2013-14 Results and Media Coverage
By
on January 24, 2014 2 a.m.
The reigning two-time
Division I state wrestling champions from Brother Martin are scheduled to return
to competition next week following a three-week layoff necessitated by a
breakout of serious skin infections that afflicted several Crusaders athletes.
Martin is scheduled to wrestle in a dual meet at Rummel at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday that will represent the Crusaders’ first action since recording a 59-13 dual meet victory at St. Paul’s on Jan. 8.
Approximately five Martin wrestlers, Coach Robby Dauterive said, incurred skin infections ranging from rashes and sores to lip fever blisters during and/or following the team’s sweep to the team championship in the Soddy Daisy, Tenn., Tournament on Jan. 4.
“Everything’s good now,’’ Dauterive said this week of the difficult decision to suspend participation in any competition, including practice, that involved skin to skin contact. “We’re confident this was the right thing to do.’’
The outbreak of potentially infectious skin conditions forced the Crusaders to postpone a dual meet against Holy Cross on Jan. 15 and then withdraw from last weekend’s prestigious Louisiana Classic Tournament in Baton Rouge before cancelling another dual meet against Hahnville on Wednesday.
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The Crusaders also will not compete in Saturday’s City Championships scheduled for 8 a.m. at Holy Cross. A make-up date for the Holy Cross dual meet has not been completed, Dauterive said. “It’s been tough on my kids,’’ Dauterive said. “It looks like we’re going to be good by Friday. We have a dermatologist coming to inspect the kids again. “We’re fortunate that this didn’t happen to us later in the season. It gave us time to get everything cleaned up and come back and compete.’’ In addition to being examined by dermatologists, the Crusaders actually have not had any intrasquad practices since Jan. 14 while restricting the activities of their wrestlers to conditioning, Dauterive said. Additionally, the team’s training facility and locker room at school were scoured and sanitized as a precautionary measure. The possibility of spreading the skin infections to other teams throughout the state, particularly given the depth of the statewide field at the Louisiana Classic, prompted the extreme measures. “It was just the right thing to do,’’ Dauterive said. “You can’t take the risk of spreading something like this.’’ A clean bill of health on Friday would conclude a 10-day incubation period prescribed by medical officials. |
“The Louisiana Classic is the biggest tournament in the state. In many ways it’s bigger than the state tournament,’’ Dauterive said. “My kids were devastated by this.’’
Following the Rummel dual meet, the Crusaders will continue re-honing their mat skills by participating in the 38th annual Ken Cole Invitational Tournament host by Comeaux High School in Lafayette on Jan. 31-Feb. 1.
The Louisiana High School Athletic Association State Tournament Championships are scheduled for Feb. 21-22 at the Pontchartrain Center.
To maintain their physical conditioning, the Crusaders have spent nearly two weeks going through rigorous training work.
“People probably have seen us running up and down the levee and doing push ups on the neutral ground,’’ Dauterive said. “Our kids are so mature, they’ve been working hard. I don’t expect any ill effects at all.
“In fact, our two-time state champion, Paul Klein, told me how glad he is that we’re going to be able resume wrestling practice because he said he was more tired after doing these conditioning practices than he is after a wrestling practice.’’
