Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance

Former coach rallies Gardiner

Saturday, Jan 5, 2002

AUGUSTA "A voice from the past may have helped inspire Gardiner Area High School to win the rematch against arch-rival Cony High School on Saturday.

"My brother, Fran, took the team aside before the match and talked to them about how important winning this match is," said Gardiner coach Matt Hanley. Fran coached the program for 11 seasons until his retirement after the 2000 season.

Gardiner grapplers responded by winning eight of the 14 weight classes and took a 46-36 victory in the two teams' second meeting of the year. Cony had beaten the Tigers during the Cony dual meet tournament by a 42-30 score on Dec. 27.

Cony High School's Brad Waugh, top, gains an advantage of Gardiner's Mike Curry during a 145-pound match Saturday in Augusta. Waugh won the match by pinning Curry. Staff photo by JOE PHELAN

Taj McKay (135), Brandon Sirois (140), and Craig Toulouse (189) each scored pins to lead the Tigers. McKay raised his season record to 17-1 with three victories on the day.

The recent return of Jay Folckemer has also bolstered the Tiger lineup. Folckemer opened the season by winning the Westlake tournament, but a series of events, including an injured shoulder, had kept him on the sideline for a month.

Folckemer's matchup with Cony's Matt Honas at 152 pounds was anticipated to be one of the key matches for both teams. Folckemer opened the scoring with a single-leg takedown early in the first period. Honas countered with a reversal, but Folckemer then scored 15 straight points on his way to a 17-2 technical fall.

"It's good to have Jay back. He adds a lot to this team," said Hanley, who saw his squad increase its season dual meet record to 4-11.

In other matches, Gardiner beat Morse 48-18 and fell to Lincoln Academy by a 42-30 score.

Cony split matches with Morse (winning 54-30) and Lincoln Academy (losing 52-26) to move to an 8-6-2 dual meet record.

Cony's Brad Waugh (140) ran his season record to 22-0 with three wins on Saturday. Waugh is a four-year starter for the Rams and won the Eastern Maine title last year. But this season has seen improvement in his performance.

"I would call it a higher level of confidence," said Rams assistant coach Shawn Totman. "Brad is wrestling with intensity, yet he seems more relaxed on the mat than last year."

The combination has served Waugh well as he has knocked off some of the top competitors in the state, while earning Westbrook and Tiger tournament titles.

"Things have really come together this year," said Waugh

Windjammer Wrestlers Overcome Mt. Ararat 56-21

By Chris Nolan, MCWC

Wednesday, Jan 2, 2002

ROCPORT - Wednesday night, the Windjammer Matmen traveled to Topsom to take on KVAC opponent Mt. Ararat. The final score of the dual meet was Camden Hills 56, Mt. Ararat 21. The match started at the 152-pound class.

Mt. Ararat fielded a full but young squad including only three seniors in their line up against Camden, and Camden secured 8 pins, one technical fall, and one win by decision against their young opponents.

Jake Rollins quickly put away his opponent with a pin in 27 seconds for the quickest pin of the evening followed by Kyle Sylvester and brother Levi Rollins with pins in just over a minute. Isaac Read pinned in 3:06, then Remsen followed suit at 1:06 and Joe Zak nearly broke a sweat with a 47-second pin.

Two matches included the middle-weights of Grady Peck at 145 and Nathaniel Boehmer at 152 were of particular interest.

Grady Peck (photo right), a first year wrestler as a senior, filled the varsity spot at 145 for this match and dominated his opponent with takedowns and near fall points earning him 17 points to score a technical fall with over a minute remaining in the third period. The 2 points that his opponent Mike Smith earned were by escapes when Peck intentionally let him up with the aim to take Smith down again and put him to his back which Peck did on three occasions.

Nathaniel Boehmer (top photo) and his opponent Matt Stevens were scoreless through the first two periods where neither wrestler scored a takedown in the first period, and Stevens was unable to escape or reverse Boehmer in the second. Boehmer started on bottom in the third where he reversed Stevens with a switch to score two points then did not allow Stevens to escape for the remainder of the match to win with a score of 2-0.

Sam Glover lost a close match that went the distance when he was unable to keep his opponent from reversing him and putting him to his back to lose a close one 9-6. Cal Pease at 171 secured a quick pin at 1:49, and Bryan Creamer (189) also pinned in less than a minute at 0:57.

Jake Rand was pinned at 275 by John Bursley (MtA) who competed in the state meet last year. Though Jake was not always in control of the match, there were opportunities that Rand could have capitalized on and it was a match he could have won before he worked his way to his back while trying to escape from a hold.

On moving Jake Rand from the 215-pound slot to 275 for the evening, John Kelly stated "to qualify for the regional meet, 51% of the person’s matches need to be in that weight class. By balancing the number of matches between the two classes carefully, even if it means moving him up against a potentially more difficult opponent at 275 when possible, we can put him in a position where he may have the option to qualify in one class or the other. With a close balance now, it will just take a few matches to tip the balance in his preferred direction late in the season."

Friday night and all day Saturday, Camden Hills competes in the Redskin Invitational Tournament in Sanford, Maine.

Individual Results Follow:

At 103, Jake Rollins (CH) his opponent at 0:27; at 112, Camden Hills forfeited to Matt Gilley MtA; and at 119, Kyle Sylvester (CH) pinned his opponent at 1:05.

At 125, Levi Rollins (CH) pinned Chris Linkovich (MtA) at 1:06; at 130, Isaac Read (CH) pinned Shane Smith (MtA) at 3:10; and at 135, Chris Remsen (CH) pinned Jeremy Jeneau (MtA) at 1:06.

At 140, Joe Zak (CH) pinned Ben Leaman (MtA) at 0:47; and at 145, Grady Peck (CH) won by technical fall 17-2 at 4:49 over Mike Smith; and at 152 Nathaniel Boehmer (CH) won a close 2-0 match over Matt Stevens (MtA).

At 160, Sam Glover (CH) lost by decision to Peter Gervis 6-9; at 171, Cal Pease (CH) pinned Patrick Raymond (MtA) at 1:49; and Bryan Creamer (CH) pinned Billy Donavan (MtA) at 0:57.

Camden Hills forfeited the 215-pound class to Spencer Connors (MtA); and at 275, Jake Rand (CH) was pinned by John Bursley (MtA at 3:24).

Talented trio points Cougars in right direction

Friday, Jan 4, 2002

Mt. Blue High School wrestlers Damien Osgood, left, Matt Waite and Scott Webber have put the Cougars on the right course. - Jose Leiva

Leadership doesn’t simply materialize overnight. Some high school teams never discover the elusive quality.

The Mount Blue High School wrestling team is fortunate to have a trio of competitors " Scott Webber at 112 pounds, Damian Osgood at 145 and Matt Waite at 215 " who have the experience and skills necessary to set a tone for the team. The Cougars are in the middle of a campaign with state championship promise.

Mount Blue won back-to-back Class A crowns in 1983-84 with Ralph McArthur and Carl Cullenburg leading the way, but those were the most recent banner years for the Cougars.

The high expectations are realistic. Mount Blue came within nine points of dethroning Noble in the state meet last February.

"There’s always pressure," Osgood said. "Most of it comes from within, because we know what needs to be done. We have to stay focused on things, because we’re in this for the long haul."

Mt. Blue won last year’s KVAC championship and cruised to an easy win in the Eastern regionals.

"Things can change weekly," Waite said. "We knew coming into this season that we’d have to work hard, because if we just took it easy, then we would get lazy. Last year, I think that we peaked too early and by the time of the state meet, we weren’t wrestling at our best."

"We’re not making the same mistake this season," added Webber. "Last year, we concentrated on the earlier tournaments and we were riding high, but by the state meet we were going down the other side. It’s important for the team to do well in every tournament, but the major goal is to win the state meet."

Webber and Waite are two-time defending state champions. Both are unbeaten this year, and each earned his 100th career win in a quadrangular meet at home last month.

Webber advanced to the state finals as a freshman. A solid sophomore season followed, and Webber credits his continued success to his participation in the Friendship series. Webber compiled a 5-0 record on a tour of Nebraska in June 2000.

"I beat two state champs out there," Webber said. "That was a real confidence booster for me, and it was fun. Wrestling is big out there, like football is here, and they practice it all year long."

Waite wrestled for the Cougars as a freshman but transferred to Dirigo and won a Class C state title there. He transferred back to SAD 9, won another state title as a junior, and was captain of the football team last fall.

Both wrestlers hope to equal the three state titles won by former Cougar star Domingo Cumpian and surpass current coach Nate Phillips, who won twice.

Osgood still has something to prove after coming up short in the 125-pound finals against two-time state champion Pat Howard of Marshwood. A jump up in weight is usually a cause for concern, but Osgood is confident his credentials will be an advantage. Osgood won the World Power Lifting championships (teenage division) in Reno, Nev., bench-pressing 308 pounds and dead lifting more than 400. "The jump (four classes) hasn’t been difficult," Osgood said. "I’ve adjusted well. There are two things that have made a difference. I can overpower opponents, plus I’m able to use my speed."

Not to mention his ability to lead.

Wrestlers put on a show at holiday tournaments

Tuesday, January 1, 2002

Erskine Academy's Chris Fraser won his first tournament championship at the Penobscot Valley Christmas event held in Howland last week. The sophomore won the 119-pound weight class by beating Woodland High School's Billy Romanelli, 12-2.

Teammate Mike Hicks (215 pounds) also reached the finals, but lost a 4-0 decision to Old Town High School's Jake Ela. Shawn Studholm (152) placed third and Andrew Grenier (160) took fourth for the Erskine Eagles. Nokomis Regional High School's Pat Morse (130) placed second and Maine Central Institute's Joey Bell (130) took fourth at the tournament.

The Noble Invitational was a showcase event for one of the top Class A programs in the state. The Noble High School Knights sent nine athletes to the finals on the way to winning their own tournament. Noble scored 238 points followed by Marshwood's 169.5. Mt. Mansfield, Vt. and Spaulding, N.H. rounded out the top four spots in the 15-team field. Three local wrestlers reached the finals, but each fell to an out of state opponent.

Gardiner Area High School's Taj McKay (135) pinned his first two opponents to advance to the finals. McKay dropped a 7-4 decision to Spaulding's Scott Couture to finish the day.

Winslow High School's Dan Stace (140) reached the finals from the No. 3 seed position with a first-round pin and a 12-10 semifinal decision over Biddeford High School's Anthony Cincotta. In the finals, Stace got caught early with a head and arm throw and was pinned in the first period by Sam Boniey of Mt. Mansfield.

