Status: Fini

As much as I loathe writing about events at which I was not present, certain accomplishments in late December and early January deserve mentioning.  Little things have prevented my attending events since the Deep South Bayou Duals aside from a short visit to the South Plaquemines Duals on the Bayou.  But it is not often one gets to throw a modest party when one's mother celebrates her first birthday as an octogenarian, when nephews are in town from Penn State and LSU, when a brother-in-law has a temporary reprieve from Angola (not the Louisiana prison - the country!).  And in my 51 years, this was my first POLAR VORTEX.

But back to the mats:

12/21/13: The Brusly Panthers went to Florida and won again by taking first place at the Beast of the Beach Duals in Fort Walton Beach.  In November they started their Florida Panhandle domination with a win at the South Walton Border Wars.

01/04-/14: Catholic had success on the road as well.  The Bears won the Scott Rohrer Hoover Invitational (at Hoover High School, Hoover, AL) by 16 points, 640 to 624, over Vestavia Hills, Alabama.   Catholic was led by returning state champions Brennan Taylor, who scored a 10-0 major decision in the finals, and James Claitor, who defeated Hoover’s Jackson Hall 6-1.  Those two may see each other at the LA Classic on the 17^th and 18^th of January, possibly in the semifinals if Trevor Schermer’s win over Claitor in the Deep South Bayou Duals propels him to the top seed at 145 lbs.

The Bears had runners up in Josh Matthews (120 lbs.), Matthew Mire (152 lbs.) and Matthew Moreau (170 lbs.).

01/04/14: Brother Martin was able to compete in a Tennessee tournament that was not cancelled due to inclement weather.  After a 49-13 dual meet win over McCallie, TN on 01/03/14, at which Yehia Riles defeated the defending Tennessee state champion Nathan Hoodenpyle, the Crusaders won the Soddy Daisy Showdown by 22 points over runner-up Cleveland, TN.  Riles defeated Hoodenpyle in the 182 lbs. finals in a 3-1 SV-1 match, which was voted the best match of the heavier weight classes.

Joining Riles with championships was Paul Klein, who defeated another Tennessee state champion, Cleveland’s Austin Stevison, 6-4 in the 12 lbs. finals.  That match was voted the best match of the lower weight classes and Klein improved his 2013-14 record to 35-0.  Mason Williams won a third championship for the Crusaders at 152 lbs. with a 3-1 win over Soddy Daisy’s Austin Williams.

Mason Mauro made it to the finals but lost 7-5 to McCallie’s Addison Cornell.  Mauro defeated Cornell by the same score in the preceding dual meet.  At 170 lbs., Nicholas Comardelle (still claiming not to have wrestled since the 2010-11 season) placed second, as did Josh Tapia at 195 lbs.

01/04/14: Live Oak won the St. Amant Duals for the fourth time behind undefeated performances by Seth Minard (2-0), Mason Middleton (2-0), Jacob Chenevert (3-0), Cody Hill (4-0), Seth Bosarge (4-0) and Brody Bonura (4-0).

01/04/14: De la Salle won the first annual Duals on the Bayou at South Plaquemines High School.  Alex Martin was the Outstanding Wrestler of the upper weight classes, while Bryce Cortez of John Curtis and James Graham of South Plaquemines split OWs in the lower weight classes.  The Cavaliers are proving to be a contender in Division III this season.  They may not yet have the firepower needed to topple this year’s very strong Brusly team, but they should be a tough challenge to new Division III power St. Louis for the runner-up spot.

01/04/14: The St. Louis Saints made their presence known by defeating Comeaux 36-30 to win the Acadiana Duals.  St. Louis also defeated Lafayette (57-18), Sam Houston (57-12) and Rayne (57-9).  (Suffice to say, these Saints were not battling themselves as well as the Seattle Seahawks.)

Two young ladies started the 2014 with success:

01/04/14: Destrehan’s Nicole Robichaux won the second match of her career at the Duals on the Bayou.  

01/03/14: Doyline’s Brittany Bates won the women’s 110 lbs. championship at the Lamar Invitational in Arlington, Texas. Bates scored falls in 3:10, 1:47, 1:09 and 3:00 en route to another Outstanding Wrestler Award.  (Bracket in PDF)

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