Tougher tasks lie ahead

Caudill, Del Gallo prep for the New Englands

BY TERRY DEVEREAUX CORRESPONDENT

Staff photo by Joe Phelan Cony’s Zeko Caudill, left, and Skowhegan’s Julian Sirois compete in the 138-pound finals during the Eastern A championships at Oxford Hills. Caudill won by a pin. Next up for Caudill: The New Englands.

Cony’s Zeko Caudill continued his undefeated season by winning the 138-pound class at the New England qualifier. Caudill, the Class A state champion, raised his season record to 39-0 when he beat Class C state champion Zachary Caron of Dexter 9-3 in the championship finals..

“I think Zeko is excited to test himself against the best in New England,” said Cony coach Shawn Totman. “He is wrestling with a lot of confidence right now and has high expectations for himself.”

Still, Totman feels that Caudill has more work to do to prepare for the New England tournament, which is scheduled for March 6-7 at North Andover High School in North Andover, Mass.

Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 5:15 p.m. that Friday and then continue Saturday at 9 a.m. The championships finals are scheduled for 5:15 p.m. that Saturday.

The top three finishers in each weight class at the Maine New England qualifier advanced to the 51st annual New England championships.

Caudill was rarely tested during the season with only three of his matches going the full six minutes.

“We will focus a lot on stamina,” said Totman. “Zeko is doing a lot of drills focusing on not just skill and technique but ones that push the cardio and build the conditioning necessary to be strong for the long, tough matches we anticipate at the New Englands.”

Caudill will be spending a lot of time over the next two weeks training with Gardiner’s Peter Del Gallo (126), according to Totman. “I thinks it’s great for both of them”, said Totman. “They work together really well.”

Del Gallo finished second at the qualifier, losing to Marshwood’s Bradley Beaulieu in the championship finals in a match that went to a third overtime. Beaulieu won the match 2-1 on the basis of being able to maintain control in the offensive position during the 30-second “ultimate tiebreaker.”

• • •

Skowhegan freshman Samson Sirois (113 pounds) made the most of a rematch opportunity at the New England qualifier last week. Sirois had lost a gut-wrenching decision against Scarborough’s Jeremy Sendrowski in the state championship finals. Ahead by a 3-1 score in the third period, Sirois was caught in a five-point move by Sendrowski and wound up losing 6-3.

On Saturday, the two met again in the finals and Sirois came out on top with an 8-6 decision.

“Jeremy and I are offseason roll partners (workout partners) and friends,” said Sirois. “I didn’t like losing to him at states, but I know he works hard year-round like I do. I was nervous going into the finals match but I knew I could beat him. He has a great chin whip and I knew I had to stay away from that.”

Sirois was one of five Skowhegan wrestlers who qualified for New Englands. His brother, Julian, placed third at 145 pounds.

“I think it’s really cool that I will be competing along with my brother,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of brothers that get this chance.”

It will be Julian’s second trip to New Englands.

“I feel having the experience last year was good,” Sirois said. “I feel more confident and know what to expect this year.”

Another Skowhegan brother act will have a shot at earning a medal at the New Englands. Tyler Craig qualified at 126 pounds with a third-place finish while Cody Craig won the 106-pound weight class. Cody beat Marshwood’s Kyle Glidden 8-0 in the finals. An anticipated finals match against Oak Hill’s Danny Buteau failed to materialize when Buteau missed making weight by 7/10ths of a pound.

Logan Stevens (160) also qualified for the New Englands with a third-place finish.

• • •

A familiar foe stood between Nokomis’ Christopher Wilson

(195) and a trip to New En-glands. Wilson had to win his consolation finals match against Massabesic’s Trevor Walton in order to qualify.

Walton had beaten Wilson 5-3 in the Class A state finals. This time, Wilson hung on in the final overtime for a 4-3 win.

“He won by riding him out,” said Nokomis coach Scott Preble. “I was extremely happy for him. I know how much potential Chris has and now Chris has proved to himself his own potential.”

It will be the second trip to the New England championships for Wilson, a sophomore who is 39-5.

Marshwood wrestling trio elevated winning standard

By Mike Whaley

mwhaley@fosters.com

Marshwood seniors, from left, Brett Gerry, Cody Hughes and Jackson Howarth, have 11 individual state wrestling titles between and have been part of four Class A team crowns. (Whaley/Democrat photo)

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Coach Matt Rix smiles when he talks about Marshwood High School seniors Jackson Howarth, Cody Hughes and Brett Gerry. He calls them “The Gauntlet.”

