Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance

Oak Hill High School's Adam Buckingham is having a stellar year in the heavyweight division. The junior is currently 15-1 with eight pins to his credit. His sole loss was a 5-0 decision against Wells High School's Adam Chase, who Buckingham will likely face again in the Class B regional and state tournaments.

Coach Ric Swett views Buckingham the man to beat in the upcoming Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference tournament. Other strong performers for the Raiders are Tony Collins (135) and Ben Johnson (125). Collins sports a 14-3 record while Johnson's record stands at 10-3.

Gardiner Area High School's Taj McKay

Gardiner Area High School's Taj McKay (135) matched the school record for the fastest pin recently in a match against Lincoln Academy. McKay scored the quick fall in seven seconds. McKay shares the record with Robert Labonte who achieved the feat in 1994.

Cony High School's Chris Reynolds' perseverance

You have to admire Cony High School's Chris Reynolds' perseverance. The sophomore suffered through a tough freshman campaign without any wins except by forfeits. This season, he got his first mat victory in the season-opening Westbrook tournament and went on to finish fourth in the 119-pound class. He currently stands at 10-4 and is looking stronger as the year progresses.

Tough Lincoln Academy team

Opposing coaches are taking notice of a tough Lincoln Academy team this year. The Eagles are lead by coach Andy Mullin, who is in his seventh year at the helm of the program. Mullin was a 1982 graduate of Mt. Blue High School where he competed under legendary coach Tom Ward. Mullins' team is currently 18-10-1 in dual meet competition with David Gregory (119) owning a 21-4 individual record.

MAWA Scholarship

Senior wrestlers and team managers should be aware the Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance offers a $500 scholarship for wrestlers looking to pursue higher education. The money can be used at a four-year college, a two-year college, technical school or prep school. The award is based on academic success and citizenship, and does not hinge on athletic success. Application forms can be found at www.mawaonline.org.

Combined state tournament

Final plans for the combined state tournament are underway. Wrestling is set for Friday, Feb. 8 and Saturday, Feb. 9 at the Bangor Auditorium. Friday's action is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. with the quarterfinal round. Estimated finishing time for Friday's competition is 9:30 p.m. Wrestlers will have to make weight (with a one additional pound allowance) on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. Wrestling is slated to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.

KENNEBUNK - Out of towners took the top three spots in the Kennebunk Duals wrestling competition this past Saturday. A powerhouse Westbrook team rolled over its three opponents by a combined score of 198-29, to easily command the crown. Lisbon fell in the final by a 63-12 score, while Mountain Valley grabbed third with a 43-33 win over the top local finisher, Biddeford.

Other entrants included the host Kennebunk team, Wells, Fryeburg Academy and York.

Biddeford head coach Bob Gaudette was pleased with the overall effort of his team and noted that the two losses they suffered actually hinged on one or two critical matches.

The Tigers opened with a 53-26 victory over Fryeburg that included six forfeit wins, five pins, a technical fall win and a decision. In the second round they drew eventual runnerup Lisbon. This one came down to a pair of crucial matchup's between two very evenly matched squads. At 160 pounds, Tony Goulet was winning on points before he suffered a pin late in the going. A similar fate befell 112-pounder Jimmy Gaudette. Reverse those decisions and Lisbon's 43-30 victory goes the other way.

Bounced into the consolation bracket, Biddeford regrouped and took it to a young Wells club which proved to be a worthy opponent. The Warriors handed the Tigers a pair of forfeit victories to start the match and then fell by a score of 52-30.

The consolation final produced another even matchup between Biddeford and Mountain Valley. This one came down to the final match between 112-pounders. The Tigers' Gaudette knew that he needed to pin his opponent in order to earn enough points for victory. Toward that end he controlled the flow of the match nearly throughout, several times putting his opponent on his back, but never quite able to apply the final hold. In the end Gaudette himself was pinned, with a mere :20 left in the match, thus giving Mountain Valley the 43-33 victory and third place.

Performer of the day laurels for Biddeford, according to coach Gaudette, went to 103-pounder Nate Vassill, who has been enjoying an outstanding season and contributed three victories to the cause on Saturday. His one loss was by six points in the consolation final matchup.

Kennebunk head coach and meet director Aaron Germana was likewise pleased with the overall work of his club. The Rams had the misfortune of tangling with two powerhouse clubs from up north - Lisbon in their first match and Mountain Valley in their third - but hung tough in both cases

Having particularly strong day's for the Rams were 140-pounder Ryan Sullivan, who recorded two pins and a technical decision; 145-pounder Anthony Raconiello, who had three pins; 160-pounder Ben Kinerson, who had another pair of pins; and heavyweight Chris Seavey, who also pinned all three of his opponents.

MUSTANGS COLLECT THREE EASY WINS

The Massabesic High wrestling team climbed over the .500 mark on Saturday with three convincing wins on the road at Morse High in Bath. The Mustangs easily dispatched Lake Region (70-12), Mt. View (66-12), and host Morse (60-12).

Coach Bob Eon was pleased to see his charges rebound so well from their tough encounter with Bonny Eagle last Wednesday evening.

