Freshman Colin Goggin comes through as Brother Rice clinches return to state. ‘That’s the biggest win of his career.’

From week to week this season, freshman Colin Goggin didn’t know what he was going to be doing or what mat he was going to be working on for Brother Rice.

He wrestled for the junior varsity. He also got called up to the varsity.

“In the middle of the year, I was heavy with the JV team,” Goggin said. “It’s a little nerve-wracking not knowing if I was going to be on JV or varsity on Saturdays.

“But I feel like I have some of the best teammates in Illinois, and they help balance things out if I get nervous. They have my back when I go out for matches.”

Goggin had the Crusaders’ backs Tuesday night. He learned five seconds before his match that he was going to wrestle at 160 pounds.

And then, Goggin’s wild 8-7 victory over Lemont’s Nico LoCoco boosted the host Crusaders to a 38-29 victory in the Class 2A Brother Rice Dual Team Sectional in Chicago.

“That’s the biggest win of his career,” Brother Rice coach Jan Murzyn said. “It helped us get to state.”

The Crusaders (9-6), who qualified for state for the second straight season, will battle meet Geneseo in a 7 p.m. quarterfinal Friday at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.

Defending Class 2A champion Joliet Catholic beat Comer 75-0 at Brother Rice. The Hilltoppers face Jacksonville in another 7 p.m. Friday quarterfinal in Bloomington.

With Brother Rice leading 14-11, Murzyn said it was a coin flip Tuesday to go with either Goggin or Jimmy Crane at 160.

Goggin got the call and had most of the match in control. He led 8-3 before LoCoco mounted a furious comeback in the final 10 seconds.

“I thought he was as gassed as I was,” Goggin said of LoCoco. “I just kind of let my guard down. It was a mistake that I’m never going to make again. I’ll learn from that.”

In all the confusion, Goggin (21-6) had to take a second or two to realize he won to help spark the team.

“I didn’t know … but I saw all of the coaches and they didn’t look annoyed or anything,” Goggin said of the finish. “I knew at that point that I had won.”

Junior 106-pounder James Bowes, who clinched his win with a pin in 1:08, praised Goggin afterward.

“Colin is tough,” Bowes said. “He got thrown on his back the last couple of seconds but he kept fighting. He sealed a close, big win for us.”

On Jan. 28, Goggin won the Catholic League JV championship at 170.

“We used him all over the place,” Murzyn said. “And he has the attitude where he embraces challenges. If we’re saying, ‘Yeah, we’re going into the semifinals against Joliet Catholic,’ he would say, ‘Good, I hope they start with my match.’

“That’s his attitude.”

Bobby Conway (126), who took the state championship in last weekend’s individual meet, won by a pin. Crane (170) and Charles Connolly (182) also won by pins.

Johnny Vega (120) and Gambino Perez (195) won overtime matches for the Crusaders, who lost 39-35 to Lemont in a Dec. 21 dual meet.

“To come back and get even with them is great,” Murzyn said. “Right now, our chemistry is at the point where Einstein can’t figure out a better chemistry than we have.”

A part of that chemistry is Goggin, an Evergreen Park resident who’s savoring a season of growth that started at one level and will end on another.

“At the beginning of the year, I was pinned at the Bremen JV Tournament,” Goggin said. “But I learned from my mistakes and went on. It’s had it’s ups and downs, but I’m learning.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.