Senior Wilder Young of the Mount Desert Island High School wrestling team gets the advantage last Wednesday in a match against Dylan Kruger of Penobscot Valley High School. Young lost the close match by decision.
PHOTO BY TAYLOR VORTHERMS
HOWLAND — Freshman Abrahm Malloy of the Mount Desert Island High School wrestling team won his weight class Saturday at the Penobscot Valley High School (PVHS) Holiday Classic tournament.
PVHS is MDI Coach Chip Dugans’ alma mater. He wrestled there for former coach Gerald Hutchinson, who now organizes this tournament.
Malloy and sophomore Marcus Parsons were both in the 113 class. Parsons “was winning his whole match,” Dugans said. “When he got himself in a bad position, his opponent got high up and rolled him.”
Senior Wilder Young finished fourth in the very competitive 152 class.
New wrestlers Taner Bickford and Christian Wehrfritz continue to make progress, Dugans said. “The thing about Christian is each time we go out, he’s working on new moves. You can see the improvement. But right now against their opponents, it’s not enough improvement to be winning matches.
“I’m so glad to see them sticking with it,” Dugans said. “In this sport, if you take your lumps, it’ll pay off in the long run. Eventually you’ll earn it, and you’ll appreciate it.”
On Wednesday, Dec. 17, the team competed at a small meet in Ellsworth. Many of their matches were exhibition due to mismatches in team size.
The team is set to host Brewer, Calais, Hampden, Piscataquis Community High School, Penobscot Valley, Washington Academy, Mattanawcook Academy and Woodland Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.