Announcement
Regular Season closes and State Tournament Summary
Posted by Kris Kienzle on
Feb 16 2007
at
04:00PM PST
Regular season and State Tournament come to a close
The regular season has come to a close. Wow!!! What a ride. This season has been tremendous. I am so blessed to have had this experience. I have never taken a full team to the State Tournament. It was a memorable and rewarding experience. There were many firsts and groundwork has been laid for an unbelievable future. New life has been breathed into this program and it has come from so many places.
Before I get into the recap of the tournament I have to express my thanks. Thanks to the parents for their never ending support of their kids and this program. You guys have provided so much and I will never be able to express my thanks enough. Thanks to the coaches. Coach Patla, Coach Cam, Coach Tommy, Coach Brock, Coach Austin, and Coach Brent. These guys gave endless amounts of time to this team and to these wrestlers. They have instilled a work ethic that will influence these kids for the rest of their lives. They have encouraged and taught these young men lessons that will last a lifetime. And I would be remiss if I did not thank the wrestlers. I appreciate all of your effort throughout the season. In the beginning I told you that we had one goal in mind and that was to be better each weekend. We were exactly that. I thank you guys for the pleasure of coaching you and for the memories we made together. There are still more things to accomplish and I am confident that all of you will see the fruits of our labor.
You guys are the lifeblood of this new uprising. You are the caretakers of this program. We need you to encourage others that may have never considered wrestling as an option to try it out. We need all of you to do what you can in the off-season to improve your wrestling skills. We have many opportunities before us and we need to take advantage of those opportunities.
Now for the recap.
Ben Willeford(Freshman) 3rd- Ben wrestled well in the two preliminary bouts pinning both of his opponents Zach Sloan(Chalmette) and Austen Waguespack(East Ascension). He then met Ryan Carriere(Northside) in the semis. Ben wrestled a tough first period and then made one mistake that cost him the match. Carriere went on to win the State title. After that disappointment a wrestler can chose to do one of two things lose interest and quit or make the most of it and win 3rd. Ben chose to win. He pinned his next two opponents Brandon Surrency(Shaw) and Austen Waguespack(East Ascension). The two wins over Waguespack were critical in us holding off East Ascension for 4th place.
Landon Carr(Freshman) 6th - All Landon did was make the semis and win 6th at the State tournament. He pinned two of his opponents and looked very good in the Championship rounds. His first opponent was Ramanand Naik(Bossier) who won 5th a year ago at 103. Landon pinned him in just 1:18 and then pinned Lenny Swim(Zachary) in just 0:49. Carr lost to State runner-up Raymond Savoy(Shaw) in the semis. After the match Savoy said, "Wow that kid has gotten allot better. He's tough." I guess the skinny kid has a little respect now.
Tonny Desselle(Junior) - Tonny had a tough tournament and his lack of mat time showed. After losing to the state runner-up Landon Robin(Parkway) in the first round he beat Benjamin Deaton(Northwood) in the first round of consolations 11-5 before dropping an 11-6 decision to Raymond Clawson(Belle Chase). A full year will help Tonny next season.
Will Bellefontaine(Freshman) 3rd - Will pinned Zack Armand(Chalmette) in 1:22 and then beat Stefen Valencia(Shaw) 17-9 to make the semis. In the semis he wrestled state runner-up Anthony Smith(East Ascension) and dropped a 17-9 decision. He did have Anthony in a precarious position and an early whistle may have cost Will the match. Will took it in stride and proceeded to beat #4 Kevin Senegal(Northside) 6-3 and Stefen Valancia again, this time 12-6 to claim 3rd.
Michael Podnar (Freshman) - Michael was1-2 at the State tournament with a win over Jacob Babin(Zachary) 3-2. His two losses were to Joshua Parker(St. Thomas More) 10-6 and James Breland(Belle Chase) 9-4. Parker finished 5th and Breland finished 3rd. I was very proud that Michael did not get pinned. This was one of the critical points for this tournament. Michael lost, but kept his matches close to avoid giving bonus points to our opponents.
