All the way for Jose
Tinley Park’s Marban keeps injuries in perspective in quest for state title
Tinley Park senior Jose Marban has endured more than his share of setbacks during his career as a three-sport athlete, but none have hampered his desire to compete.
“I’m dealing with injuries left and right, but I just have to push through it,” Marban said. “I want to have a big senior year.”
As a junior, Marban’s wrestling season ended in January when he broke his hand in practice. He missed almost his entire senior football season this fall after he broke his right foot on the first day of practice.
“Then I injured a toe on the same foot,” Marban said. “I also have three herniated disks in my neck from sophomore year wrestling.
“There’s been a lot to deal with, but I’ve been sitting around waiting for months getting ready for this wrestling season.”
Marban, ranked No. 10 in Class 2A at 182 pounds by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association, took the title in the Dave Anderson Invitational at Stagg.
“Jose’s been champing at the bit ready to go,” Tinley Park coach John Pfeffer said. “He’s shown a lot of promise since his freshman year, and this year, he wants to go out as a senior and live up to that promise.
“We have high hopes for him that when it matters most in February, he’s going to deliver.”
Marban fell one win short of qualifying for state as a sophomore and went to Champaign as an alternate, but never got his chance to wrestle.
“Since I was an alternate, I was still cutting weight,” he said. “It was pretty bad to do that for nothing. When I got down there and they said I wasn’t going to get in, I started eating this huge pile of food.
“I ate three sandwiches and I had two gallons of chocolate milk. I drank all of it sitting there watching my friends wrestle.”
That experience has Marban hungry to compete at state — as does the knowledge this season and baseball in the spring could represent the end of his athletic career.
“With all the injuries, I don’t know if I can go another four years playing a sport in college,” he said. “I want to finish strong in high school.”
Challenge accepted: Veteran Marian Catholic coach Dan Jordan said he was “blown away” by the level of competition at last weekend’s Walsh Ironman in Ohio.
It was the Spartans’ first time competing in the prestigious tournament, which attracts top teams from across the country.
“I knew it was tough, but I didn’t realize how tough until I was there,” Jordan said.
“Every match is like a state final.”
A pair of Jordan’s senior wrestlers rose to the challenge to make the podium. Travis Ford-Melton finished fourth at 126 and Reece Heller was fifth at 152.
It was an impressive result for Heller, who finished fifth in the state last season at 132.
“This tournament was huge for Reece,” Jordan said.
“His biggest problem in the past was the mental aspect, worrying about who he had to wrestle.
“I think that’s gone away now. He knows he can compete with anyone now.”
Lockport’s Matt Ramos took fifth at 120, while Mount Carmel’s Colton Drousias was eighth at 113.
Team effort: LincolnWay West showcased its depth at Saturday’s Downers Grove South Dual Team Tournament, going 5-0 to capture the title.
The Warriors continue to thrive despite having no wrestlers who are ranked individually.
“We rely on our whole team,” West coach Brian Glynn said.
“We always want to have a deep lineup without many weak spots.”