By Chris Gasiewski, Delaware State News
DOVER – Jamelle Jones had already proved how dominant he could be in Delaware.
Now the two-time state champion from Dover High will see what he can do in New Jersey.
So, wanting to increase the competition, he recently transferred for his junior year to Edgewood High in New Jersey. His chances to become a four-time state champion in Delaware went with him.
“I figured I could get more college looks in Jersey, “Jones said Monday after Edgewood’s football practice. “Delaware is a small state, but people overlook it.
“It’s a great wrestling state. But Jersey, they have a lot of talent.”
With the new school year just beginning, Jones isn’t the only local state champion to leave the state, either. Alex Meade, a state titleist as a freshman last winter, has left Caesar Rodney for Christiansburg (Va.).
In addition, girls’ basketball first-team All-State guard, Brittani Shells, has officially withdrawn from CR to attend Caravel Academy.
Sicklerville, N.J., the home of Edgewood High, is no stranger to Jones. He lived there with his mother when he was in the eighth grade and part of his freshman year before moving back to Dover with his father, Steve.
But Steve Jones had bigger plans for Jamelle. He felt Jamelle had a better chance to get noticed in New Jersey.
“I always wanted him to go to New Jersey, “said Steve, who is an assistant coach at Dover and wrestled at Delaware State. “I’m from there and I wanted him to wind up there. Now was as good a time as any.
“He lost to (Brandywine’s) Mike Miller. And that was the first Delaware kid he lost to in seven or eight years. He was Delawared out.”
Jones’ record in Delaware is impressive. He went undefeated in his freshman year.
Then, after losing to Miller in two tournaments to open his sophomore year, Jones rallied to finish the remainder of the season 31-0 while snatching the 189-pound state title.
He enters his first year at Edgewood ranked No. 2 among high school juniors according to intermatwrestle.com.
“Actually, I love Delaware and love the fact of breaking records in Delaware, “Jones said. “I just think college-wise, I just got too big.
“I’m hitting Jersey big. I’ll be at Beast of the East. And you’ll hear of Jamelle Jones around.”
Dover coach Wayne Newsome believes losing Jones’ talents shouldn’t pose a problem.
“He was a big part of our team. And a big part of our success, “said Newsome, who led the Senators to their first winning season since 1994 last year.
“We are expecting more out of our lighter weights. Though we don’t have Jamelle at 189, we have a veteran crew coming in at lighter weights to pick up the slack.”
As for Meade, who took the 119-pound state title and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler in his freshman year, transferring to Christiansburg was a chance to compete for two former NCAA champs.
Christiansburg coaches Daryl Weber and Kevin Dresser were both NCAA champions while at Iowa.
“It’s good down here, “Meade said. “The schedule is really, really good. Winning Delaware states and winning outstanding wrestler, that’s the small goal. The big goal is to win the Beast.”
Dressler and Weber hold wrestling camps in Georgia each year. They learned from college wrestling legend Dan Gable, who was a three-time All-American at Iowa and 1972 Olympic champion.
“Maybe with some of that input, they could take him to a level that I couldn’t, “Alex Meade Sr. said. “It’s kind of like rolling the dice. I always try to surround him with the best people that are going to help him in the sport and in life.
“(Riders coach Dicky) Howell is a good friend of mine. He was a coach of me when I was a senior. He will do whatever he can for you to the best of his ability. It’s not personal towards him.”
Shells, however, intended to leave CR after she had a meeting with Riders coach Bill Victory in July
Shells officially withdrew from the school last week. At Caravel, she will be joined by AAU teammate Charnelle Bacon, who was a second-team All-State selection as an eighth grader last year.
“Some of the kids are concerned but it’s business as usual, “Victory said. “There is going to be some extra minutes and points they can get.
“Come (the start of practice on) Nov. 15, it’ll all be played out.”
Staff writer Chris Gasiewski
can be reached at 741-8231 or [email protected].
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