"We are young," Eon noted, "and the lessons just keep coming."

Among the more pleasant surprises for coach Eon was the performance of freshman newcomer Earl Heathcock, who just joined the team recently and fills the previously vacant spot at 140 pounds. Heathcock collected a pin in his very first varsity match to help the Mustangs win against Lake Region.

Another pleasant surprise is the continued strong showing of sophomore Justin Boucher at 160 pounds. On Saturday Boucher won all three of his matches by pinning the opposition in times ranging from :27 to 1:49. Senior Tom Metz, at 135-pounds, also recorded three pins on the day. Mike Hersom, at 215, added a pair while collecting a forfeit victory in his third scheduled match of the day.

Massabesic will be home to next door neighbor Sanford on Wednesday evening.

SOUTH PARIS-The drive for success can be a never-ending battle because there's usually an athlete, with the talent and ability to challenge for supremacy. Fortunately, Seth McAlister experienced the fruits of victory and the Oxford Hills Comprehensive

McAlister had earned a solid reputation for his winning routine, however, the rookie really excelled in the 2001 post season tournaments. The exploits on the mat eventually led to a Class A state championship at 103-pounds.

The current season has presented an entirely new set of challenges, but McAlister is well aware that resting on previous laurels isn't an option. An increase in weight to 125 hasn't slowed the Viking standout from striving for perfection, while having established new goals.

"I don't believe Seth has come close to his potential,"Oxford Hills coach Chris Cobbett said. "There are times when young wrestlers who have been successful early on will take things for granted. That's because their name is out there, but I don't see that with Seth. He is working just as hard as ever in practices."

McAlister entered last weekend with a 15-0 record, including 12 pins and was really looking forward to testing his skills in the Redskin tournament in Sanford. Unfortunately, the slate was blemished in a loss to a wrestler from Quincy, Massachusetts. Undaunted, McAlister shook off the set back and advanced back through to place third.

There's always space to create an edge and it has resulted in a new look around the Vikings wrestling room. Prior to the McDonalds last month, McAlister and a couple teammates to shave their heads.

"It's a superstition thing,"McAlister said jokingly. "I won the tournament."

There are always points in a wrestling career that can be looked upon as a turning point and McAlister met his waterloo at the 2000 McDonalds Invitational. A hard-fought loss to defending state champion Adam Hale of Noble, igniting a fire that McAlister didn't even know existed inside him.

"That loss was hard to take back then,"McAlister admitted. "I had been going pretty good, but that loss really set me back. The one good thing was that I knew I'd see him again."

The premonition held true because the tandem faced each other in the state finals. McAlister wasn't about to allow this second opportunity to slip away and executed the initial takedown. The Viking wrestler eventually recorded a 3-0 decision.

"It had been an eye opener,"coach Cobbett said, regarding the earlier loss. "It showed Seth that he was fully capable of achieving greater success that he had even imagined. This season, Seth has set a goal to place in the New England."

The current expectations for this season are dramatically different from a few years ago. McAlister had but been cut from the junior high basketball team, but coach Steve Cobbett introduced him to wrestling. In the eighth grade, McAlister was unbeaten and won the Pine Tree Wrestling League championship.

McAlister admits opponents are stronger because of competing at the heavier weight this season. Fortunately, McAlister credits the basic style taught by Steve Cobbett for being successful on the mat.

"I'm not fancy,"McAlister said. "My style is old, but that's how I first learned the sport. I stick with the basics and that's been successful so far. Along the way, I've also been helped by former teammates Brad Demers and Jenn Wormwood and now coach (Chris) Cobbett."

Besides playing baseball, McAlister also enjoys working around antiques. The aforementioned profession has a strong correlation with wrestling; because it forces him to focus intently on one object.

Last summer, McAlister traveled to Porto Rico and he was introduced to free style wrestling. The trip had been arranged by a former coach of Chris Cobbett, from American International College. FS influences individuals to utilize their techniques and McAlister adapted well by placing fourth in a tournament at 129.8.

"I really enjoyed that open style,"McAlister said. "It was nice to for me to have to rely on technique. It was like when I entered high school because I knew it was a big step. I really didn't know how well I'd do."

Supported by former wrestlers Mike Mayne '00 and Craig Rosen '90 as well as the Powlovich family, a core group of 9 Hyde athletes took on PCD, Deerfield, and Andover. Showing his dedicated team spirit, Mayne, a 1999 New England champion now wrestling at BU, drilled the team between matches and also helped with the scorekeeping. Depleted by injuries, illness, and work crew, we were far from uncertain going into today's matches; nonetheless the team responded with Hyde heart. In the first dual with PCD, Hyde won 3 of the 5 contested bouts; with the addition of forfeits, the Phoenix came out on top 42 - 24. The second dual was against Class A 4th-ranked opponent Deerfield; we won 5 matches to Deerfield's 6, highlighted by Damion Mathis' first victory and Matt Lemonds' come-form-behind pin, but we could not overcome 24 points in forfeits, falling 45 - 25.

