By Pat Mashburn, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune on February 22, 2014 10:30 p.m.
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There was little left in question for De La Salle’s Alex Martin while Brusly was chasing a piece of history on the final day of the 2014 Division III LHSAA State Wrestling Championships.
In a manner of speaking, their paths were intertwined as the top seeded Martin defeated Diondre Dorsey for the 160-pound title, giving Martin the third and final state title of his high school career. The other two came in the 152-pound class. Martin’s win and Logan Sylve’s title in the 170-pound class vaulted the Cavaliers all the way up to second in the final team standings.
Brusly set a new LHSAA state wrestling composite record with a team total of 343.5. De La Salle followed with 176.5.
In third was North Vermillion (165), followed by St. Louis (148), Basile (116.5), Episcopal (88), South Plaquemines (83.5), John Curtis (80), Lakeside (79.5), and Evangel (74.5).
Brusly’s Trevor Schermer, the 152-pound class winner who finished the year with a 54-3 record, was selected as the Division III Outstanding Wrestler.
“My ultimate goal in the match was to pin him,” Martin said. “I guess I’ll have to settle for a third state championship. It got a little heated, but I like matches like that.”
Prior to the tournament, the composite record for team points was 339 by Brother Martin, and with Trevor Schermer’s pin of North Vermillion’s Colin Laird in the 152-pound championship, they eclipsed that mark by half a point.
And, it doesn’t appear the Panthers will be slowing down any time soon, but may take some time to revel in the tradition that seems almost unbreakable.
“We knew from the end of last season that this would be a special year,” Brusly Coach Jimmy Bible said. “We had a lot of kids coming back and we had some eighth graders coming up that were going to help us out. I didn’t realize we were going to be this good. The goals we set were there to challenge everyone, and that’s a reason why we go to competition outside the state to wrestle tough competition and keep the guys focused, and get them ready for state.”
The proof that the regular season paid off could be found in the fact that Brusly had 11 wrestlers in the finals of the 14 different weight classes, winning all but one thanks to Martin.