Casillas wins at 195-lb champion at Red Schmitt Wrestling Tournament
By Fred Kroner
Mahomet-Seymour junior Mateo Casillas won all seven matches and was the 195-pound champion on Thursday (Dec. 30) in the 60th Red Schmitt Wrestling Tournament at Granite City.
Casillas pinned his first three opponents, then earned a pair of major decisions before holding his opponents scoreless in the semifinals and finals.
Casillas won, 6-0, in the semis and 4-0 in the finals to improve his season record to a team-best 26-1. He has seven pins.
The Bulldogs filled 13 of the 14 weight classes and placed ninth in the 25-school field. Meet champion Marmion had 321 points. M-S had 225 ½ points and was fourth among Illinois high schools.
Three Bulldogs besides Casillas placed among the top three in their weight classes.
At 152 pounds, Braeden Heinold was 7-1, losing only in the championship bout, 7-5. He pinned his first five foes, all in the first period while raising his season record to 20-5.
Teammates who took third place were Caden Hatton (106 pounds) and Colton Crowley (220 pounds). Hatton, who is 21-4 for the season, suffered his lone loss in the semifinals by a 1-0 score. He won his third-place match 7-0. During the two-day event, Hatton was 6-1.
Cowley was 7-1 for the tournament, keeping four of his opponents from scoring a point. He logged a 4-0 win in his third-place bout and is 17-8 for the season. At Granite City, his two-day record was 7-1.
Other top Bulldog finishers were Brennan Houser (sixth at 170 pounds) and Camden Harms (ninth at 285 pounds).
Houser, who is 21-5 for the season, was 4-4 at Granite City, winning twice by pin and twice by technical falls.
Harms, who is 14-5 overall, pinned four foes, including the last three that he faced. Harms had a quick fall in 22 seconds.
Other Bulldogs who placed among the top 20 at Granite City were: Tallen Pawlak (10th at 138 pounds), Jacob Dobbins (13th at 160 pounds), Gage Decker (14th at 132 pounds), Logan Petro (14th at 145 pounds), Stevie Pogue (17th at 182 pounds) and Reese Wilson (18th at 126 pounds).
Petro compiled a 4-4 tourney mark, pinning his opponents. Pawlak and Dobbins were each 3-4 at the event. Dobbins pinned three opponents. Pogue finished off his tournament with a 52-second pin in his last bout.
For the tournament, Bulldog grapplers ended with a 50-41 cumulative record, winning 24 matches by pin.
M-S (17-3) returns to action on Friday (Jan. 7) with a dual meet at Sterling.
