Twenty-four teams from Louisiana, Florida, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas will get their
first chance to compete in a folkstyle event without the seniors that led most
of them in the 2012-13 season, at the second annual Jazz Town Duals, to
be held at Jesuit High School in New Orleans on June 8th and 9th. Each of
the scheduled 24 teams will wrestle a minimum of eight matches, with pool
matches being held on Saturday and dual tournaments held on Sunday. Each
tournament round consists of the teams that placed in the same spots in the pool
round on Saturday. Additional brackets may be constructed on Saturday,
depending upon the number of teams that participate, to ensure each team get
eight dual meets.
Last year an all-star team from south Florida dominated the tournament,
beating Brother Martin 55-18 in the finals. (2012
Jazz Town Duals results.) This year's tournament is
designed to prevent all-start teams from participating. Each team must
consist of members of a single high school team, and are allowed to bring three
other wrestlers to fill their lineups. Each team may also bring another
wrestler who, if not wrestling for the team with which he came, may be "farmed
out" to a team lacking that particular weight class.
The Louisiana clubs who have scheduled the Jazz Town Duals will in essence be
representing the following Louisiana high schools: Brother Martin, East
Ascension, Fontainebleau, Hahnville, Holy Cross, Jesuit, John Ehret (with Thomas
Jefferson), Live Oak, Rummel and St. Paul's.
Fifteen weight classes will be contested, adding 98 lbs. to the standard
Louisiana weight classes, and a four pound growth allowance will apply, making
the weight classes as follows:.102, 110, 117, 124, 130, 136, 142, 149, 156, 164,
174, 186, 199, 224 and 289.
Jesuit High School assistant coach Lance Nicoll, who runs the event, sums up
why Jesuit holds a folkstyle event in June when the actual high school season
does not start until October:
"This tournament is all about getting better and getting ready for next year.
One of the big draws is that you do get 8 duals which is what coaches are
looking for in the off season, mat time. This is just another opportunity for
our team and others to continue to train and get better, that's my main motivation. Also I think its good for the state, to have a
good tournament during the off-season that teams can train for, maybe some
wrestlers who wouldn't be training or competing will be now and that's good
for the state."
Nicole also said "Many of the largest tournaments over the summer are
folkstyle, i.e., The Disney Duals. I think it also allows for more
coaches to feel comfortable sending there whole team, because they don't have to
worry about guys who are just learning freestyle, this what they already know."
Click on a team's logo for more information about that
team.
| Team & Club
Affiliation |
Notes: Weights, when mentioned, are
from the 2-12-13 season. Grades reflect the upcoming season. |
 |
Coach:
Ben Nelson |
|
Club: Unknown |
|
|
|
 |
Coach:
E.J. Edgar |
|
Club: Unknown |
|
|
|
 |
Coach:
Robert Dauterive |
|
Crusader W. C. |
|
|
| Brother Martin High School • New Orleans, Louisiana |
| The reigning repeating Louisiana
Division I state champion Crusaders are in the rare circumstance
of "reloading their line-up" rather than "losing their
seniors." They return two state champions in juniors Mason
Mauro (106) and Paul Klein (120 - his second), as well as two
runners-up in junior Yehia Riles (220) and senior Austin Meyn
(126). Senior Joshua Tapia (220) and junior Mason Williams
(132) placed fourth at the state tournament and sophomore Taylor
Gambill (113), who had a phenomenal freshman season, placed
fifth. Newcomers to the starting line-up could include seniors
David Drago, Wade Nash, Trey Besenich, Jacob Maza, J.P. Kidder,
Jordan Wright and Anthony Quijano; sophomores Stephen Rumney,
Kyle Dun, Pierce Williams, Travis Viener and Jacob Clapp; and
freshmen Seth Gambill and Steven Shields. |
|
 |
Coaches:
Bill Dushane,
D. Koger.
|
|
Team Ranch |
|
|
| Cinco Ranch High School • Katy, Texas |
| In existence for only 14 years, Cinco
Ranch has won five 1-5-A state championships, placed second once
and in the top-five twice. Cinco Ranch has produced nine
male and two female individual state champions, the most of any
Texas school south of the Dallas area, and has one seven
district championships. Participating in the Jazz Town
Duals will be Andrew Ramirez, who placed fourth in the Texas
State Championships, Cody Koger, who was a State Alternate
wrestler, and regional qualifiers Sean Joo, Travis McNair, Ben
Monk and Jonathan Schiele. |
|
 |
Coach:
Greg Pelligrino |
|
Club: Unknown |
|
|
| Cypress Woods High School • Cypress, Texas |
| No information was received as of May 1, 2013. |
|
 |
Coach:
Patrick Mahoney |
|
B.R.A.W.L. |
|
|
| East Ascension High School • Gonzales, Louisiana |
| From top to bottom, literally, the
Spartans should be led by seniors Conor Karwath (285) and Alex
Betteridge (106), both of whom placed fourth at the 2013
Division I State Championships. Joining them will be
classmates Matthew Ashford (120) and Dequan Jackson (152).
