| Fini |
 |
|
|
|
| Brother Martin defeats Holy Cross 40-13
but neither held back (Mathis did have the anti-toxin after all - see Ken Cole - 132) |
| February 14th, 2014 | Written by: Editor |
| In their last home dual meet of the 2013-14
wrestling season the Brother Martin Crusaders won ten of the 14 matches
contested en route to a 40-13 victory over rival Holy Cross at the
Brother Martin gym on Monday night. The match, originally
scheduled for January 15, was postponed due to inclement weather.
The Crusaders ended their season of varsity dual meets with a
record of 22-0, including a gut wrenching 29-29 match, determined by the
eighth tie-breaking criteria, over a team from Jefferson, GA, in the
finals of the Deep South Bayou duals. The Crusaders do have one
more match scheduled for February 12th against De la Salle but are only
expected to wrestle a few of their starters as the match will have no
implications re seeding for either squad state championships. A few matches did not have to take place. Holy Cross could have sat out George Benoit and Daniel Relayson to preserve higher state seeds later this month than their Crusader competitors. But this is Holy Cross vs. Brother Martin, and that simply is not cricket. |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
 |
|
|
The first match of the evening was in the 145 lbs.
weight class.
|
| 145 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| Austin Meyn usually competes at the 138 lbs. slot for the Crusaders, but whether he competed there or at 145 lbs. his projected top-seeding at 138 lbs. would not be affected. Robichaux wrestled gamely for the majority of the first period before giving up a takedown which led to three nearfall points for Meyn and a 5-0 lead. In the second Meyn reversed Robichaux and then allowed him to escape. Down 7-1 Robichaux scored a takedown but Meyn escaped to bring an 8-3 lead as the second period ended. On top Meyn turned Robichaux with a tilt for two more back points. He then let the Tiger go and his lead was 10-4. Wanting a major decision, Meyn completed a takedown with four seconds remaining in the match to accomplish it. | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| 152 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Brother Martin junior Danny Evans came
from a modest 15-13 record in the
2012-13 season to be 30-0 against
Louisiana opponents this season and the
favorite to be the #1 seed at 145 lbs.
at the state tournament. Wrestling
up a weight class, he faced Holy Cross
sophomore Nicholas Nugent, who had a
respectable 15-22 record against some
stalwart competition. But Evans
won tournament championships at
Mandeville, Dutchtown, the Trey Culotta
and the Ken Cole, along with a runner-up
spot at the Trygg Memorial (where he
suffered his only defeat in a 3-2
decision by South Walton, Florida's Cody
Pickren). Only 13 of his wins were
via falls, though. That statistic
was not meant to be a slight - it
reflects that wrestling six minutes is
not a concern for Mr. Evans. A fall seemed probable as Evans started the match by quickly grabbing a single leg and, taking his time, lifting it until the correct situation presented itself to drop Nugent down for a 2-0 lead after 54 seconds. He gave himself about 10 seconds to try to score a fall but then just decided to let Nugent go and take him down again for a 4-1 lead. Letting Nugent go again, Evans this time took him down and added two back points before the first period ended. The second period proceeded in much the same manner, except Evans was forced to earn his own escape point. He continually let Nugent go just to take him down again. But if he was thinking about scoring a technical fall, he would need to trade two points for one quite often, and at the end of the second period he only had a nine point lead at 14-5. But guys like Evans see such things as challenges to be overcome. In the ensuing two minutes he let Nugent go five more times and scored four more takedowns. After the last takedown he put Nugent on his back. Nugent got out of that predicament, but not before Evans racked up three nearfall points and, with eight seconds remaining, a 25-10 technical fall. |
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| 160 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| Luckily for Coach Bode and Mr. Prochaska, who provided the commentary for the internet streaming of the Greater Baton Rouge Championships finals, they did not have to try to broadcast this match. The written word provides problems enough as it is, so these two will be described as "The Crusader" and "The Tiger." The Crusader took an early 2-0 lead. The Tiger escaped but the the Crusader scored with a double-leg takedown. This time letting the Tiger escape, the Crusader scored another takedown and took a 6-2 lead into the second period. After a Crusader escape in the first 10 seconds the Crusader seemed to follow the lead displayed earlier by Mr. Evans, taking the Tiger down, letting the Tiger go and taking him down again with a single-leg shot, which the Crusader parlayed into a 13-5 lead as the second period ended. The Tiger escaped in the third, but the ensuing Crusader takedown placed the Tiger on his back, and the Crusader Williams took advantage by scoring a fall at 4:49. | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| 170 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
The battle for the top seed at state is
between Holy Cross' Brice Duhe and
Jesuit's Jake Eccles. Hence,
Travis Quarterman had nothing to lose in
wrestling up at the 170 lbs. level.
