2011-12 Season Newspaper Articles
Holding on
11:00 PM, Feb. 11, 2012 – Daily Advertiser
KENNER — Day one of the State Wrestling Tournament pushed the midnight oil at the Ponchartrain Center in Kenner, but it was plenty worth it for quite a few Acadiana area wrestlers.
Defending Division II state champion Teurlings Catholic was in prime position to make a big run at repeating, holding a slim 140-139.5 edge over Holy Cross for the top spot entering day two.
Teurlings pushed across eight wrestlers into the winners bracket semifinals to give the Rebels a realistic shot today.
Meanwhile in Division II, the Northside Vikings continued to show that they're a potential dark horse, standing sixth with 102 points, within three of fifth place St. Louis.
The Vikings have six in the semifinals.
Local Division I wrestlers got seven representatives into the semifinals, led by the Comeaux Spartans with 88 points in eighth place, just five points behind the East Ascension Spartans.
As expected, Comeaux got four into the semifinals — Connor Stampley at 106 with a pair of decisions, Jacob Dale at 12-0 with easy wins of 18-3 and 18-4, defending champion Tyrek Malveaux at 145 with two pins and Christian Brower at 220 with a pin and a 5-2 overtime win.
Stampley draws the No. 1 seed Mitch Capella, Dale will be challenged by No. 4 Rick LaCava of Rummel, Malveaux gets No. 4 Joseph d'Aquin and Brower must find a way to solve No. 1 Dortanyi McIntrey of John Ehret.
The Lafayette High Mighty Lions got their two top prospects into the semifinals. At 106, Hunter Taylor delivered two pins, while Ian Welch rode a pair of decision wins to the semis.
Taylor will meet No. 2 Paul Klein of Brother Martin in the semifinals, while Welch gets No. 2 Joshua Schilling of Rummel.
Acadiana's No. 3-seeded Logan Pippin at 182 is the area's other Division I representative with two pins, meeting Jesuit's No. 7 seed Jimmy Brown this morning.
In the Division III tournament, the Rayne Wolves were holding their own in fourth place with 100 points, just seven points behind third-place Thomas Jefferson.
Brusly was in first place late Friday with 118.5 points, followed by John Curtis with 112 points.
North Vermilion, meanwhile, was in seventh place with 72, just one point behind Basile.
The Wolves got six wrestlers into the semifinals, while the Patriots will be riding two semifinalists in No. 5 Austin Scalisi at 120 and top-seeded Tim Baudoin with a 16-5 decision at 152.
Rayne got a boost from No. 6 Cody Manuel reaching the semis at 132, No. 5 William Thibodeaux doing the same at 170 and No. 5 Dayton Constantin beat NO. 4 Lyle Greary of Holy Rosary in a pin in 3:48 to reach the semifinals.
No. 1 Billy Marcantel at 182, No. 3 Andre Falcon at 152 and No. 4 Brennan McKnight at 220 held their high seeds to stay alive.
Teurlings Catholic's eight semifinalists are topped by No. 1 Trey Bonin at 106 with two pins, No. 1 Philip Miller at 145 with pins in 28 seconds and 1:13 and No. 1 Nick Schneider at 182 with a pair of pins.
The Rebels also sport a nice group of No. 2 seeds with eyes of state titles in Trent Hebert at 138 with two pins, Travis Thibodeaux at 160 with a pin and a major decision, Jean-Luc Guilbeaux with a major decision and a pin and Aaron Arton with a pin and a 10-5 decision at 195.
The Rebels' only other semifinalist is No. 4 Adam Garza with two pins at 220.
Northside's talented group of six semifinalists are anchored by No. 1 Traven Lemalle with a 21-8 decision and a pin at 138 and No. 1 Orlando Calhoun with two pins at 195.
Lemalle will wrestling Lehrue Stevens of St. Louis, while Calhoun gets No. 4 Michael Yeatman of Holy Cross.
The Vikings are also riding the strength of the Kincade brothers — No. 6 Daniel Kincade getting a 5-1 decision over No. 3 Daniel Relayson of Holy Cross at 220 and No. 3 Allen Kincade with two pins at 285.
Daniel will meet No. 2 Jordyn Glaspie of Benton in the semifinals, while Allen gets No. 2 Taj Smith of Holy Cross.
Northside is also riding a few dark horses in unseeded Tashad Dixon after he beat No. 3 Austin Doyle of Holy Cross 9-5 at 145 and No. 6 Brouklyn Hill edged No. 3 Blake Faust of Shaw 5-4 to advance.
Dixon draws No. 2 Tyler Hill of Live Oak, while Hill meets No. 2 Bryant Stansberry of Mandeville.
That's not all for Division II, however, from Lafayette Parish. St. Thomas More's Miles Minvielle also reached the semifinals at 120 with a pin of No. 4 Seth Matherne of Shaw in 1:20.
Minvielle will now meet No. 1 Cody Hill of Live Oak in the semifinals.
In the Division I team race, it's tight at the top with Brother Martin in front with 160.5 points, followed by Jesuit in second with 154.5 points and Catholic High of Baton Rouge in third with 154 points.