Wrestling leaves the north with a wrestling legacy

By Ron Brocatoz
Photos courtesy of RomaPics
 

For those in the I-10 corridor, where the bulk of the high school wrestling establishment is located, the sport’s return to a nearby venue is welcomed news. For Bossier City and CenturyLink Center, where it has been held since 2016, the state tournament has catapulted that sport into prominence.
 

True, the results over that period of time reflect the continuing domination of schools from the lower portion of the state. But let’s look at the numbers: In a part of Louisiana where high school wrestling had taken a back seat to almost every other state event sanctioned by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, the sport has steadily grown because of its exposure to the area. Today, 16 of 90 schools  (18%) from north Louisiana compete in one of three divisions.
 

Of the 31 schools that participate in Division I, three are from Bossier-Caddo parishes. Parkway, which went from an also-ran to champion of Division II in 2019 and 2018, placed fifth in the state’s highest division last week behind perennial powers Brother Martin, St. Paul’s, Catholic of Baton Rouge and Holy Cross.
 

Seventh-place Byrd High enjoyed its highest finish and had its first individual state champion in Cameron Vaughans in the 160-pound class.
Airline, which placed 19th in Division I, also produced its first indiviual champion in 106-pound Ernie Perry III.
 

Eight of the 29 Division II schools are located along I-20 between Shreveport and Monroe. 
 

T he most sucessful has been North DeSoto, which was the runner-up to seven-time champion Teurlings Catholic after a third-place finish in 2019.

 

Bossier High placed third and Benton fourth in the 2011 championship meets. Benton, Caddo Magnet, Huntington, Minden, Haughton, Northwood and Woodlawn have also embraced the sport and are still trying to find their nichés.
 

Bossier has since joined Evangel, Lakeside, Ouachita Christian and Summerville as Division III programs.
So the sport’s sojourn to the north has raised awareness in an area that had little interest to that activity. And it leaves wrestling as a growing sport.
 

But, honestly, wrestling needed to return to south Louisiana, where the masses huddle. 
 

This year will mark the inaugural State Bass Fishing Rodeo at Toledo Bend Reservior, about an hour’s drive from Bossier City. That’s a trade we all can live with.
 

Crusaders win again
 

Although Brother Martin produced just two individual state champions – 145-pound Alex Duncan and 132-pound Connor Hoffman – the remainder of the team scored enough points to give the Crusaders their 20th Division I team title.
 

The 242 points, enough to edge St. Paul’s by 5 1/2 points, was assured when Hahnville’s Logan Brimmer upset St. Paul’s returning 220-pound champion Evan Ulfers, 5-2. Ulfers needed to pin his opponent to score the six points needed to win the school’s fifth Division I title. 
Instead, the Crusaders claimed their third consecutive trophy since their third-place finish in 2017, and their eighth since 2013.
 

The biggest surprise of the meet was Jesuit’s 10th-place finish, its lowest of the modern era. 
 

Winners of 23 Division I state championships since 1972, the Blue Jays’ 108.5 points placed them behind Martin, St. Paul’s, Catholic, Holy Cross, Parkway, St. Amant, Byrd, East Ascension and Live Oak. They have been the runners-up 16 times since1982.
 

Brothers Evan and Jacob Frost gave third-place Holy Cross its two individual gold medals. Evan Frost won the 113-pound division, and twin Jacob followed with the 120-pound gold medal.
Peyton Ward of St. Paul’s was the 152-pound champion by winning a 5-1 decision over Martin’s Riley Horvach. 
 

Archbishop Shaw’s Glenn Price won his second individual Division II title in the 113-pound division and was named by the coaches as the division’s Outstanding Wrestler.
 

Price pinned Rayne’s Daylon Dugas in 1:19.
 

Archbishop Rummel’s Jacob Ramirez was also a champion at 138 pounds after pinning Riley Baumgardner of  North Vermilion in 1:50.
Teurlings Catholic claimed its seventh Division II team championship since evolving as a power in 2011.
 

Shaw placed third as a team, its highest finish since being the runner-up in 2015. 
 

Fourth-place Archbishop Hannan enjoyed its highest team standing in Division III.
 

Ron Brocato can be reached at [email protected].