37th Annual Ken Cole Invitational January 26th-27th Comeaux High School, Lafayette, Louisiana

Status: Fini

[All photos in this article, when clicked, will open into new windows with larger images.]

Final Team Standings

It is common knowledge that as the state wrestling championships approach, one cannot dismiss anyone wearing a Jesuit wrestling uniform.  And that tidbit of advice does not only hold true for the Blue Jays' starting 14.  Without the benefit of starters Mitch Capella, Gaston Eymard, Efosa Eboigbe, Christian Queyrouze, Jimmy Brown and Gage Grush the Blue Jays delivered enough seeding upsets and vindications to prevail at the 2013 Ken Cole Invitational.

Freshman Guy Patron, Jr., at 160 lbs., started the upsets with a 20-8 major decision over Airline's Sam Lites.  Patron lost in the quarterfinals to Comeaux's 6th-seeded Jon Robinson, but he evidently knew that team championships are won in the wrestlebacks.  Patron placed 3rd to Robinson's 6th. But Jesuit's unexpected star was sophomore Will LaFranca.  His 16-15 record was enough to earn a spot as the 5th seed at 126 lbs.  A #4, #1 and #2 seed later, LaFranca was on the top tier of the awards podium. Dominic Carmello needed a strong showing to earn a higher State seeding at 220 lbs.  Seeded only 7th, he did more than might have been asked by finishing 2nd.

Jesuit scored 233.5 points, outpointing host Comeaux High School by 18.  Comeaux's 215.5 was followed by Teurlings Catholic with 187, Brusly with 144 and Sulphur at 132.5, just a smidgeon ahead of Northside's 131.5.

Keith Bergeron's Comeaux squad had six of seven wrestlers win in placement matches.  Each of their four finalists went home champions.	Jacob Dale, Tyrek Malveaux, Abram Sellers and Connor Stampley won championships for the Spartans.

Teurlings Catholic, last year's Division II state champions, placed third.  They would have done better had they not lost six of seven placement matches, including three finals matches.  However, only one of those losses was to a wrestler from a Division II school. "We wrestled well all weekend until the placement matches," said coach Kent Masson.  "We have a lot of confidence in how we normally finish tournaments.  We have a really good group of young men and they are going to be prepared for State. The really good thing about our team is that we really don't have any weight issues.  Most of our boys are maybe a pound or two over for their weight class.  We don't make any kids "cut weight."

Back to Top 

Individual Awards

Sulphur junior Ora Wayne Broussard, the 3rd-place winner at 220 lbs., receives the "Most Pins in Least Time" award from Mr. James Simmons, the Director for Athletics at the Lafayette Parish School System.  Broussard pinned five of his opponents in 0:35, 1:30, 2:20, 3:46 and 4:02 for a total time of 12:13.	Comeaux coach Keith Bergeron presents the "Outstanding Wrestler - Lower Weight Class" award to Huntington's 145 lb. tournament champion Anthony Taylor.  Taylor, a senior, was the #3 seed and defeated the #2 seed Colin Laird of North Vermillion 10-6 before defeating #1 seed Grant Godso of Redemptorist 7-0 (med. def.).	Mr. Gil Douglass, Assistant Principal at Comeaux High School, presents the "Outstanding Wrestler - Higher Weight Class" to Rayne senior Billy Marcantel.  Marcantel, a returning Division III state champion and the #2 seed, defeated a returning Division II state champion in Nick Schneider of Teurlings Catholic, the #1 seed, 12-7 at 182 lbs.

Back to Top 

In Appreciation:

The 2013 Ken Cole Invitation consisted of 417 wrestlers from 64 teams representing 43 schools.  It was run flawlessly by dedicated volunteers who have vast experience in running the Ken Cole as well as many other high school and youth tournaments across the state.

The coaches, of course are responsible for maintaining the program, taking it to compete against other programs and advertising the event as they do.  The Comeaux wrestling coaches are Keith Bergeron, Brad Bergeron, Greg Brune, Todd Guidry, Sean Dale and Trevor Sonnier.

Once the teams have committed and sent in their line-ups, the wrestlers and teams have to be entered into the computer system that runs the tournament.  Brackets need to be printed and posted on the gymnasium walls.  Bout sheets need to be printed, sorted, delivered to scoring tables and, when a bout is over, returned to the office to have the results inputted into the computer which prints new bout sheets as necessary.  Volunteers are needed to prepare and serve the food to the public as well as to prepare the food and drinks in the coaches' hospitality room.  They are required to receive and keep track of those who have paid admission to watch the tournament as well as to sell programs, t-shirts and food tickets.  Scorekeepers are needed at the tables of each of the seven mats used by the tournament and runners are needed to supply new bout sheets to the tables and return finished bought sheets to the tournament computer in the coaches office.  At the end of each day the money received from the sale of food, t-shirts, programs and general admission needs to be counted and measured again inventory.

A brief list of those who helped to make the 2013 Ken Cole a success is presented below.  This list by no means includes everyone whose help "behind the scenes" make this a stellar event every year:

Special thanks need also be accorded to the following groups: Jr. ROTC members, Key Club members, Honor Society members and civics class students.

And when all is said and done on a Friday night... FREE MATS!

Back to Top 

Final Team Standings

* 10 JV teams tied at 55 with 0 points.

Back to Top