Waterford and Wolcott were not the only teams confounded by the Ledyard football team's run to the Class M football championship. Because 10 football players also wrestle, a significant part of the wrestling team got a late start trading in helmets and pads for head gear and singlets.
With new weightclasses introduced, this was an especially crucial training period. Ledyard's gridders got only two days to grapple before last Wednesday's opener at Griswold, the defending Small school state champs.
Don't feel too bad for Ledyard, which man-handled the Wolverines, 58-11, for the first win of the season, and finished 5th out of 14 teams at the Pin Down MDS Indivitational in Berlin this weekend.
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Still, Ledyard coach Steve Bilheimer said, “it is definitely frustrating to not have your whole team there. It increases my stress levels when we deal with certification and getting to the right weight."
But Bilheimer knows that wrestling championships are won in late February, not December. Bacon Academy, a dual meet loser to Ledyard last December, won the ECC, Class M and State Open last year after gaining full strength late.
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Bacon, ranked No. 2 in 2012's state poll, graduated many. Ledyard, ranked No. 6, returns nine who placed in Class M states. The Colonels, 17-1 regular season and second in the ECC and states to Bacon, projects as a major contender to challenge for a state-best 18th state title.
“In the past, football in the playoffs has not hurt us in the long run,” Bilheimer said. ”Here is a good trend: Football has been in the playoffs every time we won a wrestling state championship since I have been the coach. I hope the same trend occurs this year.”
The new weight classifications takes away a middleweight and adds a heavier weight, giving more opportunities to football types in 160, 170, 182, 195, 220 and 285 divisions. That can only help the Colonels, who have plenty of bigger wrestlers, including Josh Lawrence (3rd, M 215 last year), Ben Morales, Mike Spellman (6th, M 189), Dallas Smith and Colin Grim.
Alex Manwaring returns to 160 pounds after placing fifth in the Open and second in Class M there last season. Bacon champ Devin Covone graduated, erasing Manwaring’s chief nemesis in what should be a big year for the ECC’s record-setting running back. Tom Finney (6th, 140 M) and Brandon Finney (5th, 135 M) add quality to the middle weights.
Junior Matt Jones is the most decorated Colonel after winning Class M at 119 pounds last season. Jones represents a solid Colonel crew of lighter wrestlers with Caile Johnson (4th M), Rob Drury (6th M) Nick Lauer (6th M) coming back with experience of state-meet success.
Bilheimer expects his squad to give him an opportunity to win his 5th state title, which would tie atop the LHS coaching list with Hall of Fame former coach Rod Leyland and current principal Lou Gabordi.
"Bacon has lost a lot, but they will continue to be tough," Bilheimer said. "Windham will be much improved, and Waterford should make some more noise this year. I feel these teams will be our main competition in the ECC and Class M. We hope to win all our duals and be competitive in the post season We came very close to winning the ECC's and the M's last year, and we hope to be in the hunt again."
