By Adam Birt
Jeremy Sendrowski resets during a bout with Massabesic’s Jeff Bryan at Saturday’s Class A Wrestling States. Sendrowski pinned Bryan at 2:19; he later defeated Skowhegan’s Samson Sirois 6-3 in the 113-pound championship match. Photo courtesy of Lisa Craig
The Class A State Wrestling Championship unfolded at Mt. Ararat Saturday. The Eagles played host to 20 other teams and hundreds of spectators even as a blizzard descended on southern Maine. For the fourth year in a row, Marshwood took home the top team prize, while Noble broke Massabesic’s three-year hold on second. The Mustangs finished fourth.
Scarborough Red Stormer Jeremy Sendrowski finished first in the 113-pound division. Sendrowski’s just a freshman, but has been wrestling for roughly a decade, and his battle with Skowhegan’s Samson Sirois proved to be a special high in his career thus far.
“I’d beaten [Sirois] once before, at the beginning of the season, so I knew it was going to be a close match,” Sendrowski said. “At the beginning of the match, he took me down, so it was 2-0 going into the second period. Then he chose down and got an escape, so I was down 3-0 going into the third period, I think.
“In the third period, I got an escape, then after that, I chin-whipped him and got five points out of that.” Sendrowski had stolen the lead in the final minutes, an impressive comeback. The two traded holds as time ticked away, but “I took him down one last time, and I just looked up at the clock and there was eight seconds left, and I knew I’d won,” Sendrowski said.
“The great thing about Jeremy is he's hungry for success,” said Scarborough coach Shane Stephenson. “He works hard and has been getting in extra workouts with other coaches and wrestlers all year.
“Most Maine high school wrestlers only wrestle during the season, but Jeremy knows that getting extra time in on the mat is crucial. The USM Brawlin' Lobsters, Portland Youth and the Trappers have all helped Jeremy achieve a state title as a freshman. I'm hoping that he will have the chance to make some noise at the New England Championships.”