Zach Braud(Sophomore) 4th- Zach pinned his two first opponents Tyler Collins(St. Thomas More) 1:31 and Ossie Moten(Riverdale) 1:49. In the semis he lost a close 7-4 decision to Kelly LeBlanc(Shaw). Braud then beat Brandon Benitez(Belle Chase) 12-4. In the third place match Zach dropped another close decision 8-4, this time to Sidney Pierre(Northside).
Seth Fontenot(Junior) - Seth had the toughest bracket in our division. The 140 bracket had 6 seeded wrestlers and was full of talented experienced wrestlers. 4 guys in this bracket placed last year. Seth faced the State Champ in the first round Ben Collins(Shaw) and was pinned. He then rattled off 2 wins against Colton Hunter(Northwood) and Jason Rucker(Istrouma) before losing to #6 Kyle Cloinger(Parkway). Seth was just one round away from a state placing. Next season will be a good one for Seth.
Jared Dietrich(Sophomore) - Jared went 0-2, but I was proud of the way he wrestled. Jared became the man without a weight class after dropping a few pounds he showed up at state almost 10 pounds under his weight class limit. This put him at a disadvantage, but nothing discourages this kid. He lost to Todd Thomas(Istrouma) and #2 seed Alex Rutledge(Shaw). Another kid that will have an impact next season.
Seth Leblanc(Senior) 4th - Seth came in confident pinned Joseph Neitzschman(Chalmette) to make the semis. He then lost to State runner-up Trevor Goodie(Northside) 9-3. Seth then had an impressive pin over Ryan Baldridge(St. Thomas More) in 1:44. He met last years 135 lb. State Champion Trey Johnson(Parkway) for 3rd place. He came up a bit short and took 4th. Seth was a first year wrestler. He made the most out of his one shot and I appreciate his dedication. He did not have the luxury of saying well maybe next year. He left it on the mat. Thanks
Derek Lemoine(Freshman) - Derek went 0-2, but wrestled hard. Little mistakes cost him his matches. His first loss was to #3 seed Josh Wolverton(Parkway) in the consolations he lost to Kurt Theriot(Shaw). Hoot you better keep working and come back with a vengance. I am guessing you and Marshall will both move up a weight class.
Marshall Leavoy(Sophomore) State runner-up - Marshall looked good on the first day pinning Arthur Hoover(Lee) in 3:08 and earning a major decision over David King(Belle Chase) 14-2. In the semis he faced Ross Gary(St. Thomas More) who was last years State runner-up at 171. Even though Marshall was the higher seeded wrestler most picked Gary to win this match do to experience. Marshal silenced the critics with a dominating win by pin in 4:23. In the finals he met last years 152 lb State Champ Jamel Wheatley(Northside). Jamel posted a 15-6 victory over Marshall to take this years 171 crown. This was a much better showing that last years 0-2 performance.
Clay Tucker(Sophomore) - Clay went 0-2. One loss was to 5th place finisher Jose Johnson(Northwood) and the other to Coty Johnson(Bossier). Clay made some big strides this year. We are looking forward to the off season to make next season a successful one for Clay.
Corey Creed(Senior) 4th - Another guy that had one shot and made the most of it. Corey came in unseeded. In his first match he pinned Jan Cox(Haughton) in 5:39. He then faced the eventual state runner-up Steven Sandrock(Riverdale) and lost by pin. Corey then reeled off 3 straight pins over Mason Briant(Shaw) 1:22, Jayler Hebert(East Ascension) 1:35, and Nicholas Hayes(Northwood) 0:49 to make the 3rd place match. He lost a close 5-2 decision to last years 4th place finisher Raymond Stewart(Northside) in that match. Not a bad run Corey.
Jordan Staples(Senior) 5th - Jordan had a bye and then lost to #4 Eric Pease(Haughton) by pin. Jordan then came back and pinned Jaron Edmond(Northside) in 2:15. In the consolation semis he met highly touted #3 Jon Creel(Parkway). Jordan wrestled very well, but made a mistake that got him pinned. I was impressed with the progress he made this year. He looked good in that match. Eric Pease(Haughton) then forfeited to Jordan. I guess Jordan scared him back to Shreveport.
