WE ARE ADAPTIVE WRESTLING-SPECIFIC MEDIA

Champions: Basile Bearcats	OW: Jaxon Bent Houma Christian	Runners-up: John Curtis Patriots

Back to Top

HEADLINES

1)    Basile captures sixth title in eight years

The Basile Bearcats defended their 2025 Division III title, their sixth title in eight years, by 54.5 points over John Curtis, who placed second for the third consecutive time.

Sophomore Noah Leblue, junior Logan Bergeron and seniors Kye Smith and Romyn Cortez, took home individual championships, while eight other Bearcats placed in the top-six. 

Relative newcomers St. Edmund and Rosepine finished third and fourth, followed by De la Salle in fifth place.

2)    Logan Bergeron wins third title – one to go

Basile's Logan Bergeron has completed 75% of his bid to be a four-time Division III state champion.  Four-time Division III state champions include Brusly's Austin Schermer (completed in 2012), Trevor Schermer (2014) and Austin Franklin (2017).  St. Louis' Alex Yokubaitus completed the task in 2020.

Bergeron won titles in 2024 (8-3 decision), 2025 (fall in 5:10) and 2026 (3-0 decision).  In 2026, Bergeron was 26-5.  One loss came from a Division II state champion.  One came from a Division I fourth-placer, and two came from a Division I fifth-placer.  The other came from a Division II wrestler who was one match away from gaining a spot on the podium.  Bergeron placed second at the Jacob McMillan, third in the Public Schools championship and sixth at the Ken Cole.  He won the Jimmy Vidrine Division III Tournament, the Rayne Invitational and, of course, the Division III state championship.  Currently Bergeron is ranked seventh of all wrestlers at 126 lbs.  Three of those ranked higher than Bergeron will graduate this year.  The highest a Division III wrestler who will compete next season is ranked 34th.

Basile has their share of four-time-consecutive state champions in Gavin Christ (2019) and Alex Menier (2021).  The Bearcats also hold the distinction of having a wrestler win four non-consecutive titles.  Competing in Division II, Carmon Cortez won as an eighth-grader in 1994.  In 1995 Cortez advanced to the finals but lost 7-5 in overtime.  He won the following three seasons.  Before the LHSAA split the teams into Divisions, Basile's Jimmy Vidrine won five consecutive state championships.

Back to Top

3)    Rosepine, Houma Christian and Patrick Taylor get first state champions:

A few newer programs got their first individual state champion in 2026.  Hunner Glaze and Caleb Preece won titles for Rosepine (founded in 2025), Debraun Norris won the first title for Patrick Taylor (2025) and Jaxon Bent took home a bracket for Houma Christian (2024).

Additionally, St. Edmund (2024) had it first wrestler repeat as a state champion when Cooper Berzas won at 144 lbs.  He won at 126 lbs. as a junior.

4)    Bent gets OW for Houma Christian

Houma Christian not only had their first state champion in 2026, but that wrestler was heralded as the Outstanding Wrestler in Division III.  Junior Jaxon Bent was seeded first at 150 lbs.  After a first-round bye, Bent dispatched with eighth-seeded Ben Duplechin of St. Louis via an 18-1 technical fall in 1:24, Bent defeated Roman Colson of Christ Episcopal in the semifinals via a 16-0 technical fall in 4:45.  In the finals he was forced to go the "full six," but he handily won a 14-0 major decision over second-seeded Brennan Trahan of Vinton.

Jaxon Bent with parents

Houma Christian junior Jaxon Bent had a bit of an odd year.  He had a 30-4 record, but the losses came from only two wrestlers.  His first was to Brusly's Dylan Ricks, who was top-seeded in Division II and placed third.  That was in the finals of the Swamp Owl 8ish.  His three other losses all came from Central's Jackson Ellis.  Ellis defeated him in the Brusly 8ish, and in the quarterfinals and the consolation finals of the Battle of New Orleans.  Bent got better as he wrestled Ellis.  His first loss was via a fall in 5:38.  His second came via a 11-2 MD.  In their last match he lost only 4-3.  Bent was closing the gap fast.  Had they wrestled another match, well, just ask Southside's Zane Blanchard about that.  Blanchard destroyed Jesuit's Michael Barnett 11-7 in the Ken Cole finals, after taking an 11-0 lead in the first period, but won only 5-4 in the Louisiana Classic.  But it was Barnett who won their last match 7-5. Bent won his share of hardware over the season.  He won the Billy Duplessis Invitational and the Tiger Clash to end 2025.   He started 2026 with a win at the Jimmy Vidrine Division III Tournament, and later the Rayne Invitational and the District 7-5A Championship prior to the state championships.

Back to Top

5)   Gilreaths end the slaughters

Joseph Gilreath:1st in 2024, 2025, 2026

Division III can rest easier these days now that the last Gilreath has graduated from Evangel.  The oldest Gilreath, father Todd, placed third for Rummel in 1996 and 1997.  Yet I am referring to his Evangel spawn, Michael and Joseph. Michael was in eighth grade when he came onto the scene in 2020.   He placed second via a 16-15 finals match vs. Hannan sophomore Greyson Peniston.  He won in 2021 but placed second again in 2022, also to a Hannan wrestler, Preston Gauthier.  He won championships again in 2023 and 2024. Younger brother Joseph was a runner-up as a freshman and then won three consecutive championships.

Michael Gilreath: 1st in 2021, 2023 2024

Back to Top

Random Photos

Houma Christian's OW Jaxon Bent with his Terrebonne coaches; just Jaxon; Bayou Schools placers; Terrebonne and Houma Christian wrestlers

Back to Top

Division III Placers

Back to Top

Back to Top

Back to Top

Back to Top

Back to Top

Back to Top

Back to Top

150 Pounds

Jaxon Bent of Houma Christian defeated Brennan Trahan of Vinton 14-0 MD

3rd 4th 5th 6th Wesley Reed St. Edmund Aiden Gaspard South Beauregard Roman Colson Christ Eppiscopal Ryder Kauffman John Curtis

Back to Top

157 Pounds

Joseph Gilreath of Evangel defeated Reece Campbell of St. Louis 13-1

3rd 4th 5th 6th Dylan Vizina Kaplan Logan Massicot John Curtis William Ashford Basile Jackson Carter Rospine

Back to Top

Back to Top

Back to Top

Back to Top

Back to Top

Back to Top

Questions?

Just ask Bastet!