Fini

Brother Martin left no doubt that they remain the team to beat come February, but Holy Cross dismissed any doubt as to whether they could legitimately compete against the two-time champs.  Holy Cross had two champions - Brice Duhe and Porter Dazet - and both defeated Crusader wrestlers in the finals. Granted, Brother Martin had seven champions and Taylor Gambill and Yehia Riles beat Tiger opponents in the finals, but the Tigers won the third-place battle two to one.

If the Crusaders end up with only three state champions (granted - early season speculation only), other schools placing in the top three spots might open the Division I championship door a little wider than previously expected.  Division II and III grapplers took 11 combined second and third place spots, which cost the Crusaders four points and the Tigers seven.  Lacking a 120 pound entrant may have reduced Holy Cross' score by 16 another points.  Add Comeaux, Fontainebleau, Jesuit Sulphur and St. Paul's to the mix and this could be a tight season in Division I.

The Crusaders did win by an 82.5 margin, however over the Tigers.  C. E. Byrd, Catholic, Rummel and Zachary also had champions.  The geographic diversity of the participating teams (Doyline and C. E. Byrd from northwest Louisiana; Pearl River of southeast Louisiana) and the quality of the competition made the Spartan Open THE TOURNAMENT TO WIN IN NOVEMBER.

Brother Martin junior and two-time defending Division I state champion Paul Klein accepts the Outstanding Wrestler Award.  Klein is two-for-two re OWs, also earning one at the Mandeville Open.  Klein defeated Live Oak's two-time Division II state champion Cody Hill in the finals.  The Crusaders won seven titles (five in a row from 126-152) and had three runners-up.	Holy Cross junior Brice Duhe is all smiles as he accepts the runner-up trophy for the Holy Cross Tigers.  Duhe won his second tournament finals match against Brother Martin's Travis Quarterman to remain undefeated on the season, and the Tigers proved they are more than capable to compete at the Division I level with two champions and four runners-up.

Re the Division II state title hunt Live Oak outscored Teurlings Catholic by 29.5 points.  The Rebels were without sophomore Brock Bonin, but the Eagles were missing Seth Bosarge (who, according to Bosarge, hates wrestling anyway).

It was a good day for Brother Martin's 1983 state champion Pat Williams as he watched his two sons, junior Mason (152 pounds) and sophomore Pierce (145 pounds) win Spartan Open titles.	East Ascension's Jacob Bernard (left), DeQuan Jackson (right) and Brother Martin's Mason Mauro attempt to bemuse the Spartans' Alex Betteridge, who was unable to compete due to an injury, by sitting together during the finals.	Trent Mahoney, the son of East Ascension coach Pat Mahoney, and Jacob Melie run the Louisiana Wrestling News  video camera during the finals matches.

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