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| Status: Fini |
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| Warrior Open to
feature Division I's "Big Guns" |
| November 6th, 2014 || Written by:
Editor |
In the last 10 years 30 teams have placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in Division I.
Twenty-five of those places were won by Brother Martin, Catholic and Jesuit, all
of whom will be represented in the 9th annual St. Michael the Archangel's
Warrior Open on Saturday. Add perennial Division III champion Brusly, a
veteran Holy Cross team, a rejuvenated Airline team and several other stand-outs
from other schools and this makes for an outstanding first tournament of the
season.
According to current TrackWrestling rosters twenty-six placers from the 2013,
including champions Jake Rovira, Will Lafranca and Guy Patron, Jr. of Jesuit,
Chris Zea of Holy Cross and Kendon Kayser of Brusly may participate. Eight
placers from the 2012 event may also be there, including Christopher Marson of
Denham Springs, George Benoit of Holy Cross and Brandon Cowell of Dutchtown.
Just for fun, throw in Division I state champions Matthew Mire of Catholic,
Steven Shields, Paul Klein and Yehia Riles of Brother Martin, Division II state champion
Colt Olinde of Live Oak, Division III state champions Austin Franklin of Brusly,
Logan Griffin of Thomas Jefferson (2013) and two-time Division III state
champion Raymond Bushnell of Basile.
The twenty-six teams scheduled to participate include the following:
| Airline |
Central |
Jesuit |
St. Michael |
| Basile |
Comeaux |
John Ehret |
Thomas Jefferson |
| Baton Rough High |
Denham Springs |
Live Oak |
Walker |
| Belle Chasse |
Dutchtown |
McKinley |
Woodlawn |
| Brother Martin |
East Ascension |
North Desoto |
Zachary |
| Brusly |
Episcopal |
Rayne |
|
| Catholic High |
Holy Cross |
St. Louis Catholic |
|
Results of the event may be found via
The Wrestling
Tourney.
If the wrestlers listed on TrackWrestling who are not still playing football
participate in the weight classes in which they are certified, then some
incredible early season matches could be contested in the following weight
classes (notes include state tournament finishes by division and/or Warrior Open
finishes):
|
120 |
Christopher Marson |
DS |
2012
Champ |
|
|
Beau Bush |
HC |
2014 DI 5th |
|
|
Brody Martin |
JES |
2014 DI 5th |
|
|
Colt Olinde |
LO |
2014 DII State Champ, 2013 Runner-up |
|
|
Logan Griffin |
TJ |
2013 DIII State Champ, 2014 DIII
Runner-up |
|
Griffin and Olinde own state titles as well as
runner-up finishes in Divisions III and II respectively, but they should
be hard-pressed against the very experienced Martin and Bush. The
return of Denham Springs' Christopher Marson should make this a very
interesting weight class. Marson was forced to sit out the entire
2013-14 season due to a shoulder injury he suffered in the 2013 Louisiana
Classic. In that sophomore year, however, he was undefeated until
that point. |
|
126 |
Austin
Franklin |
BRU |
2014
DIII State Champ |
|
|
Collin Guerra |
HC |
2013 D2 Runner-up |
|
|
Joseph Dupre |
JES |
|
|
|
Jordan Giewat |
JES |
|
|
|
Raymond Bushnell |
BAS |
2012 and 2013 DIII State Champ, 2013
3rd |
|
Guerra and Bushnell were both having very
good seasons prior to being sidelined by injuries prior to the 2014
state championships, and the freshman Franklin peaked perfectly to win a
Division III title for the Panthers. The two Blue Jays, however,
should not be overlooked as they had very good USA wrestling seasons.
|
|
132 |
Taylor
Gambill |
BM |
2014
DI Runner-up |
|
|
Dylan Soileau |
HC |
2012 DII 5th, 2012 4th |
|
Gambill will be a favorite to win his first
state title come February after coming just short in last year's finals.
