While the environment at the Individual Wrestling State Finals at Ford Field is typically serious, Climax Scotts High School senior Logan Gilbert took a few moments to reflect on his career after he broke the school record for career wins and recalled a few light hearted moments.
Gilbert started the Individual State Finals one win behind Jordan Tutt, who finished his career with a 188-37 record. Gilbert, who finished third at the Division 4 Individual State Finals February 28 and March 1 at Ford Field, set the school record for career wins by going 4-1 at the tournament, giving him a 191-21 record for his career.
As odd as it seems now, Gilbert said there were two times he considered not going out for wrestling when he was younger.
Logan’s mother Angela, recalls her son started wrestling when he was in Young 5’s. His coach was Jordan Tutt’s father, Larry Tutt. His current high school coach Mike Reitz, was his coach in the MyWay program, coaching Logan from the kindergarten/1st grade level on up.
The first time Logan considered not going out for the sport was in 6th grade. However a talk with his mom, seemed to convince him to stick with the sport.
“I told my mom when I was going into sixth grade, I don’t know if I want to wrestle anymore. She was like, if you don’t want to wrestle you have to go up to coach Mike (Reitz), look him in the face and tell him you’re going to quit wrestling. I was like, I guess I’ll just stick to it. At that time I was a shy kid so I didn’t really like talking to people. So I was like fine, I guess I’ll just stick to it, and now I’m here,” said the C-S senior.
The C-S career wins school record holder adds he also had thoughts about not wanting to go out for wrestling his freshman year.
However similar to what she told her son when he wanted to quit in 6th grade, Angela said she and her husband Andy felt if their son truly wanted to quit, then he would have to be brave enough to talk to the coach face to face, whether it was Coach Mike Reitz in 6th grade or high school coach Jason Wade in 9th grade.
Angela adds she and her husband told their son, “you can’t quit something that you haven’t tried yet.
“Go out for your freshman year and if it is not what you thought it would be, then you don’t have to wrestle the next year,” recalled Angela.
“It’s kind of a funny story. I didn’t really like it going into my freshman year. I was just thinking about having no other sports. But my teammates kept me out and I’m forever grateful for them. I ended up starting the year 9 and 6 and it wasn’t going very well. I was like, I don’t know if I want to stick to it. Coach Dudley (C-S assistant coach John Dudley) was one of the ones that kept me in it. And now I’m here and forever grateful for all of them, especially my teammates. I wouldn’t be here without them,” explained the new school record holder for career wins, who said he’s glad he stuck with the sport.
As a young wrestler, Logan recalled how much he was impressed with Tutt as a wrestler. Being the new school record holder for career wins means a lot, but overtaking the person he admired growing up is significant as well.
“It means a lot to me. I’ve looked up to Jordan my whole life. Watching him wrestle and all that. It’s just a good feeling knowing that I pulled the trick. But it wasn’t my main goal this week. Winning another state championship (was). So go out there, wrestle one match at a time, let the chips fall where they may,” said Gilbert, who wound up settling for a third place finish at the State Finals.
The C-S senior was concentrating so much on his second match, he seemed surprised to learn he had broken the school record for career wins after he won the second match by a 23-6 technical fall over Capac senior Ryan Grant. His dad said it doesn’t surprise him his son wasn’t aware he had broken the school record, considering how focused he gets before each match.
“We’ve told him one step at a time for whatever he’s doing. It’s kind of a mind set we tried to install at an early age,” said Andy.
While he was disappointed he couldn’t end his high school wrestling career as a state champion, after processing his season and career, Gilbert feels quite fortunate he was part of a wrestling program that enjoyed a lot of accomplishments and he was able to experience so much success individually.
“It’s just been one big blessing. Being able to do what I have done, does not happen very often. And I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities that I have gotten. There is always a reason for everything just like there was a reason I was in that 3rd place match. And to be able to look back and see what all I and my teammates have accomplished, makes me feel pretty good knowing we left a legacy for Climax-Scotts wrestling,” said the C-S senior.
Logan turned his attention to the people who have supported him throughout his wrestling career, and it starts with his family and parents.
“My parents have always been my biggest supporters for all 18 years of my life. No matter what I do, they’re always supporting me. I’m forever grateful for them. And all my coaches that played a part in my wrestling career. I can’t thank them enough. They each had a big part of my wrestling career. I can’t thank them enough,” adds the new school record holder.
Gilbert said when he entered high school, becoming the school record holder for career wins never entered his mind. But his freshman, sophomore, and junior years were filled with success both individually and as part of a team that enjoyed deep runs in the post season including the last three years the Climax-Scotts-Martin co-op wrestling team advanced to the team state finals.
In his junior year he started to think Tutt’s school record was reachable.
“Once I got 150 (career wins) my junior year, it was kind of on my mind that I could get the school record. Ever since I knew I could get it, it’s been one of my goals,” said Gilbert following his second match at the State Finals.
Gilbert was able to eclipse Tutt’s 188 career wins despite missing the Gull Lake Tournament when he could have wrestled four or five times, because of a knee sprain he suffered at the Grappler Gold Tournament in Lowell in early December.
Gilbert was just in 6th grade when Tutt set the school record. But Tutt remembers he could see something special developing watching him wrestle in junior high and in the MyWay program. When contacted after Gilbert eclipsed his career win number to become the school record holder, Tutt was happy for the C-S senior.
“I always knew Logan had an immense talent at wrestling even when we were kids. I’m very happy for him and I know he worked his butt off his whole life so that he could achieve this. I hope he knows how proud of him I am and that I’ll always be rooting for him to achieve more in his life,” said Tutt.
Gilbert is a four time conference champion (3 times at the 106-pound weight class and once at 120 pounds), four time district champion (3 times at 106 pounds and once at 120 pounds), four time regional champion (3 times at 106 pounds and one at 120 pounds), and a four time state finals qualifier including two times he was state champion at 106 pounds his freshman and junior years, a runner up finisher his sophomore year at 106 pounds and a third place medal winner this year at 120 pounds.
“A very determined kid. I hope his career doesn’t end at high school. I hope he carries on and goes to college and really get developed. He’s a fantastic kid. Dedicated to the weight room, dedicated to the football team, dedicated to the wrestling team. Who would have thought a kid that wasn’t going to wrestle as a freshman is going to come out and break every record at our school. Freshman year, he wasn’t going to wrestle and goes out and wins a state championship, comes back, battles for the team. A good leader, hard working kid. He’s done anything a coach could ask for. Every time we got a mission, Gilbert’s our go to guy. Last year he cut to 106 (weight class) for the team so we could make a run at team state. He did it. Sacrifices for the team. Willing to put in the extra work. Going running at 4 o’clock in the morning. A lot of dedication. All of his accomplishments, nothing’s been given to him. He’s earned everything. Every bit of it,” said C-S coach Mike Reitz.
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