Duhe had defeated him
twice already in the finals of the
Mandeville and Spartan Opens. But
those were early season events, and
Quarterman had a chance to show that he
had improved significantly since then.
And that he did. Duhe scored a takedown in the first 40 seconds but was unable to turn Quarterman to his back as he had in their previous two meetings. Starting on bottom in the second period, Quarterman reversed Duhe to tie the match 2-2, although Duhe subsequently escaped to take a one point lead into the third period. Quarterman let Duhe go at the beginning of the third period, giving Duhe a 4-2 lead, but his strategy did not work as planned and it was Duhe who responded with a takedown to increase his lead to 6-2. Quarterman escaped but a previous stalling warning on him turned into another point for Duhe, and the Tiger prevailed 7-3. But Quarterman fared much better against a stellar competitor at a weight class he had not competed in since November 27th. |
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| 182 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| Holy Cross senior Porter Dazet first wrestled Crusader junior Yehia Riles in the semifinals of the Ken Cole Memorial, a match Dazet won 3-2 on his way to the championship of the event. But Riles does not take kindly to losing. Jesuit's Guy Patron, Jr. defeated Riles twice at the Trey Culotta. In their next two meetings Riles won 8-2 and 8-7. Could he exact similar revenge against Dazet? Dazet got in on Riles' ankles early, but Riles was able to fend off his attack and later lifted one of Dazet's legs off of the mat and tripped him down for the match's first takedown. That was with approximately 25 seconds remaining in the first period and that is how the period ended. Starting the second period on bottom Dazet quickly escaped but Riles tacked on another takedown for a 4-1 lead. That scenario was repeated one more time before the period ended 6-2 in Riles' favor. It was Riles' choice as to how the third round would start and he chose the neutral position. Riles scored another takedown but Dazet was able to reverse him, cutting the lead to 8-4. With 90 seconds remaining Dazet chose to rely on takedowns and let Riles go, increasing the Crusader's lead to five points. The strategy did not work immediately as Dazet's double-ankle shot was thwarted by Riles who scored a takedown of his own for a 10-4 lead. Dazet escaped and this time nailed his double-ankle shot and then let Riles go again, now only behind 11-7. By that time only 24 seconds remained though, and Riles was able to fend off Dazet's shots to preserve his win. | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| 195 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| Oddly enough this was the first match between the two 195 lbs. grapplers, and it could prove the difference between who is determined to be the higher and probably the #1 seed at the state tournament. The match was fairly uneventful (for those who were not trying to manipulate 195 lbs. of youthful muscle, at least) and the first period ended in a 0-0 tie. Relayson started on top to start the second period and he was able to ride Tapia for the entire round, which definitely was to his advantage as he would start on the bottom to start the third. When that period started, Relayson spent only 17 seconds before getting away from Tapia for the first point of the match. Considering that neither wrestler could take the other down in the first period that might have been "all she wrote." And for the next 1:38 it was. Tapia managed to turn in on Relayson, but both were still on the mat and Relayson had not ceded enough control to merit a Tapia escape point. But then Tapia rose to his feet and as Relayson started up with him, Tapia lunged forward, knocking Relayson off balance and onto his hip. To avoid going on his back, Relayson had no choice but to turn and face the mat, trying to carry Tapia out of bounds to negate any points. But Tapia alertly kept his feet (and the majority of his body) inside the "big circle," and scored a take down with 5.1 seconds remaining. Relayson had that much time to score an escape, but it was not to be, and Tapia had a 2-1 victory. | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| 220 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
If there was a David vs. Goliath match,
this was it. Brother Martin
sophomore Mark Kingsberry was wrestling
in place of Jacob Clapp.
Kingsberry had a 5-6 record (OK - this
time I will count forfeits and give him
a 7-6 record). The combined
records of those to whom he lost was
38-58. He was listed in
TrackWrestling records for the 2012-13
season, but not as having competed in
any matches. His opponent was the
2013 Division II state runner-up Michael
Yeatman, a Holy Cross senior who was
25-4, with his three Louisiana losses
all coming from the same individual.
