Jacob Ouellette, Brunswick Times Record
TOPSHAM — All season, wrestlers have worked on technique and how to get better. They’ve hit the weight room to get stronger and shed extra pounds to make weight, while teams have rallied together to win meet after meet.
On Saturday, the best wrestlers from around the state competed at Mt. Ararat High School for a chance at a Class A state title, putting everything they’ve worked for on the mat.
Marshwood captured its fourth consecutive state title with an 183 points. Noble followed with 130.5, and Skowhegan totaled 115.
As for the hosts, winning the meet was going to be a difficult task, so setting goals became the priority.
“I think we about ended up right as I figured,” Mt. Ararat coach Erick Jensen said. “I would have hoped that we maybe had one or two champions, but they wrestled hard and competed well.”
For the Eagles, four members qualified, including Adam Ewing in the 152-pound weight class, Rob Heatherman (160), Jason Black (182) and Pierce Knorr (285). Joining the Mt. Ararat squad all season was Brunswick High School’s Christian Jensen, who was an early favorite in the 120-pound weight class.
Jensen found his way to the championship finals, facing Noble High School’s Austin Shorey. After falling to him earlier in the season, Jensen hoped to turn things around, although Shorey came through with a pin at 3:26.
“I was hoping to just do the best that I could do,” Jensen said. “I lost to him earlier in the year, so I was hoping I could beat him this time, but second place isn’t bad.”
Heatherman (160) was another member of the Eagles team looking for his first state title. However, Marshwood’s Jackson Howarth, who later received the John Pelletier Outstanding Wrestler award, came through with a 6-1 decision over Heatherman, giving the Eagles its second runner-up finish of the day.
“The expectation for all of us was to just perform well as a team,” Heatherman said. “As individuals we did perform as best as we could, but as far as the team standings go we could have done a little bit better (34 points). We’re a young team this year and it kind of shows. Next year I think we’re going to be a team to be reckoned with and I think we’re going to go far as a group.”
Attention was directed to the championship mat during the 170-pound weight class finals, as Marshwood’s Cody Hughes faced off against Portland’s Greg Cassella. Hughes entered the final match with 204 wins, tying the state record earlier in the day against Zachary Harris of Oxford Hills.
Just over five minutes later, Hughes pinned Cassella, making him the winningest wrestler in the state of Maine with 205.
“Honestly, I just found out what the record even was, I didn’t even know,” Hughes said. “I did care about it, but I more cared about the team title today and helping out the team to hopefully win our fourth straight championship.”
Other hard-fought matches included a tight battle between Trevor Walton (Massabesic) of the 195-pound weight class and Christophier Wilson (Nokomis), having it end in a 5-3 decision in Walton’s favor. During the final round for the 126-pound group, Skowhegan’s Tyler Craig and Marshwood’s Bradley Beaulieu went as expected, with Beaulieu getting the arm raise after a 2-0 decision.
Knorr rounded out the rest of the Eagles squad with a solid third-place finish after pinning Biddeford’s Austin Burnham in the 285-pound consolation finals.
Overall, it was a state championship meet filled with the expected — unexpected results, with upsets and big victories. However, at the end the of the day improving will always be the biggest goal of all.
“I think next year will actually might be more of a rebuilding year,” Erick Jensen said. “The year after that I think we’ll be poised to really make some noise.”
Oxford Hills walked away with the Western A Sportsmanship Award, while Portland took home the Eastern A honor.
With the state championships out of the way, next step for the top wrestlers will be the New England Qualifier on Saturday the 21st at Sanford High School.