Lower weights:  Both teams have three excellent wrestlers at the four lowest weights, but Rockford is deeper and their wrestlers have been more successful in the postseason.  At 103 pounds Kyle Gillies of John Glenn and Tyler VanRooyen of Rockford will most likely meet.  Gillies did not make it out of the Saline Region whereas VanRooyen placed second at his regional.  However, the Saline region was much tougher at this weight so anything could happen.  At 112 pounds, Glenn’s Steve Wakeford could face either Jared Johnson or Nate Rojas.  This is a weight where the Rockets will be counting on bonus points from Wakeford.  At 119/125 Steve Shak and Josh Austin will most likely face Rockford’s Jacob Sholten (119) and Jake Byers (125).  Both Ram wrestlers were runner-ups at last year’s state tournament.  Austin is clearly an underdog to both, but has the ability to pull out a win.  Rockford certainly will be gunning for a decision and a pin from their studs.

  Middle weights:  This is the area where Glenn should have the upper hand.  Rockford usually bumps up Sholten and Byers, but they could give up a pin to Austin at 119 if they do this and don’t get the match-ups they want.  The Rams have only one wrestler that made it out of districts at 130-152; sophomore Drew Scogg placed third at his regional at 135 pounds.  The Rockets have regional champ and returning state placer Anthony Pavlich (130), regional qualifier Mark Thompson (135), state qualifiers Travis Mann (140) and Mike Johnson (145), and potentially, returning state qualifier Zach Redden (152?).  This could possibly be where the dual will be won or lost and I expect a lot of jostling of line-ups at these weights.

  Upper weights:  From 160 through heavyweight is where Rockford is really loaded.  They have returning state champions Jake Dorulla (171) and Joe Stefanski (215), returning state runner-up Jake Johnson (160), regional qualifier Zack Banaszak (189/215), and a very tough Jake Banaszak (215/285).  Glenn should be able to counter with solid wrestlers at 160 and 171, but will be terribly overmatched at 189 and 215 regardless of who Rockford sends out at those weights.  Glenn has an excellent heavyweight in returning all-stater Dustin Gajowiak.  Gajowiak defeated Banaszak at the Catholic Central tournament, but I anticipate that Rockford will send out Stefanski to face Gajowiak.  Rockford should win all five of these weights and if the Rocket wrestlers can’t stay off their backs what happens at the lower weights could be irrelevant.