You could call them “Murderer’s Row” as well. The threesome has won 11 individual Maine Class A state wrestling championships among them. They have a combined career record of 570-51 and are a collective 126-1 this year.

The trio was at the center of the Hawks’ fourth straight Class A team title, which they won with ease last Saturday at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham with 183 points. Noble was second with 130.5.

“It’s phenomenal,” said Rix. “Whether that will ever be done again, I don’t know.”

The three wrestle in consecutive weight classes: Howarth (160 pounds), Hughes (170) and Gerry (182).

“The gauntlet,” Rix said. “When you have a good guy on your team, the kids around him feed off it. These guys really did that. They worked around the room a lot. They spread their talent all over the place. I made sure that happened.” 

Case in point: Gerry wrestled classmate Tyler Fife the last three weeks in practice. Fife placed a surprising third at the state meet at 195.

“It might have hurt him not working with Cody and Jackson the whole time,” Rix said. “But look what he did for Tyler.”

And for the team.

“At a dual meet, depending on where you start, it’s bang, bang, bang,” Rix said. “You’re guaranteed. You’ve got those three coming into it, there’s no bumping around them. You can only bump so much. Kids go, ‘Where’s Cody going this year – 170. Well, I can’t go to 160, Howarth’s there. And if I bump up, I get Gerry. Where do I go?’”

With those three in a row, there’s nowhere to hide.

“If we’re ever down by team points, you can always bank on Cody, Brett and myself for a few extra points,” Howarth said.

“I think it could be a huge momentum thing,” said Hughes, who will wrestle next year at NCAA D-I Virginia Tech on a partial scholarship. “It’s comfort. You’re not always guaranteed pins or tech falls. But you know all three of us will be pushing it to help the team out.” 

Hughes and Gerry singled out a regular-season dual match with rival Noble. The Hawks trailed 12-9 early, but “The Gauntlet” sparked a resurgence that put them up 28-12 with four straight wins, including a major decision and two pins by the senior trio. The Hawks went on to win, 37-21.

Gerry said once Howarth and Hughes have won and it’s his turn, he does feel a little bit of weight on his shoulders.

“It puts a little pressure on me,” he said. “You don’t want to be the one kid who loses.”

Howarth and Hughes each won their fourth state title, joining Jon Hussey and Tyler Davidson as the only Hawks to do so. Howarth received the John Pelletier Outstanding Wrestler Award, which Hughes earned as a freshman.

Gerry has three state titles to his credit.

All told, six seniors placed last Saturday. Killian Murphy won the 132 crown, while Fife and Sam Hebert (145) were third. Marshwood will send 11 wrestlers to the New England qualifier Saturday in Sanford. Also going are Kyle Glidden (106), Matt Caverly (113), Bradley Beaulieu (126), Eric Glidden (138) and Justin Stacy (152). 

Hughes also set the state record for career wins with 205. He broke the old record of 203 held by Noble’s Peter Bronder in the Class A semifinals last Saturday. Hughes is 45-0 this year, 205-8 in his career, and has never lost a match in Maine. Wrestling is in the Hughes’ blood. Cody’s father, Todd, was Marshwood’s first 100-win wrestler, and part of its first team state championship (Class B) in 1989.

Howarth is 40-0 this season and 190-18 in his career. He has a shot of passing Hussey (194 wins) into second behind Hughes on the Marshwood career wins list. Although his plans next year aren’t completely set, he did say he might attend the University of New Hampshire where his older brother, Lucas, is wrestling with the school’s club team.

Gerry is 41-1 this year. His loss came in the Sanford Spartan tournament in triple overtime to a kid from New Hampshire power Timberlane. His career mark is 175-25. Gerry will do a postgraduate year at Hyde School.

Gerry and Howarth were key members of the Marshwood football team this past fall, which went 12-0-0 and won the Class B title, the school’s first football championship in 25 years. Gerry was the recipient of the Fitzpatrick Award as the best high school football player in Maine. 

Howarth and Hughes both won state titles as freshmen, the start of Marshwood’s run of four straight Class A titles. Gerry was on the team, but at the same weight as his two classmates he had to bide his time.

