Old Lyme Boys are State Champions for First Time in Program History! Celebratory Convoy Greets Team Bus on Return to Town

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Lyme
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March 18, 2024
The victorious team celebrates their win this afternoon at Mohegan Sun.. Photo by A. Hine.

MOHEGAN SUN: UPDATED 3/18: The Old Lyme Wildcats defeated the Coventry Patriots 55-42 in Sunday afternoon’s CIAC Division V state final played at Mohegan Sun.

Old Lyme took an early lead ending the first quarter 7-4 in their favor, but despite having gone eight points up after a few minutes in the second quarter, Coventry cut the Wildcats’ lead at the half to a single point at 18-17.

Old Lyme Wildcat Leland Hine was named Most Outstanding Player of the game. He stands with his award alongside his coach Brady Sheffield , at right in photo.

The third quarter saw the Patriots come out fighting and take a strong lead at30-25, but the Wildcats clawed back to within one point of Coventry at the end of the quarter with the score standing at 31-32 in Coventry’s favor.

The moment of victory!

It was anyone’s game at the start of the fourth quarter but Old Lyme pulled out a winning eight minutes to storm to victory after a series of Coventry fouls gave Old Lyme plenty of opportunities to sink free-throws and take the score to an unassailable 55-42.

A parade of emergency vehicles and more greeted the bus carrying the State Champions on its return to Old Lyme. Photo by A. Hine.

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the Old Lyme Wildcats, their first-year coach and Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) alumnus Brady Sheffield and his coaching staff of fellow LOLHS alumni Brendan McKeever and Phil Fazzino.

Author
Olwen Logan

Olwen Logan grew up in a family of London educators but was inspired by her great grandfather, influential Daily Chronicle newspaper editor Alfred Ewen Fletcher, to pursue journalism. She built a successful career in efficiency analysis and senior audit management before launching her own PR-focused consultancy. After moving to the U.S. in 1990 and settling in Old Lyme in 1994, she became a staff writer for the now-closed Main Street News and later joined Jack Turner’s fledgling LymeLine.com, discovering the career she had always wanted—albeit in an unexpected digital form. Even after relocating to Maryland, she continued covering Lyme and Old Lyme with the same dedication, earning national recognition as a LION Publishers award finalist in 2020. After more than two decades of service, Olwen stepped away in November 2025, donating LymeLine.com to the newly formed nonprofit LymeLine Inc. and expressing her excitement for its continued growth and mission.

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