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Returning Division III State Champions

Andre Johnson Basile	Alex Menier Basile	Grayson Penniston Hannan	Andrew Trahan Brusly	Joshua Westly Brusly	Shad Sheffie St. Michael

Basile, Hannan and Brusly

The first thing one might ask when viewing the editor's Division III predictions is why Brusly, with 12 returning wrestlers (nine of whom placed), including two state champions - Andrew Trahan who is seeking his third title and Joshua Westly, is predicted to place not even second, but third.  Again, it all boils down to bonus points.  Brusly's three non-placers averaged two points each.  Hannan's two non-placers averaged 3.5 points apiece (lending credence to the Hawks' runner-up prediction is also helped by returning 2020 state champion Grayson Pennison).  Basile's three non-placers, however, averaged four points apiece.  The Bearcats' placers also scored more points than their Brusly counterparts.  Their two returning state champions (Alex Menier, seeking his fourth consecutive Division III title, and Andre Johnson) scored 56 points while Brusly's two state champions scored only 53.  Basile does not have any returning runners-up, but one of their third-place returners scored more points (23) than either of Brusly's (20 and 22).  It all comes down to the little things which simply add-up to a lot.  Know one thing - it will be tough to dethrone the Bearcats in their quest for a third consecutive Division III team title.

1.    Basile

At the 2017 East Ascension Spartan Invitational then junior Bearcat Gavin Christ introduced the editor to Alex Menier, whom Christ said was his protégé and would be Basile's next four-time Division III state champion after Gavin graduated two state tournaments later.  So far so true.  Menier won Division III titles in his first three seasons.  As a freshman he beat St. Louis senior Cameron Witherwax 9-4 in their sixth meeting of the season, Witherwax having won the previous five.  As a sophomore he pinned a tough Taurio Grigsby of Lakeside in 5:02.  In 2020 he received a "wake-up" call from Brusly's Kaleb Kayser, eking out a 4-3 win.  This season he will attempt to join Christ, his coach, Carmen Cortez and Jimmy Vidrine as four-time state champions for the Bearcats.

The Bearcats will also have defending state champion Andre Johnson, third-place winners Luc Johnson and Ethan Langley and fourth-place winner Ethan Bazinet as they attempt a three-peat.

2.    Hannan

Hannan will return eight wrestlers including defending state champion Grayson Pennison and runner-up brother Mark Pennison, and the Falcons will have a legitimate chance for a title.  Fourth-place winners Cade Hontiveros and Gavin Gautier, and fifth-place winners Cole Bartlett and Preston Gautier will return.  Then add the two of three non-placers who collectively scored 10 points.  How about adding three more entrants so they can have a full team in the 2021 tournament?  Yes, Hannan placed fourth last season with only 11 wrestlers.  OK - that may not be too easy as Hannan only has 17 eligible wrestlers on their TrackWrestling schedule, but new recruits should naively walk into the practice room come October.

3.    Brusly

Their line-up is as impressive as possible with returning state champions Andrew Trahan and Joshua Westly, runners-up Kaul Kayser and Brian Amis, Marc Martinez, Benjamin Boyd and Austin Persinger who placed third, fourth and fifth, respectively, and Destin Woods and Bryson Walker who placed sixth.  Their entrants just have to win a few matches if they do not place or score bonus points regardless of placing or not, and the Panthers could end Saturday evening on top again.

4,    St. Michael

It is a safe bet nobody waved harder at Trent Mahoney leaving for college than St. Michael's defending state champion Shad Sheffie.  Mahoney probably gave Sheffie more mat-time than most of his Warrior teammates did all season.  OK - let us put aside the eight Mahoney "learning experiences" and concentrate on others.  Sheffie had a losing record against Catholic's Canon Hunt (1-3).  Hunt is gone.  He lost to Zachary's Javon Baptiste - gone also.  Of the other two to beat Sheffie in the 2019-20 season, Hannan's Mark Pennison lost via a fall, won 11-5, then lost twice via falls in 2:25 and 3:19.  That leaves Live Oak's Nawab Singh who defeated Sheffie at 182 lbs. at which Sheffie only competed five times.  Sheffie should have a great 2020-21 season.

The Warriors are predicted to finish fourth, but that is because the eight wrestlers they brought to the 2020 championships did so well.  They are going to have to fill some slots for this prediction to hold water.  Dorion Wilkinson placed fourth, George Kim fifth while Collin Hebert and Demond Garner were both sixth.  The Warriors can place fourth, but they need some bodies. 

5.    De la Salle

The Cavaliers have a returning runner-up in Zach Lauland, third-place winners Collin Veron and Giovanni Cusimano, fourth-place winner Byron Phillips, III, fifth-place winners Liam O'Connor, Jason Krail, and Kennith Jackson and sixth-place winner Lucas Robertson.  Two other wrestlers were one win away from making the podium.

De la Salle has an X-Factor to be considered which may very well make them a contender.  The Cavaliers lost nobody in the 2020 state roster to graduation.  Aside from the camaraderie that means in practice, they may not have anyone succumbing to the pressure one feels at their first state championship event.  Only six Cavaliers will graduate in 2021, so they should have a lot of experienced wrestlers return for the 2021-22 season.  Other Division III teams will not want to forget that.

Returning Division III State Runners-up

Henry Oliver South Beauregard	Kataurio Grigsby Lakeside	Kaul Kayser Brusly	Zachary Lauland De la Salle	Michael Gilreath Evangel

Mark Pennison Hannan	Kemal Robinson St. Louis	Brian Amis Brusly	Tony Gibson Church Point

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6.    John Curtis

The Patriots return third-place winners in senior John Drake and sophomore Preston Curtis.  Junior fourth-place finisher Sean King and sixth-place winner, freshman Zachary Drake, should also return.

7.    Evangel

If only a freshman, Michael Gilreath may find himself in a leadership position as a 2020 state runner-up in a wacky 16-15 match.  Jamison Davis, who placed fifth, and Jamir Wilson, who placed sixth as a seventh-grader, will return

8.    Church Point

Church Point should return runner-up Tony Gibson as well as Timothy Routon, who placed fourth last season but was a state champion in 2019.

9.    St. Louis

Kemal Robinson was a runner-up for the Saints in 2020

10.    South Beauregard

Without Chase Spooner the weight of the Knights, armor and all, falls on freshman Henry Oliver, for placing second at 106 lbs. in 2020.

Not to Forget

The following wrestlers may find themselves in the last match of the night in their weight classes on Saturday, February 27th.

Preston Curtis John Curtis - 3rd	Luc Johnson Basile - 3rd	Timothy Routon Church Point - 4th	Colin Veron De la Salle - 3rd	Ja'cory Tyler Bossier - 3rd

Marc Martinez Brusly - 3rd	Ethan Langley Basile - 5th	Giovanni Cusimano De la Salle - 3rd	Ethan Bazinet Basile - 4th	Trace Morrow Summerfield - 3rd	John Drake John Curtis - 3rd

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