Untitled 1

For those who are new to my incredibly subjective system of picking which Louisiana wrestlers had the best 2018-19 season I will endeavor to explain.

Not one match, nay even one tournament, defines a wrestlers' accomplishments on the mats for a full season. A multitude of reasons may cause one not to perform at one's best at a state championship. The Louisiana Classic and the Ken Cole may be harder to win than the state championships in each Division, but those titles are tossed aside in the last weekend of each season. State championships are naturally what most people tend to remember the longest.

My picks concentrate on the sum total of a season - tournaments and matches won, weight classes in which wrestlers won or lost most often and, of course, how many literary references wrestlers understand when I deign to converse with them during the season.

For the most part, Division I wrestlers will compete at the Louisiana Classic and the Ken Cole at the weights in which they participate in the state championships. That is not always the case with Division II and Division III wrestlers. At the state tournament, many Division II and III wrestlers move up one and maybe two weight classes if they think they can afford to do so and still win. Thus, performances in the weight classes in which those wrestlers choose to compete at the Louisiana Classic and the Ken Cole generally indicate where those wrestlers would compete were they in Division I.

By definition most Division I starters are better than their Division II and III counterparts. But that is not always the case. In the 2018 Louisiana Classic six champions did not hail from Division I schools, and in 2019 there were four winners from Division II and III schools. Winning a Division I state championship is a great accomplishment, but it does not necessarily convince me that the winner was the best over the course of the season statewide. Some kids get "hot" at the state championships. Others get "cold." It is nerve-racking for some wrestlers who may think their entire season or career depends on how they do over the last two days of the season. Some kids, understandably, do not react well to the pressures they may feel to do well at a state championship, no matter if it comes from coaches, fans, or hopefully for the most part, just their own minds. My point is that a great season should not be marred by having a bad state tournament. Kudos go to all state championship winners, but a wrestling season is a four-month grueling process which I do not believe should be judged by one event.

138 lbs. - 160 lbs.

170 lbs. - 285 lbs.

Summary

* Regretfully, I made a mistake in the 113 lbs. weight class. Alex Yokubaitis of St. Louis only lost matches to Brother Martin's Connor Hoffman, Joshua Sarpy of North Desoto and Colten Sonnier of Teurlings Catholic. But he defeated Ethan Castex in the consolation finals of the Louisiana Classic. It should be noted that Ethan's six losses came from only four opponents. Three were from Jacob Frost, who became a Division I state champion. Another was to Sarpy, who became a Division II state champion. Alex was a two-time defending Division III state champion who would soon increase that number to three, and Raheem Bonnet of Shaw was a Division II runner-up. My sincere apologies go to Ethan for this mistake. Yet should he desire such a glorious paperweight, he has two more years to get one. Having only lost to the likes of Frost, Sarpy, Yokubaitis and Bonnet, whom, when combined, represent five state championships and two runner-up places, his chances look very promising.

Weight	1st	2nd	3rd
106	Evan Frost - 9	Glenn Price - 9	Joshua Keeler - 11
113	Jacob Frost - 9	Joshua Sarpy - 11	Alex Yokubaitis - 11
120	Trey Fontenot - 12	Clayton Hill - 11	Logan Bertot - 11
126	Peyton Bass - 12	Luke Eccles - 12	Michael Lundin - 12
132	Gavin Christ - 12	Daniel Croy - 12	Peyton Ward - 10
138	Alex Duncan - 11	Dyllon Bernard - 12	Anthony Dodson - 10
145	Patrick Evans - 12	Lance Robinson - 12	Morgan Manuel - 12
152	Trent Mahoney - 11	Seth Alfonso - 12	Brady Butler - 12
160	Mason Massicot - 11	Taylor Clay - 12	Mason Macaluso - 12
170	Hunter Hawkins - 12	Cameron Frost - 12	Kendrall Williams - 10
182	Caden Mumme - 12	Caleb Mickelson - 12	Isaac Cortez - 11
195	Robert Rabel - 12	David Bernard - 11	Devon Clark - 12
220	Wes Brady - 12	Kyle West - 11	Ryan Doody - 10
285	Perry Ganci - 12	Miles Santiago - 12	Mack Brown - 12