ETHS Wrestlers Ready To Open 'Summer' Season

Rudy Salinas decided to pull an April Fool’s prank on the wrestlers at Evanston Township High School during a contact day practice.

“I told them a pretty bad joke,” said the Wildkit head coach. “I told them there wasn’t going to be any competition this year, but that they could practice all the way until June.

“Their jaws all dropped --- and then when they found out it was a joke, they wanted to kill me! That was a roomful of kids hungry for competition.”

And they’ll get that chance starting on Thursday, when the Wildkits host a triangular meet against Chicago Taft and Niles North. It’s the start of a 27-match slate that will extend into the month of June after the entire season was pushed back from the winter to the “summer” portion of the Illinois High School Association calendar.

There won’t be an IHSA state tournament series, because the sport is still considered “high risk” by health officials during the current pandemic, and Central Suburban League officials have already decided that there won’t be a conference postseason tournament, either, for the first time since 1999.

But something is better than nothing --- that’s the approach that most coaches and athletes have taken in 2020-21 --- and making the best of the situation is what it’s all about.

Salinas, for one, has no problem seeing the glass as half full, especially considering his starting lineup will likely include at least 2 freshmen and 4 sophomores who need a year of developing against varsity competition.

“Normally this would have been a rebuilding year for us,” said the veteran coach. “We have talent, but it’s young talent and it needs seasoning. I have to thank our federation for thinking quickly because we told the IHSA, just wait and move us to the summer. That’s the best thing we ever did, to save the season.

“Nothing beats competition, and now I have 6 weeks to get into their minds and hearts , and for them to learn some lessons for next year when we’ll be young --- and tougher. It’s been a very positive atmosphere so far in our room and the cup is definitely half full.”

At least 3 schools in the conference have been forced to eliminate teams at the freshman level due to lack of numbers, and overall turnout will likely suffer as some athletes opt not to take any further risk of competing in an indoor sport in May and June. But the numbers remain steady at ETHS, where Salinas and his staff have establishing a strong culture capable of thriving even in adverse conditions.

A total of 23 freshmen turned up for wrestling and Salinas shouldn’t experience any difficulties with depth at the varsity level, either, with approximately 40 hopefuls among the upperclassmen hoping to earn spots in the starting lineup.

The list of returning veterans is headed by Salinas’ son. Ricardo Salinas, a senior, is poised to break the school record for career victories (held by his older brother Rafael) after finishing fourth in the Class 3A state tournament at 170 pounds as a junior.

Salinas currently ranks 6th on the all-time list for wins at ETHS and last season posted a sizzling 50-5 record, becoming only the second grappler in school history to rack up 50 wins in a single year. He needs 26 wins to climb past his older brother to finish on top.

Just this week, the ETHS standout decided he will continue his wrestling career at Northern Illinois University. He would have been a definite threat to win a state title if the opportunity existed, but his head coach says he’s reset his goals to finish a strong senior season while preparing for college, too.

“I think Ricardo’s mind and body are in the right place now,” said Rudy Salinas. “He’s already set some new goals for himself. He had a great football season, but he got hurt against New Trier --- we thought he’d broken his foot --- and he just got cleared by the trainer yesterday. So we’re going to take it nice and easy with him at first.”

Salinas will compete at either 182 or 170 pounds, depending on where he can find the toughest opposition, and is one of a half dozen grapplers who have to make the physical transition from the football season that just ended to wrestling.

One plus for Coach Salinas is that means the Kits will be as deep as they’ve ever been at the heavyweight slot. Senior Valery Jean-Jacques won the conference tournament championship last year at 285 pounds, but work and family obligations might keep him on the sidelines this season. He’ll likely be replaced by another grid standout, Josh Hartwell, with Tony Callion also challenging along with juniors David Sanchez and Sheldon Kinzer.

At the lower weights, younger candidates should emerge as starters, like freshman Marco Terrizzi at 106, sophomore Arriana Flores at 113, freshman Roger Holloway at 120, and sophomore Jason McDermott at 132. Flores is one of a half dozen female wrestlers to crack the lineup at one time or another during Salinas’ tenure as head coach, and the sport will be offered as a separate competition for girls starting next school year.

Other wrestlers who figure to make an impact in the starting lineup include senior Julian Sims at 126, sophomore Charlie Bolich at 138, senior Leo Cumbie at 145, sophomore Peter Wade at 152, senior Nathan Straus at 160, junior Sam Adeoye at 170, junior Anthony Joyner at 195, and junior Carl Steegen and senior Charlie Fox at 220.