The afternoon's final bout was made all the more exciting in that we began the match even, each squad trading one forfeit, meaning that the final score would be determined on the mat. Andover won the opening contests at 145 and 152, then Hyde scored 24 points in a row on Bornstein's pin at 160, a forfeit to Ferry at 171, Co-Captain Wes Matheny's critical fall at 189 (he moved up a weight to help the cause) and, following 3 double forfeits, Corey Littman's 2nd pin of the day with his trademark reverse cradle. When Andover picked up 6 with a forfeit at 119, making the team score 24 - 18 in favor of Hyde, that made Puglisi's pin at 125 a crucial victory. Andover came right back with a pin at 130.

In an act of true sportsmanship, instead of accepting a forfeit at 135, Andover's Class A Champ Dan Shvartsman moved up a weight to wrestle Hyde's Co-Captain Alex Rosen in the final contest. With the new random alignment of weight classes, this created an exciting final duel between two well-muscled adversaries. Rosen fought off several pinning attempts and hip tosses before catching Shvartsman on his back at the final buzzer. The resulting 26 - 15 match score earned 4 team points for Andover - not enough, as a small but proud Hyde - Bath team prevailed 30 - 28.

DIXFIELD- The ability to adapt to the situation is extremely important because it provides a wrestler with the knowledge necessary to react in a decisive strategic matter. The mental attributes utilized can neutralize an opponent's physical powers when countered approximately.

The Dirigo High School utilized a quick start, behind four straight pins, beginning with Kyle Dolloff (140-pounds) and then held on for a 48-30 win against Monmouth. The Cougars Derrick Gilbert was forced to make a decision, which produced positive results as the wrestler recorded a pin against Mike Mulligan in a 78-6 win against Hyde in Mid-State League action at Defoe Gym Saturday.

Monmouth (9-11) also received three pins in the first period en route to a 54-30 win over Hyde (3-5).

Gilbert immediately encountered a foreign environment because Mulligan was intent on using muscle strength in their 171 matches. The Phoenix wrestler executed the initial takedown, however, Gilbert scored a reversal and had two pinning combinations.

"I hadn't been against an opponent like that this season,"Gilbert said. "(Mulligan) just wanted to out muscle me and things I tried early on weren't (finishing). So, I decided to be patient and wait for him to make a move and then counter it."

In the second period, Gilbert had another reversal and then bided his time before Mulligan over compensated. The Cougar wrestler sunk in a reverse-half nelson for the stick.

"There's a great reliance toward strength on this team,"Hyde coach Brian Mulligan. "Mike (cousin) is a perfect example and we need to incorporate that with technique. Mike is aggressive and makes things happen."

Dirigo (9-9-1) also received pins by Dana McKeen (125), David Flagg (145), Curtis Brann (152), Nick Gurney (160), Scott Skibitsky (215) and Richard Williams (275). Brann and Skibitsky each used head-and-arm moves against Mike Deisig and James Finder.

Dolloff also settled in a reverse-half nelson on Dennis Trask of Monmouth. Gurney built up a 13-0 lead before sticking Jake Tidsdale. Gilbert pinned Jamie Hodsdon in 58 seconds. The Cougars Jason Capponi stuck Jason Diamond at 189.

Fortunately, Monmouth galloped back with six-straight wins, including a 4-0 decision by Nate Butler over Skibitsky. The match proved to be extremely competitive. Butler executed a takedown late in the first period and a switch in the second period.

"That one worried me,"Monmouth coach Charlie Fyler said. "I wasn't sure how it would pan out. Skibitsky had beaten Matt Thurston of Mountain Valley, but Nate (Butler) had lost to Thurston. The kids finished up strong today which was nice to see."

The Stangs' Aaron Kaluzynski (20-1 at 103), a former state champion, stuck Dirigo freshman Anthony Garcia. Wes Danforth (119) stuck Bub Millett and Ryan Audet also tilted Sonny McPherson at 130. The Mustangs have been hurt all season by having to forfeit four weight classes.

Heidi Bondagel (112) was trailing Eli Johnson 7-0, but sswitched and recorded a pin. Mike Boulette also rallied to decision Tony Smith 9-7 at 135.

Hyde received two pins by Virgil Buzzell at 189 and one by Mulligan.

Click to expand picture: Massabesic High's Ken Belanger tries to pin Westbrook's Lew Emery during the 119-pound championship bout at the Redskin Invitational Saturday. Belanger lost a 9-7 decision. Photo By Shawn Patrick Ouellette

SANFORD - The Redskin Invitational Tournament returned after a one-year hiatus and local wrestlers found it just as tough as ever to earn an individual championship.

A handful of York County competitors worked their way into the finals but none of them managed to grab a gold medal Saturday as the two-day event came to a close.

Kennebunk's Chris Seavey was this area's last hope as he stepped onto the mat against Westbrook's 275-pound Pat Begin for the final bout. They danced around the circle seeking to secure some sort of advantage for nearly two full periods. Begin managed the only point with an escape and then scored four more points in the third period. He jumped for joy when the buzzer sounded.

Seavey, the anchor of the Kennebunk lineup, had scored pins in his previous three matches at the RIT and was pleased with his overall effort.

"I'm happy," he said after the finals, "but I'm not satisfied. I kind of tired myself out."

