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WRESTLING-SPECIFIC MEDIA

Louisiana Classic - 182 pounds
Calderaro pins Domangue for third time this season

March 31st, 2023 | Written by: Staff writer

CHAMPION
(1) Jackson Calderaro
Jesuit

2nd	3rd	4th
(3) Thomas Domangue Catholic	(5) Jason Krail De la Salle	(4) Jackson Peak St. Paul

In the Warrior Open finals, his third match of the season, Jesuit junior Jackson Calderaro lost 12-8 to East Ascension's Jackson Schexnaydre. Just prior to the Warrior Open, defending Division I state champion Thomas Domangue defeated Schexnaydre 7-2. Both of those matches were held at 195 lbs. But in two matches prior to the LACL, both at 195 lbs. also, Calderaro pinned Domangue. He did so in 3:09 in the Gulf Coast Clash semifinals and a week later he did it again, in an unspecified time, in a dual meet. In late December both wrestlers dropped to 182 lbs., the weight at which Domangue won his state championship in 2022. Might that make a difference?

Calderaro was seeded in the top spot as he had no other losses to Louisiana competition after the Schexnaydre affair. He pinned his way into the finals in times of 0:46, 1:16, 0:27 and 4:36. From the third-seed spot Domangue did the same in times of 2:00, 1:39, 5:39 and 1:40. Domangue was seeded third because Caddo Magnet's Luke Brunson was seeded second. Brunson was 13-0, but had not ventured out of the NW Louisiana area. The undefeated record was earned against only nine wrestlers, though, as he beat two twice and one three times. Yet it was good enough to seed him higher than Domangue, with only one losses to Calderaro, and who had beaten the wrestler who gave Calderaro his only Louisiana loss. Go figure.

Live Oak's unseeded freshman Billy Edmonston took care of Brunson 6-5 in Round Two, and then pinned seventh-seeded Kyle Stephens of TC before falling to Domangue. He did not win again, but the frosh was not supposed to place sixth in the first place, much less with wins in the championship bracket over a junior and two seasoned seniors.

Calderaro and Domangue rather mirrored each other in the first two periods of the finals. Each scored three nearfall points. Calderaro also scored three escapes, a takedown and a reversal, while Domangue scored one escape and three takedowns. Tied 10-10 after four minutes, Domangue, on the strength of his three takedowns, chose to start in the neutral position. Calderaro, though, was due for a takedown and scored one after 24 seconds had elapsed. In the next 20 seconds he put Domangue on his back and scored another fall over the defending state champion. Barring something extraordinary, Calderaro locked up the top-seed for the state tournament, and Domangue the second spot.

Preliminary Rounds