Brandon Hamilton (152) entered the day looking to defend the Noble Invitational championship he won last year. The Skowhegan Area High School junior reached the finals by pinning three straight opponents. In the finals, Hamilton was decisioned 5-3 by Mt. Mansfield's Jonathon Brown.

Winslow was the top local finisher as a team in the tournament. The Winslow Black Raiders finished in sixth place with 100 points. Chris Desrosiers (215) took home a bronze medal while Justin Nesbitt (112) and Andy Young (171) placed fourth.

Skowhegan's Dylan Wentworth (112) and Brooks Thompson (119) and Gardiner's Liam Kozma (130) each placed third.

In the finals of the Bonny Eagle Tournament, Monmouth Academy's Aaron Kaluzynski avenged a loss suffered earlier in the season to Westbrook's Nick Lavigne. The two had met in the finals of the Gardiner Tiger tournament with Lavigne winning by pin. This time the gold medal went to Kaluzynski as he pinned Lavigne late in the third period while leading by four points.

Monmouth's Nate Butler (215) also reached the finals, finishing in second place. Teammates Ryan Audet (130) and Jake Tisdale (160) placed third.

Maine Central Institute's Josh Lasselle is back in action after spending most of the season on the sidelines. Lasselle received a concussion playing football and has just recently been cleared for competition. Lasselle is currently 4-1 and, according to coach Lance Richmond, is still working towards peak form. Last year Josh finished third at the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference tournament and fourth in Eastern Maine.

His brother, Jake, is currently leading the MCI Huskies with a 7-1 record.

Cony High School hosted its first tournament in many years over the Christmas break and teams competed in a dual meet format. Biddeford won the team title with a finals victory over Dirigo High School. Cony finished fourth behind Lincoln Academy.

In the semifinal match between Cony and Dirigo, the match ended in a tie score. The team that advanced to the finals was decided by a set order of criteria defined in the rule book. Dirigo won the right to advance based on the sixth criteria, most back points earned by the team.

The Winslow wrestling team gave coach Al Surette an early Christmas present on Dec. 22. The Winslow Black Raiders beat traditional powerhouse Camden Hills 42-30 and tied Mt. Blue 36-36.

2002-01-01 Top 10 Poll

1. Noble
2. Westbrook
3. Camden Hills
4. Marshwood
5. Lisbon
6. Mount Blue
7. Biddeford
8. Bonny Eagle
9. Mountain Valley
10. Belfast

2001 Top Stories

First All-class States at Augusta Civic Center

Lisbon winning Class C States

Hamm 4th in N.E.

New weight rule, startng meets on a draw

MAWA state-wide web site, great asset for wrestling
Lisbon coach Mark Stevens and asst Bob Earle deserve a lot of credit. They took over the program five years ago, when it was on the verge of disbanding. There were only a handful of wrestlers and there was no dicipline or respect from any one around the state. Through their determination, and hard work, along with the loyalty of the student-athletes, the GREYHOUNDS HAVE EARNED THE COMPLETE RESPECT AND ADMIRATION throughout the wrestling community. Lisbon won the 2001 Class C state crown, its first since 1964. Lisbon has established itself as a favorite to repeat in the 2002 state meet

TIM O'SULLIVAN / Journal Tribune Staff Writer

Atlantic Invitational

MCWC Atlantic Coverage and Gallery

Matt Witham, a 152-pound competitor from Wells, struggles to overturn Nick Burns from Hollis-Brookline (New Hampshire). Witham worked his way to a 16-7 decision in this early bout at the annual Atlantic Invitational wrestling tournament.

WELLS - On Saturday afternoon the Wells High School parking lot was swathed in school-bus yellow as wrestling teams from all over the state (and one from New Hampshire) arrived for the 17th annual Atlantic Invitational. And after hours of grappling and sweating in Ronco Gymnasium, the day ended with a Warrior raising his arms in victory.

Senior Adam Chase won the tournament's final championship, the 275-pound weight class, pinning Tom Mango of York in three minutes 21 seconds.

"Having Adam win at the end, that was a pretty nice topping," Wells coach Mark Lewia said.

Chase had finished second at the tournament for the last two years. This time, he wasn't going to be denied.

"It feels good to finally win this thing," Chase said. "I wouldn't take any less."

He started the day with a dominating performance against Carl Littrell of Wiscasset, winning by fall in just 25 seconds.

"I had never wrestled him before. I didn't know what to expect so I just went out and wrestled aggressively," the Wells senior said.

His second match was against Stan Piper from Belfast, someone who is "tough to pin," according to Chase. The Warrior managed to do it in 4:16 to advance to the final.

Chase had pinned Mango earlier in the year at a dual meet, but he was not overconfident. Mango's ability was evident from the start as he took the first two points on a take down midway through the first period. Chase was able to score two on a reversal 30 seconds later to even the score. He started quickly in the second period, escaping for one after 17 seconds and then emphatically taking Mango down.

"I took him down, broke him down on his stomach, worked to one side, then the other, and threw a half-nelson in, he was open for it, and I rolled him onto his back," Chase explained.

The victory completed a string of three pins and gave Chase the hometown title he craved. It also boosted his season record to 13-0.

Chase received the Sean Sheehy award for the Outstanding Wells Wrestler at the tournament. Sheehy was a Wells wrestler and graduate who died on March 30, 1999. His son Shane presented the award to Chase, who was emotional when discussing the honor.

"It means a lot to me. Sean was a great guy and he meant a lot to this program. To be presented with something with his name on it even is just outstanding to me, it feels great," he said.

"He was quite an athlete and friend," Lewia said of Sheehy. "He was a true Warrior. He always came back and tried to help us out as much he could. He felt he got a lot out of the program and he wanted to give that back to the other kids, wanted them to know what wrestling is all about, what you can get out of it. He was an exceptional person."

Wells' Dylan Grethe took third place in the 130 class. Grethe, the third seed, was upset in the first round by sixth seeded Ben Madigan of Mountain Valley. Madigan ended up finishing second in the class.

"I was really out of energy and he took it to me because of that. After that I had to get the right things to eat, drink more water get my energy back and then I started wrestling hard," Grethe said, "but I figure I went out there a little too cocky."

Grethe was able to rebound and won his remaining three matches, the last in the consolation final against second seed Nate Hix of Lisbon in an exciting 10-9 decision. Grethe used three takedowns in the first period and outstanding work on his feet to claim the victory.

"I was seeded third and I got third, so I guess I'm content with what I have, but I'd like to do better in the future," he said.

Sophomore Pat Casten was the third Wells wrestler to finish in the top four. Casten took fourth place in the 215 class. He was 10-2 going into the tournament and seeded third in the class, but was overlooked by many of his opponents because he is just a sophomore. Devin Potvin of Belfast fell into that trap.

"He came out with this look like, 'I'm going to beat you,'" Casten said.

Casten used that look as motivation and went on to both bloody and beat Potvin, 15-6. Casten was pinned by Adam Lord of Lisbon in his next match as he "ran out of gas." For the next match, Casten "came out there so angry I had a feeling whatever I would do would work." He was right, defeating Scott Skibitsky of Dirigo by fall at 1:29. Casten had to settle for fourth however, losing to Matt Thurston of Mountain Valley in the consolation final.

The other local school at the Atlantic was Kennebunk. A few Rams moved up a weight class and didn't fare too well, and others were sick. But there was one Ram who did perform exceptionally well, 160-pound sophomore Ben Kinerson.

"Right now we're going through some tough times as a team, but the one constant is Ben and his performance week in and week out," Kennebunk coach Aaron Germana said.

Kinerson finished second at 160, losing to Buck Brown of Fryeburg in the finals, 11-7.

Kinerson, seeded second, reached the finals by pinning his first opponent in 1:29. He then earned a technical fall, 16-0, against third-seed Sam Glover from Camden Hills.

"I've been very impressed with how Ben is really wrestling intelligently, not just going out there and throwing muscle moves or throwing the move that's the fad," Germana said, "he's fun to watch."

Camden Hills finished first with 147 points for their second straight Atlantic title. Lisbon earned second place with 142 points followed by Mountain Valley with 97 and Belfast with 91.5. Wells finished ninth of fourteen teams and Kennebunk twelfth.

TIM O'SULLIVAN / Journal Tribune Staff Writer

Noble Invitational

Noble Invitational

Both the Biddeford and Sanford wrestling teams traveled to North Berwick on Saturday for the highly competitive Noble Invitational. The Tigers had a strong showing as they finished fifth.

"As a team we wrestled really well, we were missing some starters and to come in fifth out of those 19 teams is nice," Biddeford coach Bob Gaudette said. "That's one of the toughest competitions around."

Jim Gaudette was the only Tiger to reach the final round as he took second place in the 112-pound class. Sanford's Nick Legere was the only Redskin to reach that round, finishing second at 160. The Redskins were ninth overall.

Biddeford's Jim Smith finished third at 152. His only loss was to the tournament's champion. Nate Vasill of Biddeford was third at 103 and Sanford's Chad Edwards was third at 171. The Tigers' Luke Yoho, only a sophomore, was impressive in finishing fourth at 189. And Anthony Cincotta also finished fourth in his 140-pound class.

Noble proved to be greedy hosts as the Knights walked away with the tournament's team championship, finishing 68.5 points ahead of second-place Marshwood.

Bonny Eagle Holiday Tournament

TIM O'SULLIVAN / Journal Tribune Staff Writer

Click to expand picture of BE Tourney team winner Westbrook HS.

The Massabesic wrestling team was in fourth place going into Saturday's final round in Standish, but with only two wrestlers in the finals, the Mustangs fell behind Dexter and wound up fifth.

Senior captain Tom Metz was one of those Mustangs in the finals, and he captured the 135 title with a pin, one of only four pins in the final round. Metz had two pins and a technical fall on the day.

"You can't ask for much better than that," Massabesic coach Bob Eon said. "Tom looked really, really good."

Matt Lude, another senior captain for the Mustangs, also claimed a tournament crown as he finished first in the heavyweight division. Massabesic's third captain, Ken Belanger, took third at 119. Freshman Cory Gallant was third at 103 and sophomore Garron Courtway third at 171. Junior Brian Pond was fourth at 130 and sophomore Keri Chevalier was fourth at 125.

"Keri has come a long way," Eon praised.

Powerhouse Westbrook won the tournament, finishing 14 points ahead of host Bonny Eagle.

Fryeburg's Buck Brown

Saturday, December 30, 2001

FRYEBURG-It was a major under taking to make because there was a lot on the line, however, when Buck Brown walked off the wrestling mat at the state meet two seasons ago the long-term decision made was cut and dried. The Fryeburg Academy student-athlete dedicated his efforts to being the best and the commitment proved that goals are attainable.