“Anywhere else he would have started,” Rix said.

As a sophomore, Gerry wrestled up and won his first title at 182, despite weighing only 165. He was inspired by the work ethic of Howarth and Hughes.

“Until my freshman year, I didn’t come in there wanting to work hard,” Gerry said. “I came in, ah, a three-hour practice, this is going to (stink). I went through the motions. You see (Howarth and Hughes) still pushing each other and going hard all the time. That’s why they are good. I picked up on that. They held me accountable.”

Hughes said that work ethic was something he learned immediately from the upperclassmen when he joined the team as a freshman.

“The seniors and some of the juniors, they were the leaders to us,” he said. “Where we learned leading by example. They all worked hard in practice. They went through the grind every single day. Trevor Smith was my practice partner back then and he pushed me so hard. I liked it. He set the tone for my practice thing.” 

And now Hughes sets the tone, with Howarth and Gerry.

“What this group has done has just been amazing,” Rix said. “The sophomore and juniors to have been on this ride with them, it’s something they’ll carry for the rest of their lives.”

Storm’s Sendrowski wins state wrestling title

By Adam Birt

Jeremy Sendrowski resets during a bout with Massabesic’s Jeff Bryan at Saturday’s Class A Wrestling States. Sendrowski pinned Bryan at 2:19; he later defeated Skowhegan’s Samson Sirois 6-3 in the 113-pound championship match. Photo courtesy of Lisa Craig 

The Class A State Wrestling Championship unfolded at Mt. Ararat Saturday. The Eagles played host to 20 other teams and hundreds of spectators even as a blizzard descended on southern Maine. For the fourth year in a row, Marshwood took home the top team prize, while Noble broke Massabesic’s three-year hold on second. The Mustangs finished fourth.

Scarborough Red Stormer Jeremy Sendrowski finished first in the 113-pound division. Sendrowski’s just a freshman, but has been wrestling for roughly a decade, and his battle with Skowhegan’s Samson Sirois proved to be a special high in his career thus far.

“I’d beaten [Sirois] once before, at the beginning of the season, so I knew it was going to be a close match,” Sendrowski said. “At the beginning of the match, he took me down, so it was 2-0 going into the second period. Then he chose down and got an escape, so I was down 3-0 going into the third period, I think.

“In the third period, I got an escape, then after that, I chin-whipped him and got five points out of that.” Sendrowski had stolen the lead in the final minutes, an impressive comeback. The two traded holds as time ticked away, but “I took him down one last time, and I just looked up at the clock and there was eight seconds left, and I knew I’d won,” Sendrowski said.

“The great thing about Jeremy is he's hungry for success,” said Scarborough coach Shane Stephenson. “He works hard and has been getting in extra workouts with other coaches and wrestlers all year.

“Most Maine high school wrestlers only wrestle during the season, but Jeremy knows that getting extra time in on the mat is crucial. The USM Brawlin' Lobsters, Portland Youth and the Trappers have all helped Jeremy achieve a state title as a freshman. I'm hoping that he will have the chance to make some noise at the New England Championships.”

Hawk heaven: Murphy, seniors set pace for 4th Class A title

By Mike Whaley

mwhaley@fosters.com

Celebrating Marshwood's fourth straight Maine Class A state wrestling title are, from left, Brett Gerry, Cody Hughes, and Tyler Fife Saturday in Topsham. (Whaley/Democrat photo)

TOPSHAM, Maine — Killian Murphy couldn't stop smiling. Who could blame him. After all he was this year's Shamus McManus.

Murphy was seeded fourth at 132 pounds at Saturday's Class A wrestling championships at Mount Ararat High School. The Marshwood senior won three straight matches to capture his first state title, capping his extraordinary run with a 9-4 win in the final over Westbrook's Max Storm.

Last year, McManus caught lightning in a bottle to improbably win the state title at 145, his first wrestling title at any level.

Murphy was one of four seniors and five Hawks to win state crowns as Marshwood cruised to its fourth straight Class A title with 183 points. Noble was second with 130.5.

Also capturing titles were sophomore Bradley Beaulieu (126), and seniors Jackson Howarth (160), Cody Hughes (170) and Brett Gerry (182). Hughes and Howarth each won their fourth state title, and Hughes set the state record for career wins.

