Status: Fini

[PLEASE NOTE:  This article was published without a set of brackets being available.  Correction are welcome.  Please send any to the editor.]

While news of upsets in Baton Rouge spread quickly as far as the Florida Panhandle, the Mandeville Open provided a gift to future seeding committees, and quite possibly a glimpse of several important matches come January and February.  Upsets were rare, but numerous contenders met in what might be the first of several matches between them this season.

As expected, the Crusaders of Brother Martin were dominant, with ten wrestlers in the finals and six championships (albeit one was guaranteed).  Not surprisingly, Holy Cross showed why they opted to enter the Division I fray this season.  The Tigers put seven wrestlers in the finals and won five.  The Rummel Raiders made a statement also, placing five wrestlers in the finals, though winning only one.  St. Paul's and Covington provided the two wrestlers who won the remaining weight classes.

Aside from the schools winning championships, Fontainebleau, Northshore, Pearl River, St. Amant, and Shaw participated in the event.

Several brackets were heavily laden with top contenders for state metals next February:

At 106 lbs. Brother Martin had last year's back-up to Mason Mauro, Stephen Rumney.  Now a sophomore, as a freshman Rumney posted a 20-8 record and won the Spartan Open and the St. Paul's Invitational.  The Crusaders were also represented by freshman Seth Gambill.  Rummel sophomore Robert Fairchild was a very experienced backup to last year's Division I runner-up Devyn Breaud.  But as if those combatants were not enough, Holy Cross added freshman Joseph Foret.  Foret effectively countered numerous Gambill takedown attempts in the quarterfinals on his way to a third period fall.  Rumney was his semifinals opponent and Foret opened a 2-0 first period lead after a little over a minute had elapsed.  Foret escaped in the second period and allowed a Rumney takedown to reduce his lead to one point at 3-2.  In the third round Foret added two nearfall points with a tilt and held on to win the match 5-2.  This setup the finals match against Fairchild, who cruised through the other half of the bracket.

Foret vs. Gambill Foret vs. Rumney Foret vs. Rumney

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The 138 lbs. weight class included Division I runners-up Austin Meyn of Brother Martin and Rick Lacava of Rummel, as w  ell as two-time Division II runner-up George Benoit of Holy Cross.

Meyn and Benoit met in the semifinals.  Scoreless after the first two minutes, Meyn broke the ice with an escape in the second for a 1-1 lead.  Benoit tied the match in the third period with an escape of his own, but it was Meyn who scored the only takedown of the match to advance to the finals.  Meyn's defense was outstanding.  Benoit relentlessly setup Meyn for takedown attempts but Meyn was able to quash all attempts.  A common denominator in many of the tournament's matches was a lack of stalling - often rare in early season events.  In this case, it might very well be true that Meyn was primarily on the defensive.  But Benoit did not give Meyn many chances to mount his own offensive and his very active defense was the deciding factor.

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Quarterman vs. Dufrene Quarterman vs. Verges Quarterman vs. Woodson

Another stellar cast made up the 170 lbs. competition.  Holy Cross junior Brice Duhe was a Division II runner-up in 2013.  Shaw's Kody Woodson lost to Duhe in the Division II semifinals and placed third (he was a runner-up in 2012).  And there was a new face in the crowd.  Travis Quarterman of McKinney North High School, just outside of Dallas, Texas, posted a 29-3 record in 2013.  Upon moving to New Orleans he enrolled at Brother Martin. A first round pin by Quarterman was not indicative of the caliber of the rest of the field.  Quarterman found himself tied 3-3 with Northshore's Brandon Verges in the quarterfinals and needed a sudden victory takedown to advance.  Woodson loomed next after a quick pin of Rummel's Matthew Bowman.  Woodson started well with an early takedown for a 2-0 lead.  The two exchanged escapes, but when Quarterman scored a takedown of his own he did not relinquish his 4-3 margin.  On the other side of the bracket Duhe cruised through his first two opponents, including a win over Chase Cochran of St. Paul's, to setup the finals match against the new Crusader.

