2013-14 Results and Media Coverage

 

By FRED ALDRICH

Special to The Advocate

November 12, 2013

A 48-team duals tournament with teams from several states, a Lee High Tournament reconfigured as the Louisiana Classics, a city meet that could find perennial champion Catholic High with several teams breathing down its neck and the season-ending state meet all await local wrestlers as they begin the 2013-14 season.   Catholic High coach Tommy Prochaska sees a tougher than usual challenge for his Bears as they seek to defend their city championship.   “(City) could be a three, maybe four-horse race this year,” he said. “Live Oak is very talented, and Brusly brings a lot of guys back.   “Some guys will probably be untouchable, like (Live Oak’s) Cody Hill, but there are a lot of quality wrestlers out there.”   The Warrior Classic wrestling tournament at St. Michael the Archangel on Nov. 9 marked the beginning of first stage of the season for wrestlers and coaches in the Baton Rouge area. Traditionally the local season has been split into three segments: the early meets leading up to the Louisiana Classics Tournament (formerly the Lee High Tournament), the city meet and the state meets for all divisions. If the coaches’ predictions hold true, it promises to be a competitive season. They see a high quality of wrestling, with the same powers — Catholic, Brusly and Live Oak — perched at the top; East Ascension possibly moving up in the power structure and Baton Rouge High, under veteran coach Bill Bofinger, moving into the picture. Bofinger said up-and-coming teams — Woodlawn, Central, Dutchtown and East Ascension — will continue to show improvement but still rates Catholic as a heavy favorite.

“Their practices are as good as most tournaments,” he [Bofinger] said. “To beat them, you have to have the numbers, and I don’t know if anyone else has the numbers.”   Returning state champions Brennan Taylor and James Claitor will lead the Bears, who expect to add more wrestlers to their team following the football playoffs.   Live Oak coach Chris Collier has built a solid program and seen his team finish third at state for the past two years.   “City could be anybody’s game, and anything less than a state championship for us will be a disappointment,” Collier said. “We’ve got a good core group of guys returning, but we also have a good supporting cast.”   The Eagles have three state champions returning in Hill (three-time champion and two-time outstanding wrestler), Jacob Chenevert and Seth Bosarge. Brusly returns state champions Wyatt Lejeune and Trevor Schermer as the Panthers go for their 11th Division III title in 12 years and their fourth in a row.   “Last year, we were bad and still won state,” Brusly coach Jimmy Bible said. “This year the train is still rolling, and we have a chance to do good things. Catholic has the numbers and Tommy (Prochaska) always does a good job, but if we’re ever going to do it, this is the year.”   He added Zachary and St. Amant to the list of teams who should be stronger this season.   Bible also directs the Bayou Duals Tournament with a 48-team bracket from as far away as Wisconsin and El Paso, Texas. This year’s Bayou Duals will take place in the Baton Rouge River Center on Dec. 27-28.   The Louisiana Classics tournament is scheduled for Jan. 17-18 at Catholic High, and the city meet is Feb. 7-8 at Catholic. State competition for all divisions is Feb. 21-22 at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner. Coach Pat Mahoney of East Ascension could have been speaking for all the coaches with smaller programs when he described his own team.   “The order is pretty much set,” Mahoney said. “We’re the hopeful romantics, and after 26 years, I’m pretty much used to it. Every year we say, ‘If we could only get four more guys,’ but we just never have enough numbers.”

 

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