SAINT-LAMBERT, QC
The Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers name has been associated with excellence for more than a decade.
Tomorrow, the Cavaliers will play Dawson College for a chance to play in the Gold Medal of the RSEQ.
At this time last year, the Saint-Lambert faithfuls were left in wonders. The Cavaliers missed the playoffs for the first time in recent memory.
When Craig Norman took office in the 2011-2012 season, many applauded the coup. Champlain had found its guy. Coach Norman brought with him a young, reserved guy, that very few knew in the basketball world. He was Norman’s former player and captain at McGill.
Norman’s Cavaliers finished the season with a 12-4 record, but had their hearts crushed 68-66 by Ahuntsic College in the semi-finals. The Indians would go on to win their first and only provincial title the next day.
The following season, Champlain came back. The Saint-Lambert school hosted the provincial championship. The Cavaliers took home the regular season title, and on its homecourt were crowned provincial champions for the third time in school history.
The 2013-2014 season was a different story. Coach Norman’s health status forced him to be sidelined for most of the first semester. The Cavaliers were 2-8 at the Christmas break. Then, in December, Norman announced his departure for medical reasons. His young pupil, Dan Martin took the interim gig to finish the season. Champlain finished the second term on a four game winning streak with a 5-3 record. All three losses were below 5 points. Still, it wasn’t good enough to make the playoffs.
Athletic Director, Vince Amato decided not to open up the job and Dan Martin became the 3rd Cavaliers Head Coach in 5 season at the end of the year.
When the news came down, there were talks about who Dan wasn’t. He wasn’t charismatic, he wasn’t experienced and he couldn’t recruit.
They failed to recognize who he really was; very intelligent, organized, hard working.
Dan also knew his flaws. When he was named, he went after people he could trust to help him build his program.
Dan got Stephen White, the lasting piece of the Dangelas’ era. White has played a pivotal role in Champlain’s academic successes for more than 13 years.
He then went after Will Toussaint, who had ties with the Montreal English basketball community. Toussaint is also the head of the Chateauguay basketball club.
Because the English community wasn’t enough for Dan, he also turned to Loïc Rwigema to help him. Rwigema is a former Cavaliers who seemingly knows every kid and coach in the province.
Finally, there was Daniel Sailofsky, one of his former high school player. Sailofsky is a basketball mathematician. His video breakdowns make basketball seem like a scientific lab.
With his staff on board, Dan had it all to build a program his own way. All that while reminding himself that he wasn’t Craig Norman nor John Dangelas.
The Cavaliers went to work all summer.
Success quickly followed. Champlain finished the first semester with a 7-3 record. Saint-Lambert beat Northfield Mount Hermon, a New England superpower. The Cavaliers went 7-1 this semester, only losing to Vanier on Senior Night. Their 14-4 record earned them the regular season title, and qualified them for the provincial semi-final.
Months after his nomination, Champlain Saint-Lambert has a smiling coach, who’s at the top of the standing with the deepest team in the league. The job was his.
They say respect is earned. At this point of time, Dan has rightfully earned it, and all that comes with it.