Bumps in path to state: Injuries have slowed, not stopped local champs

He acknowledged his mat repertoire will be somewhat compromised by the injured wrist. If a move makes it hurt, he’ll try something else. Other than that, it’s business as usual.

“I’m not going to think about it,” McDonnell said. “I’ve just got to go out there and wrestle. Even if it does hurt, I’ve just got to keep going. It’s my senior year and I’m not going to get another chance.”

While McDonnell has been slowed the second half of the season, Bahrs had his problems right off the bat. He emerged unscathed from football season, but didn’t make it through three wrestling practices before going down.

Bahrs was practicing with teammate Maxx Hubbard when he experimented with a move, an upright spladle, he would likely never use in a match. He ended up losing his balance and landed awkwardly on his left shoulder.

“It’s a move I literally can’t do, but coaches preach to us to do stuff you don’t do on the mat,” Bahrs said. “I try to work in as many moves as I can. That move probably wasn’t the smartest one to hit.”

The shoulder separation put Bahrs on the shelf for about four weeks, then he was able to return for the same event, the St. Thomas More Invite in Champaign, that McDonnell was injured in.

The 152-pound Bahrs (16-3) suffered two of his three losses in that tournament, with the other coming to Oregon’s Brandon Sklavanitis in a match he went up a weight class to compete. A lack of matches is something that concerns Bahrs heading into the postseason.

“I wish I would have had a lot more mat time throughout this year because mat time is really important in wrestling,” Bahrs said.

Bahrs won his state title at 152 pounds as a freshman, then endured a nightmare of a sophomore campaign. He was born with extra tubes in each of his ears, and when they became infected in mid-season, they had to be removed.

He returned at the end of the 2010-11 season, but was not in top shape and had to compete in the 160-pound division, where he routinely gave up 10 pounds to opponents. The result was not even advancing to state after a fourth-place finish at sectional.

“It was something I couldn’t help at all,” Bahrs said. “You just learn from it and move on. Now I’m going to work harder to achieve what I did freshman year.”

Newman coach Steve Davis expects something resembling the 2009-10 postseason from Bahrs, as opposed to the one from a year ago.

“I fully expect him to have a great postseason,” Davis said. “He’s had some rough matches, but he came back early from his injury and only had a couple of practices. In the three losses, he had eight practices going into all three of those. I fully expect him to be rounding back into shape for the postseason.”

McDonnell file

High school: Morrison

Class: Senior

FYI: Is 17-1 at 145 pounds, but hasn’t wrestled since breaking his right wrist just after Christmas. ... Won 140-pound state title as a junior

Bahrs file

High school: Newman

Class: Junior

FYI: Is 16-3 at 152 pounds after separating left shoulder in preseason. ... Won 152-pound state title as freshman

Coming Friday: A look at Class 2A Geneseo Regional