2011-12 Season Newspaper Articles
Keeping the crown
11:00 PM, Feb. 12, 2012
Written by Kevin Foote
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| Comeaux junior Jacob Dale defeats Rummel's Rick LaCava in the semifinals of the Division I 120# state championships. Dale defeated Brother Martin's Dominic Casadaban in the finals and was named the Outstanding Wrestler in Division I. |
Trying to compare the satisfying feeling from one state championship to another is a nice problem to have.
And that's a question the Teurlings Catholic Rebels' wrestling team thoroughly enjoyed pondering late Sunday night after coach Kent Masson's squad wrapped up a second straight Division II state crown.
The issue was fairly straight forward.
A year ago, the Rebels ran away with the state title by setting a tournament record with 313.5 total points.
On Sunday, Teurlings found itself in much more of a battle, but still came away with a winning total of 277, ahead of runner-up Holy Cross with 249 and St. Michael with 221.5.
"We went through all the scenarios going into the tournament, and every one was between seven and 10 points either for us or against us," Masson said.
"I didn't foresee it being an almost 30-point margin. Last year, I said that it felt surreal. This year, it feels beyond surreal."
Teurlings finished off the team state title with four individual state champions — Trey Bonin at 106, Philip Miller at 145, Jean-Luc Guilbeaux at 170 and Nick Schneider at 182.
But as Masson has preached through the years, winning a team state title goes much deeper than just individual state champions.
"Four weeks ago, we weren't wrestling very well," he said. "It was just amazing to see the team come together like it did for state after having a lot of problems early in the season."
For Miller, it was the third state title of his stellar career, and perhaps his easiest with a pin of Live Oak's Tyler Hill in 1:39.
"Winning three state championships isn't something I thought would ever happen, but it did and I've enjoyed every second of it," Miller said. "This year's (team) state title was more gradual. We just always had someone out all year long and never had a full team.
"We just starting peaking at the end of the year. That's the best time to peak. If you peak too early, you can burn yourself out."
While there wasn't much suspense in Miller's finals match, the Rebels certainly had it as a team.
"It was intense," Miller said. "Every 10 minutes, my teammates and I would check the scores and just watch it go back and forth."
Sunday's state title also wraps up the special career of Bonin, who won two individual state titles himself, not to mention a cross country state title.
"It's been a lot of fun," said Bonin, who pinned Live Oak's Jacob Chenevert in 54 seconds in the finals. "I wish I could have two or three more years.
"Winning this one (team state title) was special, because we wanted to keep it going. Being a senior kind of puts you in more of a leadership role and this was something we really wanted."
For Guilbeaux and Schneider, the individual state titles were their first.
Guilbeaux delivered an 8-2 decision over Joseph Bussiere of Parkway in the finals.
"I had wrestled him before and I knew he was real good at takedowns, so I had to be careful of that," said Guilbeaux, who placed second at state last year. "I was very motivated this year. I wanted it for myself, but also to help my team win state again.
"Last year was special because it was the first one (team title). This year was special because it was really
competitive and it showed that last year wasn't a fluke."
Schenider finished fifth at state last year, so had more eyes looking at him this time around.
"There was a lot of pressure as the No. 1 seed," said Schneider, who pinned Minden's Bryant Stanberry in 3:38 in the finals. "I felt like people were expecting me to win.
"I had wrestled him at Ken Cole and that one wasn't as close as this one turned out to be. He came out with a lot of fire and really made it a difficult match."
Dale Outstanding Wrestler in Div. I
There were certainly moments while sitting out of wrestling last season after moving out of state that Comeaux's Jacob Dale wondered if he'd ever get to that thrilling moment he experienced Sunday night at the Division I State Wrestling Tournament at the Ponchartrain Center in Kenner.
So when he finally got to that moment of wrestling in the state finals, it got to him more than the usually calm and collected wrestler endures.
In the end, though, it was worth all the butterflies and all the waiting. Not only did Dale win the state title at 120 pounds in dramatic fashion with a 6-4 overtime win over Brother Martin's Dominic Casadaban, but he also was named as Division I's Outstanding Wrestler as a junior.
"It was like a redemption year for me," Dale said. "I didn't get a chance to wrestle in the finals last year like I should have, so I wanted to make up for it this year."
As he began the match, it was obvious to Dale that this wasn't just any old match.
"It was a little too close," said Dale, who finished fourth at state as a freshman. "I had wrestled him at Trey Culotta and pinned him in the second round. I was a little more nervous this time and it got to me more than I was expecting."
By the time the two took a 4-4 score into overtime, though, there was no more time to be nervous.
"I didn't want to lose," Dale said. "I kind of felt like I was representing my school and the Lafayette area and I didn't want to let everybody down.
"I just listened to my coaches and came out aggressive. I came out taking my shots. I knew I was better on my feet, so I wanted to take him down and win it."
Another state title for Malveaux
For athletes as talented as Comeaux's junior Tyrek Malveaux, it almost looks too easy.
While he did get tested a bit in the finals by Catholic High of Baton Rouge's Ryan Toups, Malveaux brought home a 3-1 victory by decision and his second state title.
"I went in knowing what I had to do and I did it," Malveaux said. "I had wrestling him at Trey Culotta. He was wrestling defensive and wasn't taking any shots.
"Everybody was wrestling me that way, because they know I'm real aggressive in the neutral position and they were waiting for me to make a mistake."
Unfortunately for the opposition, that mistake never came.
"This one feels better, because l was the No. 1 seed this year, so there was more pressure," Malveaux said. "Last year, I was the No. 2 seed."
Pippin nails down historic crown
Acadiana's Logan Pippin knew from the minute he arrived at the Ponchartrain Center this weekend, the odds were against him.
For one, he was a relative unknown among the Division I elite in his weight division after an injury sidelined him for all of last season.
Secondly, he was the No. 3 seed, so most of the expectations were focused on the two top seeds.
And then there was the challenge of having to defeat New Orleans-based wrestlers in their hometown with their loud crowd suppporting them.
As it turned out, Pippin overcame it all by squeaking past Brother Martin's Dylan Dunn 10-8 to win the 182-pound weight division.
Also working against Pippin was the fact that no Acadiana High wrestler had won a state title in the last 21 years, but Pippin added that distinction to his belt as well.
"It was awesome," Pippin said. "Seeing all the people and knowing I came in as the No. 3 seed and then the 7 takes down the 2 and then I take down the 7."
That left him with No. 1 seeded Dunn in the finals with half the arena backing him.
"I just zoned it out once I got on the mat," Pippin said. "All I could hear was my coaches and my Dad and my mom screaming for me.
"I just never gave up. It was very intense (in third period). I just gave it my all."
Another potential obstacle was having never wrestled Dunn before.
"I knew some people who let me know how he wrestled and I really appreciated them letting me know that," Pippin said.
Vikings' Calhoun brings home title
The motivation from a few too many near misses and a coach constantly pushing him ended up being just enough to push Northside's Orlando Calhoun to the state championship at 195 pounds in Division II.
For starters, Calhoun finished third at state last year, which "added a little fire" to this season.
Then in his first tournament of the season, Calhoun lost to Acadiana's Logan Pippin in the finals.
Calhoun continued to improve and reached the Ken Cole finals, only to lose to Don Franklin of Higgins.
Through it all, Calhoun kept practicing hard.
"My coach pushed me to the edge," he said. "I wrestled alumni day after day."
And it all paid off in a pin of Cameron Victorian of St. Louis in 3:16 in the state finals.
"I learned he was pretty tough in the neutral position (in Acadiana Duals earlier this season)," Calhoun said. "I just kind of rode him out the entire first period and just went from there."