Wrestling: Loyola’s Paloian flexes muscles at Catholic League finals

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Oak Park, 01/21/12--Loyola's Santonio Cathery, 160, wrestles Mount Carmel's Notay Jackson. Fenwick HS hosted the Catholic League Wrestling Championships on Saturday. | Jon Langham~for Sun-Times Media

Updated: February 27, 2012 8:34AM

Michael Paloian made sure he learned from his mistakes.

Three weeks after falling 3-0 to Mount Carmel’s Jimmy Mickens in a dual meet, the Loyola senior avenged the loss with a 6-2 win in the 182-pound final at Saturday’s Catholic League meet hosted by Fenwick.

“I gave up some points I shouldn’t have,” Paloian said of the earlier meeting.

That didn’t happen this time around, as Paloian controlled the action and gave the Ramblers their first Catholic League champ since Tom Kelly took first at 215 in 2010 and just their second league winner since 2000.

Credit it perhaps to Paloian’s sense of urgency. Also a star linebacker for the Ramblers’ Class 8A runner-up football team, he plans to concentrate on that sport in college.

“It’s my last (wrestling) season ever,” Paloian said. “I want to go hard and I want to make it count.”

Getting down from his football weight of 205 pounds took some work.

“I kind of like football because I can eat and I can lift and know I’m strong,” Paloian said. “When I hit the wrestling room, I was so out of shape.”

He changed his diet and cut back on his weightlifting to get down to 182. But, Paloian said, “I’m still not in good wrestling shape.

“My idea of wrestling shape is being able to attack non-stop without it affecting my mind-set.”

Be that as it may, Paloian is having a stellar season on the mat. He’s 23-5 and looking forward to the state series, including a possible rubber match against Mickens (30-8).

“I’ll probably see him downstate,” Paloian said. “I don’t want to speak too soon though.”

Loyola finished fifth among 13 teams Saturday with 85 points. Mount Carmel repeated its title, edging runner-up St. Rita 182-177. Providence (154) was third, followed by Brother Rice (86.5).

The Ramblers also had a third from Patrick Dancer (15-18 at 138) and fourths from Colin Skinner (17-15 at 132) and Phil Spagnolo (16-16 at 285).