2012-13 Results and Media Coverage
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| Kent Mason, Teurlings Catholic (Division II champion) and Jimmy Bible of Brusly (Division III champion) pose next to their Brother Melchior trophies. - (Pat Mashburn, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune) |
(L to R): Jimmy Bible, Brusly;
Eric Desormeaux, Holy Cross; Kent Mason, Teurlings Catholic;
Paul Wertz and Jim Hooter, Holy Cross alumni and former
wrestlers. -
(Pat Mashburn, NOLA.com |
The Times-Picayune)
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Brother Melchior Polowy never knew current Holy Cross wrestlers such as Alex Nicosia, Daniel Relayson, or George Benoit, but he did pave the wave for unprecedented growth in the sport of wrestling at the high school level.
Polowy's contributions were honored after his passing in the mid 1970’s with the state trophy which now bares his name.
The 2012-13 Holy Cross wrestling team would love nothing more than to put their name on one of the plates of the Division II trophy, especially since they’ll move up to Division I next season.
Two of three state champion coaches from last season were on hand to return their trophies to the Holy Cross gymnasium, but all are hoping to keep theirs for another year after the state tournament on Feb. 15-16 at the Pontchartrain Center.
Team champions from the 2011-12 season were Brother Martin (Division I), Teurlings Catholic (Division II), and Brusly (Division III). Coaches in attendance were Teurlings Catholic’s Kent Mason and Jimmy Bible of Brusly.
“Brother Melchior’s legacy is well beyond wrestling," Holy Cross coach Eric Desormeaux said. “When alumni come back to visit, they base their successes on the lessons they learned from Brother Melchior himself.”
In the time between now and the state tournament, each of the three trophies will be dismantled, cleaned, and put back together so that the next state champions can display them at their school for the following year.
To understand the man behind the trophy requires a look at very humble beginnings. Polowy's mother died when he was less than five years old, and as a result, he was raised by many different family members. When he was old enough to work, he got a job at a bakery, bought a motorcycle and drove to many different neighborhood community centers and gymnasiums where he learned to wrestle.
One of the many opponents he faced, left an indelible impression which ultimately shaped the way he approached the sport.
“He’s as strong as a steel beam,” Polowy said.
Wanting to know more, he talked at length with the wrestler and discovered that weight lifting was what provided him the extra edge for power on the mat. The common perception in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s was that weightlifting built massive bulk and slowed people down. After the encounter, the choice was clear. The interest in weights and working with young men became the basis for the rest of his life.
Upon his arrival at Holy Cross in 1945, Polowy and Bill Schriever of the New Orleans Athletic Club started a wrestling program. To help grow the sport, the two gentlemen went around the city to different schools to teach it to all who would listen.
The combination of weight training with wrestling translated into 23 state championships before Polowy retired in the 1970’s. The only year Holy Cross didn’t win a state championship during his tenure was 1955 when he battled an unknown illness. It was also the only year the school didn’t field a team.
After his passing, a number of his former wrestlers banned together to form the Brother Melchior Society as a way to ensure his contributions were never forgotten. To that end, the group had trophies built for each of the three divisions which have his picture. The winning coach of each division each year has their name and school added to the trophy, which they keep for one year. In the following year, the trophies are returned to Holy Cross so that they can be brought to the state meet for presentation for the next champions.