Comedian Steven Wright once pondered, ``You can't have everything. If you did, where would you put it?''
Good question. Lodi wrestling, long a winning tradition, has a trophy and awards case near capacity in the school's commons. Given that veteran coach Jack Reinwand has another undefeated squad -- which continues with team sectionals tonight -- more space is probably going to be needed.
Coincidentally, the town of Lodi will usher in a new senior high building next year. In the plans are a larger gymnasium, expanded practice facilities, and, yes, more room for hardware.
``The expectations are such that you know what to prepare for,'' said Reinwand, who has helped the Blue Devils to 15 conference titles since 1980. ``I've been preparing to (win) all the time, and it becomes the focus. You know it's going to happen in the future where you have a really solid team.''
That future is foreseeable, as the second-ranked Blue Devils are fresh off Saturday's dominating performance in the Waunakee regional. Reinwand saw the team place seven individuals -- along with the team -- into sectional competition.
``There's been a lot of new learning this season,'' said 130-pounder Andy Martin, a two-time conference champ. ``Last year's seniors, they showed you how to have fun while you're (wrestling).''
Reinwand, who is always tinkering in his coaching approach, tries to keep things fresh. He said it's healthy since distance running and the regular practice regimen can get predictable.
``They've gotten to such a high level physically, that now it's a matter of keeping their minds sharp and polishing technique,'' said Reinwand, who doubles as the high school's physical education teacher. ``This time of year, we do some fun things.''
Those things include a high-energy and complex game of ``tag'' in the school's hallways once a year.
Tag?
``They love this. The coaches will play. I wish I was a bit younger, so I could catch some of them,'' Reinwand said with a laugh.
``The beauty of it is, is it's a twist on doing the same old thing. I'll bet they run 3 miles, but they probably don't know it. Nor do they feel it, because it doesn't feel like an obligation.''
Reinwand, an NCAA champion at the University of Wisconsin in 1976, learned from one-time mentor and legendary coach Dan Gable that variety is a spice of practice.
``It doesn't matter if they have an Olympic coach. If kids don't stay fresh, the results aren't going to be there,'' said Reinwand, who was headed to the 1980 Moscow Games until President Jimmy Carter ordered a boycott of the Olympics.
The expectations to stay on top are many in this proud community.
``We have a lot of parents that show up to watch, some of whom were wrestlers here or around the area,'' said 140-pound senior Clint Ziegler. ``Some of (the fans) don't even have kids or relatives in the program. There's hardly an empty seat available at most of our meets, and they follow us pretty well on the road.''
A fan of the Blue Devils doesn't have to dig deep in the memory banks to remember a great team in Lodi. The 1997-98 squad, anchored by nine seniors, including Reinwand's son Caleb brought home a state team title.
``There's kind of a celebrity feeling around here,'' Ziegler said. ``People come up to me who know who I am, even though there are times when I don't know them.''
Said Martin, a senior: ``There's a good pressure. Everywhere I go around town, people will congratulate me.''
While the program's strong showings are well-documented annually, these are clearly Lodi's salad days: The first state team title under Reinwand last season has upped the ante.
Todd Seiler's Mount Horeb-Barneveld teams have finished second to the Blue Devils in eight of the past nine seasons.
Is it frustrating?
``Far from it; it's a benefit, because they make our program stronger when we see what we need to work on,'' Seiler said. ``We can't help but respect them, but make no mistake -- we want to beat them.''
Lodi will be looking to beat Nekoosa-Port Edwards tonight in semifinal action. Four years ago, the Papermakers handed them a rare loss in a meet by one point.
``We should be ready for them,'' Reinwand said. ``Our fate will be determined, one way or the other. For this, if you care about wrestling and just enjoy it, you'll definitely get your money's worth.''