Duhe v. St. Amant Duhe vs. St. Amant Woodson vs. Bowmann

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 Finals Matches

106 Pounds

Joseph Foret (9th - Holy Cross) 6-5 over Robert Fairchild (10th Rummel)

Fairchild started scoring fast in the first round with a strong double-leg.  With four seconds left in the period, Foret tried a Granby roll, but Fairchild caught him and added two more quick points for a 4-0 lead.  Fairchild chose to start the second period in the neutral position.  Foret countered a double-leg shot with a whizzer and scored his first takedown to halve Fairchild's lead.  The Tiger then used his legs to ride Fairchild through the remainder of the period.  Foret chose the bottom position at the start of the third round.  He stood up and turned into Fairchild, gaining a reversal with a double-leg maneuver. With time running low Foret allowed Fairchild a point at the next reset, giving the Raider a 5-4 lead.  But Foret made well on his gamble and took Fairchild down, scoring two points and a 6-5 championship.  (Foret's teammate, Chris Zea, completed a dominating performance by the Tiger 106 lb. wrestlers with a fall over Brother Martin's Stephen Shields at 3:16 in the finals of the St. Michael Warrior Open in Baton Rouge.)

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113 Pounds

Mason Mauro (11th-Brother Martin) via fall at 1:07 over Kyle Dunn (11th-Brother Martin)

Mauro, the 106 lbs. defending Division I state champion, had little problem with his Crusader teammate, scoring a takedown and two nearfall points early, and then using a ball-and-chain variation for the winning fall.

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120 Pounds

Dylan Soileau (11th-Holy Cross) via fall at 2:53 over Nick Des Bordes (11th-Mandeville)

Soileau exhibited the domination that lead to last year's Division II top seeding at 113 lbs., a spot he had to relinquish due to illness.  He switch a single-leg to a double-leg for a takedown 25 seconds into the match.  Des Bordes proved difficult for the remainder of the round but was unable to score, and the period ended 2-0 in Soileau's favor.  Taking the bottom position to start the second round, his switch was countered by a re-switch, but Soileau stepped over it and gained his reversal and a 4-0 lead.  Keeping control of des Bordes' near leg after the switch, Soileau grabbed his opponent's head and locked up a near-side cradle.  Lifting des Bordes up a little, Soileau placed him down squarely on his back to score a fall at 2:53.

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126 Pounds

Taylor Gambill (10th-Brother Martin) via fall at 3:24 over Tyler Mire (12th-Rummel)

The Crusader started with a single-leg takedown and a 2-0 lead after the first period.  Mire proved tough to control, but Gambill was ready for the challenge and managed a switch with 1:15 left in the second.  Using a bar-arm, he tilted Mire and collapsed his opponent's near leg.  The resulting near-side cradle ended the match at 3:24.

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132 Pounds

Paul Klein (11th-Brother Martin) via fall at 2:57 over Tristan Wheeler (12th-St. Amant)

The 13 weight classes aside from 132 lbs. easily merited the spectators' price of admission.  As for the 132 lbs. contest, Paul Klein could have charged clinic fees. The two-time defending Division I state champion was flawless on his way to another tournament Outstanding Wrestler award.  His opponent in the finals, St. Amant's Tristan Wheeler, was simply out-gunned on all fronts.  Off of the whistle Klein hoisted Wheeler's leg into the air to score the first points with a takedown trip.  Never stopping to catch his breath (or allowing spectators to do the same) he used a tilt to score another two points, and then did it again for a 6-0 lead.  As if the first two tilts were just for practice, he did it again, but this time for three nearfall points.  By the time the first period ended the Crusader junior had amassed a 9-0 lead.  Choosing to start the second period on the bottom, Klein stood up and secured his one escape point and then threw Wheeler for a two-point takedown before the wrestlers went out of bounds.  At the restart Klein inserted a leg and forced an opposite half-nelson, turning Wheeler to his back for three nearfall points.  Eschewing the technical fall due to his 15 point advantage, Klein stayed with the half-nelson and scored a fall in 2:57.

