Wrestling: Vernon Hills’ Brazil wins sectional crown

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Jeremy Brazil of the Cougars waits for his 285-pound final match on Saturday. He won the sectional and will take a 41-1 record to the state tournament. | Joe Shuman~for Sun-Times Media

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Updated: April 16, 2012 1:42AM

Vernon Hills High School senior wrestler Jeremy Brazil prepared diligently for the Grayslake Central Sectional, held Friday and Saturday.

He left nothing to chance, and was as ready as he could be. 

Then, Murphy’s Law reared its ugly head. 

Brazil (285 pounds) woke up in the middle of the night — about 2:30 a.m. Friday — with a fever and stomach flu. He slept throughout his lunch hour, and on the bus ride to sectionals. 

“I was trying to get as much of my energy back as possible,” Brazil said. 

Brazil (41-1) proceeded to easily win his match Friday, and then dominated two more opponents Saturday en route to a sectional championship — and his second consecutive trip to the IHSA state tournament. Last year, he was the Class 2A runner-up. 

After gutting it out Friday, Brazil said he was about 90 percent recovered on Saturday. 

“As the day went on, I slowly got more fatigued,” he said. “I kept some strength in reserve and tried to wrestle strategically. I wrestled a lot smarter and set up my shots more than I usually do.” 

In the sectional final, Brazil pinned Hampshire High School’s Zach Oranger at the 1:08 mark of the opening period. 

Perhaps as a way to avoid dwelling too much on how he was feeling, Brazil was much chattier than normal before he wrestled, particularly on Friday. 

“He was light-hearted, and talked to other wrestlers and coaches,” said Vernon Hills coach Jerry Miceli. “This was his last sectional, and he was kind of an ambassador of wrestling.” 

By Sunday, Brazil was starting to feel like himself again. 

“He’s a better wrestler than he was at this time last year,” Miceli said. “He worked really hard in the offseason; he has more matches under his belt. He’s improved his technique in all three phases of the game.” 

Brazil said he likes the fact that he will not take an undefeated record into the state tournament. His lone loss came to Class 3A wrestler James Buss of De La Salle at the Leyden Invitational on Jan. 7. 

“People come after you even more if you are undefeated,” he said. “It also helps me to know that if I don’t wrestle like I should, I will get beat.” 

Added Miceli: “He’s mentally prepared and has all the tools he’ll need. He’s in a good place.”

Choice company: Senior Dan Klema became just the second wrestler in VH program history to qualify three times for the state tournament. 

Klema (152) finished in second place and ran his record to 37-10. 

“I don’t know if there’s anyone that works harder than he does,” Miceli said., 

Klema finished third in a loaded regional, and managed to move up one spot at sectionals. He defeated highly regarded Damon Cloe of Marengo in the semifinals to secure a trip to State. Cloe topped Klema at regionals. 

“(Klema) could have lost in the semis, and had to wrestle back for his life,” Miceli said. “We had a really good plan, and I’m proud of him.”

Nice run: Senior Tim Claussen (195) advanced to the quarterfinals before losing there. He finished the season with a 25-15 record. 

Junior Jake Hallendorff (138) ended the year at 16-12. Brae Cruz (113) came close to being the Vernon Hills’ first freshman to qualify for State. His final record was 26-15. 

“He beat two kids who beat him previously,” Miceli said. “That shows how much he is improving.”

On the schedule: At State, which will be held at Champaign’s Assembly Hall, will be a three-day event, beginning Thursday.

Brazil will open against Gage Park’s Chris Ballard (26-2). He will not face Buss, who will take his undefeated record (38-0) to Class 3A.

Meanwile, Klema will don his Vernon Hills uniform and go up against a wrestler from downstate Mt. Vernon — Blake Stricklin (36-4) — in the opening round.