This was his first foray into the Redskin Invitational. Seavey did not wrestle last season and was on the junior varsity team as a sophomore. He said because of those facts he hasn't been getting very many high seedings in tournaments this year.

That may now change as he feels he's gained a little more respect.

Seavey's big upset of the weekend came against top-seeded Matt Lude from Massabesic. Seavey pinned the big Mustang in 2:20. Sanford's Charles Carlson was his first victim and Mountain Valley's Mike Hanson also got pinned by Seavey.

He knows that before this season ends he'll likely be matching up against all but Hanson again in order to get through the Class A regionals and to the state meet. He used this past weekend's tournament as a great learning experience.

When he faces Begin again he said he needs to work more on breaking him down, and against Lude he'll need to continually strive to keep his own weight on top. Both are things he can work on at practice with Kennebunk coach Aaron Germana.

Seavey is one of only three seniors on the Kennebunk team. The Rams scored 67 points, well away from local rivals Biddeford, Massabesic and Sanford who jockeyed for position in the middle of the pack.

The Crimson Tide from Concord, N.H. took overall honors for the third time, scoring 174.5 points. Camden Hills (171) entered the final round with a chance to catch up but needed pins in the final round to do it. The Mt. Blue Cougars (third at 168) also had a shot at the top spot because of the four finalists with an 'MB' emblazoned on their backs. Three of them won titles. Westbrook and Mountain Valley rounded out the top five.

Biddeford, Massabesic and Sanford each had finalists and the host Redskins had two, but all three teams failed to score again once the last round began. Biddeford finished ninth with 86 points, the Mustangs scored 85 and Sanford had 84.5.

Massabesic's Ken Belanger had one of his best efforts this year, placing second at 119 pounds. He ended up losing to Westbrook's Lew Emery, 9-7, as time ran out on him after he had gotten a grip on Emery for a pinning combination.

"Ken did a fantastic job," Massabesic coach Bob Eon said. "He pinned a real good kid from Mt. Blue (second seed Scott Webber) to get to the finals and almost got another one."

Eon, a former Massabesic wrestler and RIT champion himself in the first meet held back in the 1970's, said he was happy to bring his team in for some good competition.

"If kids do well here," he said, "it's a very good measuring stick for them."

Jeff Lude battled back and took a third-place medal for the Mustangs as did Kennebunk's Mike Dumas (130) and Ben Kinerson (160).

Kinerson had been sent to the consolation bracket with a narrow defeat against Fryeburg's Buck Brown, the eventual champion.

Brown had all he could handle in the title bout as he and Sanford's Nick Legere went to double overtime. Legere, who earned the Ken Hover Memorial Award for being Sanford's top performer, lost for just the third time this season.

He said Brown proved to be a good defensive wrestler who knew how to use his strength. Legere said one of the biggest things he learned was the importance of scoring first. A new rule this year allows the first wrestler to score a point the choice to be up or down once the 30-second, second overtime begins.

Brown chose to be on his knees to start the second after a scoreless first OT and Legere just couldn't hang on.

"Nick and I had talked about that," Sanford coach Mark Hansen said. "It's a new rule and it really encourages a little more aggressive wrestling in a close match. That 160 class was a really tough weight class and Nick did a great job."

Hansen, in his second year as Sanford's coach, was unable to host last year's Redskin Invitational but said he was happy with the way things went this winter.

"We pretty much finished where I thought we would," he said. "There was some good competition as there always is here and I saw some good things."

Sanford's Chad Edwards, a junior co-captain, also took second place. He lost a 12-3 final match to Deering's Jon Kane, but had been nearly untouchable before that. Edwards had an 11-0 win, a 7-0 decision and he pinned Mt. Blue's Matt Ryan in 21 seconds to get to the finals.

Sanford's Brian Bourque earned a third-place medal in the tough 130 weight class and Sanford got a fifth-place effort from Peter Wentworth (112).

Anthony Cincotta was the lone Biddeford finalist as the Tigers (11-0 in dual meets) had a somewhat disappointing weekend.

Cincotta lost his 140-pound title battle to Mt. Blue's Ryan Hutchinson but not before nearly pinning the Cougar late in the third period. Jon Cochrane (125) was fifth for BHS and sixth-place honors went to Jim Gaudette (112) and Tony Goulet (160).

"We lost a lot of close matches early," Tiger coach Bob Gaudette noted. "In the consolation quarterfinals we had 12 guys in and six of them lost. That kind of set the tone for the day. The competition here was some of the toughest we've seen, it usually is.

"I think it was an awakening for some people. Now we really need to know what we need to work harder on in practice. We need to learn what it takes to compete at a high level in a tournament like this."

The Tigers put their unbeaten record on the line at home Wednesday, entertaining the three-time state champion Noble Knights. It's kind of like going from the frying pan into the fire and Gaudette's anxious to see how his Tigers react.

TOPSHAM - The Wells High wrestling team spent an extremely profitable Saturday in Topsham, collecting three victories over Maine Central Institute, Mt. View and the host Mt Ararat School.

In their matchup with MCI, the Warriors recorded a decision, a technical fall and five pins en route to a 56-11 victory. The pins were short, Matt Witham's in 52 seconds at 152, and not so short, Edgar Wallace's in three minutes at 135.

