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A year ago, Marmion’s Joey Favia received the perfect initiation for instant success.
As a freshman, Favia ended up with his daily training partner being none other than Jack Lesher, the Class 3A state champion at 182 pounds who has committed to Northwestern.
Not a bad place to start.
“We’re both from St. Charles, and I’ve known his family most of my life,” Favia said of Lesher. “We’re tight. He’s my mentor, and I’ve learned a lot from him.
“Even though he can’t be out there with me right now, he helps me with my confidence and gets me ready for matches, honing my skills and reassuring me that I’m one of the best.”
Wrestling at 215 pounds, Favia (30-6) has been fabulous as a sophomore, emerging as the heir apparent as the Cadets’ next great Division I prospect in the upper weights.
Lesher, a senior, has been working hard at his rehabilitation from a torn ACL suffered while playing football. Without him in the lineup, Favia has been the headliner for Marmion.
He punctuated a 6-0 performance in last weekend’s Flavin Invitational at DeKalb with a fall in the first period against Marist’s Conor Phelan, a senior who took third in the state last season.
Favia also went undefeated over six matches in separate meets Tuesday at Mount Carmel and Wednesday at Marmion.
Lesher has gone from his training partner last season to counseling his star pupil.
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“What makes Joey so elite is his ability to take feedback and how he’s always looking to keep growing,” Lesher said. “No matter who is always trying to help him or give him advice, he’s always open to learning and taking suggestions.”
Like Lesher, Favia is a two-sport standout for the Cadets. He started at fullback and defensive end in the fall for the football team.
The 6-foot-1 Favia has jumped up nearly 25 pounds from his weight last season, when he went 22-11 at 195.
Explosiveness, speed and technique have accelerated his development, pushing him into elite status.
“Jumping up to this weight, the big difference I see is the guys you go up against are really strong,” Favia said. “I just feel like I’m sneaky fast. I have strength, but then I can jump and show some offensive moves I don’t think people are expecting.”
His brilliant start to his sophomore season has been a welcome counter to the bittersweet experience of his freshman year.
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His dreams of qualifying for the individual state meet ended with a serious ankle injury in the sectional. He returned to help Marmion reach the team dual state meet, where the Cadets narrowly lost to St. Charles East.
Family bonds are crucial in his growth, manifested not just in his close connection with Lesher. Favia’s older brother, Christian, is a senior who wrestles at 157.
Favia’s path to Marmion was influenced by his family’s connection to the Garcia brothers, sophomore Nicholas and Jameson, a two-time state champion who’s a freshman at Harvard.
“I followed wrestling in my brother’s footsteps,” he said. “We both started when we were probably about 4 or 5 years old.
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“Wrestling helps with every other sport like in football with hand-eye coordination, speed and strength. Wrestling just translates into every sport.”
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Favia said camaraderie and hanging out with his friends are his favorite parts. He has a complexity and depth that belies his youth, according to sophomore 138-pounder Zach Stewart.
“He’s a really interesting guy, very smart in the classroom,” Stewart said. “He’s very smart and cerebral off the mat. He’s a different person inside the room. He has a kind of on and off switch.”
The appeal of the sport, according to Favia, is the directness.
“I try not to think too much going into my matches because I’m definitely an overthinker,” he said. “I’m a big reader, but I have always been competitive my whole life.
“I just try to mellow out and relax. I have to trust what I’m working on and do it.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.