Statewide Crusade: Brother Martin soccer building for breakthrough
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
Brother Martin won two Division I state playoff games last year in coach Matthew Millet’s first season. The Crusaders created quite a stir on campus with their first quarterfinal in five years, traveling to arch-rival Jesuit.
Because of a rare snowstorm cancelling their district showdown, the Crusaders went in cold in regard to their familiarity with the Blue Jays, who won 6-0.
For Millet, who led Holy Cross to five Division II state championships in 10 years, which included the 2024 season, the conclusion of the season was in stark contrast to what he was accustomed to.
“I was desperately disappointed that we lost, the way we lost,” he said.
Frigid temperatures are back in the forecast, but without a hint of snow to disrupt this year’s renewal of the Brother Martin-Jesuit rivalry. The second-ranked Crusaders (17-2-1), winners of five straight, meet the top-ranked Blue Jays (17-0-1) in their District 8-I encounter at 7:30 pm on Monday at Pan American Stadium.
“I wanted to try and create a big soccer vibe for the school,” Millet said. “I appreciate what those two schools bring together. “
Brother Martin’s spent the entire season building for more than just the final game of the regular season.
The Crusaders began with a 7-0 record, highlighted by a 3-1 win over reigning state champion St. Paul’s in the Brothers of the Sacred Heart tournament in November.
A 1-1 tie with the Willow School was painful when two minutes after taking a 1-0 lead, Brother Martin conceded a goal on the final kick of the game that had been extended with additional stoppage time.
Brother Martin responded with four victories in the COPA Acadiana tournament with a pair of wins over Alexandria and Teurlings Catholic. They finished a 2-0 defeat to University High, Division III’s reigning state champion and top-ranked team.
The Crusaders have since won seven of their next eight games with their only blemish – a 1-0 setback to No. 3-ranked Denham Springs on Jan. 8.
“Because of my resume, I kind of came in guns a blazing, ‘Here we go. We’re going to do it this way,” Millet said of his inaugural season. “It’s starting to pay off earlier than I expected, which is great to see.”
Millet’s credentials go back to his playing days for De La Salle High and the University of Mobile. He signed with a Class 3A MLS affiliate, where he played for two years before returning home and getting into teaching and coaching.
Seven seasons at St. Martin’s Episcopal laid the groundwork when Millet took over at Holy Cross. He guided the Tigers to five state titles, which was capped last year with a 3-2 victory over the top seed and previously undefeated Teurlings.
Brother Martin had been a regular in the playoffs but hadn’t come close to equaling its past glory. The Crusaders were back-to-back state champions in 2000-01 and were the state runner-up the following season.
They haven’t been that far since.
To try and bridge the past with the present, Millet, now in his 14th season of coaching, completely rebranded the team’s attire to include a pair of stars that represented Brother Martin’s previous state titles.
“The kids had no clue that the school had won state championships,” said Millet, whose program recognized the 25th anniversary of the 2001 state championship team.
Millet reached out to former players, trying to reconnect with them, and also delivered a tangible example of progress to his current players. That was the result of the conversion of an abandoned shower area into a new locker room, complete with carpet.
Instead of riding separately or with their families to games, Millet established bus rides in an effort to create better chemistry.
“I felt I needed to come in and do a full reset of the culture in the program,” he said. “I’ve tried to change a bunch of things on game day.”
Through the first 10 games of last season, Brother Martin was 4-3-3, losing to St. Paul’s, Denham Springs, and Willow, but tying Catholic, the eventual state runner-up, and Dutchtown.
The Crusaders were better over the second half of the season, going 9-1-1 with eight consecutive wins with two of those coming against district opponents, John Ehret and Bonnabel. Their streak ended with a 4-0 loss to Newman, which won the Division IV state title.
The regular season finale was a 1-1 tie with Holy Cross after the anticipated matchup with Jesuit was cancelled.
Brother Martin was seeded 10th and opened with a 2-0 win over Airline, earning a trip to Shreveport, where they upset seventh-seeded Captain Shreve, 3-1.
Five days later was the Crusaders’ first look at Jesuit. The 13-time state champion Blue Jays of coach Hubie Collins took a 4-0 lead at halftime and added two more goals.
