By MIKE WHALEY
Marshwood coach Matt Rix, center, celebrates the Maine Class A championship with wrestlier Jackson Howarth, left, who also won his fourth straight individual title on Saturday in Topsham. (Whaley/Democrat photo)
TOPSHAM, Maine — In his final two matches of the 2015 Class A state wrestling tournament, Marshwood High School senior Cody Hughes set the state record for career wins with his 204th, and then his 205th was his fourth consecutive state crown.
Hughes' individual efforts accentuated a dominating performance by the Hawks, who won their fourth straight Class A team title with ease Saturday at Mt. Ararat High School. They scored 183 points, while Noble took second with 130.5. Eastern champion Skowhegan was third (115) and Massabesic took fourth with 102.
“The last four years these guys have done that, setting the tone for the day with pins in the early rounds,” said Marshwood coach Matt Rix. “Even the kids that lost battled back. We had 11 kids who medaled. I couldn't ask for anything better. We were working on everybody has to go in and score.”
Hughes was one of five Marshwood individual state champs. He won his fourth title at 170 pounds, while classmate Jackson Howarth, the John Pelletier Award winner as the meet's outstanding wrestler, also won his fourth crown at 160. Brett Gerry took his third crown at 182, while a fourth senior, Killian Murphy, was a smiling and surprising winner at 132. Sophomore Bradley Beaulieu, the state champ last year at 120 as a freshman, bumped up to 126 and edged three–time state champ, Skowhegan's Tyler Craig, 2-0.
Marshwood's Cody Hughes, right, wrestles Portland's Greg Cassella in the 170 pound final on Saturday at the Maine Class A championship meet in Topsham. (Whaley/Democrat photo)
Scoring for the Hawks were freshman Kyle Glidden, second at 106, while taking third were Sam Hebert (145), Justin Stacy (152), and Tyler Fife (195). Matt Caverly at 113 was fourth, as was Eric Glidden at 138.
Noble was a distant second, but there were some bright spots for the young Knights, who had their best finish since winning the 2011 title.
The brightest spot was sophomore Austin Shorey, who won the 120 state title, Noble's first individual crown since 2011. Shorey beat Brunswick's Christian Jensen by pin at 3:26.
“I went out there believing I could win, stuck him with some moves,” Shorey said. “First, I just wanted to get the take down and get ahead so I had some confidence. And then I just wrestled the way I wrestled, and then I pinned him. It was pretty cool.”
Placing in the top four for Noble were Josh Grenier (138, 2nd), Otto Keisker (145, 2nd), Zac Schluntz (220, 2nd), Jake Martel (126, 3rd), Bailey Coull (132, 3rd), Joe Pilecki (106, 4th), and Robert Worell (195, 4th).
Schluntz was unable to wrestle in the 220 final after his opponent in the semis drove his teeth into Schluntz's cheek, requiring stitches.
Tyler Fife of Marshwood, right, wrestles with Sanford's Mike Hurst in the 195-pound weight class at Saturday's Maine Class A championship meet in Topsham. (Whaley/Democrat photo)
“We had a lot of young kids,” said Noble coach Kip DeVoll. “Now they've been here and they know what it's like. They'll get that shot again next year, hopefully. That makes a difference when you have that experience.”
Although Hughes shied away from taking the spotlight, deferring to his Hawks' great team effort, he was a big part of Saturday's story. In the semifinals, he pinned Zachary Harris of Oxford Hills at 1:41 to set the state record for wins. He broke the previous record of 203 held by current Noble assistant coach, Peter Bronder.
“Earlier in the day it's all about the team,” Hughes said. “Noble was right behind us for a while, so it was about going out there and do your job and try and get those pins. I wrestled my style; just use my attack and not back down.”
In the final, Hughes won his third match by pin and took his fourth state title, pinning Portland's Greg Cassella at 5:05.
Whaley/Democrat photo Noble's Austin Shorey, top, puts a move on Brunswick's Christian Jensen during the 120-pound final at the Maine Class A championship meet in Topsham. It was Noble’s first individual crown since 2011.
Whaley/Democrat photo Matt Caverly of Marshwood, left, battles Massabesic's Jeffrey Bryan during the 113-pound consolation match at Saturday's Maine Class A championship meet in Topsham.
Whaley/Democrat photo Marshwood's Jackson Howarth, top, battles Robert Heatherman of host Mt. Ararat in the 160 pound final at Saturday's Maine Class A championship meet in Topsham.
Whaley/Democrat photo Noble's Josh Grenier, left, grapples with Cony's Zeko Caudill in the 138 pound final on Saturday at the Maine Class A championship meet in Topsham.