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138 Pounds

Austin Meyn (12th-Brother Martin 5-4 over Rick Lacava (12th-Rummel)

The two returning Division I state runners-up provided a match befitting its billing.  Lacava scored first, countering a Russian-tie single-leg trip with a duck-under for a 2-0 lead.  With a minute to go in the first period, Meyn escaped to reduce his deficit to one point.  Lacava tried to take advantage of his height with an ankle pick, then switched to a double-leg, but Meyn shucked him aside, stepped behind and score a takedown for a 3-2 lead as the period ended.  Choosing bottom in the second round, Meyn turned in on Lacava, grabbing a leg and sneaking around Lacava for a reversal and a 5-2 lead.  Lacava earned an escape point before the round ended with Meyn ahead 5-3.  Lacava started in the bottom position in the third period and arching hard during a stand-up, escaped to reduce Meyn's lead to 5-4.  On his feet and needing a takedown to have a chance of winning, Lacava attacked Meyn aggressively and almost scored on a fireman's carry and a head-and-arm throw.  With 20 seconds left Lacava grabbed control of one of Meyn's legs and was able to lift it off of the mat, but Meyn, as he did previously against Benoit, would not cede any points.  Meyn won the battle 5-4 and the contest was voted the "Best Match" of the tournament.

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145 Pounds

Daniel Evans (11th-Brother Martin) 8-1 over Brice Ballas (12th-Shaw)

The Brother Martin junior did not have the easy time one might conclude after seeing the final point tally.  Evans' scoring included two first period takedowns vs. one escape point from Ballas, a nearfall tilt in the second round and a reversal in the third, but every move proved risky against the Shaw senior.  In the end, Evans' superior riding ability proved to be the difference.

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152 Pounds

Joseph Kerry (11th-Rummel) via fall at 0:45 over Pierce Williams (10th-Brother Martin)

The Rummel junior proved too strong for the young Crusader, who was competing three weight classes above his normal 132 lbs.  Kerry caught Williams' head on a duck-under attempt and sprawled it onto the mat.  Locking the head and an elbow, Kerry rotated 360 degrees which forced Williams onto his back, which is where Kerry stopped him at 0:45.

Williams performed well in reaching the finals.  His toughest match was in the semifinals versus the host school's Garrett Baumann.  The Mandeville junior had difficulty with the Crusaders' agility and speed, and Williams had a comfortable lead near the conclusion of the match.  But as his coaches reminded Williams after the bout, a match consists of six minutes.  Williams made a costly error that led to a cross-face cradle by Baumann.  Time was the only weapon Williams had left, and it proved just enough to prevent his being pinned at the end.

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160 Pounds

Tanner Leblanc (12th-St. Paul's) via second round fall over Jordan Wright (12th-Brother Martin)

Appropriately, Tanner Leblanc celebrated his birthday with a Mandeville Open championship.  Last year's Division I 3rd-place placer at the state tournament, Leblanc is one of the favorites to win a state championship title for the Wolves.  The senior Wright compiled a 12-3 record in place of the injured Tyler Robertson last season, but one of his looses was a 7-2 decision by Leblanc.  Leblanc started scoring with a first period shoulder shrug to a duck-under.  Starting on the bottom after a reset, Wright tried a sit-out turn and roll but Leblanc caught a whizzer as Wright attempted to complete his turn, and ripped the Crusader to his back for two nearfall points.  Starting on the top in the second period, Leblanc rode Wright with his legs until the opportunity to force a half-nelson presented itself.  Leblanc used the half-nelson and his legs to turn Wright to his back, listened to his coaches and applied a scissors to Wright's body, slid off to a perpendicular angle and finished the half-nelson with a fall.

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170 Pounds

Brice Duhe (11th-Holy Cross) via fall at 5:28 over Travis Quarterman (12th-Brother Martin)

The newest Crusader started his first Louisiana finals match with an ankle dive from a three-point stance, switching it to a high single before dropping under his opponent and, via a back-door maneuver, converting it to a takedown.  The two point lead was brief, though, as Duhe escaped before the first round ended with the Tiger down 2-1.  Starting the second round on the bottom, Quarterman countered a cross-face attempt by turning into Duhe, grabbing a leg and lifting it until both wrestlers were on their feet.  Letting the leg go, Quarterman did a Granby roll and scored an escape point.  The only point scored in the round, it gave the Crusader a two point lead going into the final round.  On the bottom, Duhe quickly stood up and escaped, resulting in only a one point deficit for the Holy Cross wrestler.  On his feet, Quarterman attacked relentlessly in an attempt to increase his lead, but Duhe was not inclined to cede any more points.  Duhe shucked Quarterman's head, and while Quarterman attempted to recover his composure, Duhe shot a deep double-leg.  Knocking Quarterman to his back in scoring the go-ahead takedown, Duhe maintained the pressure and scored a fall by the edge of the mat at 5:28.