He was the Mandeville Open, Raider
Invitational and Greater New Orleans
champion. He placed second at the
Spartan Open, the Las Vegas Holiday
Classic, the Louisiana Classic and the Ken
Cole Invitational. And Yeatman
weighed close to the 220 lbs. limit for
the weight class. Kingsberry
weighed about 180 lbs., when sopping
wet. The capacity Brother Martin-side-of-the-gym crowd was happy enough that the match lasted through the first period, and all were surprised that at the end of the period Yeatman only held a 2-0 advantage. Thirty-five seconds later Yeatman had a 5-0 lead after scoring a three-point nearfall, and things might have appeared a little grim, except for the fact that the score remained 5-0 when the second period ended. In the third period Yeatman escaped and took Kingsberry down for an 8-0 lead, but then it was Kingsberry turn to escape to the delight of the Brother Martin bench and the fans from both sides. Yeatman took Kingsberry down once again, but Kingsberry followed that with another escape and remained on his feet with Yeatman until time ran out. Yeatman's 10-2 win was a major decision and netted four points for the Tigers, but all Kingsberry wanted to do, and what his coaches and teammates wanted him to do, was not get pinned. And in that aspect he succeeded stupendously. |
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| 285 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| Brother Martin senior William Clapp was making his Crusader wrestling debut against Gardner, a sophomore in his second year wrestling for the Tigers. As is often the case with matches between "the big guys," the first round ended with neither wrestler scoring any points. In the second period Gardner managed an escape and then was awarded two penalty points (one for locking hands and another for an illegal slam) to take a 3-0 lead. The penalties led to a disheartening additional 20 minutes being added to the second period as punishment (OK - the clock briefly read "20:00" prior to the third period but was subsequently reset). In the third period Clapp was able to escape from Gardner to cut the Tiger's lead to 3-1 but was assessed a stalling point. But in the ensuing minute amidst chants from the Brother Martin faithful of "LSU, LSU..." (Clapp has committed to play offensive tackle for LSU in 2014), Clapp let his football training take control. He "blocked" Gardner right off of the mat and into the Brother Martin team's chairs. Coaches and trainers from each school checked on Gardner immediately, but a few moments later he trotted back on the mat just fine, accepted another penalty point, and the match ended in a 5-1 win for Gardner. | ||||||||||||||||
|
| 106 Pounds | |||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
| This was the fourth meeting between the two wrestlers. Zea won the first meeting via a fall at the Warrior Open, but Shields won the last two meeting at the Spartan Open (9-6) and the Ken Cole Invitational (9-3). In this match Shields sprawled on a Zea shot and was able to spin around him for a 2-0 lead. With 12 seconds remaining in the round Zea scored an escape, and a few seconds later was awarded a penalty point for Shield's locking his hands, and the round ended in a 2-2 tie. On bottom to start the second round Zea escaped in the first 12 seconds and during the next 20 seconds got hold of Shields' leg, lifted it up and took the Crusader down to the mat for a takedown and a 5-2 lead. And then Zea was awarded another penalty point for a third false start on Shields, giving him a 6-2 lead. But Shield's is not one to give up easily. In the next 35 seconds Shields scored six points via an escape, a takedown and three nearfall points to take an 8-6 lead. In the third period Shields escaped and while Zea was able to get in on the Crusader's legs, he was not able to finish a takedown. Shields prevailed in their last match, until possibly in the state championships, by a 9-6 score. | |||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
| 113 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Not much (if anything) intimidates Holy
Cross freshman Joseph Foret. A
couple of Brother Martin competitors at
the Mandeville Open - no problem.
A returning Division II state champion -
no worries there (well, in their first
Ken Cole meeting, at least). The
2013 Division I state runner-up - what
do they say in the barber shop - "Next!"
The reigning Division I state champion,
Mason Mauro from Brother Martin - not
really, just yet at least. Foret,
despite being injured for three weeks
after the Las Vegas Holiday Classic,
amassed a 14-2 record against Louisiana
competition, losing to the second-seeded
Nicky Charles of Jesuit 4-3 at the Ken
Cole, and, in their rematch, to Live
Oak's #3 seed Jacob Chenevert 9-7 (Foret
defeated Chenevert 7-0 in the second
round of the Ken Cole). Mason
Mauro, on the other hand, had lost only
one match to a Louisiana wrestler and
avenged the loss later. Mauro scored a takedown in the first 20 seconds but before the first period ended Foret managed an escape. In the second period Foret held Mauro scoreless, riding him for the entire two minutes. And it was Foret scoring an escape in the third period, which ended tied 2-2, thus requiring a "Sudden Victory" round. Foret rushed to the starting line waiting for his chance. Both wrestlers took shots but neither could score, so the two 30-second tie-breaking rounds were initiated. Foret was on bottom first but Mauro stood up with him and kept him from getting away, although Foret came awfully close once, but it was at the edge of the mat and the two went out of bounds. Mauro controlled a Foret ankle on the next starting whistle and no points were scored. With Mauro on the bottom for the second overtime round ("PERIOD 6" on the scoreboard), it was Foret who kept Mauro in check by keeping control of him when Mauro was trying to get away, also using an ankle hold to prevent Mauro from escaping. Hence, a 30-second Ultimate Tie Breaker round was initiated. Foret started in the bottom position and only needed an escape to win. Mauro had to ride Foret for the entire 30 seconds to win. Foret stood up but Mauro kept a single leg and the two went out of bounds with 18 seconds remaining. Foret stood up again and turned into Mauro but they again went off of the mat. In the end, Mauro did not let him get away and won the best match of the evening. Despite his lack of experience compared to others in the 113 lbs. weight class, Foret may have wrestled his way to a #3 seed at the state championships. |
