St. Paul Jared Stritzinger attempts to escape from the grasp of Brother Martin's Justin Shields during the Division I 125-pound championship match at the Louisiana High School Wrestling Championships in Kenner Saturday. Shields won the match 8-0. (Photo by Jeff Benzak)

Three wrestlers bring home titles, others place
By Jacob Brooks

St. Tammany News

KENNER - As the referee slammed his hand to the mat during the 112-pound Division III state championship match Saturday, Northlake Christian's Elijah Levee made history.
Levee, pinning Parkview Baptist's Preston Bradford 20 seconds into the second period, became the first seventh-grader to ever win a title at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Wrestling Championships.

There have been other seventh-graders to compete in the LHSAA Wrestling Championships, officials confirmed, but the youngest to win a state championship previously was an eighth-grader in the 1950s.

"Feels great," said Levee after the match as he waited to stand on the podium and receive his first-place medal. "I had it in my mind that if I tried my hardest, no one could beat me."

Levee's accomplishment, which also included picking up the Division III Outstanding Wrestler award, was one of countless emotional roller coaster rides St. Tammany Parish high school wrestlers went through at the state championships held at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner Friday and Saturday.

St. Paul heavyweight David Boyce capped an undefeated season to pick up his third Division I state championship, and Pearl River 130-pounder Paul Wright earned his first state title in Division III.

"Once I got my head into it, I just made it a game of points," he said.

Boyce, who won two titles as a 215-pounder, earned his third state championship after his opponent, Rummel's Ivan Muller, was disqualified for a flagrant hit to the head.

"That's not the way we wanted to win," said St. Paul coach Craig Ketelsen, "but we're still happy for our third championship."

Boyce was up 5-3 with 13 seconds left in the third period when Muller was disqualified.

The victory brought Boyce's record this season to 40-0, and no other St. Paul wrestler has ever won three state championships before, confirmed Ketelsen.

"It's great winning the third time," said Boyce, who held up three fingers and was embraced by family members and teammates following the match. "It's extremely satisfying."

With eight place-winners, St. Paul had the highest team finish from all the schools within St. Tammany Parish, placing fourth with 171 points in Division I. Jesuit (232.5 points) was first, followed by Brother Martin (214) and Catholic (174). Twenty-seven Division I schools participated.

Jared Stritzinger (125 pounds) and Danny Tigert (130) finished runners-up for the Wolves, and Travis Lacour (171) placed third.

"To me, the state tournament is always an extremely frustrating experience," Ketelsen said. "For some kids, it's the final match of their career."

Still, Ketelsen said he was happy with the fourth-place finish.

"I know all the kids wrestled really hard, and they gave the team their best effort," he said.

Fontainebleau produced four state place-winners and finished 14th in the team standings.

"I thought the guys we had place (Saturday) were pretty much our best wrestlers all year," said FHS coach Paul Beebe.

He said competing in the state championships is an eye-opener for the younger members of his squad and something to be cherished by the older guys.

"Just winning a match in front of a lot of people is a big thrill," Beebe said.

Fontainebleau's David Butler placed highest for the Bulldogs, finishing fourth in the Division I 130-pound weight class.

Mandeville placed 15th in the team standings, producing one place-winner, Chris Moulder, third in the 160-pound weight class.

"Chris wrestled a good tournament," said Mandeville coach J.P. Pierre.

Despite a 6-4 loss in the semifinal round, Moulder came back through the consolation bracket to finish third.

"For a senior, coming back is the toughest thing," Pierre said, adding all of his wrestlers won at least two matches.

Second-year program Covington finished 22nd, led by a 4-2 performance from 152-pounder Wesley Boudreaux.

Northshore rounded out the Division I teams from the parish, finishing in a tie for 23rd place and led by C.J. Bernius (135) and Kenny Howell (160). Both wrestlers went 2-2 in the tournament.

In Division III, Pearl River produced seven place-winners and finished in sixth place out of 14 schools. Jimmy Ballantyne (145) and Matt Cannon (160) finished runners-up for the Rebels, while Ian Ballantyne (135) took third.

With four No. 1 seeds going into the tournament and Jimmy Ballantyne going for a third state championship, the final results were a bit disappointing, said Pearl River coach Jim Hobson.

"It was real sad to see Jimmy not take a third title," he said. "We lost several matches I would have liked to have won."

Northlake Christian, which consists only of Levee, placed 12th.

Levee said he plans to wrestle for Northlake Christian again next year, maybe in the 119- or 125-pound weight class.

The seventh-grader practices and competes with the Mandeville squad, and he said it feels pretty good to be the first kid in seventh grade to ever win a high school state wrestling championship.

"I feel like it helps my future a lot," he said.

Is it possible Levee could go on to win six state championships by the time he graduates?

"It's a possibility," said Pierre. "But he's got some more developing to do."

As things stand now, however, it looks like there'll be an eighth-grader at the 2007 LHSAA Wrestling Championships.

And he'll be on the prowl for a second state title.