In their 63-6 matchup with Mt. View, the Mustangs' only victories came in matches where the Warriors had no competitors. Wells collected six pins, one decision, and four forfeits of their own. Dylan Grethe, at 130, recorded the quickest pin in 19 seconds.

Host Mt. Ararat provided Wells with the stiffest conpetition of the day before falling by a 40-37 score. The Eagles collected three wins in the first four matches before pins from Grethe, Wallace and Gale Pauly at 145 got the Warriors back into the match. Pins by Wayne Wittman at 171 and Pat Casten at 215 provided Wells with the winning margain.

Grethe and Wallace each recorded three pins on the day.

Pauly had two pins and a forfeit victory as did Casten. Witham had two pins and a decision while Ben Pierce had two pins before losing his final match.

Traip Academy sweeps

KITTERY, Maine The Rangers swept a pair of matches on Wednesday, beating Monmouth, 51-24, and Lake Region, 48-27, to improve its dual meet mark to 6-6-1.

Jake Bedard (125 pounds) paced Traip with a pair of pins in 38 seconds and 1:45. Other double winners for the Rangers were Josh Bedard (119, forfeit, pin 1:25), Mike Navarro (140, pin :24, decision 8-4), Mike Embry (130, pin 1:07, forfeit) and Tony Reyes (152, :39, forfeit).

The Rangers are at Bonny Eagle with Winslow on Saturday.

Marshwood 57, Fryeburg 21

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine The Marshwood Hawks continued their roll through the Western Maine Conference Wednesday, defeating Fryeburg on the strength of five forfeits by the Raiders.

Winners for the Hawks by pin included Pat Howard in the 130 pound class, Ben Conte in the 140 pound class and Deanna Rix at 119 pounds. Howard (16-0), Conte (14-0) and Rix (12-0) are undefeated in conference matches this season. Cody Lightfoot (16-0) won his 189-pound match with a 6-1 decision.

Winning by forfeit were Greg Hathaway at 135 pounds, Colby Lamson (13-0) at 145, Norman Searles at 215, Anthony Moriarty (12-0) at 103 and Jake Smith (9-0) at 112 pounds.

Marshwood (13-1) takes part in the Mt. Anthony Invitational on Saturday in Bennington, Vt.

Noble 62, Biddeford 18

BIDDEFORD, Maine Noble climbed to 9-0 on the year as they beat up Biddeford in Wednesday night Southern Maine Activities Association action.

Winners for the Knights were Paul Desmarais (103 pounds), Kyle Hale (112), Adam Hale (119), Greg Croteau (125), Travis Bentley (135), Mike Reynolds (140), Decota Cotten (152), James Cotten (171), Spenser Eldridge (189), Dick DeCato (215) and Matt Whiteside (275).

Noble will compete at the North Attleboro (Mass.) Invitational on Saturday.

A wrestling team endures a variety of changes throughout a season, however, the main objective is to strive toward improvement. That's exactly what Mountain Valley has continued to do and more even more importantly its performances in tournaments have provided a perfect measuring gague.

Class B Mountain Valley have a good mixture of veterans and younger wrestlers who are eager to make positive contributions. There were a few adjustments that needed to be made, but first-year coach Gary Dolloff helped make sure things ran smoothly.

Dolloff familiarity with the wrestlers was a huge advantage because he has been the assistant varsity coach and over saw the junior high team. Still, Dolloff had some big shoes to fill, after replacing retired Hall of Fame coach Jerry Perkins.

The Falcons provided an indication to themselves and others that it has the depth necessary to be a factor. The team scored 137 points to finish fifth at the Redskin Invitational last weekend.

"It was very good for us,"Dolloff said. "To finish fifth in the Redskin says a lot for the team because of the number of the teams that participated. The kids all wrestled relaxed and 12 of 13 scored points. I think that says a lot about what we're capable of doing in future tournaments."

Mountain Valley has won the past two regionals and is also defending Mid-State League champions.

The lone seniors on the team are Craig Fergola (171-pounds) and Matt Thurston (215). Fergola placed fourth in the state meet last February.

A solid group of juniors, including Ian Venskus (103), Kirk Nelson (152), Jason McPherson (160) and Jason Provencher (189) have all been tested. Nelson and freshman Ben Madigan (130) have both been finalists in the last two tournaments.

The continued contributions of Travis Child (112), Matt Taylor, Mallory Thurston (140), Richard True (145) and Mike Hanson (275) will be equally important.

There are plenty of incentives on the way to succeeding in wrestling and setting individual goals is extremely important. Unfortunately, a dose of adversity is usually encountered during career, which needs to be addressed.

Tony Collins of Oak Hill and Kevin Armstrong of Dexter are each determined to advance back to the finals of their respective state meets. The tandem have different reasons to return, however, the potential ending would lead to championships.

Collins surprised many by advancing to the Class B finals last February; however, his bridesmaid finish has resulted in some unfinished business. Armstrong had won two Class C state titles, but emergency surgery the week of the state meet prevented him from defending the crown.

