Sports
Wrestling Wall of Fame Adds Gilbert, Jones
Two Individual Class M Champs, Strong Team Showing Caps Great Ledyard Season
One thing is on the mind of any wrestler who walks into the Ledyard High "Bomb Shelter," the beloved cellar workout chamber below the LHS gymnasium.
From first-grader in the Colonel youth program to LHS graduating senior, they all dream one day of seeing their name on the Ledyard High wrestling "Wall of Fame." It is a basic framed display, with the Yosemite Sam-like Colonel Ledyard logo in between block Ledyard Wrestling letters, atop name plates of all state champs.
Simple, but a shrine for all Ledyard wrestlers.
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This Wall of Fame, reserved for Class M State, State Open and New England champs, is tantamount to the Hall of Fame for the state's winningest program (17 state titles). The Yankees have Monument Park, the Cowboys have the Ring of Honor, Ledyard Wrestling has the Wall of Fame.
"Other than the team winning a state championship, getting your name on the Wall of Fame is what it's all about," said Ledyard senior Dean Gilbert.
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Gilbert and sophomore teammate Matt Jones became the latest inductees into the Wall after winning Class M titles at 145 pounds and 112 pounds, respectively. Ledyard, second in Class M last weekend behind defending champ Bacon Academy, will have an opportunity to add more names to the Wall at the State Open meet tonight and Saturday at New Haven Athletic Center.
"The Wall of Fame is an important thing for all wrestlers," Ledyard coach Steve Bilheimer said. "In a way, it gives them validity that they were good wrestlers. Most kids are not devastated if they don't get on the board, but its something they really want to achieve. "
Brendan Sullivan (2nd, Class M 152), Alex Manwaring (2nd, 160), Dakota Kelly (2nd, 171), Josh Lawrence (3rd, 215) and Caille Johnson (4th, 130) will join Gilbert and Jones in the State Opens, hoping to make the Wall.
Both LHS champs took different routes to the Wall of Fame: Jones the Express and Gilbert the Local.
Jones was ticketed for greatness after establishing himself as an outstanding youth wrestler, but many felt he was a year away from state crowns. The Bacon tandem of Chris Elrod, who beat Jones in the regula season, and Seth McAllister, who beat him in the ECC Finals, were in the way.
Jones recorded a 4-2 win over Elrod in the semis, opening the way for his relatively easy 8-3 final win over Foran's Carl Luth.
"Most people think that Matt got his state title [ahead of schedule], but I'm not suprised," Bilheimer said. "I think he developed confidence over the course of this season. A lot of people thought he could not beat Chris Elrod in the semifinals, but I think he believed that Elrod was not a superhuman entity even though he had an outstanding youth wrestling career."
In contrast, Gilbert battled hard and took occasional lumps in heavier weight classes as a freshman and sophomore, contibuting to many of his 30-plus career losses. He finished fifth as a sophomore in the Class M 140 pound class and failed to place as a junior because of a knee injury.
He dedicated a year-round effort to get down to 145 pounds as a senior, bypassing his senior football year, compiling a 22-2 regular season record. Still, there were doubters as Gilbert was seeded fourth in the ECC and fourth in Class M.
"Gilbert got some tough seeds due to the fact that he had a season ending injury last year and he did not earn any post season seeding points," Bilheimer said. "I was confident he could win the ECC and states. Dean has done more work in the off season throughout his four years than anyone currently on the team, so I knew he would be a good one."
Gilbert worked hard for his title all the way, topping No. 1 seed Will Bonagura in the semis by a point and nipping Plainville's Matt Tanner, 4-2, in a mildly controversial final, marked by Tanner being penalized for stalling.
"Dean has accumulated over 100 career victories which proves that he is a talented wrestler," Bilheimer said. "Now I'm confident he can get into the State Open finals."
And perhaps make the Wall twice.
