Hononegah’s varsity wrestling team headed for dual state tournament

Hononegah’s varsity wrestling team punched their ticket to the dual state tournament after eliminating Barrington 41-24. The Fox Lake dual team sectional meet at Grant Community High School was the place to be on February 25, 2025. Not only was the team crushing their opponent, but the atmosphere created by Grant’s fans rivaled Hononegah’s very own Tribe student section.

Duals started at the 175-lb weight class with senior Connor Diemel, who placed third in the 2025 IHSA Individual State Championships. He made an effortless pin in the first round, winning the first six points for the team. Next was a fourth-place finisher at state, senior Kurt Smith, who scored five points in the 190-lb class with a 19-3 technical fall. Senior Ethan Ballard wrestled up at the 285-lb class and won with a swift second-round pin. 

Two straight losses then put the Hononegah down four points to Barrington. Luckily, the next two wrestlers were some of Hononegah’s best: junior Jackson Olson and sophomore Rocco Cassioppi. Olson won fourth in the 2025 IHSA Individual State Championships in the 120-lb class, and Cassioppi took home the state title in the 132-lb class. Combined, they returned Hononegah to the lead with Olson’s decision win and Cassioppi’s technical fall. 

The next arm raised was senior TJ Silva’s. Silva has been a finalist in the state championships for all four years. Between this year and last, he moved up one weight class for the individual state championships - going from 132-lb to 138-lb. He wrestled in the 144-lb class at dual team 4A IHSA sectionals and won by a 22-6 technical fall in the second round. 

Although we haven’t seen too much of senior Max Aranki this season, he managed to have everyone in the Hononegah section rise to their feet to yell support and cheer during his match. Aranki ultimately won by a 10-4 decision, but he had to fight to make those points. He was down by a few points until there were only seconds left on the clock in the match, finally he was able to secure the takedown he needed to get the win.

Senior Max Haskins and sophomore Brody Sendele brought the victory home for Hononegah with decision and technical fall victories. Despite his knee injury, Sendele still threw out his signature move halfway through the match, lifting his opponent entirely off the ground and slamming them down. His endurance cemented the team’s presence at the 2025 IHSA Dual Team State Championships this weekend, Friday-Saturday, February 28, 2025 - March 1, 2025, in Bloomington, IL. 

Hononegah faces Mount Carmel in the first round, which will surely be a challenge, but it’s nothing this team can’t handle. As anyone who has kept up with Hononegah High School wrestling knows, the 2025 season has been record-breaking and has seen one of its strongest teams for the Indians in several years.

Natalie Fry is a student reporter from Hononegah Community High School.