Brown achieved the long-awaited success by winning a two-point decision against Josiah Glover of Camden Hills in the 160-pound finals last February at the Class B state championships. The 3000 spectators assembled at the Augusta Civic Center floor were in for a treat, but for the Raider standout knew entering the match it was personal. That's exactly how he had envisioned it.

"My opponents that I've faced keep me focused,"Brown said. "I learn things about myself every time I step on the mat (regarding) how I approach each wrestler. (In turn) it brings out the best in me."

That philosophy didn't materialize over night because a bitter loss had had been weighing on Brown' mind. He had just fell short in a hard-fought decision against Glover in the 152-pound championship finals at the 2000 state meet. Although the loss was hard to swallow, Brown realized the slate wouldn't be wiped clean until that one set back was avenged.

"Buck made a decision that day,"Fryeburg coach and father Jeff Brown said. "He had gone toe-to-toe with Josiah and didn't get the job done. So, we studied film of Glover wrestling and learned his tendencies on the mat. That aspect, wrestling on the mat hadn't been Buck' strong point. I think that was the difference."

The individual match-ups in wrestling are extremely because competitors routinely look at potential opponents. This is a common practice because previous results against opponents can influence potential pairings. It wouldn't have been questioned if Buck had bumped up another weight division, mentally he had a battle plan. Buck would eventually finish his junior campaign with a 34-1 record, the lone blemish was a loss during the regular season to Glover.

"I had wrestled against Glover a lot,"Buck said. "I knew what he liked to use for moves on the mat, so I just made sure to counter him. This season, my goal is to go unbeaten."

That was severely challenged during the recent McDonnalds tournament because Buck faced adversity with a stomach illness. The finals against Ben Kinerson of Kennebunk certainly lived up to expectations and it wasn't decided until the final buzzer. Kinerson shot in for an attempted takedown, but Buck held on to an ankle to win a 7-6 decision.

The sport of wrestling is full of tradition and family involvement has been one of the key components. This hasn't escaped the Brown's because Jeff won a state wrestling title at 185 for Fryeburg two decades ago. The balance that exists between coach and a concerned parent can usually end up on a collision course.

"I'd like to think so,"Jeff Brown said. "We try to leave things at the gym, but that doesn't always happen. The topic of wrestling carry's over to our home life, especially when friends come over."

"It's hardest at home,"Buck said. "We get into conflicts and issues do come up. They all work out for the best."

It's said that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and the second-generation wrestler is certainly prepared to take the next step. The unique hand-eye coordination, which the younger Brown displays on the mat, has been being nurtured for a few years.

Jeff Brown is a skilled carpenter and Buck has been crafting his own skills since he was 10 years old. The National Honor Society student is fully aware that these academic skills could be utilized in college, however, Buck has already made plans to enroll in a boat-building school in Kennebunk next fall.

Webber, Waite carry Mt. Blue to a pair of wins

Saturday, December 30, 2001

FARMINGTON - There are usually several subplots in a wrestling meet that generate interest.

And two particular subplots surfaced when Scott Webber and Matt Waite each reached a milestone as the Mt. Blue High School seniors recorded their 100th career wins Saturday.

The Cougars flexed their muscles and registered a trifecta with convincing wins against Cony 57-19 and Mount Ararat 59-24 in Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference action. The Cougars, who recorded over two dozen pins during the day, also beat Brewer 66-12.

Mt. Ararat (6-4) rallied back and received a pin by Matt Stephens (152-pounds) to rally past Cony (6-4-1) 41-39. The Eagles trailed by four points entering the final match due to a new ruling that started all meets at 160.

Mt. Blue (8-1) began with force and utilized its aggressive style to jump ahead of Cony 30-6. The stage was quickly set for Scott Webber (112) who stuck Eric Leinonen in (flash move) in 36 seconds. Webber raised his record to 15-0 with 15 pins.

"It really hadn’t hit me that I’d just won my 100th," Webber said. "It’s a great accomplishment, but I actually didn’t know until coach (Nate) Phillips dragged me to the scorer’s table. Every time I’m on the mat I just try to do my best."

The Cougars received several quick pins, including Shane Webber (40 and 25 seconds at 103), Seth Webber nine seconds at 119, Ryan Hutchinson seven seconds at 135. Shawn Spangler had three pins in the first period at 189 and Damian Osgood had two pins at 145.

Waite needed to win all three matches and hit the century milestone by pinning Spencer Connors of Mt. Ararat in 13 seconds at 215. Waite (15-0, 14 pins) was on the mat for a total of 59 seconds for three pins.

"I was looking forward to winning my 100th," Waite said. "I’m not worried about my conditioning because of the fast pins. I work hard in the wrestling room, plus I also work out at home. I just am anxious for the team to come together for the rest of the season."

In an interesting rubber match, Brad Waugh of Cony won a 9-1 major decision over Hutchinson. The Ram wrestler gained the momentum after executing a double-leg takedown with five seconds left in the first period. The tandem had split in two previous matches.

Cony (6-4-2) took a 39-29 lead over the Eagles, following Waugh pinning Ben Leeman. Mt. Ararat received a forfeit at 145 and Stephens stuck Matt Hanas late in the third period.

"(Stephens) kept at it," Mt. Ararat coach Eric Jenkins said. "It was a close meet and a key match for us was (Connors) winning his first match this year at 215. We’ve got a lot of freshmen and sophomores, but we’re coming long. Mt. Blue is a good team and (over powered) us."

The Eagles’ Pete Gervias came frombehind to win a 7-3 decision over Stenn Fellman of Mt. Blue. John Bursley remains unbeaten at 275.

Brewer (2-4) earned a reprise after taking a 12-0 lead against Mt. Blue. Ryan Hahl stuck Fellman at 160. The Witches’ Jeff Madden wrapped up Matt Ryan in the first period at 171. Brewer lost to Cony, 45-30.

"I looked up to see we were ahead by 12 on Mt. Blue and wanted to take a picture," Brewer coach Perry Boudreau said. "We’re not funded by our school, so it takes a lot of fund-raising to keep things going. It was nice to start with 160 and 171 because that’s our strength. We’ve got some good kids on this team, but a few open slots hurt us."

[Top]
Exciting matchups at Noble tournament
By TERRY DEVEREAUX, Correspondent
Copyright © 2001 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
Wednesday, December 26, 2001

The Christmas break is a busy time for wrestlers as they travel to tournaments across the state.
It's a long drive to Berwick, but being at the Noble Invitational on Saturday could make the trip worthwhile. The event will be held at the new Noble High School, which is a state-of-the-art facility. The biggest complaint about the tournament in the past was the length of the day, since the old Noble gym could only accommodate two mats. It wasn't uncommon to be just boarding the bus at 10 p.m. The new Noble gym has enough room to get the event done at a more normal time.
Skowhegan Area High School, Winslow High School and Gardiner Area High School will join a field of 15 teams. Competition is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Squads from Vermont and New Hampshire are included in what is likely the toughest tournament in the state. Noble is expected to contend for the team title along with Marshwood High School and Biddeford High School. Sanford High School and Oxford Hills High School will also bring in some strong individuals.
Sanford features state champ Nick Legere and Oxford Hills has state champ Seth McAllister. Morse's two-time state champ, Ben Goulette, has been sidelined lately with an injury and it is uncertain whether or not he will compete in the event.
Spectators may be treated to a rematch of two of Maine's top talents in the 171-pound class. At the recent McDonald's tournament, Noble's James Cotten and Deering's Jon Kane met in the finals. Both were New England place-winners last season. Cotton will be looking to avenge a solid defeat by Kane.
Brandon Hamilton will attempt to defend the Noble Invitational title he won last year. Skowhegan sports teams get a lot of mileage out of the junior. Hamilton was one of the Pine Tree Conference's leading tacklers in football from the safety position and also is a catcher on the baseball team in the spring. According to coach Kurt Wentworth, Hamilton is one of the major reasons for the Indians' dual-meet record this season. The defending state champ has spent a lot of time helping with the middle school program. The efforts have paid off as the team is off to a 9-2 start with the youngsters on the team playing a key role.
Cony High School will host a dual-meet tournament on Thursday in the Cony gymnasium. The format will be team versus team, much like a basketball tournament. Biddeford and Dirigo are two of the top teams visiting Augusta.
The Atlantic Invitational showcases some of the top Class B talent in the state. Belfast Area High School, Mountain Valley High School, and Camden Hills High School are expected to vie for the championship at Wells High School on Saturday. Class C Wiscasset High School also is in the field. Monmouth Academy will travel to Buxton for the Bonny Eagle High School tournament on the same day.
This season, wrestlers have even more incentive to watch what they eat over the holidays. In the past, wrestlers had up to 30 minutes to make weight once the designated weigh-in period begins. Changes to the rules make it a one-shot deal to make the weight. If the athlete is even 1/8-pound over on the first try, he either wrestles up a weight class or doesn't compete for the day.
The intent of the rule is to prevent excessive weight loss, but it is unclear whether it will have the desired effect. Teams can still arrive early and check weight before the weigh-in period begins. It would seem that athletes would try to lose even more weight than before to ensure that they wouldn't be overweight.

Stephen Michaud recovering

Stephen Michaud of Medomak Valley suffers broken neck during a match. Recovering at Eastern Maine Medical Center.

We all hope and support him in his recovery.

You may send cards to him at

Stephen Michaud
Eastern Maine Medical Center, room 137,
Box 404,
489 State Street, Bangor, ME 04402

Top 10 Poll

Monday, December 24, 2001

1. Noble
2. Westbrook
3. Lisbon
4. Canden
5. Mt. Blue
6. Biddeford
7. Bonny Eagle
8. Winslow
9. Skowhegan
10.Dexter

Indians sweep dual meet

Sunday, December 23, 2001

SKOWHEGAN " With victories over Cony, Oak Hill and Wells high schools, the Skowhegan Area High School wrestling team ran its season dual-meet record to 9-2 on Saturday.

"This is the best start we've had in a long time," said Skowhegan Indians coach Kurt Wentworth. "I expected the team to come together later in the season, but we are way ahead of schedule."

Skowhegan defeated Cony 50-24, Wells 48-36, and Oak Hill 60-24 to complete the sweep.

Much of the credit for the Indians' success goes to the youngsters on the team. Skowhegan starts seven grapplers who are freshmen or sophomores. Saturday, sophomores Dean Redlevske (171 pounds), Brooks Thompson (119), and David Folsom (189) along with freshman Dylan Wentworth (112) went undefeated. Redlevske and Wentworth raised their season records to 9-1.