Junior Jacob Bernard (113) placed sixth at State and should
perform admirably with classmates Brian Kimball (126) and Austin
Guedry (195). |
|
 |
Coach:
Rick Zimmer
|
|
Bulldog W. C. |
|
|
| Fontainebleau High School • Mandeville, Louisiana |
| Coach Rick Zimmer may have the team he
needs to wrest the St. Tammany Parish Championship trophy from
the hands of St. Paul's this year. The Bulldogs, who
placed 13th at the Division I State Championships in 2013,
should improve that position. Senior
Michael Hart (132) and Daniel Priola will lead a talented group
of juniors including Zack Lawson (120), Noah Geer (138), Roland Landry (160),
Ethan Eisenhardt (5th in 2013 State at 170) and Christian Ponson
(5th in 2013 State at 220).
Sophomore Leaf Ballast should also fare well after a 16-19
freshman record. |
|
 |
Coach:
Jon Smorin
|
|
Club: Unknown |
|
|
| Gateway High School • Kissimmee, Florida |
| No information was received as of May 1, 2013. |
|
 |
Coach:
Mat Alt
|
|
Gulf Breeze Sharks |
|
|
| Gulf Breeze High School • Gulf Breeze, Florida |
| No information was received as of May 1, 2013. |
|
 |
Coach:
Joel Ramirez |
|
River Parishes W.A. |
|
|
| Hahnville High School • Hahnville, Louisiana
& Destrehan High School • Destrehan, Louisiana |
| The River Parishes Wrestling Academy
will be sending a team combining Hahnville and Destrehan
wrestlers. Hahnville has a young but experienced team, led
by sophomores Nick Lirette and Blade Rager who both finished in
the top-eight at the 2013 LHSAA Division I state championships
as freshmen. The Destrehan contingent includes sophomores
Jack Haslauer and Chase Menendez, senior Nicole Robinson and
2013's third-place finisher in the Division I LHSAA state
championships, senior Rae Juan Marbley. |
|
 |
Coaches:
Eric Desormeaux
& T.J. Miller |
|
Tiger W. C. |
|
|
| Holy Cross High School • New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Division II state champion Holy Cross
lost their only individual 2013 state champion to graduation, as well
as two of their state runners-up. Not to worry - the
Tigers have six returning state runners-up in seniors Porter
Dazet (182) and Michael Yeatman (220), and juniors Collin Guerra
(126), Nicholas Bonck (132), George Benoit (138) and Brice Duhe
(160). Beau Bush, Chris Zea, David Clements, Dylan Soileau
and Daniel Relayson are also expected to make their marks for
the Tigers, who are venturing into Division I for the 2013-14
season. |
|
 |
Coach:
Spencer Harris
|
|
New Orleans W. C. |
|
|
| Jesuit High School • New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Anybody postulating that Jesuit's
wrestlers performed "over their heads" by placing second at the
state tournament does not know much about the Blue Jays.
THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. Perhaps being distracted by Brother
Martin's stellar season, a lot of people did not notice that
after an early 40-30 loss to Catholic, the Blue Jays only lost
to the Bears in the semifinals of the Deep South Bayou Duals due
to an "unsportsmanlike conduct" point on a coach. Then
they crushed Holy Cross before placing a surprising third at the
Louisiana Classic and winning the Ken Cole. Some may not have
noticed their success in Texas in the meantime. The Blue
Jays lost their two best wrestlers to graduation, but return
Louisiana Classic Champions in senior Efosa Eboigbe (2nd at
State at 145) and junior Ben D'Antonio (3rd in State at 106).
