at 160, while senior Kevin Latz (145) and junior Steven Barshop (138) have been injured but are expected back this weekend for a home triangular with Riverside-Brookfield and Bishop McNamara.
The Friars went 1-2 at a home quad on Friday night. Fenwick beat St. Laurence 36-20 but lost to St. Ignatius 34-29 and St. Patrick 62-18.
But duals will not be a strength this season because the Friars have regularly forfeited the four lowest weights.
“We’re still building,” Poro said. “We’ve got about 30 wrestlers but there are logjams at several weights. We have a lot of guys competing for those spots and some guys waiting in the wings.”