2011-12 Season Newspaper Articles
State wrestling set to go
Four area teams competing for championships
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| Brusly's Austin Schermer gets ready to pin down Catholic's Zack Louis during the City Wrestling Championships at Zachary High last month. (Advocate Photo by April Buffington) |
By Robin Fambrough
Advocate sportswriter
February 11, 2012
“In Division I, you have all the usual suspects. It’s us, Brother Martin and Jesuit, along with Comeaux, Rummel and St. Paul’s.” Tommy Prochaska, Catholic wrestling coach.
It will be a homecoming of sorts when teams descend on Kenner’s Pontchartrain Center for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association/State Farm State Wrestling Tournament on Saturday.
The annual two-day tourney is scheduled to feature 81 teams from across the state and returns to Kenner after one year in Bossier City.
A rule change for 2011-12 that altered the composition of the three divisions will keep it from being exactly like old times. Four local teams, Catholic High, Live Oak, St. Michael the Archangel and Brusly High, look to capture some magic.
Two years ago, Baton Rouge teams swept the titles for the first time with Catholic (Division I), St. Michael (Division II) and Brusly (Division III) claiming the titles. No local team won a title a year ago.
The four teams, including up-and-coming LOHS in Division II, are expected to be in the battle for titles and runner-up finishes. Saturday’s action includes sessions at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. On Sunday, the first session starts at 8 a.m. with the finals scheduled for 6 p.m.
“In Division I, you have all the usual suspects,” Catholic coach Tommy Prochaska said. “It’s us, Brother Martin and Jesuit, along with Comeaux, Rummel and St. Paul’s.
“The seeding was what I expected them to be. I think this group is like our 2010 team. They’re experienced and know what to expect.
“And I think you also have to like the chances for Brusly, St. Michael and Live Oak. All those teams put in the work during the season. They’ve been in big tournaments and competed against top competition. Now It comes down to two days.”
Prochaska’s Catholic team seeks its third title in five years. The Bears finished third a year ago as Rummel took the title. St. Michael and Brusly were both second-place finishers.
Live Oak is the newcomer to the title conversation. The Livingston Parish school started its wrestling program just five years ago. Last month, the Eagles placed third at the City Championships.
LOHS also benefits from the fact that the LHSAA divided its schools into nearly equal divisions based on school enrollment because of a rule change. So instead of being stuck in Division I with the large Class 5A schools, Live Oak is in Division II.
The move that puts 28 teams in both Divisions I and II and also brought some other key changes. Holy Cross-New Orleans, the team that ended Brusly’s seven-year run of titles in Division III last year, moved up to Division II.
Another top New Orleans team, Archbishop Shaw, also moved down from Division I. The infusion of teams will also fill out brackets that typically had some byes for top Division II competitors in years past.
“Having Holy Cross move up means you have two champions,” St. Michael coach Kris Kienzle said. “You have Teurlings Catholic, the team that won it (Division II) and you have Holy Cross.
“And I also see Live Oak, us and Shaw in group of teams at the top. We have experienced guys who will go out and do what’s expected of them. The key for us will be how our younger guys, the freshmen and sophomores, respond.”
Live Oak coach Chris Collier is confident in his team’s abilities.
“Our goal is to make the best showing possible,” Collier said. “How we’ll finish if we do that is hard to say. We have comparable number of seeded wrestlers to Holy Cross and they have some area’s where they’re seeded high. I want my team to make the most of this chance.”
Brusly is considered by many to be the Division III favorite. However, BHS coach Jimmy Bible says a list of formidable contenders also includes Thomas Jefferson-Gretna, Bossier and John Curtis.
“I’m glad it’s back at the Pontchartrain Center,” Brusly coach Jimmy Bible said. “But for our younger guys it will be a new experience because they haven’t competed there before.
“Through the year we’ve traveled and tried to compete against some of top teams from Louisiana and other states. I’d like to think that has prepared us. I think this group is excited about the challenge.”
One local wrestler enters the tourney with an unbeaten record, St. Michael’s Stephen Scardina, who is 24-0 and will compete in 285-pound weight class in Division II.
Interestingly, the top-seeded 285 competitors in the other divisions are locals – Catholic’s Kyle Hidalgo (25-5) in Division I and Brusly’s Jacob Haydel (48-1) in Division III.
Catholic’s other top seeds are Zack Louis (132 pounds, 44-3 record), Michael Bourgoyne (138, 45-2) and Brandon Luckett (152, 41-6).
Live Oak is led by Cody Hill who has a 56-2 and will compete in the 120-pound weight class. St. Michael’s Charles Morgan (132, 46-6) and Logan Patty (220, 21-5) are other top seeds in Division II.
Baret Sanchez (113, 29-16), Trevor Schermer (126, 39-9) and Austin Schermer (132, 56-5) are the other top seeds for Brusly. Redemptorist’s Hunter Arnett (170, 28-5) and Brandon Arnett (195, 18-4) are the area’s other top seeds in Division III.