2012-13 Results and Media Coverage
Brusly wrestling eying ninth state title in 10 years
Jerit Roser, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, October 30, 2012 4:10 p.m.
 Catholic High's Micah Rispone, right, wrestles Brother Martin's Dylan Dunn in the 182-pound weight class at the 2012 LHSAA State Wrestling Tournament at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner. Dunn won the match. - (Rusty Costanza / The Times-Picayune) |
Baton Rouge — Jimmy Bible has seen that "state
championship look" in several preseasons during his 13 years as Brusly's
wrestling coach. He's also seen a few teams that would eventually fall
short.
In Febuary,
the Panthers
won their eighth Division III title in nine years after a second-place
finish in 2010. But the team hasn't given Bible any reason to think it's
satisfied or has plans of anything short of a repeat.
"Last year, I think they were a little more determined (than in 2010),"
Bible said. "I think it kinda stung … This year, coming off the state
championship, we have a lot of juniors now that were on that team, and
they still know how much it hurt. They've been working hard. We've got a
good group."
Individual state champions Baret Sanchez and Trevor Schermer and
runner-up Wyatt LeJeune lead a talented junior class that has the
ability to duplicate its 2011 season, Bible said. The Panthers recent success breeds high expectations for another championship season.
"You don't wanna be the class that's gonna lose it," Bible said.
"Eventually it's gonna happen, but every year's team tries its best to
make sure it doesn't happen to them."
The coach likes what he's seen so far, but said much of the team's
preperation for a potential state championship run lies ahead. |
In order to prepare for the postseason, the Panthers
schedule high-level Division I competition such as Baton Rouge-Catholic, Brother
Martin, Comeaux, Jesuit and Rummel.
"We always strive to be the best we can be not only in our division, but also in
the state," Bible said. "We try to compete with a lot of the bigger schools
because if we can compete consistently against them, we should be ready for
anybody in our division once we get to the state tournament."
Catholic
fell just short of its championship aspirations in 2011, finishing second to
Brother Martin in Division I.
But Coach Tommy Prochaska said the Bears focus as little as possible on past
results — whether it be the 2010 state title or last season's near-repeat.
"We take it in stride," Prochaska said. "I tell the guys, 'Last year is last
year. Whether we won or finished second, this is a new team, and everybody's the
same. Everybody's 0-0.' "
Catholic's 2011 individual state champions Kyle Hidalgo and Zack Louis headlined
a large graduating class. Mason and Sidney Rodriguez, and Brandon Luckett are
back to lead this year's squad after strong finishes last season.
"We've got a lot of guys with veteran experience," Prochaska said. "We have a
lot of seniors that maybe haven't been guys that were starters last year, and a
lot of people might be surprised by them and wonder where they came from, but
when you've got depth, you have a lot of guys that don't start until they're
seniors."
Live Oak
leads the Baton Rouge area's Division-II contingent after a third-place finish
in 2011.
The Eagles hope to take another step forward in 2012 by reaching a level of
consistency on par with Brusly's and Catholic's.
"We're not the reloading type like Brother Martin or Jesuit or Holy Cross, but
we've been blessed with some guys that have come up together through the club,"
Collier said. "We have a couple that have the potential to be state champions,
and we're hoping to finish in the top two as a team and do better than we did
last year."
Senior Dean Roberts, and juniors Seth Bosarge, Jacob Chenevert and Cody Hill are
among the leading returners on a Live Oak squad "led by a real strong junior
class."
St. Michael the Archangel, Baton Rouge's only remaining top-five finisher from
2011, is ranked one spot behind Live Oak at No. 4 in Division II.
No. 7 East Ascension and No. 10 Dutchtown in Division I, and No. 7 Redemptorist
in Division III, round out the area's top-10 representatives.