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| Back to Top |
| 120 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| While Seth Johnson competed for the Crusaders at the Ken Cole it was Ryan Genco filling the 120 spot on this night. His opponent was sophomore Beau Bush, who had compiled a very good 25-7 record which included two previous wins against Genco in which he had not allowed the junior Crusader to score a point. That streak ended when Genco took Bush down early in the match. Bush completed a reversal to tie the score 2-2, which is how the first period ended. On bottom to start the second round Bush scored a quick escape and followed it with a takedown after sprawling on a Genco single-leg shot and spinning behind the Crusader, taking a 5-2 lead. Genco, though, while he was unable to escape from Bush, did not allow himself to be turned over in the remaining 75 seconds of the round. Bush rode Genco well in the third period and it took 1:40 before Genco could get away to make the score 5-3 in Bush's favor. But 20 seconds was not enough for Genco to score another takedown, and Bush's 5-3 score held. | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| 126 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| This was the third meeting between sophomore Crusader Taylor Gambill and the Tiger junior Collin Guerra. Both previous matches were won by Gambill: 5-0 at the Mandeville Open and 5-2 at the Spartan Open. But that was before Gambill shined at the Ken Cole by knocking off top-seeded Cody Hill of Live Oak in the semifinals and #3 Connor Stampley of Comeaux in the finals. It looked at first like it might be a close match as neither wrestler could score in the first period. But Gambill reversed Guerra in the second period and later was able to maneuver his Tiger opponent to his back, ending the match via a fall in 3:20. | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| 132 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
The match record of Brother Martin's
two-time Division I state champion Paul
Klein's need not be calculated.
The only significant number it entails
is "1," that referring to his 3-1
"Sudden Victory" loss to Holy Cross'
George Benoit in the finals of the Ken
Cole Invitational. This was a
match that did not have to happen,
except that the Holy Cross and Benoit
would not have it any other way.
The handshake in the first photograph
should be something that may become
familiar, if not in the state
championships then during next season,
as Benoit is also a junior. (At
some point these young men do stop
growing, right?) This match started off completely different than their first match as Klein scored on a single-leg takedown in the first 30 seconds to take a 2-0 lead. But Benoit is tough to keep down, and attempting to keep control of him Klein accidently locked his hands for a brief millisecond. But it was long enough to see and count, and Benoit was awarded the associated penalty point with 32 seconds remaining. The first round ended 2-1 in Klein's favor. In the first 10 seconds of the second period Benoit did escape to tie the score 2-2. Both were aggressive on their feet but both responded to the other's takedown shots with some stellar defense. Neither could gain an advantage and the second period ended 2-2. On the bottom to start the third period Klein managed his third and last point of the match with an escape in the first 16 seconds. But one point was all the Crusader needed. Klein knew better than to feel safe with only a single point lead and Benoit knew he needed a takedown, so neither held back. But again, it was defense that dictated the match, and this time Klein was able to keep Benoit at bay to preserve a 3-2 win. |
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| 138 Pounds | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| Even wrestling behind Brother Martin's normal 138 lbs. starter Austin Meyn, junior Blaine Eisensohn has had a good year. His 19-2 record includes a championship at the St. Paul invitational and his only losses have come at the hands of Airline's Antonio Lococo and Rummel's Rick Lacava, both of who will be pretty high seeds in their weight classes come the state tournament. Junior Parker Wilkins has wrestled at 145 lbs. most of the season as Benoit was at 138 lbs., but was given the start against the Crusaders. Eisensohn proved to be too much, however. Before half-a-minute had elapsed Eisensohn had a 4-0 lead after scoring a takedown and two nearfall points. By the end of the first the Crusader had opened up a 6-0 lead. In the second and third rounds Wilkins put an end to Eisensohn's seeming ability to score at will. He gave up a reversal in the second period but did not allow himself to be turned to his back. He allowed an escape in the third period but did not allow Eisensohn to score another takedown. Hence, for two-thirds of the match Wilkins did very well against an opponent with a significantly greater amount of experience. As for Eisensohn, he did his job in scoring a 9-0 win and a major decision for the Crusaders. | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
© 2014 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. |
