WE ARE RETIRED WRESTLING-SPECIFIC MEDIA

38	23

The Jesuit Blue Jays solidified their status as the best team in the state with a 38-23 dual meet victory at Holy Cross.

The match is replete with sidebars, but one thing can be stated in Division I, if just for this night:

"There's a new sheriff in town, and his name is Antwon Parks."

(To be honest, when I first thought of the "new sheriff" I thought the line was delivered by Cleavon Little in "Blazing Saddles."  But it was Eddie Murphy playing convict Reggie Hammond in "48 Hours.")

Entering the 165 lbs. match the blue Jay senior and 2023 3rd-place winner Arthur Schott was 12-1, whereas the junior Parks was 24-10.  On December 28th Schott defeated Parks 9-2.  In this match both wrestlers were determined to throw each other, and they did.  Schott threw Parks twice to his back but Park rolled through the throws to score the takedown points.  Unfortunately for Schott, the last time Parks did it was in the Sudden Victory round after the two finished tied 7-7 after six minutes.   The victory is not going to affect Parks' seeding in this weekend's Louisiana Classic.  Either Braedon Simoneaux of Teurlings Catholic or Rory Horvath of Brother Martin will be seeded first, unless there is a "Gilroy Factory," referencing Daniel Cormier's team from California which is participating in the event.  Schott, Dutchtown's Foster Shank, Caleb Shartle of St. Paul, Leo Gonzalez of Chalmette and several other wrestlers will keep Parks from the top four seeds.  He should be in the top-eight, though, and opponents best learn he is not one to be taken lightly.

The match started at 285 lbs. and, as noted by Varsity Sports Now host and legendary Brother Martin coach Robert Dauterive, Holy Cross decided to give Lanosga a forfeit rather than giving the Blue Jays an ebullient start to the match.  The strategy worked for two matches as the Tigers' Michael Klein defeated Blue Jay second-stringer Brady Hunter 7-4, followed by a Tigers fall by Anthony Oubre over Max Belsome at 113 lbs.  The 9-6 lead was tenuous as at 120 lbs. Jesuit's defending Division I state champion Bodi Harris was next.  He faced a game Vincent Vidacovich, and the match seemed closer than the 18-6 MD score after it was over.  Harris is to be blamed for that as some of his takedowns were just too fast to register in the minds of average people, like wrestling pundits.  (Particularly the eldest among us, albeit the younger ones have their weaknesses as well.  Robert Dauterive, would you please inform Chad Ravannack that petrified wood is, by definition, a fossil?)

The Tigers regained the lead with a 10-5 decision by Landon Smith over Jose Rincon, but Jesuit took it back when J.P Webre beat Nicholas Sauerwin 8-3.  Matthew Krail gave the Tigers the lead again with a 21-5 TF over Christopher Stricker.

Then came probably the most anticipated match of the evening, if not the most noteworthy.  Gunner Guidry, a 2023 Division I runner-up, was matched against Blue Jay freshman Isaac Orillion, the nephew of Jesuit coach Jon Orillion (a 2001 state champion), son of 1997-98 state champion Matt Orillion and a cousin of Bodi Harris.  But still, he is a freshman!  No matter.  Orillion controlled Guidry in a 10-2 MD.

Now, the two teams were tied, and, lest one forget, The Lanosga card was already played by the Blue Jays.

At 150 lbs. Jesuit junior Wyatt Mire face Tiger sophomore Rylee Reeves (whom I ran into at Breaux Mart a few months ago -  n, not at Brother Martin, but the grocery store in River Ridge).  Reeves fought hard, but Mire was too much and the Blue Jay scored a 10-2 MD.  Now, the Blue Jays were ahead 21-17.

Nobody at the Holy Cross gym, watching the match in New Orleans or in a Las Vegas "We Take the Dumbest Bets" casino, expected the team score after the 157 lbs. match would not be in Holy Cross' favor.  Unfortunately, Blue Jay junior Harris Treuting is not old enough to place a bet in Las Vegas.  Treuting faced defending Division I state champion Nicholas DiGeralamo, also a junior.  I can only speak for myself and CAT, but VSN announcers Robert Dauterive and Chad Ravannack were saying the same thing: a pin is inevitable at some point.  Well, Treuting thought differently.  He did not win the match, but he made the returning state champion work for his 5-3 win.  More importantly,Blue Jays retained a one-point lead, 21-20.

The Tigers took their last lead after Sheriff Park's win over Schott.  The Blue Jays followed that with three consecutive falls by Patrick Matthews, Cameron Himel and Jackson Calderaro.  Unfortunately, re any more match descriptions, my daughter called during the Matthews match, and I needed her to give me the "secondary" security measure from Ochsner to go into her account.  Sure, she had a balance, but I found that the $999+ balance was for my MRI.   

Jesuit was docked one point for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, making the final score 38-23.

This was a very good match for the two top teams in Division I, as far as dual meets go.  Jesuit might have won more matches by not resting a couple after the Ken Cole last weekend, and one expected DiGeralamo to do better, but he won, which is 75% of what he generally needs to do.  Call it a "wake-up call."  Nobody owes him anything due to last season.

The score changed seven times and was only tied before the match started and Orillion-Guidry match. 

I cannot see how either can think they can enter a better team (aside from using the wrestlers they did not use in this match) at this weekend's Louisiana Classic.

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