Two Mariner wrestlers win state championship

The wrestling mat is where Maximus Brady made a name for himself. The Mariner junior became a wrestler when a friend asked him to show up to practice when the two were younger.

“He ended up never showing up,” Brady recalled. “But I was there and my dad was like okay you got to practice and I practiced and I made a kid cry. And I like that. So for the first year of my wrestling my whole goal was to make kids cry.”

Brady’s made a lot of his opponents cry since he got to high school. He’s been set on a singular goal, win four state championships for every year he’s in high school.

“I’ve been going at it my whole life,” Brady said. “Since first grade. Been a goal since I was little. So each year just building on that confidence.”

He’s put his name in Mariner High School wrestling history twice already. Now, they’ll add his name to the banner for a third time as Brady completed a threepeat, winning another state title.

“That hug from my parents after,” Brady said. “You know just going up and seeing them and the joy that it brought them to see me accomplish my goals be able to hug them and celebrate with them.”

Brady entered this title defense with a ton of attention on him. But his coach, Clay French, said Brady welcomes it.

“He is one of the best all around wrestlers in Florida at all the weights and all the divisions,” Clay explained. “He’s used to the pressure. This is what he wants to do. And he understands that that pressure comes with it.”

Brady said winning state titles still brings a thrill, but he’s focused on the big picture of that fourth state title as a senior.

“I’m just trying to build a legacy with my name and add as much accomplishments to that as possible,” Brady said.

Entering his senior season, Camren French knew he had one last chance to achieve his dream to become a state champion. He got to the state title match twice, but finished second both times.

“It was definitely heartbreaking for sure,” Camren said. “But I knew I could get to the finals. It was just about finishing the job.”

Camren transfered to Mariner to join his uncle Clay, who’s the wrestling coach at Mariner.

“He’s been working at this since he was in elementary school,” Clay said. “And a lot of work goes into this sport and I didn’t want to see him put all the work in and not get the result that I thought he was capable of.”

Camren also teamed up with Maximus Brady, a two time state champion coming into the season. Brady showed Camren what truly made the difference.

“He helped show that the little things do matter,” Camren said. “I used to not think like that it mattered or sleep mattered or just anything but the little small things that mattered that make a champion.”

It paid off for Camren in the state tournament where he dominated his way to his first state championship. He joined Brady as the two state champion wrestlers from Mariner.

“It was a weird feeling,” Camren explained. “It didn’t feel like I thought it would feel like. It was more relief like all the work finally paid off.”

“That was one of the best parts,” Brady said. “Just knowing that he finally got it done as it was his first one. It’s been his goal his whole high school career.”

The two are competing this weekend at the High School Nationals in Virginia Beach.