Sophomore Guy Patron (5th in State at 160 lbs.) and junior Will
LaFranca (4th at State at 126) hung-up their shingles at the Ken
Cole, in which Patron placed 3rd and LaFranca won. The
Blue Jays return wrestlers with a lot of experience in Nicky
Charles, Brody Martin, Max Grosch, Jake Rovira, Gaston Eymard, Ashton
Queyrouze, Robert Lobrano and Dominic Carmello, and Jake Rando
will be a freshman to watch. If a list exists of teams to
seriously threaten Brother Martin's three-peating, Jesuit should
be right at the top. |
|
 |
Coach:
Daniel LaFleur
|
|
Westbank W. C. |
|
|
| John Ehret High School • Marrero, Louisiana |
| The John Ehret team should be led by
junior Jack Fontenot (145) whose expected placing at the 2013
State tournament was hindered by the early dismissal of the
2nd-seeded wrestler from the winner's bracket. But
Fontenot did very well in early season tournaments, as did his
teammate, junior Blaze D'Aquin (160). Ehret's other
seasoned wrestlers are juniors Joshua Foster (106) and David Lae
(17), as well as sophomore Joseph Davis-Lucas (120). The
Ehret team will probably be supplemented by members of the
Thomas Jefferson Panthers, coached by Dean Tessitore, and
including the 2013 Division III State Champion, sophomore Logan
Griffin (106), junior Ryan Vedros (132) and sophomore Jeffrey
Kirkland. |
|
 |
Coach:
John Banas
|
|
Club: Unknown |
|
|
| Klein High School • Klein, Texas |
| No information was received as of May 1, 2013. |
|
 |
Coach:
Chris Collier |
|
Live Oak W. C. |
|
|
| Live Oak High School • Watson, Louisiana |
| The Eagles expect to be strong
contenders for the Division II championship in 2013-14, as they
have three returning state champions in seniors Jacob Chenevert
(113), Cody Hill (126) and Seth Bosarge (138). Junior Colt
Olinde (106) was a state runner-up and they should get solid
seasons out of seniors Austin Hodge (145), Jonathan Hagen (160) and Chris Mury (285),
and juniors Brody Bonura (170) and Nick Simeneaux (182).
Eleven other of the 2012-13 team members will only be
sophomores, which should mean the Eagles will be tough to face
in upcoming seasons as well as this one. |
|
 |
Coach:
Mark Balser |
|
Team Ranch North |
|
|
| Morton Ranch High School •
Katy, Texas |
| “Team Ranch North” will be made up of
wrestlers from Morton Ranch High School in Katy, TX. Last year
they competed in the Jazz Town Duals as part of a joint team
with wrestlers from Cinco Ranch High School, also in Katy, which
will compete this year as “Team Ranch South.” Morton Ranch High
School has been wrestling for 8 years and in that time they have
had two district titles and qualified 3 times to state duals.
This past season, the team finished 4th at the State
Dual tournament and 13th in the individual state
tournament. Team Ranch North will be comprised of some young
"up and comers" as well as some talented veterans. William
Homalon, who was the 120 lb. Texas State Champion, will lead the
team along side 160 lb. State Placer Tyler McKendall and 220
lb. state qualifier Starjil Shelvin. |
|
 |
Coach:
Reggie Allen |
|
Club: Unknown |
|
|
|
 |
Coach:
Jonathan Orillion |
|
Scorpions |
|
|
| Rummel High School • Metairie, Louisiana |
| The new Raider head coach, Jonathan
Orillion, returns a formidable team led by 2013 Division I State
runner-up senior Devyn Breaud (106) and Rick LaCava (junior -
132), as well as fourth-place finisher senior Aaron Maddox
(182), fifth-place finisher senior Tyler Mire (120) and
heavyweight seniors Austin O'Donnell and Brandt O'Brien.
Experienced juniors and sophomores returning include Tucker
Boesch (106), Robert Fairchild (113), Damien Tornabene (113),
Joseph Kerry, Matthew Bowman (160), Guillermo Suarez (160) Ryan
Hanley (195) Tyler Fontana (220) and Tyler Troncoso. |
|
 |
Coach:
Mike Demarchi
|
|
Club: Leonidas |
|
|
| Seven Lakes High School • Katy, Texas |
| No information was received as of May 1, 2013. |
|
 |
Coach:
Craig Ketelsen
|
|
St. Paul's W. C. |
|
|
| The St. Paul School • Covington, Louisiana |
| St. Paul's lost a lot to graduation,
but they should have strong leadership from seniors Grant
Landwehr (113), Chris Meraux (120), Matthew Rader (126),
Zachary Clay (126) and Tanner LeBlanc (160). |
|
|
|
| •
|
| No information was received as of May 1, 2013. |
|
|
|
| •
|
| No information was received as of May 1, 2013. |
|
|
|
| •
|
| No information was received as of May 1, 2013. |
|
|
|
| •
|
| No information was received as of May 1, 2013. |
|
