PAUL BETIT
— By
click image to enlarge
Ken Hagen of Noble upends Ryan Cook of Bonny Eagle during their match at 119 pounds. Hagen won, 9-6.
Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
click image to enlarge
Dalton Groeger, top, of Bonny Eagle attempts to gain an advantage against Justin Dumond of Massabesic in the 135-pound final. Groeger earned a 10-2 victory.
Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS BELOW
NORTH BERWICK: Massabesic and Noble set the stage for another showdown in next Saturday's Class A state wrestling meet.
Massabesic, the two-time defending state champion, finished 24.5 points ahead of Noble in the 14-team field at the Western Class A meet Saturday at Noble High.
''It was not totally lopsided and that's what people come here to see,'' Massabesic Coach Rick DesRosier said. ''They want to see two or three teams, four teams competing, and that's what makes it exciting.''
Massabesic scored 243 points, Noble had 218.5, and Bonny Eagle was third with 176.
Massabesic, which ended Noble's eight-year reign in 2007, and Noble will be the top contenders at the state meet Saturday in Augusta.
The top four wrestlers in each weight class in the regionals go to the state meet. Massabesic and Noble each had 11 wrestlers qualify. Bonny Eagle had eight.
Massabesic and Noble each had four wrestlers win finals.
The teams went head-to-head in four matches in the championship round, with each winning two.
Gage DesRosier of Massabesic collected his 100th career win when he pinned Kayleigh Longley of Noble in the finals at 103. DesRosier is seeking his second consecutive state title. Longley, was the lone female to advance to a regional final.
Noble's Ryan Anderson , after scoring takedowns in the first two periods, outlasted Kyle Courtney of Massabesic for an 8-5 decision at 135.
Peter Gilman of Massabesic pinned Ben Valencia of Noble in the 140-pound final.
In the final at 145, Mark Richardson of Noble beat Joey Eon of Massabesic, who is bidding to become the 11th Maine wrestler to win four state champions. Richardson won 8-5 after scoring a takedown and earning backups to take a 4-1 lead late in the first period.
Ken Hagen of Noble beat Ryan Cook of Bonny Eagle 9-6 in the final at 119.
Ryan Toussaint of Deering, who dropped down one class to wrestle at 125, outpointed Ethan Norwald of Massabesic in the final.
Dalton Groeger of Bonny Eagle beat Justin Dumond of Massabesic 10-2 at 130.
Peter Bronder scored a third-period pin against Harrison Strondek of Westbrook at 152.
In the 160-pound final, Derek Cloutier of Massabesic scored an escape in overtime to eke out a 2-1 decision against Pat Chute of Biddeford.
Stephen Martin of Bonny Eagle pinned Nate Winsor of Noble to win at 171.
Alexander Holland of Massabesic pinned Jacob Greenwood of Westbrook to win 189.
Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:
pbetit@pressherald.com