The Indians are anchored by junior Brandon Hamilton (152), a defending state champ who has lost only a handful of matches in his career.

"I couldn't ask for a better leader than Brandon," said Wentworth. "He's great with the younger kids and knows the kind of dedication it takes to be a winner."

Hamilton scored two pins and a win by forfeit to lift his season record to 10-0.

Cony entered the day undefeated in dual meets but dropped to 4-1-1 following the loss to Skowhegan and a 42-42 tie with Wells.

"We knew it would take some breaks to beat Skowhegan," said Cony Rams coach John Martin. "But I'm proud of the way the team battled back to tie Wells."

"(Eric Beaulieu is) normally at 103 pounds, but we moved him up to 112 against Wells and he came through with a clutch pin," Martin added.

Beaulieu, a freshman, won all three of his matches as did teammates Jing Mai (125) and Brad Waugh (140).

An undermanned Oak Hill squad dropped each of its three contests.

"Unfortunately, we are giving up quite a few forfeits," said first-year coach Ric Swett.

A forfeit occurs when a team doesn't have a competitor to fill a weight class and counts for as many points as a pin. Still, Swett does see some bright spots in his lineup.

"Tony Collins (135) is one of the best in the state and Adam Buckingham (275), Ben Johnson (125), Isaac Lewis (152), and Schuyler Gagnon (189) have all been solid performers," Swett said.

Vikings pin Tigers, Cougars

Saturday, December 22, 2001

SOUTH PARIS-the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School wrestling team has been concerned because it was under achieving on the mat. The Vikings were competing with out a point, however, those old ways are hopefully history following a stellar performance Saturday.

Oxford Hills responded by going on the offensive early and the trio of Josh Laird (135-pounds), Dustin Theriault (140) and Aaron Gammon (145) each recorded two pins en route to convincing wins against Gardiner 72-9 and Dirigo 60-24.

Class C Dirigo (2-5) rebounded from an early deficit and by winning five-straight matches, including a monumental pin by Dave Flagg, to beat Gardiner 49-24.

"The team hadn't been wrestling up to its potential,"Viking coach Chris Cobbert said. "We all had had a discussion on Thursday afternoon and it was pointed out that some of them hadn't been performing up to their abilities. I was really pleased with what I saw today because they were hungry and there was a cohesiveness throughout the entire team."

Each meet began with the 125 match because of the new automatic drawing.

Oxford Hills (4-1) had lost a close decision early to Gardiner in a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference battle, however, the momentum shift was quick and decisive. The Vikings reeled off seven wins in a row, including six by pins.

Laird wrapped up Lee Hamel in a cradle, Theriault used a flash and Gammon stuck Andrew Curry in the second period.

Keith Hingely won a 7-3 decision at 152, the Vikings cemented the meet with three more pins. Ryan Bryce (160) and Donny Stevens (cradle at 171) both went 1:45.

"It was a team effort,"Cobbett said. "There wasn't just one or two kids who stood out. Those are the types of performances we need."

Oxford Hills Seth McAlister, a 2001 Class A state champion, got things going against Dirigo by sticking Dana Mckeen. The Vikings had eight pins, including Chris Denlinger (130) over Tony Smith and Ryan Buck (189). Laird stuck Suzanne Litwin in 10 seconds.

The Cougars made things interesting with pins by Curtis Brann (152), Nick Gurney (16-1 at 160), Derrick Gilbert (171) and Scott Skibitsky (215).

The Cougars Jamie Bedard scored a 15-2 major decision over Matt Holman of Gardiner at 140. Flagg was trailing Curry 14-9 late in the match, but executed a reversal, moving directly in to a Chinese pin move.

"I just bided my time,"Flagg said. "I just waited for him to make a mistake. My arms were actually tired on the mat."

Brann countered the front-head lock to stick Mike Curry and Cougar teammate Bob Millett pinned at 119.

"It's not over for us,"Gardiner coach Matt Hanley said. "(Five) kids are sidelined with sicknesses, but we're not getting things done in practice.Then, (execution) won't happen on the mat."

Gardiner was also ambushed 41-24 by undermanned Medomak Valley, led by Bryan Blackler and Derek Prock at 125 and 140, respectively. Coach Philip Genthner said the Panthers (7-1-1) are still in shock after seeing a teammate suffer a broken neck in a match against Lincoln Academy last Wednesday.

Best records of Mainers

Saturday, December 22, 2001

Mike Carmihalis, Sanford 4x state champ 125-0-1

Dave Gudroe, Dexter 94-1-1 3x state champ 2nd in N.E. '76. lost to Peter Wedgewood, Massabesic in state finals. 2-2 draw in Dec. '75 to Dave Difore of Rumford

Top 10 Poll

Wednesday, December 19, 2001

1. Noble
2. Westbrook
3. Mount Blue
4. Camden Hills
5. Marshwood
6. Lisbon
7. Biddeford
8. Belfast
9. Bucksport
10. Dexter

Lisbon High School wrestling

Sunday, December 19, 2001

DIXFIELD- The Lisbon High School wrestling coach Mark Stevens remains cautiously optimistic because he isn't sure which team will show up, however, the Greyhounds had other ideas and answered the call at a Mid-State League dual meet Wednesday night.

Unbeaten Lisbon certainly didn't waste energy as it recorded pins in the first six matches contested matches, beginning with Charlie Stumach at 103-pounds and then held off a late Dirigo charge for a 48-30 win at Defoe Gymnasium.

Lisbon, the Class C defending state champions, thought it might be at a disadvantage because several individuals had to bump up a weight class. Instead, the pinning ways snowballed throughout the No. 6 team in the Sun-Journal Poll. The Greyhounds remain on a roll after finishing second at the McDonalds Invitational last Saturday.

"We are just confident right now,"Lisbon senior B.J. Hamm said. "But, we still looking at Dexter and Bucksport because they are both going to be tough. Even though we are going well right now, there's still plenty of room for improvement."

Staumach had used a flash move to eventually stick Dirigo freshman Anthony Garcia in the third period. Garcia had taken a 6-5 lead at the end of the middle stanza.

The Hounds'Troy Clark (112), Derek Guisto (125), Nate Hix (135), William Vice (130) and Hamm (140) each pinned Cougar opponents in the first period(s). Vice used a grape vine on Sonny McPherson and Hix stuck Suzanne Litnin in 16 seconds.

I thought that (team) performed well,"Vice said. "The bump up in weight meant that some were wrestling people up to 10 pounds heavier. I'm just looking forward to competing in the nDexter Invitational. That could be a preview of the state meet."

"Dirigo (1-4) refused to go down with out a fight and received three-straight pins. David Flagg used a power-half nelson on exchange student Fernando d'rivia at 145. Teammates Curtis Brann (152) and Nick Gurney followed suit, plus the Cougar won by forfeit at 171.

"I saw some good things on the mat,"Dirigo coach Doug Gilbert said. "The kids were aggressive until the end and that 's something to grow on. This team is coming around and we've been able to teach some additional moves. "

Lisbon finally stopped the bleeding as Ryan Willy pinned Jason Capponi in the first period at 189. Fortunately, Dirigo finished strong with Scott Skibitsky and Richard Williams at 215 and 275, respectively.

"We've still got a ways to go,"Stevens said. "I thought the key matches for us were 103 and 189 because Charlie started things for us and Ryan was there to stop them. But, you can't under estimate Dirigo because the are a good team."

Noble wins McDonald's Invitational

Sunday, December 16, 2001

RUMFORD The individual names may change, but Noble High School’s consistency and over all depth stayed the same as the Knights scored 189 points to win the 19th annual McDonalds Invitational wrestling tournament Saturday.

It was the Knights’ fifth-straight win in this tournament.

Lisbon finished second (159) behind nine medalists for the second-straight year. The Greyhounds’ trio of champions included Troy Clark (112-pounds), Nate Hix (130) and B.J. Hamm (135).

Mountain Valley’s Jason Provencher, left, battles Lisbon’s Joe Schreiber during the McDonald’s Invitational wrestling tournament Saturday in Rumford

Belfast (103) was third after overtaking Mountain Valley (99) in the finals. Fryeburg (82½points) was a pleasant surprise led by champion Buck Brown (160). The Raiders’ fifth-place finish was their best in several years.

Rounding out the top 10 were Winslow 67½, Oxford Hills 65, White Mountain, N.H. 62½, Deering 42½ and Dirigo 40.

Noble High School, three-time defending Class A state champions, led wire-to-wre in the daylong event. It was a moot point to see the Knights during the consolation rounds.

We’re still trying to figure out which weight classes the kids will settle into, Noble coach Kip Devoll said. But in a tournament like this is where they learn. I didn’t realize when I first started coaching just how important it was to have kids wrestle back through to earn medals. They can earn a lot of points.

Noble champions were Paul Desmarais Jr. (103), Adam Hale (119) and Dick Decato (215).

There were several interesting match-ups throughout the day. In the finals, Jon Kane of Deering jumped ahead 9-2 and scored a major decision against James Cotton at 171. Cotton had beaten Kane of Deering in the state finals last February. Joe Schreiber lost a 3-1 overtime decision to Shawn St. Cyr of White Mountain. Schreiber had beaten St. Cyr in the 2000 McDonalds finals.

Last year was a defining moment for us, Lisbon coach Mark Stevens said. We didn’t know what we had then and it’s the same this season. We’ll just stick to the game plan and continue to work hard.

Lisbon wrestled strong as Clark stuck Fryeburg freshman Kevin Barry in 3:00 and Hamm pinned the Knights’ Travis Bentley. Hix won by forfeit over Chris Denlinger, but Seth McAlister of Oxford decisioned the Greyhounds William Vice, 8-1.

Buck Brown of Fryeburg held on for a 7-6 decision over Ben Kinerson of Kennebunk. The Raiders Richard Chute was third at 189.

We’re turning the corner, Fryeburg coach Jeff Brown said. Some younger kids are coming in to the program and the seniors are finding out that they can use some moves to win.

Kirk Nelson of Mountain Valley recorded an upset win in the semifinals, but was stuck in a spadle move by Nick Ouimet of Belfast in the finals.

The Falcons’ Ian Venskus and Ben Madigan were third at 103 and 130, respectively.

I just got caught, Nelson said. The pin against (Decota) Cotton was big, but Ouimet had beaten me before, so I didn’t know what to expect in the finals.

Dirigo fell by the way side early, and had David Flagg 145 and Nick Gurney 160 each place third.

Westbrook soars in Gardiner

Sunday, December 16, 2001

GARDINER Mt. Blue took home the most individual gold medals but had to settle for second place as a team in the 28th edition of the Tiger Invitational Wrestling Tournament held Saturday at Gardiner Area High School.

