Tigers, Bruins ready to rumble

PRINCETON — The Princeton Tigers will be wrestling for keeps when they stack up against the rest of the field in the Princeton 2A regional wrestling tournament Saturday at Prouty Gymnasium. The mat mania gets underway at 9 a.m.

Sterling Newman, ranked No. 8 by Illinoismatmen.com, heads the nine-team field. Other teams in the mix, include Amboy, Ashton-Franklin Center, Mendota, Morrison, Oregon, Ottawa Marquette, Princeton and Rock Falls, The regional champion goes on to the Orion Dual Team Sectional with individual qualifiers advancing to Byron.

Princeton coach Steve Amy is hopeful to get five or six Tiger grapplers out of regionals, which goes to the top three wrestlers at each weight class, but said it all depends who shows up ready to compete.

"All of our guys have the talent to get through, but they have to wrestle their best tournament of the year. It is a great time of year to start having that type of tournament and anything can happen as long as they believe in themselves," said Amy, now in his fourth year at PHS.

Top PHS hopefuls are seniors Earl Towne at 145 (26-6), James Dove at 138 (23-9), Logan McCauley at 152 (16-10), and Ben Staton at 285 (10-14) and junior Seth Sprouse at 160 (13-8). Also wrestling for the home team are Mason Baele at 106 (6-25), Tim Hillard at 120 (11-17), C.J. Hillard at 132 (3-15), and Matt Hayes at 170 (3-15).

Newman placed third in the Princeton Invitational last month, led by first place Maxx Hubbard, who is No. 1 ranked at 132; and PIT runners-up Garrett Webb (120) and R.J. Troye (182), who are both ranked No. 2 in 1A. The Comets also line up with No. 3-ranked Brian Bahrs (152), who was injured at the PIT, and No. 8. Jake Walls (285).

Other ranked wrestlers in the regional field include Amboy's Darius Decker is ranked No. 9 at 220, Morrison's Matt McDonnell, No. 5 at 195, Oregon's Brandon Sklavantis, No. 4 at 160, and Rock Falls' Derek Dingman, No. 5 at 220.

• The St. Bede Bruins were sent south to Eureka, joining a field including Chillicothe IVC, El Paso-Gridley, Kewanee, Knoxville, Midland, Putnam County and Wethersfield. The host Eureka Hornets are ranked No. 11 in 1A with a lineup boasting four ranked grapplers.