What happened last week at the regional that Murphy was fourth going into Saturday? 

Marshwood’s Killian Murphy points in celebration after winning the 132-pound state title during the Maine Class A wrestling championships Saturday in Topsham. Looking on is coach Matt Rix. (Whaley/Democrat photo)

“He'd wrestled those kids before, and I think he just looked past them” said Marshwood coach Matt Rix. “He already thought he had himself in the finals.” 

Murphy agreed.

“It was rough at regionals,” he said. “Coach has been pushing me all week. Telling me one match at a time; making sure I don't look forward.”

It worked.

In his first match against Skowhegan's Cooper Holland, the East's No. 1 wrestler, Murphy won by major decision, 14-3. In the semis, he avenged one of his regional losses by narrowly beating Aiden Whitis of Cheverus, 2-1.

In the final against Storm, it was 2-2 after the first period. Murphy opened it up with five points in the second, and was able to take the crown.

“The way he wrestled in the final, that was who he is,” Rix said. “That's the thing, we'd won it as a team, so the pressure was off. Just try and go out and get the first takedown. Get in their head a little bit. Set the tone for the match.”

Murphy did that, leaving him with a big smile and a state championship to his credit. He was, of course, also this year's Shamus McManus. 

Marshwood’s Justin Stacy is getting ready to slam down Massabesic’s Logan Martin in the 152-pound consolation finals Saturday at the Maine Class A wrestling state championships. (Whaley/Democrat photo)

“That's cool,” he said. “It's an honor to be that.”

Hmmm, maybe in 2015 Marshwood will be pondering the next Killian Murphy ...

Marshwood seniors set the tone

Eleven of Marshwood's 13 wrestlers placed, and six of them were seniors. Murphy, Howarth, Hughes and Gerry won state titles, while Sam Hebert (145) and Tyler Fife (195) each took third.

It was the fourth state title for Howarth and Hughes, joining Jon Hussey and Tyler Davidson as the only Marshwood wrestlers to pull off that feat. Gerry won his third crown.

Howarth was the recipient of the John Pelletier Outstanding Wrestler Award. McManus won it last year, while Hughes received it as a freshman.

Hughes not only won his fourth individual title with his 205th career win, pinning Portland's Greg Cassella (5:05), but his 204th win was a new state record. He pinned Zachary Harris of Oxford Hills at 1:41 to break the old mark of 203 held by first-year Noble varsity assistant coach Peter Bronder, who wrestled for the Knights from 2005-2009. 

Hughes won all three of his matches by pin, while Gerry advanced to the final with a win by major decision and pin. He won his title over Maliek Geiger of Oxford Hills, 3-0. 

Howarth had the toughest championship match, topping Robert Heatherman of host Mt. Ararat, 6-1. The two met last month in Vermont and Howarth won by a point.

It was scoreless after the first period and Howarth trailed 1-0 early in the second period. He tied it up, and then got the first takedown to lead 3-1. Howarth's confidence was bubbling, and from there he was able to wear down Heatherman.

“He was nervous,” Rix said. “His mom was all upset. 'What if he doesn't win his fourth?' Just relax.”

With the team title in hand, there was no pressure to go after a pin.

“Ease up,” Rix said. “Go out there and don't force anything. Just go out there and wrestle the way you know how to wrestle.” 

Beaulieu moves up and scores title

Rix made a calculated gamble to move defending 120 state champion Beaulieu up to 126. It was a move that paid off.

“The 120 looked like a little weaker weight class,” Rix said. “We thought we might be able to score at 120. We did win a match there. I thought Brad could go up. Without batting an eyelash, it was 'whatever's best for the team coach.'” 

Beaulieu's opponent was three-time state champ, Tyler Craig of Skowhegan. 

Beaulieu got an early takedown and that proved to be the difference in a 2-0 win.

“The first takedown is always huge, no matter who you are wrestling,” Beaulieu said. “It just builds momentum. I was able to get it pretty quick. ... I was feeling pretty good after that first takedown.”

“(Craig) was going for his fourth,” Rix said. “I feel bad. But the move, for us, it made sense.

■■■

The New England Qualifier is this Saturday in Sanford. The top four wrestlers in each weight division from Class A and Class B will wrestle to determine who will represent Maine at the New Englands in North Andover, Mass., March 6 and 7.

