Fini

The Morris Fitness Wrestling Club of Alpharetta, Georgia, squeaked past the Manatee Wrestling Club of Bradenton, Florida, 40-37, to win the 2019 Jazz Town Duals, held on June 15th and 16th at the Xavier University Athletic Arena.  Of the contested matches, Manatee won seven while Morris Fitness won five.  Each team had four pins and one major decision.  Manatee won three matches by three-point decisions.  Manatee had to forfeit two weight classes and lost another do to an injury default.  One may speculate what might have happened if Manatee did not have to forfeit the three matches, but that would be pointless.  No one can hazard a guess as to who would have won that match or what the final score would have been.  (Sort'a true: the editor lists some possibilities in the finals page.)

The important thing to remember was that when the match was concluded, both teams conducted themselves like champions.  Coaches Morris and Guliemini no doubt are proud of the efforts put forth by their wrestlers.

40	37

1st Place - Morris Fitness Wrestling Club	Coach Chuck Morris and Sammy Roundtree with their championship plaque.	2nd Place - Manatee Wrestling Club	Manatee coach Andrew Gugliemini addressing his wrestlers after the finals match.

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Outstanding Wrestlers

The Outstanding Wrestler awards went to members representing the two finalist teams.  Branden Sauls of Morris Fitness won the OW award for the lighter weight classes and Willie Lampkin of Manatee won the OW award for the heavier weight classes.  Lampkin allowed Coach Gugliemini share his spotlight.

Other Team Photographs

Southmoore W.C. of Oklahoma defeated Baylor W.C. of Tennessee to place third.    Charlotte W.C. (also of unknown state, for now) placed fifth by defeating Florida's Wakulla W.C.  Georgia's North Hall W.C. placed seventh with a win over the Crusader W.C.  Placing eighth, the Crusader W.C. was the highest finisher of the Louisiana Teams.  The were followed by the Red Stick W.C., who defeated the WolfCats W.C. to place ninth.  The C.W.C. (of unknown state, for now) defeated the Monsta W.C. of Florida to place 11th.  The Live Oak W.C. defeated the Uptown W.C. to place 15th.

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8th - Crusaders Wrestling Club	10th - WolfCat Wrestling Club (Rayne and Basile)	16th - Uptown Wrestling Club (Shaw and De la Salle)	Red Tiger Wrestling Club (Belle Chasse and Holy Cross)

The completed Championship Bracket

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Dignitaries

Dignitaries espied at the event included three-time Division II state Champion Cody Hill of Live Oak and two-time Division II state champion Cooper Simon of Rayne.

In 2004 New Orleans Wrestling Club and Jesuit High School coach Sheridan Moran (right with beard) won a Division I state championship as a junior in a 3-2 finals match.  The following year he reached the finals again but lost 7-6 after two overtime periods.  The editor recalls that match very well, and was struck by the absolute class in which Moran accepted the loss.  In those years he was coached by current Comeaux High School and Scrapper Wrestling Club (both based in Lafayette, LA) Glenn Bernard (left, with phone).

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Louisiana Wrestling News

Camille Tyra Editor

The editor's daughter, Camille Tyra, helped her father immeasurably by also taking photographs at the event.

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