Russell Hedges
rhedges@bossierpress.com
The Airline Vikings won the Northwest Louisiana regional wrestling tournament Saturday at Lakeside High School in Sibley.
Bossier Parish schools took the top four spots in the 14-team field.
The Vikings scored 171 points to edge runner-up Benton by 13. Bossier finished third with 134.5 points and Parkway fourth with 120.5.
Airline’s JuJu Jones and Bossier’s Jalen Oliver were named Outstanding Wrestlers along with Evangel’s Benny Kirkikis.
Jones won the 113-pound weight class with a narrow 15-12 decision over Parkway’s Alex Simmaly.
Oliver, a state champion in 2013, won all three of his matches in the 182-pound class with pins. In the title match, he pinned Airline’s Keenan Gilligan in 5 minutes, 40 seconds.
Kirkikis won the 145-pound title, defeating Benton’s Tre’ Pugh by a 17-8 majority decision in the title match.
Three other Airline wrestlers won titles — Christian Walden (126), Tony Lococo (132) and Harrison Hooper (170).
Walden defeated Riley Smith of Lakeside in the championship match on a 15-0 technical fall.
Lococo edged Byrd’s Kalik Battle 4-2. Hooper won all three of his matches by fall. He took 44 seconds to pin Bossier’s Chris Hall in the title match.
Other regional champions from parish schools were Parkway’s Hunter Huckaby (138) and Benton’s Andre’ Dean (152).
Huckaby defeated Benton’s Jeff Lewis by an 18-9 majority decision. Dean pinned Bossier’s Avery Jones in 3:53.
Other parish runners-up were Airline’s Eric McGuire (285), Benton’s Jordan White (160) and Bossier’s Isaiah McKinsey (195).
Parish third-place finishers were Airline’s Tyler Almond (195), Parkway’s Garrett Strozier (106), Parkway’s Ryan Huckaby (126), Parkway’s Nathan Pitts (132), Haughton’s Brandon Tolliver (182), Benton’s Layton Spears (170), Benton’s Chauncey Taylor (285) and Bossier’s Donnie Edwards (220).
Parish fourth-place finishers were Parkway’s Matthew Pitts (120), Haughton’s Zach Denton (106), Haughton’s Jeremy Calvin (138), Haughton’s Pearson Harbor (145), Haughton’s John McCleskey (220), Benton’s Josh Caskey (132), Benton’s Matt Wilkins (182), Benton’s Austin Wilson (195), Bossier’s Kelvin Brooks (160) and Bossier’s Kendrick Washington (285).