"My goal is to get back to the finals,"Collins said. "Last year, lost a decision to Jason Buotte of Mountain Valley and he was a very good wrestler. But, it also happened to be his 100th (areer) win."

The Raider standout is doing his best to remain focused and entered this season well prepared for the demands of competition. Collins is member of the Gamache Boxing Club and also endured a running program in order to be in top physical condition. Collins who competes at 135, currently has a 12-2 record. The lone losses were against 2001 state finalists Dan Stace (at 140) of Winslow and Joe Zak of Camden Hills. Zak has since bumped up in weight, but defending state champion Chris Remsen of Camden has returned at 135.

Oak Hill coach Rick Swett believes Collins has the physical and mental attributes to return to the state finals.

Collins utilizes an aggressive style, but he feels confident about his abilities. The situation changes instantly during a match, so it's imperative that wrestlers be able to make the proper adjustments.

"I'm ready for any thing,"Collins said. "I enjoy wrestling on my feet, but I'm also just as comfortable on the mat. "I'm just looking forward to the KVACs, regionals and states because those are the three major tournaments we compete in."

Armstrong, a two-time Class C state champion, had been practicing for the state meet, but there were tell tale signs that some thing was wrong. The pain in his armpit had become increasingly worse. Armstrong' season ended abruptly when an operation for strepct was necessary.

"During the season, the doctors had said to continue wrestle,"Armstrong said. "But, it got so bad that it was impossible to lift my left arm. It was tough having to sit out, but every thing is alright now and being able to compete in the state meet again is important."

Armstrong had a rather surprising introduction to the sport, when he attended a peewee session while in the third grade. He was unaware that any wrestling existed, out side of the WWF.

Armstrong is currently 20-0 at 145 this season and has over 100 wins in his career.

"The early success really helped,"Armstrong said. "I really think that winning states as a freshman put me on the right track. Also, the trip to Nebraska really made me aware of how many wrestling moves are available for me to learn and use."

Armstrong has already been offered a spot on the 2002 Friendship Series team that will tour the mid-western state in June. The future plans are to attend a technical college and become an electrician.

It's certainly been long over-due, but the wrestling community has a web site strictly dedicated to wrestling throughout the state. The Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance site provides easy access to information on individuals and teams.

John Cole maintains the site, which includes updated scores on meets and tournaments. There are also feature article on wrestlers, team schedules, upcoming announcements and history-related facts about the sports. The address is www.mawaonline.org.

Four Bucksport HS wrestlers poised to pin down 100th win

When it comes to wrestling, there isn’t much that hasn’t been done on an individual or team basis at Bucksport High School.

State, regional and conference championship banners adorn the walls, individual honors and statistics cram the team record books, and it’s a rare year indeed when the Golden Bucks aren’t considered title contenders.

The Bucks are again legitimate title contenders this year, but even if they don’t win a single piece of championship hardware, this season is guaranteed to be one of previously unrealized success.

Barring some drastic, unforeseen setbacks, four Bucksport wrestlers " Dave Maguire (130-pound class), Josh Pelletier (135), Kyle Perkins (112) and Adam Bourgon (140) " will reach or eclipse the coveted career 100-win mark for varsity match victories within the next week.

If that’s not enough to generate some excitement in this riverside mill town, Bucks fans will soon see another first… Twice.

On Wednesday, juniors Pelletier and Perkins are due to become the first non-senior wrestlers in Bucksport High history to reach the 100-win mark.

"It’s amazing. All of this is really a big thing for the program because you know it’s accomplishing everything it can or should be," said Joe Pelletier, now in his second season as the program’s head coach. "It’s great because my son Travis [Pelletier] and Josh and Adam and Kyle all started with me in third grade and everyone’s been kind of keeping an eye on this group for quite some time."

Travis Pelletier is 66-6 overall. Had it not been for a double ligament tear (meniscus and anterior cruciate) in his knee at the start of last season " an injury that required two surgeries " Travis would very probably be on pace to swell the membership in Bucksport’s century club to five this season and become the third junior to accomplish the feat.

As it is, space is already at a premium on the 100-win banner, which occupies a prominent place on the gymnasium wall. When Maguire reached the milestone last week, there was just enough space left for his name as the 10th wrestler to join the exclusive club "founded" by Cory Bennett and Shawn Gross in 1991.

"I think we’re just gonna put another one up," said Pelletier. "Dave will be the last name on this one."

It’s appropriate for Maguire to be the last name on the banner as his cousin Andy Maguire, who holds the school record for career wins with 123, accomplished the feat in 1995.

"I made it a goal right from my freshman year because of Andy," said Maguire, whose cousin started teaching him moves when he was 6. "It feels really good because my name will always be on the banner at the high school, about four names down from Andy’s."

Why the sudden space crunch for an accomplishment that’s historically been rarer than a 1,000-point scorer in basketball? Joe Pelletier has some theories.

"Matches keep getting tougher, but I think it’s having more meets and the fact they [wrestlers] start earlier [in life]," he said. "They’re much more accomplished when they get here, so you have freshmen doing well instead of having to learn the sport for a year."

