STATE CHAMPIONS DID IT AS A TRUE TEAM

The words are pronounced in identical fashion. Either definition fits the Brother Martin wrestling program aptly.

At the school assembly Tuesday morning, the state championship trophy was presented to the Brother Martin wrestling team in front of an enthusiastic student body, excited faculty and administration and adoring parents.

The Crusaders claimed the Division I title Sunday night at Kenner's Pontchartrain Center by four points over Catholic High of Baton Rouge with defending champion Rummel finishing third.

Fighting the effects of a cold and aching vocal chords, energetic coach Robbie Dauterive found enough voice to present his championship team to the gathering, reserving special individual praise for each member of the team.

Brother Martin won the state title by placing 12 of its 14 wrestlers. All 14 members entered scored at least four points for the squad in the state meet.

Throughout, the theme of "one" resonated. The Crusaders adopted the motto of "One Team, One Dream" prior to the season with the explicit goal of becoming No. 1. They won, achieving the goal. Clearly, their intent is to remain there.

While they lose standouts Blake Schmitt (113), Dylan Dunn (182) and Gerard Roman (195) among others, the future is very bright. Brother Martin won the state junior high wrestling championship as well. Schmitt leaves Brother Martin with 137 career wins and Roman departs with 133 career victories.

Brother Martin returns seven wrestlers who placed in the 2012 meet next season. They include one team member who may be on the way to making history.

Freshman sensation Paul Klein was the only individual champion for Brother Martin. He avenged a pair of regular season defeats to Jesuit's Mitch Capella, beating him 4-0 in the championship match.

With an incredible future in the sport ahead of him, Klein was all smiles Tuesday morning.

"This is what I dreamed of, to be part of a state championship team," said Klein. "It's an awesome experience. I've always wanted to win state, ever since I was little. I've been wrestling for 10 years now. To win an individual title was amazing."

Klein lost twice during the year to Jesuit's Mitch Capella but he extracted revenge in beating Capella for the title in Kenner.

"I felt we learned some things in losing twice to Capella." said Klein. "I watched my film and did what we had to do. That helped us in the state title match. We can all share this happiness of winning the team title. We have a lot of juniors who placed in state and we're going to be tough next year. We have to continue to work hard and we can continue to have this kind of success next season."

Other returning stars for the Crusaders next season include Dominic Casabadan, Tyler Robertson, Logan Labry, Devin LeBlanc, Daniel Albrecht, Kyle Delaune and Ross Brister.

Roman has the ability to continue to wrestle in college though he is not sure of his future yet.

"I am looking at potential opportunities, checking things out," said Roman. "I'm not sure yet if I will wrestle in college but it is possible. This was a great team win for us and I was happy to contribute. I am so proud of my team. They worked hard all year."

Roman feels that the youngest Crusader contributor to the state title will carry on the rich tradition of Brother Martin wrestling.

"Paul (Klein) will carry on and possibly win three more titles," Roman said "He's got the talent and the dedication to do it. Wrestling has meant so much to me. I had days where I just wanted to go home and quit. I had days where I wanted to go on a 10-mile run because I wanted to get my conditioning up. I've had dreams where I wake up sweating, thinking I'm wrestling. It's all crazy. You've got the best time of your life and you don't even know it. I will continue to help Brother Martin wrestling in the future."

In typical fashion, Dauterive was animated throughout the ceremony, praising administrators, fans, his wrestlers and others for the success the team enjoyed.

He reserved special praise for Roman, who won a state title in 2011 and finished second to Rummel star Scott Gibbons at 195 pounds this year.

Dauterive joked that others have dubbed him with nicknames such as "Napoleon" and "Angry Elf." Near the end of his comments, he pulled off his sweatshirt to reveal a green elf suit and donned an elf cap, much to the delight of the crowd. His wrestlers left opponents green with envy.

In closing, Dauterive assured all Brother Martin faithful that the storied program will not remain stuck on 13 state titles. Dauterive guaranteed a repeat team victory at the state meet, set for February 15-17, 2013 in Kenner. It is safe to say that he meets challenges head on and enjoys the competition.

Regardless of how you spell the word, it applies to Brother Martin wrestling. They won it all, doing so as one, fulfilling their hopes and dreams.