Ellsworth wrestling team wins Class B state championship

Taylor Vortherms on Sports, Wrestling

The Ellsworth wrestling team poses with its new state championship trophy after placing first at Saturday’s Class B state tournament at Fryeburg Academy. PHOTO BY KAYLA HARDISON

Ellsworth wrestlers (from left) Jack Weeks, Connor Petros and Jeff Weeks pose with their new Class B team championship trophy after Saturday’s wrestling state championships at Fryeburg Academy. Petros and Jack Weeks placed first in their weight classes while Jeff Weeks placed fourth. PHOTO BY KAYLA HARDISON

Ellsworth coach Travis Hardison hugs Jack Weeks after Weeks won the 138-pound title at Saturday’s Class B state wrestling championships at Fryeburg Academy. PHOTO BY KAYLA HARDISON

Ellsworth wrestlers received Class B wrestling state championship medals after Saturday’s state tournament at Fryeburg Academy. PHOTO BY KAYLA HARDISON

The Ellsworth wrestling team took home the Class B wrestling state championship trophy after Saturday’s state tournament at Fryeburg Academy. PHOTO BY KAYLA HARDISON

FRYEBURG – The Ellsworth wrestling team dethroned three-time defending Class B state champion Camden Hills on Saturday at Fryeburg Academy.

After notching the program’s first Eastern Maine championship last weekend, the Ellsworth Eagles scored 147.5 points to claim the state title – their first since 1982 and the school’s first team championship of any sport since 2002.

Camden Hills finished second with 105 points – one of the largest margins of victory in state competition. Foxcroft Academy took third with 96.5 points.

“An excellent week of mental and physical preparation set the stage for a day of class B wrestling that was beyond even the coaching staff’s best expectations,” Ellsworth coach JF Burns said.

The Eagles’ week before their 3.5-hour drive to Fryeburg on Friday looked something like this: On Monday, they met with clinician Logan Walsh. On Wednesday, they were introduced to a packed gymnasium before the boys’ basketball prelim against Mount Desert Island. On Thursday, superintendent Dan Higgins provided them with a motivational speech, which appeared to be effective.

In what Burns described as “one of the greatest moments in the school’s wrestling history,” Ellsworth captured five straight individual championships by freshman Peyton Cole (132), senior Jack Weeks (138), junior Dagan Berenyi (145), junior Connor Petros (152) and sophomore Trent Goodman (160).

Burns said Ellsworth’s effort was so dominating that if you were to compare the head to head scores of the 10 weight classes in which Ellsworth entered wrestlers, the team outscored the combined effort of the entire field of class B schools. But the afternoon belonged to captains Weeks and Petros.

Coming out of the No. 3 seed in the East, Weeks won his championship by defeating the No. 2 seed in the West, the No. 1 seed in the East and, in the finals, the No. 1 seed in the West – Dakota Jacques – by a score of 4 to 3. Weeks’ upset victory was the only one for the day, as the other 13 weight classes were won by No. 1 seeds.

Seeded first in the East, Petros pinned eventual third-place finisher Hunter Reed of Morse in the semifinals before coming from behind in the finals to beat the No. 1 seed from the West – Josh Smith of York – by a score of 9 to 6.

As for the other three champions, Cole remained undefeated for the season by pinning Steven Thompson of Medomak Valley in the second period. Berenyi won the championship by a technical fall score of 18 to 3 over Conor Smith of Fryeburg, and Goodman pinned Eli Smith of Camden Hills in the first period.

Burns said Ellsworth also did well in the consolation rounds.

Senior captain Jeff Weeks suffered a tough 1-0 loss in the semifinals to the eventual champion, Ian Austin of Mountain Valley. Jeff Weeks, who recorded two pins for the day, finished fourth after losing to Brandon Brock of Foxcroft by score of 7-1 in the consolation finals. But Jeff Weeks’ victory in the consolation semifinals eliminated Mountain Valley and Camden Hills from catching Ellsworth in the standings.

At 126 pounds, senior Robert Banner removed the last obstacle for Ellsworth when he beat Eli Olson of Foxcroft in the consolation finals by a score of 6 to 2. The win capped off Banner’s career and earned him a third-place finish. His only loss of the day was to the Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet, Peter DelGallo.