Pelletier said both Pelletiers, Perkins and Bourgon were so talented as freshmen, they were able to come right in and displace solid upperclassmen who had already won conference and regional titles in their weight classes.

"It’s just a special group," he said. "They’re all close and they’re dedicated. They eat, sleep and breathe wrestling. They all love it."

Other keys include all having good hips, a key physical trait in this sport, and all have backup moves to rely on, although Perkins is so fast he simply relies on his speed to get out of tight spots.

Maguire says now that his No. 1 goal has been accomplished, it’s on to the next one.

"I’m trying to win all my meets this year," said Maguire, who’s 25-0 after having already beaten B.J. Hamm, the top seed in the state in the 135-pound class and one of the few Maine wrestlers to place in the New England championships last year.

The 10-6 decision was Maguire’s first-ever win over Hamm in several meetings. Maguire also became the first Bucks wrestler to win a title at the annual Wells (High School) Tournament since Bucksport became a regular participant six years ago.

Maguire has some extra motivation working for him this year after the crushing way his season ended last year. He was undefeated and the top seed in his weight class for the Class C state championship meet. He arrived at his weigh-in eight pounds overweight. After exercising nonstop in a desperate attempt to drop the weight, he was disqualified after coming up just a half-pound over the minimum weight requirement.

Goal No. 3 for Maguire is Andy’s career win record and four through six are conference, regional and state titles. Speaking of states, winning a team Class C state crown is goal 1A for Maguire and everyone else on the team.

"Much of this has to do with all the groundwork Mike [Carter] has laid down here," said Joe Pelletier, referring to the program’s founder and former coach. "He wasn’t satisfied with us just being good. He wanted to put us on the map."

They’re on the map all right, perhaps as the capital of Eastern Maine wrestling if the current level of success continues.

Andrew Neff’s High school report is published each Wednesday. He can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or aneff@bangordailynews.net.

"It’s just a special group. They’re all close and they’re dedicated. They eat, sleep and breathe wrestling. They all love it."

RUMFORD-Lisbon High School wrestling coach Mark Stevens hasn't been exactly sure how strong the team at this point of the season because it needed a major test. That competition transpired Wednesday night and the Greyhounds needed to go the distance.

Sophomore Derek Giusto recorded a major decision over Ryan Dayon at 125-pounds as Lisbon rallied past Mountain Valley 37-31 in Mid-State League action.

The meet between Lisbon and Mountain Valley generated a great deal of interest because the teams are co-favorites in the league meet later this month. Although the scores are important, the out come out in a tournament is different because of individual match-ups.

Lisbon (12-0), defending Class C state champions were pushed to the limit by undermanned Mountain Valley (). The Falcons, defending league champion, actually out scored the Greyhounds on the mat.

"That's al that we could do with three forfeits,"Falcon coach Gary Dolloff said."It was just a tremendous effort for the entire team. The kids fought until the very end of each match. That included from not being pinned or giving up a major decision."

Mountain Valey had taken a 29-27 lead, following wins by Ian Venskus and Travis Child at 103 and 119. Venskus wrestled aggressively and stuck Charlie Stambach in the second period. Child exected a late takedown to decision Ian Mckeen 7-5.

The lead proved to be short lived because Guisto proceeded to take control n the final contested match. The Hounds' sophomore shot in for the initial takedown and angled a near fall.

"Hopefully, this is a wake-up call for us,"Stevens said. "Any time you go against Mountain Valley, especially in Rumford, you can expect a battle. There were some good matches, beginning with the first one."

Nate Hix slid around for a reversal at the buzzer, to win a 10-8 decision over Ben Madigan. The match was closely fought and the Falcon freshman had a takedown, tying the score with 30 seconds left.

B.J. Hamm recorded a pin for Lisbon, but the Falcons won four-straight matches to take a 20-2 lead. Matt Taylor and Kirk Nelson each used head and arm moves to pin opponents at 145 and 152. Jason McPherson (160) won a 10-2 major decision against Rob Hespe. Craig Fergola (171) also toppled Ryan Willey 11-2.

"I believe we can get them in a tournament,"Dolloff said. "We'll have more weights filled and we may get to face them at the Kennebunk duals this Saturday."

The Greyhounds Joey Schreiber held off a determined Jason McPherson at 189. Teammate Adam Lord (twisted ankle) won 5-2 over Travis Dragoon at 215.

Dirigo (7-9-1) and rival Mountain Valley (5-1-1) battled to a 38-38 draw and it required a Madigan pin against Sonny McPherson at 130, to force the stalemate.

The Cougars had taken a double-digit lead, following pins by Jamie Bedard 140, Curtis Brann 152 and Nick Gurney 160. David Flagg had a technical fall 19-3 at 145.

The Falcons soared back with pins by Provencher, Venskus, Child and Dayon. Matt Thurston won a 6-5 decisin against Scott Skibitsky at 215. Mountain Valley had one-team point deducted for taunting.

Dirigo inserted a make shift line-up and were crushed 66-10 by Lisbon. The teams have squared off against each other several times this season. Cougar winners were Gurney and Keith Lewis (pin at 189).