“We had the snowstorm and missed the Jesuit district game,” Millet said. “My crew didn’t really get to feel that game. It’s a different kind of game. It’s a derby-type atmosphere. Of course, we drew them in the playoffs and got blasted. It was 6-0, and it could have been 20-0. We just weren’t ready for the moment.”
Like most playoff guidelines, teams take part in an ‘international walkout’ where they’re introduced and engage the crowd.
Millet managed to capture an image of both teams from that postseason ritual, a photo that now sits as a difficult reminder for the program.
“We see that picture often this year, a reminder to them for the last game of the season,” Millet said. “Those are the games that matter, the playoffs. How can we get to the point where these kids expect to be playing in those games and winning those games?
“It’s hard to teach that in a week or two,” Millet said. “It’s teaching them and expecting them to have expectations of being a top four team is where I’m trying to get them to. That’s my bar. That’s where I want us to be, in that game, and how can we be the better team than that game?”
Eight seniors were back this season for a team with an impactful junior class of nine players on the 23-man roster.
“We’re skilled across the board,” Millet said. “The five seniors that start have been wonderful, and the junior class has some heavy hitters.”
Brother Martin’s scoring production includes 38 total goals from senior Wyatt Hutchins (20) and junior Nathan Wellman (18).
“Nathan’s one of one,” Millet said. “He’s very good on the ball and moves well for someone 6-3 and 180-190 pounds. Because of some of the uncertainty we had in the back last year, Wyatt was a center back that’s played up this year and has really responded. He brings a level that’s a clip below craziness. He’s high energy and intensity.”
Senior Thomas Compton and junior Kaden Rossi have seven and five goals, respectively. Wellman is the team leader in assists (10), followed by Rossi (8) and Compton (6).
Millet was quick to credit his team’s success this season to senior defender Mateo Tuzzato for helping bring stability to the back line after being ineligible last year.
“He brings a lot of composure,” he said. “He plays as a defender, kind of runs the team from the back. I didn’t have that guy last year. We had a revolving door of players playing in the back, which is never good. You want a couple of dudes that can be in there.”
The Crusaders’ defense has also benefited from the play of senior Gavin Hardie and sophomore Charles Sotomayor.
“They’re very good, very technical,” Millet said. “They’ll crush you when it’s time for a tackle. They’re good at starting possession for us.”
Junior holding midfielder Collin Wimberley has also been a catalyst in this season’s success, a spot that’s near and dear to Millet’s heart.
“That was the position I played,” he said. “I love a holding midfielder that’s good, and he’s that guy. He protects the back defenders and the wings to get the ball up. He connects the team at that position. It’s hard to find a kid that understands that, knows how to play that. He’s very good at it. I trust him the most on the field.”
Millet has recently turned to freshman Nicholas Jovanovich in goal, where he’s delivered three shutouts. Junior Owen Turner also has four shutouts.
“Both are very good,” Millet said.
Junior Hudson Cammarata and Rossi are both returning first-team all-district performers, while Wellman and Wimberly were second-team selections.
For the second time in two weeks, Brother Martin will attempt acclimate itself to a larger-than-usual setting. The Crusaders’ 3-0 win over Catholic High took place at Southeastern Louisiana’s Strawberry Stadium – home of the LHSAA’s state soccer championships.
“That was the best we’ve played this season,” Millet said.
The move to Pan American Stadium will not only provide a bigger stage to the team’s traditional home site – LaFreniere Park in Metairie – but Brother Martin will learn what’s required to play in such an environment, where the intensity and skill level will be high when Jesuit is the opposition.
The Crusaders last defeated the Blue Jays in 2000, having gone 0-6-1 since then.
“I want to be in those big-time games,” Millet said. “I want to see where we match up. We’re good enough to play with them. Beating them or not, we’ll see on the day. I think we have a good enough team to do it. If we go out there and wax them, we still have playoffs. It’s really another game. It’s more of a pride thing at school.
“We’re grinding for something even bigger,” Millet said. “I like our form. I put together a difficult schedule because I thought we would be good enough for it. It’s all kind of coming toward next Saturday. I think we’re in a good spot to be one of the teams that could make a run.”