WE ARE ADAPTIVE WRESTLING-SPECIFIC MEDIA

[PREFACE (for new readers of this website):    I must admit it felt good to hear the whistles blowing as I was walking towrad the Terrebonne High School gymnasium.  Part of my elation was that I had found Terrebonne High School.  No longer will I tout Lafayette as the hardest city to meander through in a vehicle.  Houma received that distinction before the man who wears sunglasses indoors had to drive through a tunnel. 

The last time I was holding a camera in a gym with a wrestling mat in it was on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2023, when East Ascension defeated Catholic 48-32.  Then and there I knew my coverage of events would have to be severely modified.  Driving after dark from East Ascension High School to I-10 was a nightmare.  I learned to stop and visualize the ditches to my right as I approached I-10.  Even during the day it is tough for me to read street signs in areas in which I am not familiar.  Five years of taking an old malaria medication took a toll on my peripheral vision.  It is not so bad for driving during the day, as I can always find a place to pull over and realign my bearings.  The condition, however, wreaks havoc on how much time I can spend on a computer editing photographs and writing text.  According the the Social Security Disability standards, I am legally blind.  This into play when taking photographs as I cannot tell if they are focused.  But that status will come in very handily in the next few years.

I also suffer from degenerated disc disorder, which is damage to the cartilaginous discs between my vertebra.  ((PHOTO RIGHT) What on earth could have started that disorder?)  I can no longer afford to walk all over a gym (or two) to take photographs, and I have to learn to keep all of my extra photography equipment in the car.  If something breaks or I need another lens, wrestling will go on as I walk back to my car. Since 2023 I have also been diagnosed with lung cancer and had a pretty severe case of what my daughter believes is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a form of encephalopathy which led to two months of stays at Ochsner in late 2024 and 2025.  But, hey, I got to travel.  For the first three weeks of my stay at Ochsner I thought I was in Wisconsin! Oddly enough, the things that want to kill me are not why I have to cut back on my coverage.

 From now on I am only going to photograph tournament finals if they are held as the final round of an event.  That is different from tournaments like the Swamp Owl 8ish, as it would be impossible for me to know when finals matches may be held, particularly when they are being held in two gymnasiums.  I do plan on attending a few dual meets, though, as if they are held after the sun goes down I can always call a cab.  No more can I photograph an entire tournament.  Going home with 3-4,000 photographs from a two-day event, or 25,000 from a state championships tournament, are things of the past. 

On Saturday, November 8th, Terrebonne High School hosted the Kenner Discovery Lady Swamp Owl 8ish and the Swamp Owl 8ish.  Twelve schools sent 98 boys and 11 sent 41 girls to compete.  I know such tournaments that do not have team scores will not have a separate finals event.  Happily, I saw a bunch of kids I had not already met giving it their all on the mats.  And to me, Prairieville, Houma Catholic, H.L. Bourgeois, E.D. White, Vandebilt Catholic were schools I had never before seen.  I did not know who the "kids to watch" were, so I got to publish some photos of kids who might later only be a part of a 200 photo Facebook "dump." 

 And kids, it is early November.  Some of y'all got away with winning most or all of your matches.  As for the matches y'all did not win, those are valuable learning experiences.

[LEFT]  Brusly's Iranie Harrison (left) only had two matches in the 185 pounds weight class, but they were against formidable opponents.  Her first match was a repeat of the 2025 185 pounds state finals match against East Ascension's Breann Cullen.  Harrison prevailed 7-0.  Next she faced the 2025 165 pounds state champion, Jenelle Rotunda of Chalmette.  Harrison won that match via a fall in 5:10.  Those two wins earned Miss Harrison the Girls' Outstanding Wrestler award.  To Harrison's right is Brusly's other winner, Kaitlyn Walker, who placed first at 165 pounds.   [RIGHT] Archbishop Rummel's Dominic Durham pinned all five of his opponents in the 157 pounds weight class and was voted the Boys' Outstanding Wrestler award.  Durham's fall were in 1:03, 1:06, 1:02, 0:36 and 2:25. Thanks to Stefan Bergeron and Bee Durham for the OW photographs

A young Terrebonne Tiger awaiting his turn on the mats

Chalmette girls Sofia de  Souza and Kinlee Pohlmann

Back to Top

Lady Swamp Owl 8ish Results

Girls Brackets in PDF

Team points were not kept for this event, but had they been, a close race for the championship would have come between Walker, Prairieville, and East Ascension.  Walker had two champions, a runner-up and a third-place finisher.  Prairieville only had one champion but had three runners-up and a third-placer.  Riverdale matched Walker with two championships, a runner-up and a third-place finisher.  East Ascension had one champion, two runners-up and one third-place finisher.

Girls Photographs

100: Dixon (WLK) over Jenkins (RIV) in 0:40

126: Favalora (EDW) over Ramsey (WLK) in 1:03

126: Nathan (PRA) over Vigreux (CHL) in 0:19

132: Thomas (WLK) over Pertuit (KDS) in 1:55

138: Arocha (RIV) over Dossett (PRA) in 0:35

138: Guillory (EA) over Wilford (PRA) 17-2 TF

Back to Top

Swamp Owl 8ish Results

Boys Brackets in PDF

Rummel and Terrebonne each had four champions, but Rummel had four runners-up as well, whereas Terrebonne ony had one.  Terrebonne's two third-place finishers vs. Rummel's one third-place finisher cannot make up the points the Raider runners-up would have scored.  It was good to see the Tigers get those four champions, as well as to see champions by Sulphur, Brusly, H.L. Bourgeois and Prairieville.

Boys Photographs

132: Hicock (PRA) over Herreros (KDS) in 1:07

132: Le (RIV) over Gorbaty (CHL) in 1:07

144: Lafaso (EDW) over Hollis (PRA) in 1:07

150: Bent (HCH) over Curole (PRA) in 0:34

157: Babin (KDS) over Harrison (CHL) in 1:24

157: Babin (KDS) over Sharper (BRU) in 3:08

165: Arceneaux (VAN) over Holt (EDW) in 2:40

190: Erwin (KDS) over Cambre (RIV) in 0:22

Back to Top

©  2025-26 by Louisiana Wrestling News

You may not make electronic copies of these copyrighted materials nor redistribute them to 3rd parties in any form without written permission.