Soileau, if he can avoid the injuries which kept him out of the 2012 and
2013 state championships, should be a major factor in his senior year. |
| 138 |
Paul Klein |
BM |
2012, 2013 & 2014
DI State Champ |
|
|
Blaine Eisensohn |
BM |
Years sparring
with Klein, great Jazz Town Duals |
|
Jacob Bernard |
EA |
2014
DI 3rd, 2013 2nd |
|
|
Joey Foret |
HC |
2014 DI 4th |
|
|
Peyton Markey |
JES |
2013 2nd |
|
Odds are nobody really wants to be in Paul
Klein's weight class this early in the season. The waters have to be
tested but Klein takes everyone seriously. Bernard is well
seasoned and does not give up a lot of points while Foret, as a
freshman, had a great year that might have been better had he not had an
early season injury. Markey placed second last year and Eisensohn,
well, he showed at the Jazz Town Duals in June that backing up Klein
definitely has its rewards. |
|
145 |
Kendon
Kayser |
BRU |
2014
DIII State Champ, 2013 Champ |
|
|
Jake Rando |
HC |
2014 DI 4th |
|
|
Brandon Wolfe |
JES |
|
|
|
Maxwell Grosch |
JES |
|
|
Kayser may be hard-put to match his 2013-14
season in which he only lost one match by one point (to Ocean Springs'
Tristan Rupert, and Kayser got that one back a few weeks later).
Rando had a great freshman season for Jesuit and it will be interesting
to see how he matches up with former teammates Wolfe and Grosch. |
|
152 |
Mason
Williams |
BM |
2014
DI Runner-up |
|
|
Seth Johnson |
BM |
2013 4th |
|
|
George Benoit |
HC |
DI (2014), D2 (2013 & 2013)
Runner-up, 2012 Champion |
|
Johnson was a late starter for the Crusaders in
2014 and was a point away from placing at the state championships.
But Williams and Benoit will be the ones to watch in this weight class,
at least for a while until future hydration tests. |
|
160 |
Christian Walden |
AIR |
2014
DI 3rd, 2013 Runner-up |
|
|
Daniel Evans |
BM |
2014 DI 4th |
|
|
Matthew Mire |
CAT |
2014 DI State Champ |
|
|
Brandon Cowell |
DUT |
2014DI Runner-up, 2012 Champ |
|
|
Jake Rovira |
JES |
2014 DI 6th, 2013 Champ |
|
|
Griffin Mason |
JES |
2014 DI 5th |
|
This should be very fun to watch as it could
feasibly be the toughest weight class of the tournament. Cowell
and Evans split last season at 145. Mire won a 152 lbs. Division I
state championship for Catholic but did not face Cowell or Evans due to
the presence of one James Claitor at 145 lbs. for the Bears.
Walden had a great freshman year, and though some may be initially
skeptical at a 34 lb. jump to 160 lbs., this kid has the talent to do that.
Nobody should expect easy matches from the two Blue Jays, though, who
were both 2014 state placers. |
|
170 |
Brice
Duhe |
HC |
2014
DI Runner-up |
|
|
Will Lafranca |
JES |
2014 DI 3rd, 2013 Champ |
|
|
Evan Palmisano |
JES |
2013 4th |
|
|
Jack Fontenot |
JE |
2014 DI 5th |
|
Duhe was very comfortable at 170 lbs. last year
and will be a favorite to win a title for the Tigers come February.
Lafranca makes nothing easy, though, and should be the Jesuit starter at
whatever weight class he chooses, and he could easily justify the move
from 138 to 170. Palmisano should also be a factor after backing
up Lafranca and Gaston Eymard last season. Fontenot's Ken Cole
runner-up finish was not unexpected, even if his state finish was, and
he should do very well in his senior year for Ehret's new coach Bryan
Crayton. |
|
195 |
Yehia
Riles |
BM |
2014
DI State Champ |
|
|
Guy Patron, Jr. |
JES |
2014 DI Runner-up |
|
|
Brody Bonura |
LO |
2014 DII Runner-up, 2013 Runner-up |
|
Live Oak's Bonura has a great resume, but he
will be hard pressed with Riles and Patron in this bracket. Riles
won last season's series against Patron 3-2, including a spectacular
overtime Division I state finals match, and it will be interesting to
see if either drops to 182 after a few early season matches. |
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