Cape's new gym was showcased to the entire state Feb. 25. A parade of champions fronted by a Cape drum line led six wrestlers from each of the 14 weight classes around the mat. The championship combatants carried weight class banners.

The state tournament was back at Cape for the first time since 1977. The night would be one to remember for the Vikings, who would place seven wrestlers in the top six, the best showing in Cape's history.

Thirty-nine years separated Cape's first champion, Willie Vann in 1973, from its newest 2012 champion Thomas Ott. The storyline of Cape's No. 1 Little Big Man Willie Vann, who passed away Feb. 8, and Thomas Ott, a beefy sophomore and popular personality with his peers and coaches, lit up the hearts of the Cape family.

Coach Chris Mattioni arranged a tribute to Willie Vann before the finalists were announced.  Jared Hill, 1991 and Jon Lobiondo, 1989-90, presented flowers to Dorothy Vann, Willie's wife, who was accompanied by her son Willie Omar and her granddaughter Adriana. The crowd stood and applauded; it was a moving moment.  Cape sophomore Elizabeth Sparks sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" and knocked it out of the park, with the crowd applauding during the final words, “home of the brave.” It was a family moment for Cape and Delaware wrestling. A sense of real history was in the Little Big House.

“That was amazing,” Thomas Ott said, sitting in the back bleachers, his title in hand. “I was really happy for the Vann family.”

Thomas can do happy better than most; just ask his coach Chris Mattioni, who caught then crumbled under the force of his new champion, who jumped into his arms after a 4-2 win over Marshall Hobbs of Lake Forest. Ask the hundreds in the student section where Ott led a cheer before planking across two rows of bleachers, nearly decimating both the boys' and girls' basketball teams prior to their own tournament runs.

“It was very exciting. I was happy to see everyone come out. I was thrilled to win. I looked up at the clock with 10 seconds left [leading 4-2] and then I looked up at the clock and it seemed like 40 seconds went by and there were still five seconds left.  Hobbs is a really good wrestler. I couldn't do much with him; he is so strong. I'm just happy to come out a winner.”

Wrestling is a sport Mattioni has called “unforgiving and at times unfair,” and as happy as he was for Ott and Cape and placing seven for the first time in school history, he also felt a little empty that Garrett Smith, Justin Lopez, Sammy Mohr and Andre Flowers didn't make the finals, because they were that close.

“The hardest thing is to lose, then hold it together in the wrestle backs where you're facing other good wrestlers, most carrying their own disappointments. We responded extremely well, and I'm proud of our kids," he said.

Cape had three wrestlers on three mats all wrestling for third place at the same time. Garrett Smith defeated Alvontae Drummond of Milford 1-0; Justin Lopez defeated Nick Gattinella of Salesianum 11-8, and Sammy Mohr defeated Vinny Casey of Charter 3-2 in overtime. Drummond, Gattinella and Casey had each won 30-plus matches during the season.

Austin Smith, 120, and Tadeo Gonzalez, 170, each placed fourth. Andre Flowers, a sophomore in his first year of varsity wrestling, placed fifth but was close to reaching the finals before getting caught and pinned in overtime of his semifinal bout.

Kaleb LeMaire, 126, of Caesar Rodney by way of Rehoboth was crowned state champion, his third title. The Cape student section waited, watched and cheered for Kaleb because he is part of the family as well.

“I was really proud of how all our kids handled adversity and how they bounced back.  Cape wants the tournament back, would love to be a permanent home for state championship weekend," said Mattioni.

“No question,” added Cape athletic director Bob Cilento. “We have the facility, parking, hotels, restaurants and the beach. I heard nothing but positive comments.”

A complete list of results can be found at http://c2971522.r22.cf0.rackcdn.com/F1UaMTn0DQHRKHh5HgWT.pdf.