Brother Martin wrestlers dominate All-New Orleans Area Wrestling Team

Pat Mashburn, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, March 12, 2013 7:12 p.m.

All-New Orleans Area Wrestler of the year Connor Campo, St. Paul's; and All-New Orleans Area Coach of the year Robbie Dauterive, Brother Martin. - (Pat Mashburn)

Connor Campo of St. Paul’s and Brother Martin Coach Robbie Dauterive have already proved they have what it took to make it to the top.

Campo had just finished the year with the state title in the 132-pound class, going undefeated against in-state competition while Dauterive and his staff had put the team in position in the finals, to capitalize and win the team title. But, for each, there was something more -- a burning desire not to stop until victory was once again theirs.

Both succeeded by finishing another season at the top, as Campo was chosen as All-New Orleans Wrestler Of The Year while Dauterive was tabbed as All-New Orleans Area Coach Of The Year.

One of the qualities of a champion is not being satisfied with just being at the top, and despite finishing the 2011-12 season undefeated against in-state competition, there was something that was gnawing at Campo. It was the lone blemish on his record in the last two years (106-1).

“I kind of expected a loss at that time because I didn’t realize I was that good,” Campo reflected. “Before the start of the season, I wasn’t really expecting to go undefeated.”

The opponent Campo lost by a single point to was no slouch either, a three-time Maryland state champion. But, that’s when it all clicked. Learning from a self-evaluation of a very successful season, he’d found the spark he was looking for, and the dye was cast for what would be his best year.

Over the course of his four-year high school career, Campo had over 200 total wins and compiled a career in-state record of 194-27. He was a four-time St. Tammany Parish and District champion, but first and foremost, an honor roll student.

His future plans remain uncertain, although he plans to visit the University of North Carolina and has garnered interest from Division III perenial wrestling power, Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Until then, he’ll head to a tournament as a member of Team Louisiana for a major tournament in Alabama, and then compete at a National Tournament in Virginia next month.

When Brother Martin repeated as Division I team champions, there was a feeling among coaches and team members that it could not have been scripted any better. Prior to the start of the season, Dauterive, along with his assistant coaches and wrestlers decided to dedicate the season to Brother Martin alumnus and former state wrestling champion Jay Rink, who was diagnosed nearly two years ago with ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Bound to a wheel chair, Rink was a fixture at every match, and in the last bout of the state tournament, the story book season had an appropriate ending in the final match when his stepson, Ross Brister, captured the 285-pound weight class title.

Having already clinched the team title before the championship round, there was no letting the foot off of the accelerator. With eight wrestlers in the finals of the 14 different weight classes, the Crusaders got out of the gate quickly victories in the final two weight classes as Mason Mauro earned the title in the 106-pound class with a 10-5 decision over Rummel’s Devyn Breaux, and sophomore Paul Klein pinned Comeaux senior Jacob Dale in 1:08 for the 120-pound title.

Jay Rink congradulates stepson Ross Brister in the last match of the state tournament. - (Pat Mashburn)

“That really ignited the team with Mason and Paul getting those two wins,” Dauterive said. “When Paul pinned a senior that quick, it was incredible. We had a group of seniors in this lineup who were in the lineup two years ago as sophomores, and they’ve meant so much to our team.”

Of those seniors, three were state champions, including Brister (285), Kyle Delaune (182), and Daniel Albrecht (170). Devin LeBlanc was second (152) while Dominic Casadaban (138), Tyler Robertson (145), Patrick Hoppe (160) were third.