By Ron Brocato
“Two state championships, four runners-up, and multiple district titles, I’m very proud of our coaches and young men.”
That was Brother Martin Athletic Director Mark Wisniewski’s (Class of 1981) summary of the school’s athletic achievements through the 2025-26 sports calendar.
During the nine months of competition in the 13 varsity sports sanctioned by the LHSAA for boys’ participation, the Crusaders claimed state Division I championships in bowling and tennis, and runners-up trophies in cross country, wrestling, soccer, and baseball.
And to achieve those honors, the Crimson and Gold’s sports programs had to transcend their competition in what has been recognized as the most competitive Class 5A district in the LHSAA, the fabled “Catholic League,” which produced nine team titlists and seven second place finishes in championship competition.
“As far as competitiveness, I don’t think that you will find another district like ours that is as solid from top to bottom,” Wisniewski pointed out.
The calendar began with the football team posting a 7-5 record in a district that saw seven of the eight members gaining playoff berths. After winning their first four games of the season as the visiting team, the Crusaders placed fifth with a 3-4 district record. They were eliminated in the regional playoff round by Alexandria.
“We knew what we were fighting against once we got into district play,” Wisniewski observed. “When you have powerhouses like Karr (the eventual state champion), St. Augustine, Jesuit, Curtis, Rummel, and Holy Cross, it’s not like you can take a week off to play a weak team to win an easy game.
“Even against non-district opponents like St. Paul’s, you don’t get a break. But Coach Mark Bonis chooses to play difficult opponents and on the road, which is great. The competition makes a team better. We were in the middle of the pack, but the coaches did a great job with a team outsized by our opponents.”
CROSS COUNTRY – Coach Drew Haro’s runners finished second in the district and state, scoring 93 points with the highest finisher, Daniel Bonilla ‘28, placing 13th, but with a cluster of runners finishing high enough to defeat 22 other teams.
“Drew Haro ‘03 did a good job with a young team,” Wisniewski noted. “He was concerned about some of the talent we lost last year. But the young men began preparing last summer and bonded by helping each other in running as a pact. You have to tip your cap to what they accomplished.”
SWIMMING – The aqua Crusaders placed ninth in the state meet in a sport that's highly competitive among public and non-public schools that vie for just one Division I team title rather than select and non-select separations. Wisniewski pointed out that the school did not have an abundance of veteran swimmers.
“What we lack right now is numbers among our swim team,” Wisniewski said. “We may have two or three year-round swimmers among the 20 guys we have on the team, but they do compete. It’s been hard, but Coach (Kevin-James) Watkins ‘20 does a great job of preparing the guys, and we’ve had some good results.”
SOCCER – This was one of the school's crowning sports, and it showed among its parental and fan followers. The Crusaders were the Division I runner-up in a sport that has been ruled by Jesuit. Coach Matt Millet’s team posted a 20-6 record and defeated four state contenders to make it to the finals, where they lost late in the contest by a 2-1 count.
“When you look at the season, we probably should have been tied for the district title (with Jesuit),” the AD noted. “One of the things we had talked about was changing the culture of the soccer program when Matt came in, and he’s accomplished that in a quick second.
“Just two years in, he has us in the state championship game,” he continued. “We thought we had the young men to compete, and he brought that out in them. He doesn’t accept losing or doing things halfway. He has changed the culture, and I look forward to the future of the program.”
WRESTLING – Nick Shields, a former multi-state champion as a Crusader, Class of 2008, coached his alma mater to a runner-up trophy after falling just 22 ½ points short of a team title. Always a solid sport among the many championship programs at Brother Martin, the wrestling team produced three individual champions – Richie Clementi ‘25 (144 pounds), Rory Horvath ‘25 (190), and Ethan Simmons ‘25 (285), who posted a 29-3 record.
BASKETBALL – After a successful career as head coach at Archbishop Shaw, Wesley Laurendine was called upon to return the Crusaders’ program to a championship level, starting with a team of young and untried talent.
