Status: Fini

Speculation is fun but the Louisiana Wrestling News learned in 2012 that it is not immune to the vicious whims of the gods that have plagued Sports Illustrated since 1957.  In that year the LWN posted photos of three state championship semifinalists after Friday's competition.  All three lost in the finals.  Instead, aside from tidbits on a few individuals that are known to all, the LWN will leave it to the reader to guess who might break into the finals come February at the Pontchartrain Center.

It does not take rocket science to predict which teams should win state championships, however, and that is a risk worth taking.  The races for the runner-up spots, however, may be the focus of the state championships after the individual stories are played out.

The Louisiana Classic may regain its place as the preeminent state seeding event, but it would be nice to see the state contenders participate in the Ken Cole again, giving certain individuals a chance to win what has been called the "Louisiana Big Three," with the third part being a state championship.

Below you will find a list of teams (in order of their 2013-14 state finishes) and their returning wrestlers who placed 1st through 6th in the 2013-14 state championships. 

Division I

Short of a contagious skin problem affecting Brother Martin prior to the state tournament, the Crusaders look to be the team to beat come February.  Coach Robert Dauterive has nine returning state placers including four state champions (Mason Mauro is a two-time defending state champion; Paul Klein is seeking his fourth).  This marks the third time the Crusaders will be seeking their fourth state title in a row (not counting 2003 in which they did win a fourth title, but that was the last of five in a row).

Assuming the Crusaders fare as expected the runner-up race will be the one to watch.  Jesuit has eight returning starters while Holy Cross has seven (including Jake Rando, who placed fourth for Jesuit last season).  Re the placement points scored at last year's state championships, the Blue Jays have 59 and the Tigers have 55, albeit that might have been higher had the Tigers not lost Collin Guerra just prior to the state championships.

* Rando competed for Jesuit in the 2013-14 season.

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Division II

All indications in Division II point to Teurlings Catholic repeating as state champions, earning their fourth in five years.  The Rebels have 11 returning state placers, including junior Brock Bonin who will be seeking his third Division II individual title.

The runner-up spot should be a battle between Parkway which has six returning placers, and Live Oak which has five.  Shaw also has five returning placers but they will have to make-up a lot of spots to get into contention for the 2nd place team trophy.

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Division III

As expected the Brusly Panthers will be favored to win yet another Division III state championship.  Brusly returns four state champions and one runner-up from their nine-straight 2013-14 finals appearances, and has three third-place wrestlers waiting for their shot in the finals.

The runner-up spot should be contested between De la Salle and Basile.  Basile might have an edge as added to their two runners-up will be two-time Division III state champion Raymond Bushnell, who was injured prior to the 2014 state championship.  The Cavaliers return six placers but they all finished in the 4th-6th spots, and De la Salle will be without their two state champions, Alex Martin and Logan Silve, who were lost to graduation.  North Vermillion returns wrestlers who placed 2nd, 3rd and 4th, so the Patriots should not be discounted in the race for the runner-up spot.

* Basile also returns senior Raymond Bushnell, a 2012 and 2013 Division III state champion who was injured prior to the 2014 tournament.

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