Joliet Catholic’s Nico Ronchetti finds fuel in dual team runner-up finish. ‘We’re coming back for that state title.’

BLOOMINGTON — The losses were starting to pile up for Joliet Catholic sophomore Nico Ronchetti.

When the calendar swung to 2023, he was struggling to keep his record above .500. He decided it was time for some major self-reflection.

“I had a really tough start, but it was all in my head,” Ronchetti said. “I knew it was in my head. I stayed in my room for two days straight and just thought about what I have to do.

“That’s what gave me the motivation and drive. After that, I knew I was working harder than anybody else … except (teammate) Gylon Sims. He’s good.”

Ronchetti pulled off a surprising runner-up finish at the individual state tournament and backed it up with a huge win in Saturday night’s Class 2A dual team championship match.

But the Hilltoppers fell just short in their quest for back-to-back titles, dropping a 28-27 heartbreaker to downstate Washington at Grossinger Motors Arena.

Nonetheless, Joliet Catholic (15-8) — which crushed Jacksonville 69-0 in Friday’s quarterfinal and beat Geneseo 50-15 in Saturday’s semifinal — earned back-to-back state trophies after the program had never won one before last season.

Mason Alessio and Jason Hampton had pins to lead the Hilltoppers in the final.

Ronchetti, meanwhile, bumped up to 195 pounds from his typical 182 to take on Josh Hoffer — a sixth-place finisher at the individual state meet — and pulled off a 5-3 win.

“Nico’s becoming someone we can count on and I’m really proud of him,” Joliet Catholic coach Ryan Cumbee said. “We bumped him up to 195 to wrestle a state placer, and he’s barely 180 pounds. He really stepped up and wrestled hard.”

Ronchetti was 15-14 entering the Geneseo Invitational in mid-January. He finished second there, citing it as a turning point, and then put together a massive final six weeks.

“I think I proved that I’m up there with the top guys and I can compete at any level,” Ronchetti said. “It’s all in the head. It’s all mind games.

“Last season was tough being a freshman at the upper weights, but this season I kicked it up a notch, 100%.”

Sims was impressed when Ronchetti earned All-American status in the Greco-Roman Division at last summer’s Fargo Junior Nationals.

“Right then and there I was like, ‘Oh, this kid’s going to be a monster next year,’” Sims said. “He came out a little shaky, but about two weeks before regionals, he just turned into a different person.

“He met my expectations and he exceeded them (Saturday). I’m really proud of him. I can see he has a bright future.”

Joliet Catholic entered the championship dual as the favorite. The Hilltoppers beat 3A champion St. Charles East and 1A champion Coal City, seemingly poised to take the status of best team in the state regardless of class.

But Washington (25-8) won six of the first eight matches and jumped to a 21-9 lead. Joliet Catholic rallied, with Hampton’s pin at 113 cutting the deficit to 28-24 entering the final match at 120.

The Hilltoppers needed bonus points from freshman Aurelio Munoz. He won 6-2 but it wasn’t enough.

“It’s funny because we were the favorites to win,” Cumbee said. “But at the start of the season, I looked at our lineup and I said, ‘We’re young. This is going to be a rebuilding year.’

“The boys did a lot better than I thought we would. They proved me wrong. We just unfortunately fell a little short.”

With 10 of the 14 wrestlers who competed in the championship match for the Hilltoppers being underclassmen, Ronchetti is already looking forward to next season.

“This fuels a fire for me and my teammates,” Ronchetti said. “We’re a young team still. We’re going to go right back into it and put in the work to come back stronger.

“We’re coming back for that state title 100%. We’ve got it. No doubts.”

Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.