The Cougars finished with 157 points, well behind the 193-point total of the Westbrook Blue Blazes, who won their third consecutive team title. Scott Webber (112), Damian Osgood (145), Matt Ryan (171), and Matt Waite (215) each took first place for the Cougars.

Staff photo by JOE PHELAN

Mt. Blue's Shane Webber, top, gets the advantage over Cony's Eric Beaulieu in the 103-pound consolation match.

In the end, it was Westbrook's depth that carried the team to the title. The Blue Blazes placed wrestlers in the top four positions in 13 of the 14 weight classes. Westbrook advanced eight wrestlers to the finals, but came away with only three individual titles.

"We knew coming in to the season who our top guns would be, but it has been our young guys who have stepped up and really made the difference," said veteran coach Dennis Walch.

One of those top guns was Lew Emery, who won the 119-pound class with a 9-3 decision over Bonny Eagle's Mike McDonough.

"I've been at this a long time," said Walch, who is in his 29th year at the helm of the Westbrook program. "I coached Lew's dad who was a state runner-up in 1977."

A tough squad from Class C, Bucksport finished third in the 10-team field. The Golden Bucks crowned one champ in David Maguire (130).

Revenge was sweet for two Cony grapplers. Jing Mai (125) and Brad Waugh (140) each entered the finals against familiar opponents.

Mai faced Bonny Eagle's Ben Davis, who had beaten him in the finals of the season-opening Westbrook Tournament by a 10-7 score. This time, the outcome would be different as Mai led the entire match en route to a 7-5 victory. It was the Cony sophomore's first tournament championship.

"Last week, I didn't feel real confident before our match," said Mai. "Today, I was focused on wrestling smart and aggressive. I knew I could beat him because our first match was so close."

Mai reached the finals after a wild 16-12 semifinal victory over Mt. Blue's Seth Webber.

Waugh had last faced Mt. Blue's Ryan Hutchinson two seasons ago when they were both in the 135-pound class. That year they met three times, with Hutchinson winning each encounter in convincing fashion. Saturday, it was Waugh's turn to score a convincing win. Waugh scored three takedowns with counters to Hutchinson's single leg attacks and rolled to an 11-0 win.

Staff photo by JOE PHELAN

Erskine's Andrew Grenier, front, traps Monmouth's James Hodgton's arms during their 160-pound match at the Tiger Invitational on Saturday in Gardiner. Grenier pinned Hodgton for the win.

Taj McKay (135) was Gardiner's sole participant in the finals round. McKay made the most of the opportunity by scoring a 7-4 decision over Bucksport's Josh Pelletier, the defending state champ. McKay had been scoring big points all season with a powerful cradle series and Saturday was no different. McKay pinned both of his preliminary-round opponents with a cradle and scored decisive points against Pelletier with his favorite move.

"I learned my cradle series when Fran Hanley was coaching my freshman and sophomore years," said McKay.

McKay picked up the Outstanding Wrestler Award for his performance.

Erskine coach Patrick Vigue felt his program had a chance to win its first Tiger individual championship when Shawn Studholm entered the day with the top seed in the 152-pound class. Vigue was elated when both Studholm and heavyweight Wayne Bridgham won titles.

"I thought Studholm had a solid shot, but Bridgham was a bit of a surprise," said Vigue.

Studholm had pinned his way to the finals and made it a perfect day by pinning Cony's Matt Honas in the second period. Bridgham was seeded third and won his weight class with a fast pin of top-seed Pat Begin of Westbrook in the finals.

Monmouth Academy's top finisher was Aaron Kaluzynski, who placed second in the 103-pound class.

28th Tiger Invitational results

Dec 15,2001 Gardiner High School

Taj McKay(135) Gardiner awarded Chris Robinson OW Award

 1.  Westbrook     - 193
 2.  Mt.Blue       - 157
 3.  Bucksport     - 125
 4.  Bonny Eagle   - 108.5
 5.  Cony          - 92
 6.  Erskine       - 70
 7.  Monmouth      - 57.5
 8.  Gardiner      - 53.5
 9.  MCI           - 14
10.  Morse         - 9
11.  Brunswick     - 2


Wt      1st/3rd Place        Win 2nd/4th Place         Score/Time
=============================================================
103	Lavigne (WTB)        pin Kalluzinski(Mon)      4.28
	Shane Webber(MTB)    pin Beaulieau(Con)        2.47

112	Scott Webber(MTB)    pin Perkins(Bucks)        1.07
	Bonderud(Mon)        pin Leinonen(Con)         1.26

119	Emery(WTB)           dec McDonough(BE)         9-3
	Burrill(Bucks)       pin Danforth(Mon)         0.49

125	Mai(Cony)            dec Davis(BE)             7-5
	Seth Webber(MTB)     dec Conner(WTB)           10-7

130	Maguire(Bucks)       dec Emery(WTB)            7-5
	Kozma(Gar)           pin Audette(Mon)          1.46

135	Mckay(Gar)           dec Pelletier(Bucks)      7-4
	Laselle(MCI)         dec Peters(WTB)           8-6

140	Waugh(Cony)          dec Hutchinson(MTB)       11-0
	Bourgon(Bucks)       dec LaCourse(WTB)         9-5

145	Osgood(MTB)          dec Chapman(BE)           14-6
	Spoffard(WTB)        dec Curry(Gar)            9-7

152	Studholm(ERK)        pin Honas(Cony)           2.56
	Swihart(MTB)         dec Bourgeois(WTB)        14-2

160	Robinson(BE)         dec Cofone(WTB)
	Grenier(ERK)         pin Lawrence(Cony)        2.00

171	Ryan(MTB)            dec Borelli(WTB)          12-5
	Cottrell(Bucks)      pin Tisdale(Mon)          3.59

189	Spoffard(WTB)        dec Pike(BE)              6-2
	Carter(Bucks)        pin Spangler(MTB)         2.00

215	Waite(MTB)           dec Tracy(WTB)            6-2
	Milan(Bucks)         pin Hicks(ERK)            0.43

275	Bridgham(ERK)        pin Began(WTB)            0.46
	Reynolds(BE)         pin Gay(Cony)             2.23

Wrestling Roundup

By Journal Tribune Staff

KENNEBUNK - Wrestling coach Aaron Germana knows his team will have its work cut out for it this season and that fact was driven home fully by Marshwood Wednesday as the Rams opened the dual meet portion of their season by absorbing a 55-21 defeat at the hands of the Hawks at home.

"This is a young group," Germana aSAID, "with only three seniors and no juniors. This is a building year and we will definitely have our work cut out for us."

Kennebunk forfeited five weight classes on thE night, saw three others felled by pin, and two others lose on decision. On the bright side, senior Chris Seavey, back after a year away, recorded the Rams' lone pin of the night in the evening's final matchup. At 160 pounds, Ben Kinerson bested Noah Conti, 9-7. Mike Dumas, at 130, and Alec Adams, at 152, both collected forfeit wins to round out the Kennebunk scoring.

The Rams will travel to Rumford on Saturday to participate in the McDonald's Classic.

WELLS 42, FRYEBURG 19

The Wells wrestling team enjoyed a long journey north on Wednesday evening, easily dispatching Fryeburg Academy, 42-19, to even its dual meet record at 2-2.

Back to back pins from Dylan Grethe and Edgar Wallace at 130 and 135, respectively, got the Warriors on a roll. Wells also collected forfeit wins at 112, 119, 140 and 145, to put things out of reach at the mid-point of the match. Fryeburg stormed back to take four of the next five matches before Adam Chase closed things out for the Warriors with a pin of his opponent.

Wells is on the road again this Saturday, traveling to Marshwood where the Warriors will tangle with a pair of Class A opponents, the host Hawks and the Mustangs from Massabesic.

BIDDEFORD 46, BONNY EAGLE 33

"Tonight we did something that no Biddeford team has done in 20 years," an elated coach Bob Gaudette reported. "We beat Bonny Eagle, a good Bonny Eagle team, by a 46-33 score.

"The regulars came through, but so did a couple of other guys who needed to as well - Derek Gobeil at 130 and Don Flowers at 135."

A forfeit for Nate Vassill at 103 and a pin from Jim Gaudette at 112 got the Tigers off to a quick start. Bonny Eagle quickly retaliated with a pair of victories to even things out, but then came Gobeil's decision at 130 and back-to-back pins from Flowers at 135 and Anthony Cincotta at 140, which swung the momentum back in Biddeford's direction. Two more pins, by Tony Goulet at 152 and Jimmy Smith at 160, provided the Tigers with enough of a cushion to survive Bonny Eagle victories in three of the four final matches.

On Saturday the Tigers will play host to York, Portland, Windham, and Lake Region.

MASSABESIC 35, DEERING 32

New coach Bob Eon has his first victory, thanks to a strong effort from his young Massabesic wrestling team. The Mustangs dominated early on and then watched as heavyweight Matt Lude recorded a quick pin (50 seconds) in the last match of the evening to give the home forces a 35-32 win over Deering.

Back-to-back pins from Corey Gallant and Chris Pouliot set the stage early for Massabesic. Following a double forfeit at 119, the Mustangs got it rolling again with a forfeit win for Ken Belanger at 125, and pin victories for Brian Pond and Tom Metz at 130 and 135.

Following a double forfeit at 145, Deering went on a roll of its own, winning six straight matches before Lude restored order for the home forces and insured his coach of an inital win in his first career dual match.

Massabesic will be on the road Saturday to take on fellow Class A powerhouse Marshwood and Class B Wells at the Hawks' home in South Berwick.

Wrestling Roundup: Team Dirigo

DIXFIELD-There are numerous road blocks encounters through out life and over coming this type of adversity usually requires plenty of determination, combined with intestinal foritude. These traits definitely fit the qualities of Nick Gurney who refused to allow mononuclerosis to alter his goal of eventual winning a Class C state wrestling championship last season.

Gurney was diagnosed with the life-threatening disease in mid-November of 2000 and was forcsed to remain uncomfortably on the sidelines for two months. The doctors had all but ruled out a potential return to live competition because of an enlarged spleen, however, Gurney was convinced that the story would have a positive ending. Fortunately, the positive thinking and persevence paid off because Gurney was given approval to resume wrestling and on three consecutive Saturdays in February he won the Mid State Leagion, regional and state championships.

"It's a credit to Nick that he was able to come back,"Dirigo coach Doug Gilbert said. "When he had been diagnosed with the disease, I didn't think there was any way possible that he'd be able to return, but he had an ultra-sound and was ok'd."