Wait till they see us next year!!!
The regular season has come to a close. Wow!!! What a ride. This season has been tremendous. I am so blessed to have had this experience. I have never taken a full team to the State Tournament. It was a memorable and rewarding experience. There were many firsts and groundwork has been laid for an unbelievable future. New life has been breathed into this program and it has come from so many places.
Before I get into the recap of the tournament I have to express my thanks. Thanks to the parents for their never ending support of their kids and this program. You guys have provided so much and I will never be able to express my thanks enough. Thanks to the coaches. Coach Patla, Coach Cam, Coach Tommy, Coach Brock, Coach Austin, and Coach Brent. These guys gave endless amounts of time to this team and to these wrestlers. They have instilled a work ethic that will influence these kids for the rest of their lives. They have encouraged and taught these young men lessons that will last a lifetime. And I would be remiss if I did not thank the wrestlers. I appreciate all of your effort throughout the season. In the beginning I told you that we had one goal in mind and that was to be better each weekend. We were exactly that. I thank you guys for the pleasure of coaching you and for the memories we made together. There are still more things to accomplish and I am confident that all of you will see the fruits of our labor.
You guys are the lifeblood of this new uprising. You are the caretakers of this program. We need you to encourage others that may have never considered wrestling as an option to try it out. We need all of you to do what you can in the off-season to improve your wrestling skills. We have many opportunities before us and we need to take advantage of those opportunities.
Now for the recap.
Ben Willeford(Freshman) 3rd- Ben wrestled well in the two preliminary bouts pinning both of his opponents Zach Sloan(Chalmette) and Austen Waguespack(East Ascension). He then met Ryan Carriere(Northside) in the semis. Ben wrestled a tough first period and then made one mistake that cost him the match. Carriere went on to win the State title. After that disappointment a wrestler can chose to do one of two things lose interest and quit or make the most of it and win 3rd. Ben chose to win. He pinned his next two opponents Brandon Surrency(Shaw) and Austen Waguespack(East Ascension). The two wins over Waguespack were critical in us holding off East Ascension for 4th place.
Landon Carr(Freshman) 6th - All Landon did was make the semis and win 6th at the State tournament. He pinned two of his opponents and looked very good in the Championship rounds. His first opponent was Ramanand Naik(Bossier) who won 5th a year ago at 103. Landon pinned him in just 1:18 and then pinned Lenny Swim(Zachary) in just 0:49. Carr lost to State runner-up Raymond Savoy(Shaw) in the semis. After the match Savoy said, "Wow that kid has gotten allot better. He's tough." I guess the skinny kid has a little respect now.
Tonny Desselle(Junior) - Tonny had a tough tournament and his lack of mat time showed. After losing to the state runner-up Landon Robin(Parkway) in the first round he beat Benjamin Deaton(Northwood) in the first round of consolations 11-5 before dropping an 11-6 decision to Raymond Clawson(Belle Chase). A full year will help Tonny next season.
Will Bellefontaine(Freshman) 3rd - Will pinned Zack Armand(Chalmette) in 1:22 and then beat Stefen Valencia(Shaw) 17-9 to make the semis. In the semis he wrestled state runner-up Anthony Smith(East Ascension) and dropped a 17-9 decision. He did have Anthony in a precarious position and an early whistle may have cost Will the match. Will took it in stride and proceeded to beat #4 Kevin Senegal(Northside) 6-3 and Stefen Valancia again, this time 12-6 to claim 3rd.
Michael Podnar (Freshman) - Michael was1-2 at the State tournament with a win over Jacob Babin(Zachary) 3-2. His two losses were to Joshua Parker(St. Thomas More) 10-6 and James Breland(Belle Chase) 9-4. Parker finished 5th and Breland finished 3rd. I was very proud that Michael did not get pinned. This was one of the critical points for this tournament. Michael lost, but kept his matches close to avoid giving bonus points to our opponents.