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182 Pounds

Brendan Allen (12th-Covington) 5-1 over Porter Dazet (12th-Holy Cross)

Countering the Covington senior's height proved a daunting task for Holy Cross' returning Division II runner-up.  Dazet got into Allen with deep double-leg shots but was unable to covert after Allen sprawled.  After a first period reset, Allen dove for Dazet's ankle off of the whistle, and during Dazet's defensive sprawl, Allen slipped under Dazet's arm to score the match's first two points.  The first period ended with Allen ahead 2-0.  Dazet chose the bottom position to start the second period but was not able to muster anything against his Covington opponent.  A good Dazet's roll was countered with a reroll.  At the very end Dazet appeared to have scored a reversal, but the referees did not see enough to award any points before the period ended and both wrestlers went out of bounds.  Dazet chose to give up a point to start the third round in the neutral position.  Dazet attacked unceasingly but was not able to score.  Near the end of the match Allen caught Dazet attempting a double-leg shot, stood Dazet up, and lateralled Dazet.  Allen was a little late in his turn at the end, and almost allowed Dazet to keep him on his back.  But Allen had rolled just enough and was able to slide around to Dazet's back to score the last takedown.  With a 5-0 lead, Dazet's lone escape point came too late and Allen gained a 5-1 victory.

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195 Pounds

Yehia Riles (11th-Brother Martin) via 3-1 Sudden Victory over Daniel Relayson (12th-Holy Cross)

This match was enthusiastically anticipated.  In 2013 the two only met each other once, with Riles earning a 3-1 win at the Louisiana Classic.  After that Riles was a Division I runner-up while Relayson placed third in Division II.  One would not know it by looking at the scores, but this was a hard match between two very aggressive wrestlers.  Points were extremely rare.  The first period ended scoreless.  With Riles on bottom in the second, he immediately stood up to score an escape point and take a 1-0 lead.  Relayson then attacked Riles with everything he could muster but Riles was able to fend him off and prevent Relayson from scoring.  The second round ended with Riles ahead 1-0.  To start the third period, Holy Cross took the bottom position, but Riles ceded the escape point in order to start standing with a tie score.  As in the previous rounds both wrestlers attacked and defended, but neither would allow any points to be scored.  A Sudden Victory period would be required to break the 1-1 tie.  Already with a warning for stalling, Riles cautiously used the edge of the mat.  Relayson leaned into Riles near the edge and then Riles was able to duck under Relayson's arm, spin behind the Holy Cross wrestler and score the takedown to end the match 3-1 at 6:23.

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220 Pounds

Michael Yeatman (12th-Holy Cross) via third round fall over Tyler Fontana (12th-Rummel)

Yeatmann outclassed his Rummel opponent from the start.  He took a 2-0 lead after the first period.  Starting on the bottom in the second period, Yeatmann escaped and scored another takedown before the round ended amassing a 5-0 lead.  In the third Fontana started on the bottom but could not get away from Yeatmann, who constantly tried pinning combinations until one of them stuck to end the match.

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285 Pounds

Travis Gardner (11th-Holy Cross) via fall at 5:00 over Austin O'Donnell (12th-Rummel)

The last match of the day proved to have one of the rarer events in matches between the big guys.  The majority of points earned were escapes when one wrestler started on the bottom at the start of a period.  Gardner started on bottom in the third period.  O'Donnell attempted to put pressure on Gardner's head from the top, but he ended up over-riding Gardner.  Gardner reached from below and grabbed the back of O'Donnell's head and pulled down.  O'Donnell tried to counter with a leg ride, but his legs could not reach back far enough to stop Gardner.  Gardner continued pulling O'Donnell's head down while he backed out from between O'Donnell's legs.  Then while still holding the head, Gardner grabbed a leg and pulled O'Donnell into a stack.  He then switch to a nearside cradle for the fall at 5:00

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