Gurney, a three sport student-athlete, had been with the team daily and offered support when ever possible. Still, the idleness was a new experience and Gurney had a hard time dealing with it. The positive test was hailed on a Monday and after just one practice, Gurney won a dual meet against Lisbon.

"It was a different situation for me,"Gurney said. "I had never sat out a season before, but I tried to stay in shape by lifting weights and doing a little running. I really believe that all the involvement in athletics helped me in being able to come back. I'm really comfortable on my feet and I intend to take advantage of my quickness and use technique on opponents. "

The experiences and strategies are even paying dividends this season, despite Gurney having bumped up two-weight classes to 160. It's not uncommon to see individuals endure shortcomings while adjusting to weight gains, but the Cougar wrestler began his senior campaign on a positive note. The senior won a hard-fought 2-1 decision against Aaron Thomas of Dexter., a 2001 state champion at 152, in the finals of the Geoge Stevens Academy tournament Dec 1.

"Nick had stayed involved with the sport last season,"Gilbert said. "The time he spent on the sidelines and the jump up up weight has made him a smarter wrestler. He has to think a lot more and set (moves) up because he isn't able to go out on the mat and bully opponents. The match against Thomas was a perfect example because he executed a takedown, then remained on the offensive position and was on the verge of a reveral or escaping in the third period."

Gurney' mat exploits are certainly no moot point because there is plenty of history to keep up in his family. Gurney had placed a disappointing third as a freshman and sophomore in both state meets, however, there were a trio of reasons for Gurney to reach the next level His father Glen and older brother Nate were each finalists on state championship teams at Rumford and Dirigo in 1972 and 1996 respectively. Gilbert had also been a state finalist on the Rumford 1974 state championship team.

Interestingly, the elder Gurney, who coached Dirigo in '96, had been pressed into service again when current assistant Hal Watson was called away.

"It was very rewarding to be there,"Glenn Gurney said, on being mat side when Nick won the state crown. "After Nick was so sick and all, we didn't even know if or when he'd be able to wrestle again. Nick is a tough kid both physically and mentally and remains extremely humble about what he has accomplished."

The youngest Gurney sibling admitted there had been a strong degree of good-natured ribbing being filtered through out the household. This was actually provided an additional incentive because it presented an opportunity to accomplish a milestone.

"The joking was going around,"Nick Gurney said. "But, they both were there too encourage and push me. Then having Dad in my corner at the state meet was special, it was like things were when he coached us in middle school."

The current Dirigo team has some history of its own to live up to and can't afford to rest on its laurels. The Cougars annually have fielded strong dual meet teams and have also won all five previous West regionals. This season a serious challenge has been issued by defending state champion Lisbon.

"Lisbon will be tough,"Gurney said. "Last season, we performed really well against them, until the state meet. I'm confident coaches Gilbert and Watson can prepare the team. As for myself, I hope to be physically peaking by the middle of our schedule and be on top of things when the states roll around."

Wrestlers to watch

Levi Rollins, Camden Hills, Jr. (119) 2001 Class B state champion

Scott Webber, Mount Blue, senior (112) 2x state champ. Close to 100 career wins

Seth McAllister, Oxford Hills, So. (125) defending state champ at 103

Tony Collins, Oak Hill, Sr. Class B state finalist will lead Raiders

Pat Howard, Marshwood, Sr. (135) 2x state champion

B J Hamm, Lisbon, Sr. (135) Has won a Class B and C state title. Odds on favorite to win again. Placed fourth in New England.

Brandon Hamilton, Skowhegan, Jr. (145) defending Class A state champion at 130

Kevin Armstrong, Dexter, Sr. (145) 2x Class C state champion. Missed 2001 state meet because of surgery

Ben Goulette, Morse, Sr. (152) 2x defending Class A state champion. Placed top sixth in N.E. both years

Buck Brown, Fryeburg, Sr. (160) Raiders standout scored a solid upset to win Class B states and returns at same weight

Nick Gurney, Dirigo, Sr. (160) Cougar standout returned in February to win Mid State League, regional and Class C state championships

Jon Kane, Deering, Sr. (171) Ram stalwart was a 2001 Class A state finalist

James Cotton, Noble, Sr. (171) 2001 state champ leads 3x state team titles

Joe Schreiber, Lisbon, Jr. (189) 2001 Class C state champion helps Greyhounds win first state title in 36 years.

Matt Waite, Mt. Blue, Sr. (215) Has won state crowns for Dirigo (2000) and MB (2001). Solid favorite to three-peat.

KVAC: What to expect

The Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference has several talented individuals, however, only three teams have a legitimate shot. Defending champion Mount Blue is solid with 2x state champions Scott Webber (112) and Matt Waite (215). A supporting cast includes Seth Webber (119), Chris Embleton (125), Damien Osgood (145) and Brian Orr (275) The Cougars will beat Camden and then Oxford Hills in the Eastern regional. The two-day state meet will be competitive with Noble again.

Lisbon, Mountain Valley and Dirigo will battle it out in the Mid-State League. The over all depth of these teams will be a key. Monmouth has the advantage in the lower tier. Mountain Valley could defend its Class B regional title, while Lisbon and Dirigo will tangle in Class C. The state will be between Lisbon and Dexter.

KVAC Predicted order of finish 1. Mount Blue 2. Camden 3. Oxford Hills 4. Gardiner 5. Belfast 6. Cony 7. Winslow 8. Mount Ararat 9. Skowhegan 10. Medomak Valley 11. Morse 12. Oak Hill 13. Lincoln Academy 14. Maine Central Institute 15. Erskine 16 Mount View 2. Mid State League Predicted order of finish 3. 1. Lisbon 2. Mountain Valley 3. Dirigo 4. Monmouth 5. Hyde 6. Wiscasset

Wrestling Roundup: Shipbuilders at Morse

BATH-It requires a strong individual to over come adversity and succeed in any aspect of life and athletics provide a strong foundation. The combination of physical and mental toughness continue to drive Morse High School wrestler Ben Goulette in his personal quest to reach several predetermined goals.

Goulette, a senior, has certainly established his position in wrestling folk lure after winning two Class A state championships and also placing sixth and fifth, respectively at the New England tournament. The aforementioned accomplishments are impressive, however, success is fleeting and Goulette isn't content to rest on past laurels.

"I have new goals for this season,"Goulette said. "Basically, the first thing is to stay on top in Maine wrestling. Then, I can try to get into the New England finals because I've lost in the semi-finals two years in a row."

The NEs feature very intense competition and it's extremely faster than wrestling in Maine. Goulette has recorded wins on Friday nights, but the first matches on Saturday have been met with resistance.

Goulette was recognized nationally in the top 30 of senior wrestlers by Wrestling U.S.A magazine.

The ability to refocus is extremely important and Goulette certainly started out on a positive note by winning the Westlake Memorial Tournament two weeks ago. He was steady in a 6-0 decision against Brandon Hamilton of Skowhegan at 145. Hamilton is the defending state champion at 130.

"Being mentally tough really helps,"Morse coach Shawn Guest said. "Ben is well prepared for each match and has a sweat going before he even steps on the mat. That type of mental focus doesn't happen very often, but when it does it's extremely nice. Ben' focus and drive reminds me of (former three-time state champion) Domingo Cumpian at Mount Blue in the early 1990s."

Goulette drew attention to himself as a freshman and had high expectations entering a holiday tournament. The Shipbuilder rookie had only suffeed one loss, but a torn shoulder n the regionals ended the season prematurely. Ironically, rehabilitation was effective because Goulette gained revenge exactly one year later by winning a 13-0 decision against the same opponent in a semi-final match at the state tournament.

"I had some thing to prove,"Goulette said. "Besides myself, I wanted to show people I was (no flash in the pan) and I hadn't given up on wrestling. During the season now, I push myself by running extra and by (repetitive) drilling."

Goulette has a career record of approximately 112-3 and has only lost one match in three years. Dan Whalen, the 2001 Sun Journal Wrestler of the Year, decisioned Goulette last year in the finals at the Noble tournament.

"Ben was gifted as a freshman," former Morse coach Jim Coffin said. "He had enjoyed success in junior high, so we knew what he'd bring to the team. What has continued to help is his dedication and he's also an honor roll student. He's close to being almost perfect in what you'd like to see in a (student-athlete)."

It's not surprising to see Goulette' name at the for-front of Maine wrestling because the second-generation wrestler stands out. His father Dave, a Morse assistant coach and Barry, an uncle, both wrestled at Dexter during the Golden Age. Barry Goulette won state championships in 1975 and '76 and also placed third in N.E. both years. There are some similarities in the wrestling styles between uncle and nephew because both use fluid movements and secure full control against opponents.

"It really helps having both of them,"Goulette said. "We talk a lot and they give me advice. At this point, I'm planning on continuing wrestling in college at the University of Southern Maine next year."

USM Wrestling Update by Coach Reese

By USM Coach Ted Reese (Phd)

Wednesday, December 12, 2001

Last year, Adam Farrington not only led the nation in pins but also was selected as the Most Outstanding Wrestler in New England.

Last year's captains gave their best despite injuries and two wrestled above their weight class.

Here is some interesting information about the caliber of wrestlers on the USM Wrestling Team.

Tim Morris was 4th in the nation in greco, Jesse Coleman was a two-time Vermont Champ, and Pat Caruana was league champ in New York.

Jesse and Pat were last year's All New England and Tim Morris won the BayState Games, a very tough tournament.

USM results aren't good yet this year but that will improve. The Husky wrestling attitude has been the best they have ever had. Captains Tim Morris and Jesse Coleman have not yet wrestled a match.

USM best newcomers Steve Thyng from Massabesic is out with an illness, Westbrook's Scott Hansen is out for the year with a shoulder operation, Camden's Ian Slaymaker is out for the year with a shoulder operation, Florida's Keith Wallace is out with a new injury until January, and Forida's Ben Evans has been out also.

Westbrook's Dom Cofone and Morse's Raphael Gonzales should be in the mix to fill our vacant 141 pound weight class and Noble's Randy Goulet (assistant coach at Noble and about four years out after a stint in the Marines) should also be wrestling for USM.

Obviously its been a slow start, but when it comes together, USM should better last year's 8th place finish in the New Englands.

Waugh gets quick start to season

By Terry Devereaux for Morning Sentinel and Kennebec Journal

Tuesday, December 11, 2001

Cony's Brad Waugh had a big day at last Saturday's Westbrook Tournament. The 140-pound senior not only won his weight class, but walked away with the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler award as well.

"Brad earned every vote he got on Saturday," said Cony coach John Martin.

