LaDray Gilbert

This week’s Yesteryear photo is of LaDray Gilbert, former Malone Tiger baseball standout. LaDray graduated from Malone School in 2000 and went on to earn a law degree from Florida A & M College of Law (Orlando) in 2008. After working for about a year in the Orlando area he returned to his home county to “hang out his shingle” in Marianna.


LaDray was raised in Malone but instead of hitting the tradition rich hardwood floors for Malone basketball, he picked up a bat and ball instead and became a standout baseball player for the Tigers. He played under Head Coach Randy Ward and was a member of the Tigers baseball squad that made the playoffs both his junior and senior seasons. In fact in both those seasons the Tigers were eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual Class A State Champions. In 1999 the Tigers won the first three games of the playoffs beating Ponce De Leon 2-0, Oak Hall 1-0 and Warner Christian 3-0. That earned them a trip to Tampa and the FHSAA Final Four at Legends Field. Malone fell in the semi finals to Brito Miami Private, who went on to win the State Championship. In 2000 Malone made it to the second round of the playoffs after beating Ponce De Leon 13-0 in the opening round. They lost to Arlington Country Day, the eventual Class A State Champions. LaDray was good enough on the baseball diamond to earn a baseball scholarship to FAMU. At FAMU he not only played baseball but he went on to earn a B.A. Degree in business administration.

He is the son of Johnnie Lee Gilbert and the late Carnell Gilbert, both of Malone. He is a member of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church and has gotten involved in local athletics by helping coach one of Malone’s 14-15 year old youth baseball teams. Gilbert Law Firm is located at 2880 Green Street in Marianna.

See next week’s Times for a new Yesteryear feature and remember to Send or drop off any pictures of your favorite sports memories to the Jackson County Times.



E-mail: clintcox@jacksoncountytimes.net

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Office: 2866 Madison St. Marianna, Fl. 32448