Kennebunk High School will host the annual Kennebunk Duals tournament on Saturday with wrestling scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. This tournament will feature dual wrestling matches rather than individual style tournament structure.

Schools participating this year include, Wells, Fryeburg Academy, Lisbon, York, Biddeford, Westbrook, Mountain Valley and Kennebunk.

Finals are planned to start during the latter part of the afternoon. The Kennebunk High Athletic Boosters will provide a full breakfast as well as a full compliment of food throughout the day. Food will not be allowed in the gymnasium during the tournament.

Mt. Blue High School finished an impressive third in last weekend's Redskin Invitational Tournament held in Sanford. The Cougars finished with 168 points, just 6.5 points behind Concord (N.H.) High School's 174.5 points in the two-day tournament which started Friday night. Camden Hills Regional High School finished second in the 17-team field with 171 points.

Mt. Blue had three tournament champions. Scott Webber (112 pounds) scored three pins on the way to the finals, where he met Mike Ames of Belfast. Webber won the championship with a 9-4 decision. Ryan Hutchinson (140) reached the finals with a semifinal pin of Camden Hills'Joe Zak. Zak was a Class B state runner up last year.

Hutchinson ended his day with a 17-6 decision over Anthony Cincotta of Biddeford.

Matt Waite (215) spent less than a minute on the mat in his two preliminary bouts, winning by pins in 25 seconds and 33 seconds, respectively. His finals opponent was highly regarded James Warriner of Concord. Warriner placed fourth in last year's New England tournament.

Waite won a hard-fought 3-0 decision with a second-period escape followed by a takedown.

"It wasn't as close as the score indicated,"said Mt. Blue coach Nate Phillips. "Matt really dominated the match."

Joining the trio in the finals was Shane Webber (103)who lost to Westbrook's Nick Lavigne. Seth Webber(119) placed third while Damian Osgood (145) took fourth.

Rounding out the medalists for the Cougars were Matt Ryan (171), Shawn Spangler (189) and Brian Orr (275) who each finished in sixth place.

Two Monmouth Academy graduates are competing for college wrestling programs in Pennsylvania. Mark McDonald who was a two-time state champion for the Mustangs is wrestling in the 157-pound class at Gettysburg College. Former teammate, Jacob O'Donnell is competing at 149 pounds for Bucknell University which is located in Lewisburg.

McDonald and O'Donnell have picked one of the tougher states for wrestling. Typically, the NCAA Division I top 20 list is dotted with Pennsylvania colleges.

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

The out come was't decided until Matt Berry of Dexter jumped ahead early and eventually pinned Tony Smith in the final match at 135-pounds as the Tigers rallied back for a thrilling 44-36 win against Dirigo at Defoe Gym.

Class C Dirigo and Dexter each recorded wins of 59-24 and 50-24 against undermanned Oak Hill. However, the determination displayed by the Raiders wrestlers far out weighed the final tallies.

Dirigo (7-8) had taken a 36-30 when Dana McKeen stuck Greg Day in the second period at 125. Unfortunately, the momentum was short lived because the Tigers Eric Thompson showed Sonny McPherson the lights at 130.

"I really hated for it come down to the last match,"Dexter coach Dave Gudroe said. "There was a big question for us about who was stepping out on the mat because Matt Berry has had troubles at times this season. But, he was able to stem the tide against (Smith) trying to out muscle him. We've been having a hard time pinning opponents this season."

Dexter (12-0-1) had beaten Dirigo 59-18 last month and it looked like déjà vu again as the lead was 14-0 after three matches. The Tigers Vinny Greene dicisioned Jamie Bedard 6-1 at 140 and Kevin Armstrong (145) won an 18-0 technical fall over David Flagg.

Aaron Thomas stuck Curtis Brann, but Dirigo quickly roared back, with two pins. Nick Gurney executed a guillotine in 58 seconds and Derrick Gilbert used a half nelson at 171. Gilberts' win avenged a pin to Josh Bishop.

Gurney (23-2), Armstrong (19-0) and Thomas (19-0) are each defending state champions.

"We worked as a team today,"Dirigo coach Doug Gilbert said. "The lost to Dexter was a lot easier to take today, compared to 41-points. We had a few surprises, starting with Jamie Bedard being decisioned, after having been pinned last time. We looked good on our feet today (tied 7-7 on takedowns), but we also came up short in a couple."

Scott Skibitsky had used a pinning move to take a 5-0 lead and appeared to be in control. In the second period, Skibitsky dropped his hip and Mike Burton immediately recorded a pin.

"We came close today,"Gurney said. "It was a lot better showing, but there's still room for improvement before the tournaments."

Class B Oak Hill (3-9-1) actually beat Dexter 24-20 on the mat, but were snake bitten by five forfeits. Adaam Buckingham (12-1) and Tony Collins 11-2 each had two pins at 275 and 135. Buckingham used a head and arm on Mike Williams of Dirigo.

Against Dirigo, Ben Johnson (13) stuck McPherson and Schyler Gagnon cradled Jason Capponi at 189.

The Cougars countered with pins by Anthony Garcia 103, Eli Johnson 112 and McKeen. Teammate Bob Millett won a 15-0 tech fall against Haley Ryan at 119.