| Thirteen grapplers competed for the 195
pounds title and six were seeded. Two favorites stood out from
the rest of the field. The first was the top-seeded and
undefeated junior from Brother Martin, Yehia Riles, a Division I
runner-up in 2013. Not far behind as a two seed was senior
Daniel Relayson of Holy Cross, whose only loss this season was in a
"Sudden Victory" period against Riles at the Mandeville Open.
Live Oak's Nicholas Simoneaux, fresh off a Griffin Open
championship, was seeded third. Jacob Spohrer of Pearl River
(#4), Ian Harter of Lafayette (#5) and Jimmy Do of Baton Rouge (#6)
rounded out the seeds. |
Both 2013-14 matches between Riles
and Relayson have been low scoring affairs which often
indicates a slow tempo - but not with these two.
Both are just as apt to shoot single-leg and double-leg
shots. The problem is that one rarely allows the other
a chance to complete them.
Such was the case in this match. Both wrestlers were
aggressive in the first period, but neither could score.
Starting on bottom in the second, Relayson escaped after
five seconds and took a 1-0 lead. He almost scored
another two points but his double-leg trip on the edge was
ruled to be off the mat. The round ended with Relayson
holding on to his very precarious 1-0 lead.
Riles took
less time, only two seconds, to escape from Relayson in the
third period to tie the match. But then a Riles
single-leg worked and he took, for these two athletes, what
might be considered a commanding 3-1 lead. Twenty
seconds later Relayson doubled his points with an escape and
again almost had a takedown on the edge of the mat. It
too was deemed out of bounds. Both were still
aggressive to the end, but Riles |
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| Yeatman sprawls on a takedown attempt
by Riles. |
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