Calvary’s Otzenberger Takes Wrestling Title at Riot on The Red

Christian Otzenberger claimed an early wrestling season title at the Riot on The Red tournament held at Parkway high school on Saturday afternoon. Otzenberger took the 170 crown with a pin in the first period against Logan Lewis of C.E. Byrd. This is Otzenberger’s rookie year to compete as a varsity wrestler according to head coach Jason Colgin. “He wrestled club with us a long time and this is his first year to compete as a high school varsity wrestler. His record coming into this tournament was 3-2. We went to a big multidivisional tournament last week in Baton Rouge and got fourth place in the tournament. He’s doing pretty well here.”

The season is still early for the young Calvary Cavelier who boasts three freshmen and two sophomores and still trying to figure out their weight class according to Colgin. “We’ve got five on our team this year: three freshmen and two sophomores. I expect us to do pretty well. Our guys are still trying to figure out their weight class they are going to be in. I have a couple that did well last year and they haven’t snapped back to that condition.” One of the challenges that the Calvary team faces is it’s a small school with a lot of sports to offer. “We such a small school with a lot of sports” Colgin said. “We’ve got a fishing team, powerlifting, lacrosse, soccer… so one of my wrestlers was the goalie today so he didn’t get to wrestle.”

Another team that might surprise you that competed in the Riot on the Red was the Summerfield Rebels. Summerfield has had a team for a few years and boasted to have a fourth-place finish by Trace Morrow. Morrow took home a third-place prize in the Riot on The Red Tournament with a pin on Caddo Magnet’s Alton Bouligny.

Summerfield is the furthermost team east in North Louisiana and doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to compete locally and have to rely on competition in tournaments mostly in South Louisiana. The Rebel squad holds four active wrestlers according to Coach Chris Scroggs. “We have four active wrestlers: three guys: Trace Morrow, Branden Beck, and Dakota Odom and one female wrestler: Kalen Martin. “ Scroggs said. “We had two in today and two were out today. Trace is our only experienced wrestler. Trace has been wrestling for multiple years now. We’re trying to get mat experience. “

Unlike Calvary which has a football team and many other sports, in Summerfield basketball is king and the wrestling season collide at the same time. Recruitment for the wrestling team can be a challenge for the Rebel team. “It’s a tough job especially without football,” Scroggs said. “We don’t have that mentality of going out there and taking somebody down. Really what we try to do is get a lot of exposure to our students. This is my second year and I try to talk to them a lot. I’m a teacher as well so if they have questions when I see them in the hallways and answer their questions. I’ll show them some videos after class. We try to open up some things every once in a while at P.E. It’s just getting them exposed to the sport and getting them to understand what wrestling is.”

Parkway won the team title at the competition for the day with eight individual honors. Airline finishing second with two titles in the lighter weight class. Byrd finished third with three.

Individual honors in each weight class:
106 – Ernie Perry III – AIRLINE
113 –Memphis Brace – AIRLINE
120 – Garrette Larsen – PARKWAY
126 – Matthew Born – BYRD
132 – Jordan Clark – PARKWAY
138 – Andrew Tamburo – PARKWAY
145 – Demetri Teddlie – BYRD
152 – Jacob Yawn – BYRD
160 – Jacob Chittom – PARKWAY
170 – Christian Otzenberger – CALVARY
182 – Kaleb Garcia – PARKWAY
195 – Terrence Murray – PARKWAY
220 – Jaden Jones – PARKWAY
285 – Peyton Miller – PARKWAY