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Bayou Elite escapes* from the Gulf Coach PINitentiary with a 37-30 win to battle for 5th

June 14th, 2015 | Written by: Editor

	GULF COAST PINitentiary W.C.
38	30

* One had to know that was coming at some point!

This was a tight match despite the Florida team having to forfeit two weight classes. Bayou Elite won six of the 13 contested matches - the convicts won seven. Two elite Elite members did not participate, in Jake Rando and Blake Mateu, who were both nursing injuries from previous matches, and that negated what might have been pretty good matches between Rando and Jack Johnson of GCP, but also between Mateu and either Ethan Pickren or Chase Curtis. But one marquis match did take place at 160 lbs., between two two-time state champions in Bryce Rogers, who competes for Lake Highland Prep in Orlando, FL, and Christian Walden, who competes for Airline High School in Bossier City, LA. In the first period the two sized each other up to a 0-0 tie. In the second period, however, the Florida grappler used a duck-under that put Walden on his back for a 5-0 lead. Walden was able to escape and the round ended with Rogers ahead 5-1. In the third Walden escaped again, but Rogers took him down again near the end of the period, again putting the Airline wrestler on his back for three more nearfall points to seal a 10-2 major decision. Despite the eight-point differential, at the end of the match the mutual respect for each other was obvious.

The match put Bayou Elite in the 5th-6th place match finals where they defeated Eagle Empire of Florida, whom they defeated 52-32. The PINitentiary boys competed for 7th and 8th and went home 7th after a 48-18 win over Springstead, FL.

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