In his first year, he transformed a somewhat competitive bunch into a team that won 22 of 26 games and tied for second place in the district. Under Laurendine’s guidance, the Crusaders won nine of their first ten games and gained the confidence needed to make the playoffs.
(Laurendine) brought positivity in his coaching style,” Wisniewski observed. “He knew how to get the players to draw out their best in a positive way. And by doing that, he brought out the best in a team of guys who basically were the same team that finished under .500 last season.”
TENNIS – The Crusaders are displaying another state championship trophy in their growing number of achievements. The squad, coached by Lee McAlester, scored 14½ points, nearly doubling the score of their nearest competitors.
The title run was bolstered by the doubles team of Dillian La France ‘26 and Samaj Rouege ‘28, who prevailed against the state’s top competition. The duo defeated a St. Paul’s pair, 7-5, 4-6, 1-0.
“Even since Lee has come aboard, we’ve won two of the last three state championships and had three state runners-up,” Wisniewski said. “And the thing about this year is that we had just one senior starting, and we get everybody else back. And we had all three doubles teams qualify for state.”
GOLF – The Crusaders under Coach Ron Brisbi ‘67 SA had some young talent, but battled key injuries through most of the campaign. One of the top golfers, Sawyer Bernard ‘27 shot a 73-72—145 to place sixth in the state meet.
“The thing that hurt us was that we had one of our talented golfers injured in an auto accident and missed multiple weeks, and even when he came back, he wasn’t at 100 percent, the Crusader AD said. “Another was accidentally hit in the arm by a club. And golf isn’t a game you just stop playing. But that notwithstanding, we have been one of eight teams to qualify for the state tournament.”
TRACK AND FIELD – Placing third in the state meet, Coach Brad Duplechain’s squad enjoyed a successful season. Junior sprinter Easton Royal set an individual composite record by winning the 100-meter dash in 10.17 seconds. He also won at 200 meters, and anchored a third gold medal-winning performance in the 4x100-meter relay. And young runners from the cross country team scored points in the distance events.
“Our success wasn’t just one man,” Wisniewski acknowledged. “But everyone contributed. That’s the highest we have finished in recent years, and taking a third place is a tremendous accomplishment.”
BOWLING – Although a No. 7 seed, Brother Martin defeated Rummel’s high rollers, 19-8 in the championship round after coasting past St. Amant, 22-5; Denham Springs, 18 ½ -8 1/2, and East Ascension, 16-11, in preliminary rounds. The victory was a repeat performance by the Crusaders, who won in 2025, as well, under Coach Bruce Himbert ‘78.
“We’ve won nine of the last 11 state championships in this sport, like reloading every year,” Wisniewski said.
BASEBALL – The team fashioned by Coach Jeff Lupo ‘92 won more games than any previous diamond team in the school’s history. Having a steady balance of superb pitching, combined with a solid defense and timely hitting, the Crusaders finished the season with a 37-6 record and the state Division I runner-up trophy.
“We had some ups and downs, but the pitching staff did a tremendous job,” said Wisniewski, who mentored Lupo in 1990 and 1991 when he played for the Crusaders. “And even when we didn’t pitch well, the guys were swinging the bats well. And I don’t think we had an error through the playoffs until the championship game.”
The No. 1 seed, Brother Martin, finished second to No. 2 Catholic of Baton Rouge in two grueling games, one that lasted 15 innings, 6-2 and 3-2.
“This team was solid, Wisniewski said. “We outhit Catholic in both games.”
With a new baseball facility in the construction phase, Brother Martin athletics is facing continued success in the future. Wisniewski also beams when he talks about the opportunities to come.
“I think our future is bright,” he said. “The coaching staff will stay intact because they are about the Brother Martin culture. Life lessons are learned in every sport, and we want positive life lessons. And that’s not talking wins and losses.
“And we’re going to win or lose with class, and we’re going to be good competitors on and off the field,” he said.
And the man who oversees the Crusaders' athletics feels that he has the coaches who will carry on the culture taught on Elysian Fields as a member of the most competitive district in the state.
