ANNOUONCEMENTS


Monday, February 16, 2015

Dirigo repeats as ‘C’ wrestling champ; Dexter’s Caron named outstanding wrestler

Dirigo repeats as ‘C’ wrestling champ; Dexter’s Caron named outstanding wrestler


Zach Caron of Dexter (top) tries to gain the upper hand against Dirigo's Hunter White during the 138-pound final in Saturday's Class C wrestling state championship meet at Bucksport High School. Caron won his second straight title via pin. 

BDN Photo by Pete Warner





Nick Hallowell of Calais (middle) and Lisbon's Kurtis Bolton (left) reset during the 132-pound final in Saturday's Class C wrestling state championship meet at Bucksport. Hallowell won with an 8-3 decision.









Dexter's Matthew Webber tries to turn Gus Brown of Dirigo on Saturday during the 126-pound final at the Class C wrestling state championship meet in Bucksport. Webber pinned Brown at 1:21 to help the Tigers earn a runner-up finish. 


BUCKSPORT, Maine — Scot Padelford could not hold back the emotion.

The Madison High School coach choked back tears on Saturday afternoon after Matt Brown pinned Vincent Tzeo of Washington Academy to win the 285-pound title in the Class C wrestling state championship meet at Bucksport High School.

Brown, a sophomore, became the first Madison wrestler to earn a state crown in the history of the Bulldogs’ program, which was started by Padelford in 2003.

“To be the first one in Madison history is the greatest feeling,” Brown said. “From the second I stepped on the mat this year, I knew I had the potential to be a state champion for Madison.”

There were many moments of joy and some disappointment during what will be the last Class C meet — at least for now. Wrestling schools will be reclassified into two classes (A & B) starting next season.

Dirigo High of Dixfield captured its second straight Class C championship, scoring 211.5 points to easily beat runner-up Dexter (155). Coach Doug Gilbert’s squad placed 10 wrestlers in the finals and won four individual titles.

“We had 12 on the team and no seniors, so I’m getting them all back next year and we’ve got some good kids coming up,” Gilbert said.

Bucksport finished third with 72 points, followed by Penobscot Valley of Howland (61), Lisbon (59.5), Monmouth Academy (53) and Madison (46). Boothbay Region (38), Washington Academy of East Machias (28) and Calais (20) rounded out the top 10 teams.

Zach Caron of Dexter was honored as the meet’s Outstanding Wrestler. The junior claimed the 138-pound championship, winning two matches before pinning Dirigo’s Hunter White at 3:24.

“My biggest challenge is I don’t wrestle very good the first time with new people, so I knew I was going to have a tough match with Hunter White,” said Caron, the winner at 132 pounds a year ago. “I had a close match with him last week and almost got turned on my back. I had to get over my nerves and settle in, realize I just had to do the work and get it done.”

In a sport where numbers are shrinking statewide, Dirigo’s win was again a product of its depth.

Junior Griffyn Smith annexed his third consecutive state title, winning at 120 pounds. He was joined at the top of the podium by junior Spencer Vaughn (170), sophomore Bryce Whittemore (152) and freshman Dalton Berry (182).

Dirigo’s runners-up included Chase Thebarge (106), Jon Wainwright (113), Gus Brown (125), Hunter White (138), Colin Woodhead (145) and Lucas MacDonald (195).

“Every year we look to be state champions but we know we have to work toward it during the year to be able to come and (win),” said Smith, who won via pin less than two minutes in against Chris Saucier of Penobscot Valley of Howland.

Smith said big-match experience is a huge plus.

“I just try to think about it as another match,” he said. “You can’t go out there and be all nervous. If you get nervous, you get scared and you don’t wrestle as good.”

Vaughn overcame Madison’s John Boardman at 5:15 of the second period and Berry edged Dexter’s Daniel Wallace 3-1. At 152, Whittemore rallied to take Dylan Kruger of PVHS to overtime and eked out a 5-3 verdict.

“When Dylan scored those five on that cradle, he’s got to come back, and he did,” Gilbert said of Whittemore, who had won a pair of one-point matches this year against Kruger.

Dexter finished second for the second year in a row, spearheaded by champions Caron and seniors Matthew Mower, Jordan Gudroe and Matthew Webber.

Mower, the winner at 170 pounds in 2014, stepped up two weight classes to beat Dirigo’s MacDonald 5-2.

“Matt lost to that kid last week and he beat him this week,” said Dexter coach Brian Salsbury. “He’s only 175, but he was wrestling at 195 to get us points.”

Gudroe pinned Dirigo’s Woodhead at 1:39 of the first period and Webber took down Brown of Dirigo at the 1:21 mark.

“Going into the final round we had five guys in the finals, four in the consi finals, and eight of those nine matches we won,” Salsbury said.

“I’m very proud of our guys.”

Host Bucksport produced three state champions. Senior K.P. Hilaire, last year’s 195-pound winner, took top honors at 220, while senior Matt Stewart (160) and freshman Devin Darveau (106) also won.

Other individual champions were Nick Hallowell of Calais (132) and Calvin Thompson of Monmouth (113).