WE ARE ADAPTIVE WRESTLING-SPECIFIC MEDIA

[Earlier January Coverage]

In 2022 the Teurlings Catholic Rebels scored 301 points in winning the Ken Cole Invitational, which was the most points scored since Brother Martin's 323 in 2014.  The Rebels had two champions and four runners-up that year.  In the 2023 event, held on January 20th-21st at Comeaux High School, very strong North Desoto and East Ascension teams were expected to make breaking the 300-point barrier much more difficult.  They did.  Despite having five champions and one runner-up this time around, the Rebels fell short by two points.  But there was a nice aspect involved that could be used to bolster their goal of another Division II state championship.  In 2022, when they scored 301 points, the Shaw Eagles placed second with 223 points, 78 points behind the Rebels.  At the 2022 state championships, Teurlings Catholic defeated Shaw by 53.5 points.  In the 2023 Ken Cole, they won by 106 points over the team expected to give them the most trouble come February in Bossier City, North Desoto.  Extrapolate that to the state championships (78/53.5=106/x) and the Rebels have 73 points with which to play.  Yet that does not take into account that the Eagles did better at the state championships than at the Ken Cole (for various reasons).  Well, do some more math.  Shaw's 2022 53.5 points is 69% of what the Rebels beat them by at the 2022 Ken Cole (78 points).  Using the same method, 69% of the 73 points the Ken Cole extrapolation gave the Rebels, and one still comes up with a 50-point margin of victory for the Rebels.  (Go ahead and cheat - it gets eerie!)

North Desoto finished second with 192 points, one point ahead of East Ascension.  Brusly, new to Division II this season, finished fourth with 157.5 points, 27.5 points ahead of the fifth-place Rummel Raiders. 

The Teurlings Catholic Champions were Alex Rozas at 106 lbs., Brennan Boyer at 126 lbs., Ethan Boudreaux at 138 lbs., Brandt Babineaux at 145 lbs. and Braedon Simoneaux at 170 lbs.  Hudson Sharon placed second at 152 lbs.

The Griffins had seven top-six placers, including one champion in Lake Bates at 160 lbs. and a runner-up in Dalton Compton at 145 lbs.  East Ascension's Jacob Schexnaydre won at 195 lbs. and the Spartans had runners-up in Jacobi Clement at 160 lbs. and Gabriel Bonin at 170 lbs. 

The other championships were from teams that did not place in the top-five.  Sam Houston's Tyson Roach won his third, and their last ever in LHSAA competition, of seven matches this season with Southside's Landon Reaux.  Houston Westside had champions in Juan Cantu at 113 lbs. and Xavier Royere at 132 lbs.  Basile senior Luc Johnson cemented his claim as the best wrestler at 152 lbs. with his win over Sharon.  St. Louis' Graham Montet came from the #5 spot to win the 182 lbs. weight class, perhaps reminding some that he was a defending 2022 Division III state champion.  At 220 lbs. Dunham senior James Baldwin won his most prestigious LHSAA title to date and at 285 lbs. second-seeded Gabriel Millbern of Walker upset top-seeded Louisiana Classic champion Ryan Fobbs of Erath with a 33-second fall.

CHAMPIONS Teurlings Catholic Rebels	RUNNERS-UP North Desoto Griffins	THIRD PLACE East Ascension Spartans

Other Awards

Longtime official Doug Hanson was honored with the Ken Cole Distinguished Service Award.

Outstanding Wrestler and Most Pins/Least Time award winners

Sam Houston junior Tyson Roach was recognized as the Outstanding Wrestler in the lower weight classes after his 12-2 MD over top-seeded Landon Reaux of Southside.  After a first-round bye Roach scored a fall in 1:59, followed by technical falls of 20-5 and 18-2 prior to his win over Reaux.  Last year Reaux defeated Roach by a 24-9 TF in the Ken Cole finals, ending the 2021-22 series 2-1 in his favor.  This season, Roach won two of their first three matches, but had lost three-in-a-row to Reaux prior to this final.  Gabriel Millbern of Walker avenged a 6-2 semifinals loss at the Louisiana Classic with a fall in 33 seconds over top-seeded Erath junior Ryan Fobbs.  After a Round One bye Millbern pinned his opponents in 0:47, 0:57 and 2:34 prior to his match with Fobbs. Teurlings Catholic's Jacob Doucet, seeded seventh, lost his first match via a 24-second fall.  That did not sit well with the Rebel senior.  In his nest seven matches en route to placing third, Doucet pinned his opponents in an average of 1:07.   One match lasted into the third period.  Five matches did not last as long as a minute.

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Final Team Scores

Coach Mike and son Tyson Roach of Sam Houston at the Springhill Suites by Marriott	Landon Reaux and Tyson Roach immediately after the 120 lbs. finals match	Southside seniors Landon Reaux and Wiley Boudreaux	Cole Gros, less gross See LACL Classic cover*

* Cole Gros suffered a wicked cut to his forehead at the Louisiana Classic, and the editor took a photograph of it, and then published a close-up of the stitches.  This photo is from a finals match photo in which the camera autofocussed on some people on the edge of the mat rather than the wrestlers.  While trying to sharpen  the wrestlers, to no visible avail,the editor noticed something in the background.  Hence, this photo of 138 lbs. third-place winner Cole "less gross" Gros of Dutchtown, who wisely wore a mask when competing during this event.

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