By Mike Whaley
mwhaley@fosters.com |
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SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Until another school steps forward and proves otherwise, the power in Maine Class A wrestling will remain at Marshwood High School.
The two-time defending champs graduated seven seniors who placed in the top four at last winter’s Class A state championship, including three state champs.
“They’re still the frontrunners with three state champs back,” said veteran Noble coach Kip DeVoll. “That gets you a lot of points. Those three could have outscored us last year (at the states).”
The three in question are Marshwood juniors Cody Hughes, Brett Gerry and Jackson Howarth. Hughes, arguably the state’s top wrestler, won at 152 pounds, Howarth excelled at 145 and Gerry wrestled up to capture the 182 title. Senior Darren LaPointe also scored last year for the Hawks, taking third at 106.
Noble, which was runners-up to Marshwood at the regional meet, struggled at the state meet to take a disappointing fourth with 80 points behind Marshwood (201), Massabesic (113) and Skowhegan (105) — the four schools DeVoll figures will be in the run for the state title this season.
“A snowstorm moved the states back a whole week and we thought that would help us,” DeVoll said. “It backfired . We weren’t ready and it showed.”
With a strong core of young wrestlers back and some good new ones aboard, Noble figures to be in the hunt this season, in closer proximity to Marshwood than the past two.
“They’ve come back toward us,” said DeVoll, who coached the Knights to 11 state titles in a 13-year stretch from 1998-99 to 2010-11. “We’ve closed the gap at little. It’s going to be interesting.”
The Knights return four wrestlers who scored at the state meet, including senior captains Joe Grenier and Bill Gagner. The latter is currently on the sidelines recovering from a broken arm suffered during the soccer season and could be back before Christmas.
Gagner was second at 113 last winter, while Grenier was third at 152. Two other returning veterans are junior Robert Worell (220, 4th) and sophomore Otto Keisker (145, 3rd), as well as junior Joe Langley and sophomore Hunter Smith.
Gagner will likely wrestle at 120 or 126, Grenier at 170, Worell 195 to 220, Keisker at 145 or 152, Langley at 120 to 132 and Smith 182 or 195.
Four freshman who could provide immediate impact are Austin Shorey (113), Jake Martel (120), Bailey Coull (132, 138) and Josh Grenier (126, 132).
“We don’t have the numbers like we’ve had in the past,” DeVoll said. “But that’s pretty common across the state now. We’ve got a good group.”
Noble won the Westlake tournament last Saturday in Bath, Maine, led by wins from Shorey at 113, Keisker at 152 and Joe Grenier at 170. Langley (126) and Worell (220) earned runners-up honors.
For Marshwood, Hughes will likely wrestle at 160, Howarth at 170, Gerry at either 180 or 195 and LaPointe at 113.
The Hawks have just three seniors on the team.
While coach Max Rix is counting heavily on his top four, the maturation of others will need to figure in. Filling the void of the heavy graduation losses are senior captains Josh Marks (120) and Shamus McManus (145, 152), as well as juniors Killian Murphy (132) and Sam Hebert (138), sophomores Eric Glidden (126, 132), Jonathan Stacy (138, 145) and Justin Stacy (182), and freshman Bradley Beaulieu (113, 120).
“We have those four to build around and bring the others up to speed,” Rix said. “We don’t have the depth in the upper weights, but we’ll be right in the mix if we stay healthy.”
Both teams are in action this weekend. Noble, with its usual grueling schedule that takes it across the northeast, will be in Saranac, N.Y. Marshwood will be at the Westbrook Tournament.
For the first time in quite a few years, last season the two did not wrestle against each other in a dual meet at either school. Normalcy returns on Jan. 15 when the Hawks visit Noble.
The two-time defending champs graduated seven seniors who placed in the top four at last winter’s Class A state championship, including three state champs.
“They’re still the frontrunners with three state champs back,” said veteran Noble coach Kip DeVoll. “That gets you a lot of points. Those three could have outscored us last year (at the states).”
The three in question are Marshwood juniors Cody Hughes, Brett Gerry and Jackson Howarth. Hughes, arguably the state’s top wrestler, won at 152 pounds, Howarth excelled at 145 and Gerry wrestled up to capture the 182 title. Senior Darren LaPointe also scored last year for the Hawks, taking third at 106.
Noble, which was runners-up to Marshwood at the regional meet, struggled at the state meet to take a disappointing fourth with 80 points behind Marshwood (201), Massabesic (113) and Skowhegan (105) — the four schools DeVoll figures will be in the run for the state title this season.
 Click image to enlarge
Democrat file photo Noble's Joe Grenier, top, is one of a handful of returning wrestlers who will help make the Knights a competitive team once against in Maine Class A.
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With a strong core of young wrestlers back and some good new ones aboard, Noble figures to be in the hunt this season, in closer proximity to Marshwood than the past two.
“They’ve come back toward us,” said DeVoll, who coached the Knights to 11 state titles in a 13-year stretch from 1998-99 to 2010-11. “We’ve closed the gap at little. It’s going to be interesting.”
The Knights return four wrestlers who scored at the state meet, including senior captains Joe Grenier and Bill Gagner. The latter is currently on the sidelines recovering from a broken arm suffered during the soccer season and could be back before Christmas.
Gagner was second at 113 last winter, while Grenier was third at 152. Two other returning veterans are junior Robert Worell (220, 4th) and sophomore Otto Keisker (145, 3rd), as well as junior Joe Langley and sophomore Hunter Smith.
Gagner will likely wrestle at 120 or 126, Grenier at 170, Worell 195 to 220, Keisker at 145 or 152, Langley at 120 to 132 and Smith 182 or 195.
Four freshman who could provide immediate impact are Austin Shorey (113), Jake Martel (120), Bailey Coull (132, 138) and Josh Grenier (126, 132).
“We don’t have the numbers like we’ve had in the past,” DeVoll said. “But that’s pretty common across the state now. We’ve got a good group.”
Noble won the Westlake tournament last Saturday in Bath, Maine, led by wins from Shorey at 113, Keisker at 152 and Joe Grenier at 170. Langley (126) and Worell (220) earned runners-up honors.
For Marshwood, Hughes will likely wrestle at 160, Howarth at 170, Gerry at either 180 or 195 and LaPointe at 113.
The Hawks have just three seniors on the team.
While coach Max Rix is counting heavily on his top four, the maturation of others will need to figure in. Filling the void of the heavy graduation losses are senior captains Josh Marks (120) and Shamus McManus (145, 152), as well as juniors Killian Murphy (132) and Sam Hebert (138), sophomores Eric Glidden (126, 132), Jonathan Stacy (138, 145) and Justin Stacy (182), and freshman Bradley Beaulieu (113, 120).
“We have those four to build around and bring the others up to speed,” Rix said. “We don’t have the depth in the upper weights, but we’ll be right in the mix if we stay healthy.”
Both teams are in action this weekend. Noble, with its usual grueling schedule that takes it across the northeast, will be in Saranac, N.Y. Marshwood will be at the Westbrook Tournament.
For the first time in quite a few years, last season the two did not wrestle against each other in a dual meet at either school. Normalcy returns on Jan. 15 when the Hawks visit Noble.