The Indians are in the mix for a Class A wrestling championship.
BY EVAN CRAWLEY STAFF WRITER
TOPSHAM — Ty Craig will be looking to cement his legacy in Skowhegan Area High School wrestling history Saturday at Mt. Ararat High School, but it will not by easy.
Craig will be looking to finish off a bid for his fourth state title at the Class A championship, but a meeting against Marshwood’s Bradley Beaulieu at 120 pounds likely awaits him in the finals. Beaulieu is a defending state champion who placed at New Englands last season.
“Ty probably has his toughest path to a state title that he’s had in his high school career,” Skowhegan coach Brooks Thompson said. “He’s wrestling a returning state champ as well, but he’s also put a lot of time in.”
Sophomore Cody Craig, Ty’s brother, is the heavy favorite to repeat at a 106 pounds, as he has not lost a match in his two years wrestling at Skowhegan.
Samson Sirois (113), Cooper Holland (132) and Kameron Doucette (152) should all be in the mix as well, while Jon Bell (120), Julian Sirois (138) and Logan Stevens (160) are also seeded within the top four in their respective brackets.
As far as the race for the team title goes, Skowhegan should be in the mix along with frontrunners Marshwood, Noble and Massabesic.
“I feel that we’re definitely a top three team. I honestly feel that way,” Thompson said. “If things go right for us we can contend. If we don’t come up with the wins in close matches we could fall. The boys are going to have to come ready to wrestle.”
Individually, it should be a good day for Cony. Max Storey is the top seed at 220, while Zeko Caudill is seeded second behind Noble’s Joshua Grenier at 138. Devon O’Connor (195) and Elias Younes (285) are each seeded fourth in their respective weight classes.
Nokomis’ Chris Wilson and Jacob Nichols are each seeded second in 195 and 285, respectively, while Jacob Booth is third at 106. At 113, Mt. Blue’s Matt Hyde is seeded fourth.
Elsewhere Saturday, Gardiner’s Peter Del Gallo will be looking to capture the state title at 126 pounds in the Class B championship at Fryeburg Academy. Del Gallo — who has won two straight state titles — missed the early part of the season with an injury but coach Matt Hanley said the Tigers’ standout is ready for Saturday.
“He’s coming into his own, wrestling very good and he should have a very good day (Saturday),” Hanley said. “He’s getting stronger every week as he moves along.”
Del Gallo will likely have a rematch with Mountain Valley’s Eddie DeRoche in the finals, whom he pinned in 1 minute, 17 seconds last week at the Western B regionals.
Del Gallo’s teammates Andrew Doody-Veilleux and Jake Truman could also find themselves in regional rematches at states, although the two seniors will be looking for better results this time around.
Doody-Veilleux dropped a 10-3 decision to Mountain Valley’s Ian Austin at 182, while Truman fell to the Fryeburg Academy’s Trevor Henschel 20-9 at 195.
Oak Hill’s Danny Buteau (106) and Logan Childs (285), Winslow’s Devin Vigue (113) and Ryan Fredette (170) and Erskine’s Zach Isbell (160) all enter Saturday’s meet having won Western B titles a week ago.
As far as the team title goes, Hanley said he sees Mountain Valley and a few others as potential favorites.
“Mountain Valley should be the stronger team out of the West side of things with either Ellsworth or Dover-Foxcroft with their team strength coming out of the East,” Hanley said. “It should be one of those three teams but somebody like Erskine could work their way into the mix.”
The final Class C meet will also be held Saturday at Bucksport. The MPA wrestling committee unanimously approved to move to a two-class system starting next season.