CHAMPAIGN — Logan Patton didn’t know what to do with himself on Thursday night. The Unity coach had two of his wrestlers going at the same time in the IHSA state quarterfinals, Kaden Inman right in front of him on Mat 2 at 144 pounds and Taylor Finley directly behind him on Mat 1 at 138.
Soon, Inman had taken control of his match, so Patton took a peek at Finley, who was in the process of securing a last-second takedown to beat top-seeded Jude Finch from Rockridge and earn his own spot in the semifinals. Patton started jumping up and down with a huge smile on his face, frantically looking back and forth as Finley celebrated and Inman wrapped up.
Two All-State wrestlers in a matter of moments.
“I hope somebody got a video of it because I don’t know what happened,” Patton said with a laugh. “At one point, I feel like I jumped over Josh (Inman). When Kaden got a takedown, I was like, ‘OK, he’s good. I can watch Taylor for a second.’ It was just a crazy whirlwind of 30 seconds. It was unreal. It’s what this state tournament is all about. We’ve got the whole town of Tolono up there. This is what you work for, moments like that. It was fantastic.”
On his way back to the tunnel under the State Farm Center stands, Patton hollered loud enough for anyone in the arena to hear, “Taylor Finley is a dog!” Little did he know that he had just lit a fire that would propel Finley to win a state title two days later.
“He was wrong. He was very wrong,” Finley said. “I actually took offense to that statement because I’m a shark, and sharks never stop moving. We keep going, baby.”
Finley won the Class 1A 138-pound state championship on Saturday night, once again in upset fashion, besting formerly undefeated Brody Widlowski from Coal City by an 8-4 decision. The sophomore celebrated by throwing on the head of a shark costume that Patton’s wrestlers stole from his kids’ toy box and pumping up the full section of Unity fans in the stands.
“We’ve had that thing for years,” Patton said. “My stepson was a shark for Halloween, and we just kept toys around. My 157-pounders, Josh Heath and Keegan Germano, were like, ‘We want to take the shark head to the state tournament.’ Now, it’s coming everywhere with us.”
Finley’s championship appearance marked the seventh consecutive year the Rockets have had at least one state finalist, and his win made it four years in a row the Unity wrestling program has produced a state champion, following Nick Nosler, Lexi Ritchie and Hunter Eastin.
“At Tolono Unity, we have one of the best atmospheres in the state, if not the best,” Finley said. “I know all those people in the stands are going to look after me, and they’re going to support me through everything.”
As Finley celebrated, Inman wrestled his championship match at 144 pounds, the second straight year he’s made that final after finishing as the runner-up last season. Unfortunately, this year culminated with the same result, as Inman lost by a 15-3 major decision to Richmond-Burton’s Emmett Nelson.
Inman laid on his back and stared at the State Farm Center rafters while his opponent had his moment with his coaches and fans. He’d used his loss in 2024 as motivation to get back to this stage all season, and to have it end in another runner-up finish, this one to cap his high school career, was devastating.
“I hurt for him,” Patton said. “I know it’s going to hurt now, but five years down the road, he’ll remember he got to walk in the finals with his dad two times. There are going to be great stories of resiliency and all the stuff he’s put into the sport. I’m really proud that I’ve been with him for 12 years and he got to enjoy this.”
The emotion on Inman’s face was clear as he stepped down from the podium with his second-place medal and declined to share his thoughts. Patton said the senior had been battling the “What if?” demons all year, and they were trying to turn them into positive thoughts like “What if I am a state champion?”
While Inman may not grasp it now, he’s a two-time state finalist, which is two more than most wrestlers ever get the chance to say.
“I told him I love him and I’m proud of him. That’s all you can say,” Patton said. “You had the wedding with Taylor and the funeral with Kaden. Five years down the road, we’re going to be grateful for the ride. We’ve spoken a lot about gratitude this year and being thankful for what we’ve been given. We’re just thankful for the moment.”
The Rockets will have at least one more moment together this season, as they now turn their attention to their dual team sectional match against PORTA in a few days, where they’ll hope to advance to the state tournament and improve on their third-place finishes in 2020 and 2022.
“Next week, we’re winning a team state title,” Finley said, “and I’m riding with my boys one last time.”
