Champaign – On Saturday night enough lucky people were seen in their final moments in the history of Illinois High School to be at the State Farm Center.
Jolit can create it through a period without pinning it through a period in the Heavyweight in Class 3A individual state in the Catholic Senior Senior Dillon Johnson.
After wrapping his fourth state championship by pinning Marco Ivanisevik of Hinsdale Central in the last second of the first, Johnson roared a jubilant and jumped into the arms of Jolyte Catholic coach Ryan Kambi.
That moment smiled me.
Johnson is one of the most stoic, reserved athletes that I have ever covered.
It was very good to see him enjoying that moment because I am sure he enjoyed watching competition. It is the most prominent athlete that I have seen in 16-plus years of covering high school game.
On the football ground as a defensive tack, the visconsin recruitment attracted double-teams and even triple-teams from continuously opposing aggressive lines, but it was still almost impossible to keep out of the backfield. He is quite good to go to his elder brother, Eric, NFL.
What Johnson has done on the wrestling mat, however, has really been special.
Johnson still has matches ahead of him as hilltopers, who will take the Lincoln-way east in Tuesday’s section in Downers Grove South on Tuesday, still alive in the dual team state series. He is 143–1 in his high school career.
His only disadvantage came to Donibrook Tourney in Iowa in December, where he decided 5–4 in Kol Mirasola, Visconsin in the championship match, one of the top wrestlers in the country who earned fame a few weeks later when he defeated Pen State NCA State Champion Max Dean at a qualifying twent
Dillon Johnson of Jolit Catholic celebrated on Saturday, February 17, 2024 after beating the Class 3A state championship match at the State Farm Center in Champagne in 285 pounds after the beating of Marco Ivnisevik of Hansdale Central. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
Johnson avenged the defeat in January, defeating Mirasola 9–5 to the cheese invitational.
When you see dill wrestling in Illinois, the only question is how fast the pin will come.
So it is sad to think that this can be the last week of his wrestling career.
Johnson is still considering an attempt to compete in both football and wrestling in Wisconsin, but it seems almost impossible to do two games in gradual seasons at the Big Ten level.
If anyone can do this, it is Johnson. But they feel that it may end with wrestling.
“I am trying to ignore it a little,” he said that when asked if he was thinking about the possibility of his final wrestling match. “I’m trying to be focused on, but it is definitely crawling.”
Johnson then took a moment to reflect his heritage in Jolit Catholic.
He said, “I was focusing so much on meeting my goal that it never crossed my mind, I am also leaving something behind for other people.” “I think it’s generally a good thing that new people can see what I have done and what is happening, ‘Try to do something like this.”
Good luck, baby.
Jolit Johnson of Catholic, top, works at 285 pounds on Marco Ivnisevik of Hinsdale Central, which meets Class 3A in the state farm center at the state farm center on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at the Championship match of the Class 3A at the State Farm Center. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
Keeping this in mind, a tip of hats for three wrestlers who did not come home with the state title, but to be very proud – Marist’s Michael Estaban, Ricky Ericseen and Donwon Allen.
The All-Southland State Championship match turned out to be a little antiquectic in 126 and 175 pounds.
Estabon and Ericasen fled into opponents, they all know well, and the results were basically the same as they were in the past. Seth Mendoza of Mount Carmel defeated Estabon with a big decision of 13–5 and won the technical decline on Colin Kelly, Mendoz’s team partner, Ericsen.
Both Marist runners -ups, however, reach that point and complete a ton. Ericsen had 11 disadvantages and was not on the radar to make the finals before Yorkville’s top seed Luke Zook beyond 8–5 in the quarter-finals.
Estabon has dealt with piles of injuries, including his ankle that forced him to default in the state in the previous season.
Meanwhile, Allen lost a heartbreaker in the semi-finals of Friday night, when Justin Wardlo of Lockport scored one last-second Techdown to force overtime and then won 4-3.
Alan hit back on Saturday to win his last two matches, twist the table with 5-4 overtime win over Ryan Hinger in Sandberg in third place match.
He is a difficult trio.