By Christopher Tremblay, Staff Sports Writer

As Ashland’s Matt Gillis is taking part in his final wrestling campaign with Clockers, the senior, who has been close in the past, is looking to end his career on a high note. Gillis has won numerous tournaments throughout his high school career, but he wants to capture something even bigger this winter.

“Coming into the season my goal as it has been in the past is to win a State Championship,” the Ashland senior said. “After that, possibly a New England Championship. I at least want to get onto the podium but would prefer the top spot.”

At the time of this writing, the Ashland native was wrestling in the 182-pound weight class where he was not only undefeated but had already captured the top spots in the Ashland Early Bird Tournament and the Milford Tournament. According to Coach Peter Zacchilli, he believes that the senior is ranked in the top five of the state in his weight class.

“I’m hoping that he’ll lead our team to great things this year such as another Tri-Valley League and Sectional Championships,” Zacchilli said. “Having already won an individual Sectional Championship his next step is a State Title. There is no doubt in my mind that he is capable of doing just that and if he stays healthy, he’ll be right there at the end.”

Now that Gillis is a senior, coach Zacchilli has seen major improvement from a technique standpoint on his senior captain. According to the Coach his compete level and mindset is top notch and the way that he competes is unbelievable.

Gillis is used to success having also been a part of the Ashland football team that accomplished the feat of winning three league titles in its four years. The Clockers had only won a total of three prior to this senior class taking the field. In addition to making history on the football team with his senior classmates, Gillis just completed his best season of his career and was named the TVL Defensive Player of the Year. 

The Ashland senior began wrestling in the Youth Program in Southboro until Ashland started its on program. It was in the youth programs that Gillis found a passion with the sport, and it was very different than football, the sport he enjoys the most. 

“I really enjoyed the culture of the sport and the one-on-one aspect,” he said. “When I first began, I had a lot of energy and was interested in the rolling around and competitive intensity of the sport.”

Beginning his high school career Gillis found himself wrestling in the 145-pound weight class despite only being a 135 pounds during his freshman year. As a first-time varsity wrestler, he noted it was a tough year, but he did manage to make it to Sectionals, where he wrestled at 152 and only managed one win out of his three matches.

“In the long run I believe that is was good for me, but being only 135 pounds wrestling in the 152-pound weight class was a really tough situation,” Gillis said. “I believed that I was better than a lot of the wrestlers, but I was a freshman and not all that strong yet,”

His sophomore campaign, in which he moved up to 160, was much improved as he took the Milford Tournament in his weight class and then went on to capture the Sectional Championship and was only one match away from the States. Although only a sophomore, Gillis had set 

his goals high for himself coming into that year.

“I came into the season wanting to be a Sectional Champ and although I didn’t think it would be easy, I knew that I was capable. I thought that I had the ability to accomplish that goal,” he said. “My coaches on the other hand thought that my goal was too low and that I should have set it higher.”

Having just come off a rather successful wrestling season as a sophomore, the junior season would be one of a challenge with the world experiencing Covid. Wrestling was one of many sports that found their season moved into a different season where there would be no MIAA sanctioned tournaments following the abbreviated season. The season may have been moved, but it was not going to interfere with Gillis having a productive year. The then-junior went 14-1 and finished third in the MYWA tournament in the spring. The tournament was run by the Mass Youth Association so not every team participated, but there were teams from all over the state taking part.

“When the season was moved to the spring due to Covid at first I was really worried that there wouldn’t even be a season,’ Gillis said. “I was extremely happy that we got to get onto the mats even though it was later than usual.”  

While there is still some wrestling to be doner at Ashland for Gillis this year he is hoping to take part in either football or wrestling in college where he is looking to study Construction Management. 

“It’s still up in the air,” he said. “Right now, I’m concentrating on the rest of the season. Once I have my head wrapped around what went on during the season then I’ll figure it out, but I couldn’t tell you right now.”

So with college aspirations on hold for the time being, Gillis will go back to work on the mats and continue to strive toward his goal of getting on the podiums at the State and New England Tournaments.