Heeg brothers, Judah and Justus, complete rare state title feat

CHAMPAIGN – Two brothers winning a state wrestling championship in the same year? It’s rare, but it has been done.

Two brothers winning a state wrestling championship in the same year, but each with a different school?

That distinction belongs to Judah and Justus Heeg. Judah Heeg won his title at 190 pounds in Class 2A wrestling for Lemont with a 4-1 overtime win over Crystal Lake Central’s Cayden Parks. His younger brother, Justus, meanwhile, won the Class 2A 150-pound championship while wrestling for Providence Catholic, beating Brock Ross of Mascoutah via a 20-5 technical fall.

Judah Heeg said after his win that the Heeg family spent several of his early years in Lemont before moving to Minnesota for a few years. When they returned, Judah was going to be a junior in high school while Justus was entering his freshman year.

“I guess it’s a little weird that we go to different schools,” Judah Heeg said. “I still knew some people from Lemont who I went to school with before we moved, and I wanted to finish up with them, so I decided to go to Lemont. Justus was starting fresh in a new school as a freshman, so he decided to go to Providence.”

In Minnesota, eighth graders are allowed to participate in high school athletics, and Justus Heeg won a state championship last season there. Judah Heeg, on the other hand, did not fare as well.

“I was definitely nervous,” Judah Heeg said. “I went to state last year in Minnesota, but I lost my first match and didn’t even score. I put a lot of work in, and most of the credit goes to my coaches and teammates.

“It feels great to see all that hard work pay off. He [Parks] beat me earlier this season, so I knew it would be a tough match. Once it got to overtime, I knew I had to unload and give it everything I had.”

THREE-PEAT

Lockport’s Justin Wardlow completed a three-peat that no one really wants to achieve. For the third straight season, Wardlow reached the state championship match. Unfortunately, for the third straight season, he finished second in the state, this time losing a 1-0 decision to Joliet West’s Carson Weber at 150. Wardlow finished second at 120 and 138 in his first two seasons.

Wardlow is a junior, and he will get a chance to participate in his fourth Grand March next season while aiming for a state championship.

THIRD TIME A CHARM

For the third time in three weeks, Weber and Wardlow squared off for a championship. Wardlow had beaten Weber in the regional and sectional championship matches.

After a scoreless first period, Weber started in the down position to start the second and escaped for a 1-0 lead. The Joliet West senior, who finished third in Class 3A at 144 last season, made that lead hold up and won the school’s first state title since Todd Sterr in 1981.

“I kind of predicted that we would meet in the finals,” Weber said about facing Wardlow again. “I felt like we were the two best in our class in the state. I learned from wrestling him the last two weeks what to expect, and I knew I had to be disciplined.

“I was a little nervous before the match, but that went away once we shook hands and the match started. The only time I was nervous in the match was the last 30 seconds. I was just trying to not do something to jeopardize it.”

ALL-STATERS

Twenty-nine Herald-News-area wrestlers finished in the top six in their weight class and division and finished as All-State selections.

State champions were Charles Walker of Joliet Central (3A, 215), Weber of Joliet West (3A, 150), Judah Heeg of Lemont (2A, 190) and Justus Heeg of Providence Catholic (2A, 150).

Taking second place were Nico Ronchetti of Joliet Catholic Academy (3A, 190), Wardlow of Lockport (3A, 150), Cooper Morris of Coal City (1A, 126) and Brody Widlowski of Coal City (1A, 138).

Third-place finishers were Jason Hampton of JCA (3A, 126), Luke Hamiti of JCA (3A, 165) Nate Elstner of Lincoln-Way West (3A, 215) and Raiden Terry of Seneca (1A, 106).

Finishing fourth were Jasper Harper of Providence Catholic (2A, 157), Aidan Kenney of Coal City (1A, 144) and Jeremy Gagnon of Seneca (1A, 285).

Fifth-place finishers were Nolan Volgel of JCA (3A, 150), Jaedon Calderon of Lockport (3A, 157), Christian Corcoran of Providence Catholic (2A, 106), Paxton Valentine of Morris (2A, 113), Tommy Banas of Providence Catholic (2A, 132), Carter Skoff of Morris (2A, 144), Owen Peterson of Coal City (1A, 113), Dylan Crouch of Dwight (1A, 150), Landin Benson of Coal City (1A, 175), Cade Poyner of Coal City (1A, 190) and John Keigher of Coal City (1A, 215).

Finishing in sixth place were Maddox Garbis of Plainfield North (3A, 106), Aidan Durrel of Plainfield North (3A, 126) and Dominic Alaimo of Reed-Custer (1A, 215).