Sam Houston’s Tyson Roach and Teurlings Catholic’s Alex Rozas are best friends, but when the high school wrestling season starts, that is put on hold.

The pair of defending state champions have faced off on the mat more than three dozen times at multiple ages, each winning their fair share. But the last time wasn’t how Roach wanted it to go, so he chose to drop weight for this weekend’s Louisiana High School Athletic Association wrestling state championship for a chance to face Rozas one more time.

“We are best friends, but when we are on the same mat at the same time it is business,” Roach said. “It is a lot of nerves with it being the last time because anything can go any way.

“I have put in a lot of work in the past few weeks, had the perfect diet and had the perfect training style. I don’t think I can be more confident with where I am at right now.”

Roach wrestled at 126 pounds most of the season but is the No. 2 seed in Division II 120 pounds behind Rozas.

The pair were expected to meet at state last year but ended up in different weight classes with Roach winning at 126 and Rozas at 106 with a 55-0 record as a freshman. Roach, who signed with Arkansas-Little Rock, is a two-time state champion, including the 2022 Division I 106 title. Rozas is 47-1 this season, while Roach is 70-4.

On Dec. 23 at the Trey Culotta Invitational, Roach met Rozas in the 120 final and lost 7-4.

“It didn’t go my way,” Roach said. “I personally don’t think I wrestled my best.

“It is my last ever Louisiana high school match, and over the years me and Alex have become best friends in the sport. I wouldn’t want to end the season off wrestling anyone else. He is right there as a nationally ranked kid, and so am I. It is a great opportunity to wrestle someone who is really good.

“I felt like I was good on my feet, but I didn’t commit completely on my shots. I kind of wrestled his match. I didn’t wrestle my match. I let him go too long when we were on the ground, and that is what he is really good at. That is just one thing I have to avoid this time. I have to keep it more on the feet where I feel most confident.”

Roach leads a strong group of Broncos who hope to improve on last year’s sixth-place team finish. They have eight seeded wrestlers, including junior Caleb Lavine (53-6), the No. 1 at 138 pounds, 285 No. 3 Colt Fisher (40-13) and a pair of No. 4s in 106 Chevy Coleman (44-10) and Peyton Miller (30-6) at 157. Coleman placed fifth last year and the third-ever female to place at state.

“The group overall is amazing,” Sam Houston head wrestling coach Michael Roach said. “Last year we had eight seeded kids.

“This year we have eight seeded kids, but every kid has improved. We have a lot of kids who have a really good chance of getting into the finals, which is really exciting. I really think there is a real good chance that we will be in the top five at state.”

Lavine was third last year but has been dealing with a high-ankle sprain.

“When we thought he was good to go two weeks ago, he retweaked it,” Michael Roach said. “We have not let anybody put their hands on him at practice these last two weeks.

“All he does is conditioning, so that is going to affect him a little, that he hasn’t been able to roll around and is nursing an injury. I am also confident that if we cut his leg off at the ankle he would still win state. I think he is going to do good. I just hope he can make it all the way through, be healthy and not be on crutches.”

St. Louis Catholic senior Graham Montet (20-0) is looking for a perfect season and win his second state championship in three seasons. He won at 170 pounds in 2022 but was third at 182 last year. He is the Division III 190-pound top seed this time.

Montet is one of four No. 1 seeds from Southwest Louisiana in Division III, along with Basile’s Logan Bergeron (106, 20-4), St. Louis’ Grant Habetz (132, 14-3) and South Beauregard’s Bryce Fontenot (144, 31-6).

No. 2 seeds include St. Louis’ Nolan McMichael (138, 24-12), South Beauregard’s Aydan Green (150, 26-13) and Blake Butler (175, 30-9) and Basile’s Romyn Cortez (285, 24-5).