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Cusachs' Raiders prevail at his alma mater

December 15th, 2021 | Written by: Editor

The Rummel Raiders swept the weight classes from 113 lbs. to 132 lbs., and tacked on another title at 145 lbs., en route to winning the 36th annual George Trygg Memorial Tournament at Grace King High School on December 4th. Raiders coach Rod Cusachs graduated from Grace King in 1994, in which he placed fifth at the Division I state championships.

The Raiders finished with 197 points, 41 better than runner-up De la Salle. The Cavaliers had four individual champions. Teurlings Catholic placed third and had three champions, followed by Chalmette, who did not have any individual winners) and Pearl River, who had two champions. The top-five team scores are below.

Team	Rummel	De la Salle	Teurlings Catholic	Chalmette	Pearl River
Place	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
Points	197	156	136	99	86


Champions Rummel	Runners-Up De la Salle

1968 103 lb. state champion

Coach George Trygg

The tournament was first held in 1983 and named in honor of former East Jefferson High School wrestler and coach George Trygg, who unexpectedly died in 1982. Trygg won state championships in 1967 and 1968, and coached the Warriors to a Division I team championship in 1978.

The event is named for East Jefferson coach George Trygg, who won individual state titles for the Warriors in 1967 and 1968, and who, as a coach, led the Warriors to the first Division I team championship by a public school in 1978. With the exception of 2002 and 2020, the event has been held since 1983,

Trygg was posthumously inducted into the Louisiana Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008.Trygg was posthumously inducted into the Louisiana Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008.

1978 Division I state champion coach

Three others were also recognized at the event.

Coach Sam Sara

The Outstanding Wrestler award is named for Sam Sara, the Louisiana Wrestling Hall of Fame coach who was the first coach at Grace King. Never having wrestled himself, Coach Sara started the wrestling program at John Quincy Adams Middle School in the late 1970s and at Grace King High School in 1981. In his first year at Grace King his team placed fourth in Division II. In that year Coach Sara allowed a rag-tag four-member St. Martin's team to practice with the Irish. He founded the George Trygg Memorial Tournament in 1983.

A year later they won the Division II state championship. In the following 16 years competing in Division I, Sara's teams placed in the top-five seven times. The Irish were fourth four times, third once and they took home the runner-up plaques twice, in 1986 and 1987. In 1987 the Irish won the Greater New Orleans Championships. He coached eleven wrestlers to state championship titles - seven in Division I and four in Division II. In 2005 Coach Sara was inducted into the Louisiana Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Service to Wrestling award. Three years later his wife Stephanie was accorded the same honor. Coach Sara passed away on December 29th, 2019. He was 73.

Pearl River's Gabriel Whittington, the 285 lbs. champion, won the 2021 award. [Photo right, with Mrs. Stephanie Sara]

http://www.lhswa.org/School%20Histories/East%20Jefferson/East%20Jefferson%20-%201966%20Gremillion.jpg

Coach Ray Gremillion

The participating coaches will honor one of their own with the Ray Gremillion “Coaching Distinction Award.” Gremillion wrestled for Louisiana wrestling icon Brother Melchior Polowy at Holy Cross in the 1940’s and in over a quarter-of-a-century of coaching built teams at East Jefferson and Bonnabel that won state championships in 1966 and 1988, respectively.. In 2006 he was inducted into the Louisiana Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with a “Lifetime Service to Wrestling” Award.. Coach Gremillion passed away in 2011 at age 81.

Grace King head coach and tournament director Roberto Furtado won state championships for Gremillion in 1982 and 84.oach and tournament director Roberto Furtado won state championships for Gremillion in 1982 and 84.

[Photos left] Coach Gremillion at East Jefferson c. 1964; at LWHOF induction in 2006 with former Bonnabel greats John Nette (1st D1 1978, 2nd D1 1979), John Fogarty (1st D1 1978-79) and Joe Sunseri (2nd D1 1978)..

Rummel coach Rod Cusachs won the 2021 Gremillion Award. Cusachs [Photo right]

Army Specialist Christian J. Romig

The Christian J. Romig "Warrior Award," award is presented to the wrestler who persevered against great odds during the tournament.. Romig wrestled for Irish coach Roberto Furtado and graduated from King in 2005. A U.S. Army specialist and scout, he was killed by an IED in Afghanistan on January 5^th, 2011 at 24.

The 2021 Trygg Memorial Warrior Award went to Pearl River sophomore Kaleese Halbrook. Competing at 120 lbs., Miss Halbrook may not have won a match, but she lost to the eventual champion and third-place winner. She has four "notches on her belt" this season, one from the Rumble on the River, another from a Belle Chasse dual meet and two from the December 11th Bronco Open. [Photo right]

Individual Weight Class Champions

106 Pounds	113 Pounds	120 Pounds	126 Pounds	132 Pounds	138 Pounds	145 Pounds

Dylan Duvernay De la Salle	Jake Brandstetter Rummel	Stephen Kimball Rummel	Dylan Stubbs Rummel	Carter Burgess Rummel	Brandt Babineaux Teurlings Cath.	Austin Shook Rummel

152 Pounds	160 Pounds	170 Pounds	182 Pounds	195 Pounds	220 Pounds	285 Pounds

Spencer Hughes De la Salle	John P. Travasos Teurlings Cath.	Luke Robertson De la Salle	Jason Krail De la Salle	John W Prejeans Teurlings Cath.	Riley Halbrook Pearl River	Gabriel Whittington Pearl River

Trygg family members help run the event and presented the awards:

[L-R] Georgia Brown, Kathleen Trygg Chiles, Kati Trygg Brown, Scarlett Brown, Christopher Baxter, Madeline Gonsoulin, Lauren Trygg Baxter

Not in photo: Rachael Trygg, Mya Baxter, Bryson Baxter

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