WELLS-Griffyn Smith battled to win an individual
championship at 120-pounds and helped lead Dirigo score 110.5 points in an
impressive second-place finish at the annual Atlantic Invitational wrestling
tournament.
Dirigo had started well in the quarterfinals and advanced
four to the finals, in the day-long event. Freshman
Chase Thebarge 106 was a finalist for the second weekend and sophomores Hunter
White 138 and Bryce Whittemore (152).
Caleb Austin (113) repeated an individual championship as Mountain Valley
Three-time defending Class A state champion Marshwood 229
points ran away to win the tournament for the third-straight year. The Hawks
had eight champions. It was obvious that Marshwood was the superior team, but
the Cougars proved to have enough to hold off host Wells 96.5. Biddeford 90 rounded out
the top five.
It was a battle of state champions between Smith and Ethan
Boucher of Mountain
Valley
Austin, a sophomore, won for the
second-straight year by technical falling 18-3 Danny Buteau of Oak Hill.
Austin, a Class B state finalist, beat Buteau who won a Class B state
championship as a freshman, last year won at 106. It was a the second-straight
Saturday that Austin
walked over the Raider wrestler.
Thebarge was stuck by Kyle Glidden of Marshwood, as was
Whitemore who was stuck by Dommick Day of Biddeford .
White lost a 12-8 decision in the finals, to Brian Livermore of Biddeford , who was voted Most Outstanding Wrestler.
The Cougars Lucas 'Bull' MacDonald wrestled back to place
third at 195.
Teammate 4 Tucker Barnett lost 4-3
decision to Isaac Deshrochers, Wells, in consolation finals.
MV other finalists were Ian Austin at 182, who was schooled 18-3
for the second-straight year by three-time state champion Cody Hughes of Marshwood.
The Falcons had Nate White and Dakota Jacques each wrestle
back to place third at 126 and 145, respectively. White Pinned 0:49 Frank Smith
of Oak Hill. Jacques won 8-3 over Conor Smith, Fryeburg Academy