BELFAST – Ted Heroux planned on just helping out Harold “Tank” Violette as an assistant coach for the 1966-67 Belfast High wrestling team.

But then Heroux began showing Violette some drills and moves he picked up during his college wrestling days – and it wasn’t long before Violette willingly turned over the reins to his assistant.

Heroux went on to coach the Lions for 36 years, leading the team to more than 450 victories and six state championships over four decades – 1969, 1970, 1986, 1987, 1994 and 1995.

He retired four years ago, but now is back in the corner for the Lions as they prepare to compete in Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class B championship meet at Caribou High School.

Heroux, a 1961 graduate of Crosby High in Belfast, returned to high school coaching when his son-in-law, Neal Wood, opted not to return to the post this season as he dealt with nagging injuries.

“Wrestling is a hands-on sport, and he just needed to take a little time off,” said Heroux.

Heroux shares coaching duties with Tim Caldwell and Mike Cummings, and the trio guided the Lions to an 18-3 regular-season record – with the only losses coming to six-time defending Class B state champion Camden Hills of Rockport, two-time Class C state champion Foxcroft Academy and Class A contender Massabesic of Waterboro.

Belfast followed that up with a second-place finish in last weekend’s Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championships. The Lions finished with 109 points, trailing only Camden Hills (188).

“It’s been a great season,” said Heroux. “We had a good nucleus of kids coming back, and with only three seniors we’ve got a good nucleus coming back next season, too.”

This year’s team has been led by 130-pound senior Tony Gilmore, a two-time state champion who was the Lions’ lone individual winner at the KVACs.

“He’s one of the finest wrestlers ever to come out of the state,” said Heroux of Gilmore, who needs just one win Saturday to become the school’s career leader in wrestling victories with 145.

Four Belfast wrestlers earned second-place finishes at the KVACs: Josh Robbins at 112, James Spencer at 119, Travis Spencer at 160 and Logan Kelley at 171.

Heroux said his return to varsity coaching won’t be a one-year experience. With two grandsons wrestling at the middle school level, he hopes to see them through their high school careers.

“They’ve been wrestling since they were knee-high to a grasshopper,” he said.

Camden Hills, the state’s No. 1-ranked team regardless of class for most of the season according to a statewide poll, will be favored at Saturday’s regional, with Belfast and host Caribou among the primary challengers.

Coach Patrick Kelly’s Camden Hills squad went 25-0 during its dual-meet season, and also won several major multi-team events, including the Noble Invitational and the Redskin Invitational hosted by Sanford High School.

The Windjammers crowned seven KVAC champions: Murphy McGowan at 112, Joe McGowan (125), Jacob Berry (140), Cody Laite (145), Hank Simpkins (152), Harry Pearson (171) and Oliver Bradeen (189).

Caribou placed fourth at last Saturday’s Penobscot Valley Conference championships, with Carlin Dubay (103) and Brad Burlock (160) winning individual titles and Dan Godin (119) and Micah Wall (189) each placing second.

Brewer to compete in ‘A’ regional

Host Oxford Hills of South Paris looms as one of the favorites for the Eastern A wrestling championship that will be contested Saturday in South Paris.

The Vikings were the top-finishing Class A team in last Saturday’s KVAC championships, placing third behind Camden Hills and Belfast. They were led by second-place finishes from Adam Edgerton at 140 pounds and Keith Brown at 189.

The lone Penobscot Valley Conference entry in the Eastern A field is Brewer, which placed seventh in its conference meet. The Witches were led in that effort by senior Justin Bowen, who placed second at 275 pounds, along with Chase Daniels (fourth at 125) and Travis Rideout (fourth at 140).