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Division I - 138
pounds: Lirette prevails in battle of 2015 third place finishers, 2014
runners-up |
March 25th, 2016 | Written by:
Editor |
Hahnville's Nicholas Lirette and Brother Martin's Taylor Gambill were Division I
runners-up in 2014, and in 2015 they each placed third. Competing in the same
weight class this season, Lirette won two of their three matches during the
regular season but saved his best effort for the last, defeating the Crusader
by a 14-4 major decision.
![](../DI%20Photos/D1%20138/Finals%20D1%20138%20Lirette-T.%20Gambill/D1%20138%20FIN%20Lirette-T.%20Gambill%20-%2007.JPG)
Synopsis
Hahnville's Nicholas Lirette was one amazing third-period comeback by Taylor
Gambill away from being perfect. Gambill accomplished that feat in a
January 12th dual meet. Prior to that Lirette had pinned Gambill in the
Trey Culotta finals, and afterward Lirette also defeated the Crusader 11-5 in
the Louisiana Classic finals. Aside from the Trey Culotta and the
Louisiana Classic, Lirette also won titles at the Pearl River Invitational, the
Gulf Breeze Invitational in Florida, the Dale Ketelsen Memorial and the District
5A Tournament. As for domination of the weight class, the match Lirette
lost to Gambill, his 11-5 Louisiana Classic finals win and a 13-7 win over Jack
Stoves of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, were the only matches all season in which the
Tiger wrestler did not win by at least a major decision.
Gambill's season, which was delayed by not one, but two ankle injuries at the
same time, was not one to which the Crusader was accustomed. He dropped a
last second Trey Culotta pool match to Stoves, and lost another one to Teurlings
Catholic's Brock Bonin, albeit he avenged that in following day's bracketed
event. Last season it was Gambill who won the Trey Culotta and the
Louisiana Classic, and he was undefeated against Louisiana competition until he
was upset by Jesuit's Joseph Dupre in the state semifinals. This season,
however, Gambill could not get past the runner-up position, in which he also
found himself at the Blackhorse in Tennessee. His best tournament,
actually, may have been the Prep Slam VII in Georgia, in which he placed third
against very stern opposition. Despite his disappointment this season he
will no doubt be remembered by many as one of the absolute best wrestlers not to
win a state title.
The rest of the 138 lbs. field in Division I was not without its stars even
if they may have been a small step behind Lirette and Gambill. St. Paul's
senior Billy Harrison, who was seeded and placed third in Bossier City, won the
Raider Invitational, the Mandeville Open, and the Trygg Memorial. His
opponent in the state consolation finals, 5th-seeded Hunter Fitch of Comeaux,
started off at 152 lbs. and fared well with a runner-up finish at the Jacob
McMillan and a third place finish in the Trey Culotta. Dropping to 138
lbs. he placed fifth at the Louisiana
Classic, and the following week he won the Ken Cole Invitational in front of a
zealous Comeaux High School crowd.
Harrison took care of Fitch to place third in a 9-7 match. Unseeded
Nathan Koenig of Jesuit defeated Matthew Sheppard of Fontainebleau 3-2.
Placers
Place |
Name |
School |
Seed |
Year |
1st |
Nicholas Lirette |
Hahnville |
1 |
12 |
2nd |
Taylor Gambill |
Brother Martin |
2 |
12 |
3rd |
Billy Harrison |
St. Paul's |
3 |
12 |
4th |
Hunter Fitch |
Comeaux |
5 |
12 |
5th |
Nathan Koenig |
Jesuit |
>8 |
10 |
6th |
Matthew Sheppard |
Fontainebleau |
6 |
11 |
|
![](../DI%20Photos/D1%20138/Pod%20D1%20138%20Lirette/D1%20138%20Podium.JPG) |
1st |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
5th |
6th |
![](../DI%20Photos/D1%20138/Pod%20D1%20138%20Lirette/D1%20138%20Bracket.JPG) |
![](../DI%20Photos/D1%20138/Pod%20D1%20138%20Lirette/D1%20138%201st%20Lirette.JPG) |
![](../DI%20Photos/D1%20138/Pod%20D1%20138%20Lirette/D1%20138%202nd%20T.%20Gambill.JPG) |
![](../DI%20Photos/D1%20138/Pod%20D1%20138%20Lirette/D1%20138%203rd%20Harrison.JPG) |
![](../DI%20Photos/D1%20138/Pod%20D1%20138%20Lirette/D1%20138%204th%20Fitch.JPG) |
![](../DI%20Photos/D1%20138/Pod%20D1%20138%20Lirette/D1%20138%205th%20Koenig.JPG) |
![](../DI%20Photos/D1%20138/Pod%20D1%20138%20Lirette/D1%20138%206th%20Sheppard.JPG) |
Nicholas Lirette |
Nicholas Lirette |
Taylor Gambill |
Billy Harrison |
Hunter Fitch |
Nathan Koenig |
Matthew Sheppard |
Early and Consolation Rounds
|
C1: Brown (StA) over Bivin (EJ) via a
17-0 TF. |
Back to Top
Quarterfinals
|
(1) Nicholas Lirette (HNV) defeated David
Clement (HC) via a 21-11 major decision. |
|
(5) Hunter Fitch (COM) defeated (4) Davis
Polito (CAT) 8-3. |
|
(3) Billy Harrison (StP) defeated (6) Matthew
Sheppard (FNT) 10-6. |
|
(2) Taylor Gambill (BM) defeated (7) Joshua
Bell (EHR) via a 20-5 technical fall. |
Back to Top
Semifinals
|
(1) Nicholas Lirette (HNV) defeated (5) Hunter
Fitch (COM) via a 19-10 major decision. |
|
(2) Taylor Gambill (BM) defeated (3) Billy
Harrison (StP) 12-7. |
Back to Top
Championship Consolation Rounds
|
(3) Billy Harrison (StP) defeated (5) Hunter
Fitch (COM) 9-7 to win 3rd place. |
|
Nathan Koenig (JES) defeated (6) Matthew
Sheppard (FNT) 3-2 to win 5th place. |
Back to Top
Finals
(1) Nicholas Lirette of Hahnville defeated (2)
Taylor Gambill of Brother Martin via a 14-4 major decision. |
|
Back to Top
© 2016 by Louisiana Wrestling News
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