Two consecutive state championships did not satisfy Fresno City College Wrestling head coach Paul Keysaw.

He had to get a third. And that’s exactly what he did on Dec. 8 on the West Hills-Lemoore campus.

Like old times, the Rams made it look as easy as ever. They clinched their historic third consecutive CCCAA State Championship with 149.5 total points while Mt. San Antonio College finished in second with 100 points.

Also in the process, three FCC wrestlers took home individual championships.

Freshman Matt Hickman took first in the 165 pound division while sophomore Spencer Hill took first in the 149 pound division and sophomore Brady Bersano took the title in the 157 pound group.

“They were extremely motivated to be successful. They have worked hard all year. We talked about the history of what is happening  this year numerous times so they were very aware of it,” said Keysaw. “I’m always amazed at how they are able to put it together at the end, coming together for a common goal and making sacrifices for that to happen.”

Making sure the wrestlers were academically eligible, making sure they get to practice on time and making sure they balanced school and wrestling, were a few of the challenges this year. Through the years however, Keysaw has seen all these challenges and more.

“Finishing the wrestling season itself is a challenge. My kids are student athletes.  They spend a lot of time in school and they spend a lot of time in the wrestling room. I’m glad they made it to the end of the year,” said Keysaw.

The latest state championship gives FCC a total of 13, which is the most in any state. For Keysaw, this is his eighth state title, which is the most of any California Community College wrestling coach. In addition to the five championships he has earned as FCC head coach, he has won three state titles as coach of Moorpark College.

All the success, however, has only enlarged Keysaw’s appetite.

“I really don’t like losing. I try to make sure they(the wrestlers) understand how losing is a good motivator to keep winning,” said Keysaw.

Though wrestling sometimes appears to be an individual sport, the team aspect has also contributed significantly to the success of the Rams.

“Wrestling is an individual sport but we as human beings, we’re social creatures as it is. When you have more people competing for a common goal, you have more mojo. It’s easier to motivate them and find a common ground,” said Keysaw. “We finished the season with 29 wrestlers. That’s quite a bit. We only took ten to the state so we had quite a few kids that wanted to be part of something.”

Spencer Hill, who didn’t qualify for the state championship team as a freshman, has vigorously pursued a state championship since he arrived at FCC.

“Personally this(championship) is more important for me because I was part of the team that did it. Second this is a team effort and this team made history, winning three titles in a row for the first time in close to fifty years,” said Hill. “It’s a testament to the way the coaches prepare us for the tournament. As a team all ten guys wrestled the best they have all year. That goes to show how hard we work here.”

Though the Rams did not start the season as well as they would like, they made strides with each tournament and soon proved to be unstoppable.

“We didn’t know what to expect at first but once we started competing, we could see that we had the team to do it,” said Hill. “We started off shaky with some guys not coming to tournaments but once we got our team together, we put it together.”

Matt Hickman came into the season well aware of the legacy established at FCC, but the pressure was no match for Hickman.

“It didn’t put on any more added pressure. I knew what I had to do for the team so I wasn’t stressed out. I was just having fun,” said Hickman.

He also learned quickly what his coach is all about.

“He can make anyone tougher. You can come in thinking you’re tough but he will make you tougher,” said Hickman.

Brady Bersano, who was named outstanding wrestler of the tournament, also gloats about his teammates and the coaching staff.

“I knew we could come out with our third consecutive state title. I knew it wasn’t a guarantee but I knew with our great line up, our coaching staff and work ethic, it could be done,” said Bersano. “Coach gives us great talks. If you are really listening, it can motivate you. It’s not some of that cheesy stuff you hear sometimes. He pushes us through our technique. He gets us in shape and ready to kick butt.”

Kicking butt is what Keysaw has done even before his coaching days.

Keysaw graduated from Athens High School in Athens, Pennsylvania where he was a three time Northern Section Champion, a two time North East Regional Champion and a state champion as a senior. At California State University, Bakersfield, Keysaw won the PAC-10 Tournament and earned the most outstanding wrestler award. As a senior, he won the 1991 NCAA Division 1 National Tournament by defeating UFC star Randy Couture at 190 pounds.

For Keysaw, the third consecutive championship is a bit more special due to the history that comes with it. But each championship is a dream come true.

“When they give you the trophy and take your picture, that’s when you know it’s yours. It’s a relief. You work hard for that moment and you try to enjoy because it’s a lot of hard work to get there,” said Keysaw.

With each title, the Rams have destroyed the competition. But it’s hardly easy.

“It’s never as easy as it looks. People think it’s easy. I think that’s flattering because I guess if I’m making it look that easy, I’m doing something right,” said Keysaw. “It’s a great day to be a Ram.”