Zach Braud(Sophomore) 4th- Zach pinned his two first opponents Tyler Collins(St. Thomas More) 1:31 and Ossie Moten(Riverdale) 1:49. In the semis he lost a close 7-4 decision to Kelly LeBlanc(Shaw). Braud then beat Brandon Benitez(Belle Chase) 12-4. In the third place match Zach dropped another close decision 8-4, this time to Sidney Pierre(Northside).
Seth Fontenot(Junior) - Seth had the toughest bracket in our division. The 140 bracket had 6 seeded wrestlers and was full of talented experienced wrestlers. 4 guys in this bracket placed last year. Seth faced the State Champ in the first round Ben Collins(Shaw) and was pinned. He then rattled off 2 wins against Colton Hunter(Northwood) and Jason Rucker(Istrouma) before losing to #6 Kyle Cloinger(Parkway). Seth was just one round away from a state placing. Next season will be a good one for Seth.
Jared Dietrich(Sophomore) - Jared went 0-2, but I was proud of the way he wrestled. Jared became the man without a weight class after dropping a few pounds he showed up at state almost 10 pounds under his weight class limit. This put him at a disadvantage, but nothing discourages this kid. He lost to Todd Thomas(Istrouma) and #2 seed Alex Rutledge(Shaw). Another kid that will have an impact next season.
Seth Leblanc(Senior) 4th - Seth came in confident pinned Joseph Neitzschman(Chalmette) to make the semis. He then lost to State runner-up Trevor Goodie(Northside) 9-3. Seth then had an impressive pin over Ryan Baldridge(St. Thomas More) in 1:44. He met last years 135 lb. State Champion Trey Johnson(Parkway) for 3rd place. He came up a bit short and took 4th. Seth was a first year wrestler. He made the most out of his one shot and I appreciate his dedication. He did not have the luxury of saying well maybe next year. He left it on the mat. Thanks
Derek Lemoine(Freshman) - Derek went 0-2, but wrestled hard. Little mistakes cost him his matches. His first loss was to #3 seed Josh Wolverton(Parkway) in the consolations he lost to Kurt Theriot(Shaw). Hoot you better keep working and come back with a vengance. I am guessing you and Marshall will both move up a weight class.
Marshall Leavoy(Sophomore) State runner-up - Marshall looked good on the first day pinning Arthur Hoover(Lee) in 3:08 and earning a major decision over David King(Belle Chase) 14-2. In the semis he faced Ross Gary(St. Thomas More) who was last years State runner-up at 171. Even though Marshall was the higher seeded wrestler most picked Gary to win this match do to experience. Marshal silenced the critics with a dominating win by pin in 4:23. In the finals he met last years 152 lb State Champ Jamel Wheatley(Northside). Jamel posted a 15-6 victory over Marshall to take this years 171 crown. This was a much better showing that last years 0-2 performance.
Clay Tucker(Sophomore) - Clay went 0-2. One loss was to 5th place finisher Jose Johnson(Northwood) and the other to Coty Johnson(Bossier). Clay made some big strides this year. We are looking forward to the off season to make next season a successful one for Clay.
Corey Creed(Senior) 4th - Another guy that had one shot and made the most of it. Corey came in unseeded. In his first match he pinned Jan Cox(Haughton) in 5:39. He then faced the eventual state runner-up Steven Sandrock(Riverdale) and lost by pin. Corey then reeled off 3 straight pins over Mason Briant(Shaw) 1:22, Jayler Hebert(East Ascension) 1:35, and Nicholas Hayes(Northwood) 0:49 to make the 3rd place match. He lost a close 5-2 decision to last years 4th place finisher Raymond Stewart(Northside) in that match. Not a bad run Corey.
Jordan Staples(Senior) 5th - Jordan had a bye and then lost to #4 Eric Pease(Haughton) by pin. Jordan then came back and pinned Jaron Edmond(Northside) in 2:15. In the consolation semis he met highly touted #3 Jon Creel(Parkway). Jordan wrestled very well, but made a mistake that got him pinned. I was impressed with the progress he made this year. He looked good in that match. Eric Pease(Haughton) then forfeited to Jordan. I guess Jordan scared him back to Shreveport.
Wait till they see us next year!!!
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