2013-14 Results and Media Coverage
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on November 04, 2013 10:19 p.m.
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Brother Martin Coach Robbie Dauterive has some sobering news for those expecting to interrupt the three-peat aspirations of the reigning Division I state wrestling champions. “We have seven wrestlers returning who placed in the state tournament and our other starters are kids who did not get to wrestle in the state meet probably could have started for any other team last year,’’ said Dauterive, who has directed the Crusaders to five of their 14 state titles during two separate coaching stints at the Gentilly school that included a three-peat from 1999-2001. “They just were waiting their turn.’’ Their turn has arrived. Four of those seven Crusaders who did not get to compete in the state meet due to the program’s depth are seniors, meaning that not only are they battle-tested, they also are hungry. “They definitely could have done well in the state meet,’’ Dauterive said. “So we like where we’re at going into the season.’’ Monday served as the official tipoff for the 2013-14 season, although virtually all of the New Orleans area teams do not begin dual meet or tournament action until later this week. |
Brother Martin opens its season Saturday by sending a pair of split squads to compete in the Mandeville Open and the St. Michael’s Open in Baton Rouge. Both meets begin at 9 a.m.
Rule changes by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association that now allow all individual wrestlers to compete twice a week in either dual or tri meets or tournaments should benefit teams such as the Crusaders develop even greater depth.
Not that the Crusaders need any extra help as they return two state champions and two state Runners-Up, plus two fourth-place finishers and one fifth.
Juniors Paul Klein and Mason Mauro are Martin’s reigning state champions at 106 and 120 pounds respectively, while senior Austin Meyn and junior Yehia Riles were state Runners-Up at 126 and 195 pounds respectively.
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Klein is expected to move up in weight class to 126 or 132 pounds as he pursues his own individual three-peat while Mauro is expected to move up to 113 pounds. “I definitely want to win because I really don’t like losing at all,’’ Klein said. “This sport means a lot to me and I put a lot of time into it.’’ Senior Josh Tapia, and junior Mason Williams were fourth-places finishers at 220 and 132 pounds respectively while sophomore Taylor Gambill finished fifth at 113. Tapia is likely to compete at 195 or 220 pounds while Williams’ projected weight class is to be determined after he finishes Cross Country competition. Gambill is likely to compete at 120 or 126. The other top projected starters are seniors Wade Nash and David Drago and sophomore Stephen Rumney along with seniors Travis Quaterman and Jordan Wright, junior Danny Evans and sophomore Pierce Williams. Nash and Drago figure in the mix at 120 and 126 pounds while Rumney is likely to remain at 106. |
Quaterman, Wright, Evans and Williams are locked in competition for the middleweight classes of 145, 152, 160 and 170 pounds.
“Our goal definitely is to win a third straight title,’’ Dauterive said. “We know there are teams capable of beating us if we don’t wrestle our best. But we feel like we have a lot more depth this year than last year. We like our depth.
“I like the position we’re in. I don’t know if we’re considered the favorite or not, but I love the position we’re in. We know where we are and we know what we’ve got to do, so I like this position.’’
Martin is coming off a season in which it blew away the field in scoring a record 339 points to win the Division I championship. Jesuit finished a distant second with 275 points followed by Baton Rouge-Catholic with 263, St. Paul’s at 229 and Rummel at 198.
Jesuit, Catholic and Division II champion Holy Cross are expected to be the Crusaders’ chief competition when the LHSAA State Tournament arrives Feb. 21-22 at the Pontchartrain Center.
“As a team we don’t really think about winning a three-peat as much as we do about just winning this year,’’ Klein said in adding interesting player perspective.
“I think we’re going to be pretty good. We have a lot of guys back who placed last year. We’ve been working hard this summer and have been getting in shape since school started. We’re ready to go. We’re pretty confident.’’
A 27-time state champion, Holy Cross has moved backed up to Division I following a six-year hiatus to lower classifications caused by decreased enrollment tied to Hurricane Katrina.
The Tigers return five state Runners-Up in seniors Porter Dazet (182 pounds) and Michael Yeatman (220) and juniors Colin Guerra (126), George Benoit (138) and Brice Duhe (160).
De La Salle senior Alex Martin and Thomas Jefferson junior Logan Griffin are reigning Division III state champions respectively at 106 and 152 pounds.
Seniors Logan Thompson and Robert Kennedy of Belle Chasse are other Division II standouts returning. Thompson was state runner-up at 195 pounds while Kennedy finished third at 220.
Curtis junior G’Corey Fullilove and Fisher junior Matt Adams were Division III state Runners-Up respectively at 160 and 170 pounds while South Plaquemines senior Kevin Drury was a third-place finisher at 182.
But all eyes are fixed on the Crusaders.
“We want to keep our state title, that’s what drives us every day,’’ Dauterive said. “It’s very important to us that we defend our state championship.’’
