Fini

In a repeat of the 2017 120 lbs. title match, Sam Pitts becomes Ouachita Christian's first repeat champion.

Weight Class Synopsis

Ouachita senior Samuel Pitts was the Eagles' first state champion, defeating De la Salle's Jeffrey Hefner 13-6 last year.  Pitts was the third seed then.  Hefner was seeded first, and Brusly's Hunter Richey was second.  This season it was Pitts in the top position with Hefner seeded second.  (Richey moved up to 145 lbs.)

Pitts was 20-4 upon entering the tournament.  Two losses were to Division I opponents Colby Queyrouze of Jesuit and Airline's Peyton Bass.  The other two were to Division II wrestlers Jackson LeBlanc from Teurlings Catholic and Rayne's Cooper Simon.  Ten of his wins were against Division I opponents, three were against Division II competition and in Division III, two wins were over Brusly's Andrew Trahan, who was seeded fifth.  With falls in 4:47 and 0:50, he faced Trahan in the semifinals after the Panther freshman defeated Basile's Hunter Langley via a fall in 4:51.  Pitts pinned his way to a finals appearance in 4:21.

Hefner had a short season and was 11-5 entering the CenturyLink Center.  His wins did not merit much notice, but his losses did.  One was to Brandon Stein of St. Paul's, who placed fourth in Division I, and another was to Rummel's Chris Montalbano, who was a Division II runner-up.  Two more were to a very tough Gage Sonnier of John Ehret, his other one was to Brother Martin's Riley Horvath, who is likely to start for the Crusaders in 2018-19.  To reach the finals Hefner used falls in 0:28, 2:20 and, against third-seeded James Geiger of Hannan in the semifinals, 5:20.

The finals match was a lot closer than their last meeting in the 2017 state finals.  Neither wrestler could score in the first period.  Pitts started the second period on the bottom and came-out ahead in a switch-re-switch scenario to take a 2-0 lead.  Hefner escaped with 52 second remaining, but Pitts responded by sprawling on a Hefner shot, holding one of Hefner's hands to the mat, and spinning around the side of the pinned hand to score another takedown.  The round ended with Pitts ahead 4-1.  In the third Pitts was warned for stalling after 45 seconds had gone by and with that he let Hefner go to reduce his lead to 4-2.  A little later Pitts caught a single-leg, lifted it up and tripped Hefner down to the mat.  Hefner, however, fell on his back and Pitts held him there by locking-up Hefner's arms and head.  He was awarded a fall in 5:32 and became Ouachita Christian's first repeat state champion. 

Langley won three matches, including a 6-1 decision over Hannan's James Geiger in the consolation semifinals, to advance to the consolation finals against Trahan.  Trahan only needed 1:24 to to pin North Vermillion's Riley Baumgardner to meet Langley for the third-place match.  The Basile sophomore defeated the Brusly freshman 6-2 to place third.  Geiger pinned  Baumgardner in 1:45 to take fifth-place.

Early Championship Rounds

R1: (1) Sam Pitts (OC) over Cade Camel (STL) in 4:47

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Quarterfinals

(1) Sam Pitts (OC) over Mason Ashworth (BLT) in 0:50

(5) Andrew Trahan (BRU) over (4) Hunter Langley (BAS) in 4:59

(3) James Geiger (HAN) over (6) Riley Baumgardner (NV) in 2:59

(2) Jeffrey Hefner (DLS) over Kolbe Golden (JC) in 2:20

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Semifinals

(1) Sam Pitts (OC) over (5) Andrew Trahan (BRU) in 4:21

(2) Jeffrey Heffner (DLS) over (3) James Geiger (HAN) in 5:20

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Consolation Rounds

C2: Kolbe Golden (JC) over Cade Camel (STL) 14-6 MD

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Championship Consolation Rounds

(4) Hunter Langley (BAS) defeated (5) Andrew Trahan (BRU) 6-2 to place 3rd

(3) James Geiger (HAN) pinned (6) Riley Baumgardner (NV) in 1:45 to place 5th

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Finals

(1) Sam Pitts of Ouachita Christian pinned (2) Jeffrey Heffner of De la Salle in 5:20

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