As the new head coach of Luxemburg-Casco High School’s varsity wrestling team, Chas Treml knows that he has an important winning tradition to uphold.

But he also knows that he has an advantage because he has experienced that tradition firsthand.

Treml is a 1997 graduate of Luxemburg-Casco High School and was a lead wrestler on both the Spartans’ 1994 and 1996 Division 2 state championship wrestling teams.

“I am a history teacher at the school . . . I understand tradition,” he said.  “I came up through the wrestling program, am a product of the program and dedicated to keeping the tradition going.”

Treml was the assistant coach of the team under the legendary Bob Berceau, who was head wrestling coach for 15 years during which the team won seven team state championships and 22 individual state championships.  Berceau retired last summer after helping Treml manage the transition to a new coaching staff.

Treml points out that he is now working with three assistant coaches he did battle with on the wrestling mats – Jeff Blohoviak, Brian Jandrin and Travis Spude.

“Always with this program, our goal is to win state,” he said.  “Every team member takes part in that goal.”

Treml is pleased with the players he has to work with this fall.   Three were state qualifers last year – Cullen Ducat, Dalton Smerchek and Josh VandeHei.   Two juniors, Eric Peters and Kyle Routhieaux, have the potential to qualify this year as do several other team members, Treml said.   Peters was injured during the last season.

He said they also have a strong group of freshman with multiple youth state champions.

“They will push those who are on varsity to make sure they stay competitive,” said Treml.  “They also give the team a huge boost and more depth than we have had in the last couple of years.”

He points out that though the team won the Division 2 state championship in 2013, they lost in Division 2 regionals the last two years.

“They were some of the toughest regionals,” said Treml.  “Even though we had beat Freedom in the main season, it was a different format at regionals.”

This year, Luxemburg-Casco also joined the new North Eastern Conference, which includes Freedom, last year’s Division 2 state champions, as well as other tough competition, including Wrightstown and Oconto Falls, he said.

“Winning the conference championship will definitely be a good start,” Treml said.  “It is a stepping stone to state.”

Treml said that he is confident the team has what it takes to “rise to the challenge this year.”

“Right now I teach in the same room where I decided I wanted to be a teacher and coach when I was in high school here,” he said.   “Coming back to the area and leading this school program is pretty special.”

Luxemburg-Casco’s first meet will be on Dec. 3 at Clintonville.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press Gazette: Winning tradition guides new wrestling coach