Waugh, seeded second, beat Bonny Eagle's Ben Chapman 13-2 in the semifinals to advance to the finals against top seed Anthony Cincotta of Biddeford. Cincotta was the 140-pound state runner-up in Class A last season. Waugh clinched the title with a second-period pin after building a 10-2 lead. Waugh was the Eastern Maine champion at 140 pounds last season.

It was a good showing overall for the Rams, who finished third in the 10-team field. Sophomore Matt Honas also won the gold medal at 152 pounds while Jing Mai finished second at 125. Eric Beaulieu (103) placed third and Josh Smith (112), Josh Leblanc (160) and Chris Reynolds (119) each placed fourth.

Gardiner's Taj McKay is off to a fast start this season. The senior is 6-0 at 135 pounds. McKay won his weight class at the Westlake Tournament to open the season and went 3-0 with two pins in dual meet competition last Saturday.

Gardiner will host the 26th installment of the Tiger Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 15. Westbrook will try to defend its title. Mt. Blue, Bonny Eagle, Morse, Erskine, Monmouth, MCI, and Cony round out the field. Mt. Blue is projected to be the favorite to win the event, but Westbrook won their own tournament last Saturday and could surprise. Individuals to watch are Mt. Blue's Matt Waite and Scott Webber and Morse's Ben Goulette. All are defending state champs and Waite and Goulette placed in last season's New England championships. Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.

Gardiner will be without the services of 152-pound Westlake champ Jay Folckemer this weekend. Folckemer is sidelined with a sore shoulder.

Waterville has three wrestlers competing as independents. Since Waterville doesn't have a program, they are practicing and traveling with Winslow, although they will compete in the Eastern A regional. One of the three, Joe Lawler, has had wrestling experience in Tennessee.

Looking for the state's most comprehensive wrestling Web site? Go to http://www.mawaonline.org to see articles, schedules, listings of past state championships, related links, and other information. The site is administered by the Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting amateur wrestling in the state.

The 2002 Maine state championships are scheduled to be held at the Bangor Auditorium on Feb. 8-9. This year's event will be held over two days because the facility is not large enough to hold the necessary number of mats. This means that athletes will have to make weight for both days. A one-pound weight allowance will be granted for the second day. The possibility of a wrestler failing to make weight on the second day should be a concern for coaches and athletes alike. While not all the details of the tournament schedule are finalized, wrestling is projected to begin late afternoon on Friday and run through two rounds of competition.

Terry Devereaux covers high school wrestling for the Morning Sentinel and the Kennebec Journal.

An Example of Great Sportmanship

The following account is from Morse Coach Shawn Guest to Hyde Coach Bill Barron. They had a recent match where Hyde won by one point. There was a great turnout at Hyde, spirits were high, and the sportsmanship shown by Hyde and Morse students was of the highest degree.

The MAWA Board thanks the students and Coaches of both teams for a "Job Well Done".

And now the congrats from Morse Coach to Hyde Coach:

Bill,

Though I am still licking my wounds, I too would agree with Tom Wells. Last night brought back memories from years past of the excitement that used to be part of wrestling matches. Your student body certainly was loud and boisterous, however, they conducted themselves with a lot school pride and class. The students displayed sportsmanship and there was no display of any negative attitudes that I saw. In society today there is an acceptance of bad attitudes and bad sportsmanship in the athletic arena. I am glad that Hyde School does not uphold these values. It certainly makes sports fun again. Yes you hold the title of city champions now, but rest assured we will be back. Thanx for a fun night.

Shawn M. Guest

Head Coach Morse H.S., 12-7-01

MPA rejects a proposal to hold a qualifying tournament

By PAUL BETIT, Portland Press Herald Writer

Saturday, April 28, 2001

In an unrelated matter, the association rejected a proposal to hold a qualifying tournament to determine the 42 wrestlers who represent the state at the New England meet.

"The principals are quite comfortable with the champions of each class representing the state," said MPA Assistant Director Larry Labrie, "and the coaches would like to be more competitive, which is certainly understandable, too."

Currently, the Class A, B and C state champions in each weight class qualify for the New Englands, and a committee is used to seed the wrestlers in the regional competition.

Most other New England states hold qualifying meets to determine the their wrestling contingent to New Englands, and supporters say a qualifying meet would guarantee that Maine sends its top wrestlers.

"It did not fly, I think, because there were too many unanswered questions at this point," said Labrie. "They were looking at cost factors."

McKay, Gardiner take advantage of new rule

BELFAST When Gardiner's Taj McKay and Winslow's Derek Folsom stepped to the mat to open the match between the two teams on Saturday, a sense of order was clearly missing.

McKay and Folsom both compete in the 135-pound class. In recent seasons, their bouts would have taken place in the middle of the dual meet sequence, with matches starting from lightest weight to heaviest. But rule changes for this season include a random draw to determine which weight class will compete first.

The draw suited Gardiner coach Matt Hanley just fine, as his Tigers rolled to a 44-30 victory.

"In the past, a close match would come down to the heavyweight class," said Gardiner coach Matt Hanley. "That put a lot of pressure on the same guy, because his performance decided which team won the match. This change was made to prevent the same guy from carrying that burden all the time."

McKay, who won the Westlake Tournament in his weight class last Saturday, was matched against one of Winslow's top veterans. Folsom had placed fourth in the State B tournament last season.

McKay came out strong, running up a 7-0 lead before scoring the pin with a cradle late in the second period. It was a move Winslow would see frequently during the course of the meet.

Matt Holman (140) and Andrew Curry (145) would follow McKay and duplicate his success with pins using cradles.

But Winslow answered with a pin by Adam Desrosiers (152).

In a see-saw battle at 160, Gardiner's Jon Downs rallied late in the match to win 15-11 over Ken Roy. Downs trailed by one point in the third, but countered a Roy double-leg attack to score a takedown and near-fall points.

The next three matches were decided by pins as Andy Young (171) won for Winslow while Dan Clark (189) and Chad Merrill (215) earned points for Gardiner.

Winslow would take four consecutive matches with wins by forfeit by Dan Burke (275) and Justin Nesbitt (103), and decisions by Matt Vincent (112) and Peter Lee (119). But the Gardiner victory was already sealed.

Gardiner's Liam Kozma ended the match with a first-period pin at 130.

He's not afraid of hard work

By JERRY LAUZON, Portland Press Herald Writer

Staff photo by Gordon Chibroski
Jon Kane hopes to win his first state title at 171 pounds this season after finishing second in Class A and sixth in New England a year ago.

Deering High wrestling coach Al Kirk knew Jon Kane would be different.

While Kirk and his wife strolled the Eastern Promenade four summers ago, Kane excitedly rushed up to speak with the couple.

"Hey coach, I want my parents to meet you and your wife,'' said Kane, an aspiring middle school wrestler at the time. "If you wait right there I'll run and get them.''

When Kane ran off, Kirk's wife, Judy, turned to the coach and smiled.

"Well, you've got a good one right there,'' she said.

Judy Kirk certainly has an eye for young talent.

Kane, second in the Class A state meet at 171 pounds and sixth at the New England Championships a year ago, has not disappointed Kirk, Deering's coach for 25 years. Though Kane has yet to win a state championship, Kirk believes he could end up as one of the best ever from Maine.

"This kid can win a national title,'' Kirk said. "He's that good.''

Kane's strongest competition this winter is expected to come from Noble's James Cotten, the 160-pound Class A champion who has moved up to 171 pounds. Last year, Kane's only three losses in Maine came against state champion Steve Thyng of Massabesic, who has graduated.

"He was a very good wrestler,'' Kane said of Thyng. "I learned a lot from him.''

Kane attended a 28-day wrestling camp this summer at the University of Minnesota to improve his technique. The competition and conditioning at the camp was grueling.

"I wanted to prepare myself and do everything I can do to be a state champion,'' Kane said. "It would be disappointing if I didn't win a state championship.

"I've learned it's important to set goals.''

It seems Kane always is learning and setting goals.

He was homeschooled by his mother, Joyce, through fifth grade. Kane's cousin, Jesse Peterson, introduced him to wrestling in middle school and taught him a few moves. Peterson was the Class B 189-pound champion last year for Mountain Valley.

"You can approach wrestling at the brute level or you can learn the moves,'' Kane said. "It breaks down into angles. It's a very strategic sport.''

Wrestling more than 20 pounds under weight as a freshman and sophomore at 189 pounds, Kane had to be a quick learner to survive. He finished fourth at the Class A state meet as a sophomore.

"That wasn't so easy,'' Kirk said. "He worked hard and got a lot out of it.''

Off the mat, Kane has gotten a lot out of high school, and the high school has gotten a lot back from Kane.

"In all the years I've been here, there are a handful of kids that have had true leadership qualities,'' Kirk said. "They lead by example in class, out of class and on the mat. Jon is in that handful.''

Kane has been involved in Deering student government for four years and this year is serving as student body president. One of his duties is to lead the Pledge of Allegiance each morning and to read the student announcements in the afternoon.

"Jon is just so enthusiastic,'' said Brenda Roy, Deering's principal the past six years. "Before he leads the pledge he asks everyone to stand and to please take off their hats.

"That tells you something about respect.''

Without being asked, Kane spoke to students about littering and loitering problems around the high school when neighborhood residents complained. Those problems have since improved.

"Jon's as straight as they come as far as I can tell,'' Roy said. "He's able to walk that fine line between the acceptance of his peers and what is right.''

Kane, a high-honors student last semester, is ranked 47th academically out of 314 seniors at Deering and has received nominations to the U.S. Military Academy from Sen. Olympia Snowe and Rep. Tom Allen. Kane called Roy at home when he learned of the nominations.

"That doesn't happen very often,'' Roy said. "He wanted to share the news with me and I was excited for him.''

The selection process has not been completed at West Point and Kane is waiting for the decision before applying to other colleges.

"I like the discipline of military lifestyle,'' Kane said. "It's difficult physically and mentally, but the academy prepares you for anything in life.

"It also has one of the best engineering schools in the country.''

Kane signed up for advanced placement calculus this year to improve his chances of getting into West Point. That was a move that concerned Roy.

"I stopped in to speak with the teacher about Jon,'' she said. "He said not to worry.''

No need to worry at all. Kane's average in the class is 100.

Hyde Opens Season, Edging Morse 36-35 in Wrestling

December 5, 2001

Match with Cross-Town Rival Comes Down to Final Bout

In a throwback to earlier days when wrestling was the soul of Hyde, a packed gym elevated last night's classic match between cross-town schools Hyde and Morse to a renewed level of rivalry, leading Referee Tom Wells to state afterwards: "This is the highest level of spirit I have seen at Hyde in the last fifteen years."

