By MIKE WHALEY
mwhaley@fosters.com |
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NORTH BERWICK, Maine — With rival Massabesic among the wrestling visitors to Noble High School on Wednesday, coach Kip DeVoll expected a little more energy out of his Knights.
He didn’t get it. But Noble, which starts nine freshmen and sophomores, still won the Western Maine Class A match over the undermanned Mustangs, 60-18, who forfeited five weight classes. The Knights also beat Deering, 75-6.
“I didn’t think we wrestled that well tonight,” DeVoll said. “We were sloppy. The intensity wasn’t there. You’d think they’d be fired up at home. We don’t get many home meets. … They still got it done, but it was a lot uglier than I would have liked.”
The forfeits may have played a role in taking some of the intensity out of a match that would have been much closer had the Mustangs been at full strength.
Noble’s contested wins came from John Grenier (pin, 132 pounds), Chris Ziadeh (OT pin, 160), Jamal Durrani (pin, 170), Hil Keisker (11-8 decision, 113), and Austin Shorey (pin, 120).
Otto Keisker lost a tight 5-2 decision to Massabesic’s Zac Richard, 5-2 — the rubber-match third meeting between the two this season.
Ziadeh and Durrani had to come from behind to win their matches.
Ziadeh trailed Massabesic’s Logan Martin into the second period before he was able to tie it at 3-3 after two. A scoreless third period left the match tied, forcing a one-minute overtime session. Ziadeh was able to get the pin 25 seconds in.
“I knew I could do it,” Ziadeh said. “I knew it was just a matter of time. I was very confident, though I was a little nervous when it went into overtime. But I knew I would come out on top.”
Durrani, wrestling for the first time under the lights, was down 2-0 after the first period, but was able to reverse his fortunes in the second to claim a pin at 3:06.
“The first period was just awful,” Durrani said. “Second period I knew I had to step it up. I knew I had to get a pin. The first period I came out slow and wasn’t attacking. I wasn’t pushing the pace. I was wrestling defensively. It wasn’t working, so I had to do something besides that. I didn’t want to lose.
Grenier’s pin came 29 seconds into his match with Clinton Phinney, while Shorey’s was at 1:39 over Ethan Huff. Hil Keisker won a wild back-and-forth tussle with Jeff Bryan, in which he led 6-2 after the first period and 9-4 early in the second. Bryan cut the lead to 9-8 in the third, before Keisker was able to hold him off for the win.
The Mustangs’ contested wins came at 152 with Richard, pins by Noah McGrath (170) and Mike Risti (220), and Leo Amabile’s entertaining 3-1 decision over Noble’s Joe Pilecki at 106.
“We were a little beat up,” said Massabesic coach Rick DeRosier. “But we had some good matches out there, some that could have gone either way. There were some that were really close. We always seem to battle each other. … We’re just trying to mend to get back to full strength.”
In its win over Deering, Noble had six forfeits, but also six wins by pin from Josh Grenier (138), Kasey Rogers (145), Ziadeh (160), Travis Pelletier (170), Durrani (182), and Robert Worell (195). Zac Schluntz won 12-10 at 220.
“We’re pretty happy with then right now,” DeVoll said. “We would have liked a little more oomph out of them.”
Noble wrestles at the Chelmsford, Mass., tournament this weekend, before next Wednesday’s big dual meet at defending Class A state champion Marshwood at 6:30 p.m.
“Hopefully, they will be in a little bit better mental state next Wednesday,” DeVoll added with a laugh.
He didn’t get it. But Noble, which starts nine freshmen and sophomores, still won the Western Maine Class A match over the undermanned Mustangs, 60-18, who forfeited five weight classes. The Knights also beat Deering, 75-6.
“I didn’t think we wrestled that well tonight,” DeVoll said. “We were sloppy. The intensity wasn’t there. You’d think they’d be fired up at home. We don’t get many home meets. … They still got it done, but it was a lot uglier than I would have liked.”
The forfeits may have played a role in taking some of the intensity out of a match that would have been much closer had the Mustangs been at full strength.
Noble’s contested wins came from John Grenier (pin, 132 pounds), Chris Ziadeh (OT pin, 160), Jamal Durrani (pin, 170), Hil Keisker (11-8 decision, 113), and Austin Shorey (pin, 120).
Otto Keisker lost a tight 5-2 decision to Massabesic’s Zac Richard, 5-2 — the rubber-match third meeting between the two this season.
 Click image to enlarge
Whaley/Democrat photo Massabesic's Zac Richard, top, takes Noble's Otto Keisker to the mat at 152 pounds during Western Maine Class A wrestling action Wednesday in North Berwick.
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Ziadeh trailed Massabesic’s Logan Martin into the second period before he was able to tie it at 3-3 after two. A scoreless third period left the match tied, forcing a one-minute overtime session. Ziadeh was able to get the pin 25 seconds in.
“I knew I could do it,” Ziadeh said. “I knew it was just a matter of time. I was very confident, though I was a little nervous when it went into overtime. But I knew I would come out on top.”
Durrani, wrestling for the first time under the lights, was down 2-0 after the first period, but was able to reverse his fortunes in the second to claim a pin at 3:06.
“The first period was just awful,” Durrani said. “Second period I knew I had to step it up. I knew I had to get a pin. The first period I came out slow and wasn’t attacking. I wasn’t pushing the pace. I was wrestling defensively. It wasn’t working, so I had to do something besides that. I didn’t want to lose.
Grenier’s pin came 29 seconds into his match with Clinton Phinney, while Shorey’s was at 1:39 over Ethan Huff. Hil Keisker won a wild back-and-forth tussle with Jeff Bryan, in which he led 6-2 after the first period and 9-4 early in the second. Bryan cut the lead to 9-8 in the third, before Keisker was able to hold him off for the win.
 Click image to enlarge
Whaley/Democrat photo Noble's Chris Ziadeh, right, battles Massabesic's Logan Martin at 160 pounds during Western Maine Class A wrestling action Wednesday in North Berwick.
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“We were a little beat up,” said Massabesic coach Rick DeRosier. “But we had some good matches out there, some that could have gone either way. There were some that were really close. We always seem to battle each other. … We’re just trying to mend to get back to full strength.”
In its win over Deering, Noble had six forfeits, but also six wins by pin from Josh Grenier (138), Kasey Rogers (145), Ziadeh (160), Travis Pelletier (170), Durrani (182), and Robert Worell (195). Zac Schluntz won 12-10 at 220.
“We’re pretty happy with then right now,” DeVoll said. “We would have liked a little more oomph out of them.”
Noble wrestles at the Chelmsford, Mass., tournament this weekend, before next Wednesday’s big dual meet at defending Class A state champion Marshwood at 6:30 p.m.
“Hopefully, they will be in a little bit better mental state next Wednesday,” DeVoll added with a laugh.