If Lincoln-Way East’s Ari Zaeske needs extra work, he heads down to basement. The opponent? His brother, Jackson.

As Lincoln-Way East senior Ari Zaeske pushes toward his goal of earning a spot on the state podium next weekend, he’s getting in some extra matches in the basement at home.

That’s where Zaeske has been having constant battles with his brother Jackson, a sophomore and Griffins teammate.

“A couple years ago, we got a wrestling mat in the basement so we like to mess around down there and it’s pretty cool now that he’s pretty much my weight,” Ari said. “I can’t just muscle him anymore. He’s just as big as me. It’s fun.”

Ari Zaeske (36-3) won the 170-pound title last Saturday at the Class 3A Lockport Regional and will look to earn his second straight state berth at this Saturday’s Normal Sectional.

Jackson Zaeske (20-5), meanwhile, will make the trip to Normal as well after placing second in the regional at 182.

“It’s really cool to look at,” Ari said of his brother’s success. “This year, he’s made a lot of improvements. It’s fun to be a part of that, give him some pointers and help him out.”

Ari has been extra focused on making his own improvements after qualifying for state for the first time last season and going 1-2.

“Last year, I made it to state but didn’t place and that was my goal,” he said. “So, I tried pushing myself harder to fulfill that goal and the coaches have helped pushed me a lot, too. Last year gave me motivation, 100%.”

Ari Zaeske, who won his first 20 matches this season before suffering his first loss, is ranked No. 5 in Class 3A at 170 by Illinois Matmen.

“His mindset has been great this year,” Lincoln-Way East coach Kevin Rockett said. “He knows what the goal is, and he’s put himself in position to hopefully be a sectional champion this week and a state placer the following week.

“I think as long as he stays confident and stays offensive, he can be a dangerous wrestler. If he keeps his foot on the gas pedal and sometimes does a little less thinking and a little more wrestling and dictates his style, he has success.”

Ari Zaeske agreed that sometimes it’s better for him to think less. He plans to wrestle more freely at sectionals and, hopefully, state.

“Obviously the competition is pretty good down there at state and it’s different, but I was overthinking a lot there last season,” he said. “If you look at it a simple way, it’s still just another wrestling match.

“I think this year it’ll be easier mentally, for sure, knowing what to expect.”

Porter power: Lockport won its eighth straight regional championship, edging Lincoln-Way East 224-214 in the Class 3A Lockport Regional.

Justin Wardlow (120), Jad Alwawi (126), Logan Swaw (160) and Aidan Nolting (182) won titles for the Porters, who had 12 sectional qualifiers.

Lockport has marched on after losing one of the top wrestlers in the nation last month when Brayden Thompson moved to Oklahoma.

“After the morning round, we were only up by five points,” Nolting said. “So, I knew I had to start up the team and come through in the last round.

“Last year, I didn’t make it to state because I had to injury default in the blood round of the sectional. So, it feels great to win a regional title my senior season.”

Crusade continues: After qualifying for team state for the first time last season, Brother Rice has a chance to go back-to-back after taking the Class 2A Richards Regional title.

Bobby Conway (126), Patrick Gilhooley (145), John Fitzpatrick (152), Chuck Connelly (182), Gambino Perez (195) and Nick Baser (285) all won individual titles.

The Crusaders will host Lemont, which won the Hinsdale South Regional, in a tough dual team sectional on Feb. 21. Lemont edged Brother Rice 39-35 in a regular-season dual meet.

Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.