Rogers brothers' wrestling titles dedicated to their grandmother

It was the perfect finish for Matt Rogers.

The Wantagh senior and his protégé, 15-year-old brother Benny, were crowned Nassau Division I wrestling champions.

On what would have been the 75th birthday of their grandmother Sheila Rogers, the boys stood on top of the podium in their respective weight classes at the Nassau sectional tournament on Feb. 16 at Farmingdale State. It was only the third time in 25 years that a pair of brothers captured Division I titles in Nassau.

After Matt punctuated his third straight title with a pin in 3:20 over Frank Kempton of Massapequa at 182 pounds, he immediately pointed skyward, acknowledging the Rogers’ doting grandmother, who died the day after Thanksgiving, just before the start of her favorite sports season of wrestling.

“It was a very emotional moment for me because my grandmother loved wrestling and she was on my mind the entire tournament,” Matt said. “The perfect championship tournament was to watch my brother win a title in his weight class and then for me to cap it off with a win. I wanted this for my family.”

Sheila Rogers died after a 10-year battle with ovarian cancer. The significance of celebrating her birthday with two titles for the Rogers family was not lost on the boys’ father Bryan, who said his mother taught his four children about courage, resilience, and toughness throughout her ordeal.

“There were bad days and she managed them with dignity,” Bryan said. “She was in the fight for her life and she showed us what real strength in the face of death is all about. When we told my mom that our son, Matt, had officially committed to the United States Naval Academy, it really lit up her world. It made her so happy, so proud.”

She would have been equally impressed with young Benny’s run to the 138-pound crown as a sophomore. Denied a Nassau crown as a freshman, Benny (35-5) swept through the county tournament with four straight wins, culminating with a 13-8 victory over Jordan Pommells of Uniondale to claim his first title.

“It’s been my goal since the seventh grade to win a county title,” Benny said. “And I want to follow in my brother’s footsteps and wrestle for Navy.”

Nancy Rogers, the boys’ mother, said she almost passed out when her younger son took the mat in the 138-pound final, the third bout in the final round.

“I was overcome with emotion and I wasn’t breathing,” she said, laughing. “I was holding my breath. It’s such an emotional sport for a parent. And this house is all about wrestling — once the wrestling season starts everything else is put on hold. But I can’t tell you how important wrestling has been in their lives. It’s beyond anything I could have imagined. The discipline involved on the mat carries over into the classroom. It all blends together.”

The Rogers brothers have participated in practices with the Section VIII team for the Division I state tournament Feb. 28-29 at the Times Union Center in Albany.

“We both dedicated our county titles to our grandma,” Matt said. “And this is the next step. I’ve come up short in the state tournament, finishing fourth and fifth.”

Wantagh coach Paul Gillespie has played a key role in the development of both wrestlers. He’s coached 11 state champions in his 30 years as a head coach at Long Beach and Wantagh.

“Paul Gillespie is an amazing coach,” Bryan said. “He sets a culture in the room that other programs cannot duplicate.”

“Coach Gillespie is always in our corner, even in the offseason,” said Matt, who is 35-2. “He’s a special guy. He encourages us and he’s very supportive of where we train and what we’re doing in tournaments out of the area. He traveled to Ohio to see us wrestle this summer.”

The Rogers brothers have wrestled on mats around the country with Bryan and Nancy driving their boys all over the place seeking top competition. Dad has blown to pieces the mileage agreement on his leased vehicles.

“I just returned a minivan that was 15,000 miles over the lease agreement,” Bryan said with a chuckle. “We have a Kia Sorento and a Chrysler Pacifico and both are well over the mileage agreement, with a year to go on the lease agreement. We travel to tournaments in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia Beach.”

The journey has included more than 200,000 miles of travel dedicated to a sport that demands year-round attention to have a shot at being the best.

“My parents are the greatest, they do everything for us,” Benny said. “They drive us everywhere. And they’re there in the tough times when we need a pick-me-up. The support is unbelievable.”

Nancy juggles food prep with a chauffeur-like schedule for her wrestlers and the daily needs of her 11-year-old twin girls, Ava and Talia.

“Our house is usually like a three-ring circus,” Nancy said. “Our whole lives are centered around the boys’ wrestling schedules. And our twins are great, they’ve been dragged all over the place to tournaments and clinics. But they know when wrestling season starts it’s all about Matt and Benny.”

“They’re both quiet, hardworking leaders in the room,” Gillespie said. “They mean business. They have that laser focus and they’re very goal-oriented individuals. And that all starts at home with a fantastic family foundation.”

Benny has benefited from top-notch coaching and a brother that has set a lofty bar.

“My brother has been a tremendous role model,” he said. “We do everything together and I know if I put in the time, I’ll be successful.”

By Gregg Sarra

gregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.