Using the new random alignment of weight classes, and disregarding forfeits, the meet was scored head-to-head including JV bouts at 171 and 189. The evening began with 160-pounders Dan Bornstein of Hyde versus Morse's Joe Alexander, with Bornstein prevailing by pin in 1:26. Victories by both Hyde 171 lb. grapplers, Matt Ferry pinning John Rodriguez in 1:43 and Captain Wes Matheny dominating Jay Bilodeau before putting him away at the 2:28 mark, put the Phoenix up by an 18-0 margin. At 189, Morse's Zac Canning stemmed the flow, pinning Andrew King at 3:27 even though trailing in points 7-9. Two more victories by Hyde's 189-pounders, James Finder pinning Brenton Elwell in 1:16 and Mike Goltra felling Noah Rogers in 1:32, solidly put the Bath private school on top 30-6.

Yet the young but proud Shipbuilders were far from through for the night, riding five straight victories to climb back on top 35-30. Bob Coffin at 215 (F 3:24 over Craig Droege) and 103 lb. Dan Holbrook (a 3:43 pin over Corey Littman, avenging a loss a Saturday loss at Westlake) both came from behind to earn six points each. One of Morse's two seniors, 130 lb. Steve Schutt, controlled Coby Puglisi before closing the door at 1:11. At 135, in a back-and-forth first period, Charlie Payne prevailed over Hyde's Ben Baxter at 1:23 to even the team score at 30 all.

This led to the penultimate bout, where Morse's captain and two-time state champion, Ben Goulette, faced Mike Caddel, a Californian grappler with five years experience. While Ben dominated the match in all respects, he could not put Mike's two shoulders to the mat, and had to settle for an 18-1 technical fall and five team points. This set the stage for Hyde's co-captain, senior Alex Rosen, a 2nd place finisher this last weekend at Westlake, who bumped up two classes to face Jared Dunn. After falling behind quickly by a 4-0 margin, Alex reversed the Shipbuilder, then turned him to finish the match in 1:34, bringing an exciting evening to a close with Hyde holding the Bath Cup by a single point. It was the first time in recent memory that Hyde had prevailed in this annual cross-town challenge.

--Coach Bill X. Barron, Hyde-Bath

[ Click to see INDIVIDUAL MATCH RESULTS ]

Saturday, December 8, 2001

Wrestlers to watch

By JERRY LAUZON, Portland Press Herald Writer

Portland Press Herald Report

Mike Ames, Belfast junior:

Moves up to 119 pounds after winning Class B championship at 112.

Anthony Cincotta, Biddeford junior:

Second to Marshwood's Dan Whelan in the Class A state meet at 140 pounds. Had a 33-8 record.

Jim Gaudette, Biddeford junior:

Had a 16-7 record and a fourth-place finish at the Class A state meet at 112 pounds.

Tony Goulet, Biddeford sophomore:

Missed the end of last season but still had an 18-7 record at 145 pounds.

Ben Davis, Bonny Eagle senior:

Third in Class A at 119 pounds. Was selected outstanding wrestler at the Westlake Tournament last week.

Mike McDonough, Bonny Eagle senior:

Qualified for the state meet at 125 pounds. Finished second at the Westlake Tournament.

Ben Chapman, Bonny Eagle senior:

A qualifier for the Class A state meet a year ago, Chapman won the Westlake Tournament at 140 pounds last week.

Isaac Robinson, Bonny Eagle senior:

Fourth in Western Class A at 160 pounds. Is coming off a win at the Westlake Tournament.

Levi Rollins, Camden Hills junior:

Class B champ at 103 pounds with a 33-3 record is moving up to 125. Won an invitational tournament in New Jersey last week.

Chris Remsen, Camden Hills sophomore:

Won the Class B championship at 135 pounds with a 32-3 record but might move up to 140.

Jake Sawyer, Camden Hills senior:

Defending Class B champ at 145 pounds with a 22-8 record, he came on strong at the end of the season. Could move up to 152.

Jon Kane, Deering senior:

Had a 35-7 record and finished second in Class A at 171 pounds.

Nick Gurney, Dirigo senior:

Missed most of the regular season but finished with an 8-0 record and Class C state championship at 145 pounds. Moves up to 160 pounds this year for Cougars, who have won six straight regional titles.

Derrick Gilbert, Dirigo senior:

Fourth in the Class C state meet at 160 pounds, Gilbert moves up to 171.

Taj McKay, Gardiner senior:

Moves up to 135 after competing at 130 pounds last year. Won the Westlake Tournament last week.

Sean Kozma, Gardiner freshman:

A surprise winner at the Westlake Tournament in the 171-pound class.

Jay Folkemer, Gardiner junior:

Finished fourth at 140 pounds in the state meet and had a 25-8 record. Will probably move up to 152 pounds.

Ben Kinnerson, Kennebunk sophomore:

Fourth in Class B at 152 pounds. Rams move up to Class A, and Kinnerson likely will move up to 160.

Mike Dumas, Kennebunk sophomore:

Missed all of last season with a football injury. Won the Westlake Tournament at 130 pounds last week.

Chris Seavey, Kennebunk senior:

Didn't wrestle last season but is expected to challenge Massabesic's Matt Lude in the 275-pound division.

B.J. Hamm, Lisbon senior:

Two-time Class C champion at 125 pounds and a fourth-place finisher at New England meet. Moves up to 135.

Joey Schreiber, Lisbon junior:

Won Class C championship at 189 pounds and is ranked No. 16 in country by USA Wrestling.

William Vice, Lisbon senior:

Won Class C championship at 119 with a 27-3 record. Moves up to 125.

Jamie Engelbert, Lisbon senior:

Won Class C championship at 275 pounds and had a 23-4 record.

Matt Lude, Massabesic senior:

Defending Western Class A champ at 275 pounds, has finished second in Class A the past two years.

Tom Metz, Massabesic senior:

Top contender at 140 pounds, he qualified for the Class A state meet last year at 135.

Ken Belanger, Massabesic senior:

Defeated Class A 119-pound champion Dave LaBranche of Biddeford twice during the regular season but didn't place at the state meet.

Ben Goulette, Morse senior:

Coming off a state championship season at 145 pounds with a 38-1 record, he won the Westlake Tournament last week. Was a state champion at 140 as a sophomore.

Matt Waite, Mt. Blue senior:

Won the last two Class A championships at 189 pounds. Finished with a 35-1 record a year ago. Moves up to 215.

Scott Webber, Mt. Blue senior:

Two-time state champ at 112 pounds, he went 37-0 a year ago.

Seth Webber, Mt. Blue sophomore:

Finished third at 103 pounds a year ago with a 35-5 record.

James Cotten, Noble junior:

Moves up to 171 after winning the Class A 160-pound championship in his first year of wrestling since middle school. Also finished fourth in the New England meet.

Decota Cotten, Noble sophomore:

Considered by Coach Kip DeVoll the better of the two Cotten brothers, he finished third at 152 pounds in last year's Class A state meet.

Dick Decato, Noble senior:

Decato, a two-way football starter, is the defending Class A champ at 215 pounds for the three-time state champion Knights.

Shoa Clarke, Portland senior:

Finished third at 112 pounds in the Class A state meet.

Nick Legere, Sanford senior:

Won the state meet as a sophomore and finished second last year at 152 pounds with a 30-9 overall record.

Chad Edwards, Sanford junior:

Third in Class A at 160 pounds, he had a 28-11 record. Moves up to 171.

Brandon Hamilton, Skowhegan junior:

Went 28-0 a year ago to win the Class A title at 130 pounds.

Dylan Grethe, Wells senior:

Finished with a 20-13 record last year and placed third in Western Class B at 125 pounds. Moves up to 130.

Edger Wallace, Wells senior:

Finished third in the Western B regional at 135 pounds. Had a 23-12 record.

Lew Emery, Westbrook senior:

Finished second in Class at 112 pounds with a 32-4 record. He will wrestle at 119 this season.

Chris Tracy, Westbrook junior:

Fourth in the Class A state meet at 171 pounds and had a 29-7 record. Moves up to 215.

Mike Spoffard, Westbrook senior:

Fourth in the Class A state meet at 189 pounds and finished with a 26-8 record.

Kyle Sullivan, York senior:

Third at 160 pounds in the Class B state meet. Will wrestle at 171.

Sean Bradburn, York senior:

Third at the Class B state meet at 189 pounds. Moves up to 215.

Mike Cicero, York senior:

Third at the Class B state meet at 171 pounds. Will wrestle at 189 this year.

Westlake Tourney: Noble slips by Mt. Blue

BATH The outcome of last season's Westlake Tournament wasn't decided until the 189-pound final, when Mt. Blue's Matt Waite won by a pin to give the Cougars the victory over Noble.
On Saturday, it was Noble's Spencer Eldridge who scored a pin in the 189-pound final to give the Knights a slim 164.5-163.5 victory over the Cougars. Noble had six individual finalists, with Greg Croteau (125) claiming the only other title.
Mt. Blue had five wrestlers earn final berths, with three coming away with victories by pin. Freshman Shane Webber (103), who was down 6-1 against Noble's Paul Desmaris in the third period, caught Desmaris in a head-and-arm lock and got the pin with 25 seconds left in the match.
His brother, Scott, cruised through the 112-pound weight class, winning all three of his matches by pin.
In a match of defending state champions, Mt. Blue's Matt Waite won by pin over Noble's Dick Decato in the 215-pound class. Waite opened the match with a bear-hug throw and almost pinned Decato in the early seconds of the contest. Although Decato survived the round, Waite would later get the pin in the second.
Another match between defending state champions occurred when Morse's Ben Goulette and Skowhegan's Brandon Hamilton stepped to the mat in the 145-pound weight class. Goulette opened the scoring with a defensive takedown against a double-leg attack from Hamilton. Hamilton gained an escape in the second, but Goulette scored a takedown with a duck under. Goulette earned a reversal in the third to close out the match with a 6-1 decision.
Gardiner took home three golds with strong performances from Taj McKay (135), Jay Folckemer (152) and freshman Sean Kozma (171).
McKay caught Noble's Travis Bentley in a cradle in the third to break a 2-2 deadlock. He went on to a 9-4 victory.
Folckemer racked up 14 unanswered points against Winslow's Ken Roy to win his first Westlake title.
Kozma came from the No. 8 seed to reach the finals and ended his day with a pin of Mt. Ararat's Patrick Raymond.
Gardiner finished in fifth place.
Winslow finished fourth with a strong team effort. The Black Raiders got second place finishes from Justin Nesbitt (112) and Roy. Dan Stace (145) earned his 100th career win on the way to a third place finish. Five other Black Raiders finished fourth to add valuable team points.