Junior Noah Robidoux placed fourth at 120 pounds after losing 4-1 to Chase Curry of Belfast.

At 170 pounds, Tyler Hardwick won one match on the day.

First-year wrestler Jared Brown lost his two matches on the day at 195 pounds.

Each of the competing wrestlers received a state championship medal.

“The team greatly appreciates the fans who travelled the 3+ hours to watch us compete,” Burns said. “With seven of the 10 wrestlers returning next year, we are looking forward to the continuation of the team’s success.”

An evening reception is planned for the team on Feb. 24 at Ellsworth High School.

Westbrook finishes well at States

Westbrook’s Mikiel Lepage battles at 220 with Deering’s Jonah Rogers.

Westbrook’s Noah Featherson and Portland’s Clautel Buba battle out a consolation bout at Saturday’s state championships.

By Adam Birt

The state wrestling championship unfolded at Mt. Ararat Saturday. The Eagles played host to 20 other teams and hundreds of spectators even as a blizzard descended on southern Maine. For the fourth year in a row, Marshwood took home the top team prize, while Noble broke Massabesic’s three-year hold on second. The Mustangs finished fourth.

Westbrook – which has had a very strong season – was well represented at States. Persistent threat Max Storm took second place in the 132-pound division, and Abraham Eaton, who hails from Gorham but trains and competes alongside the Blazes, finished third at 190.

Storm and Bailey Coull of Noble put on a particularly fiery show in the semis.

“That match was…intense,” said Westbrook head coach John Nicholas. “We told Max to be prepared to wrestle a six-minute match and try to wrestle hard to the end.”

In fact, Storm pinned Coull at 5:42.

“He saw an opportunity at the end and went for it,” Nicholas said. “That was definitely one of the most exciting endings to a match that I’ve been part of. The crowd energy was awesome!”

Storm faced Marshwood’s Killian Murphy in the Championship bout, ultimately succumbing 9-4.

“Even though the result was not what we’d hoped for,” Nicholas said, “Max can hold his head up high, because he wrestled a great tournament.”

Eaton “was in maybe the toughest bracket of the day,” Nicholas said. “After dropping a tough loss to (Greg Casella of) Portland in the first round, he battled back for three straight wins against tough opponents.”

Both Storm and Eaton will test their skills again next weekend at the New England Qualifiers.

“Team-wise, we fell short of our goals,” Nicholas said, though he emphasized the importance of States-level experience and nodded to 2016, noting the Blazes will return much of their top talent next season.

YORK: Smith, Elsemore, Slusher to compete at New England qualifier

By Jay Pinsonnault

Josh Smith and Connor Elsmore did not defend their respective Class B state wrestling championships, but they did enough to extend their season.

Smith, at 152 pounds, and Elsemore, at 170, both won their first two matches of the day and then lost in the state championship match on Saturday at Fryeburg Academy.

Smith lost to Ellsworth’s Connor Petros, 9-6, while Elsemore was pinned by Winslow’s Ryan Fredette in 2:54.

Senior Mark Slusher placed fourth in the 195-pound class, losing to Gardiner’s Jacob Truman by pin in the first round.

All four will advance to Saturday’s New England Qualifer at Sanford High School. The tournament is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m.

The top three in each weight class at the qualifier will advance to the New England championships at North Andover (Mass.) High School the weekend of March 6-8.

“Now, the kids want to see how they match up against the A and C wrestlers,” York wrestling coach Wally Caldwell said. “Clearly, they want to come in the top three and extend their season for a couple of more weeks. Plus, they are looking for a little retribution from this past weekend.”

Smith beat Oceanside’s Dallas Ball and Brooks Law from Foxcroft Academy to advance to the championship match.

“It was a good match,” Caldwell said. “Josh made a couple of mistakes and the kid caught him. He’s a good wrestler.”

Elsemore started the day by pinning Ellsworth’s Tyler Hardwick in the first round, then beat Foxcroft Academy’s Billy Brock, 6-4.

Slusher pinned Caribou’s Dustin DeMerchant in the second period, then lost to top seed Trevor Henchell, 10-7 in the consolation final. Elsmore led 5-3 going into the final period.

“It was the best he (Slusher) has wrestled against him,” Caldwell said. “He had a lead, he just couldn’t maintain it.”

Jon Mackamin, at 106, went 1-2 on the day, beating Foxcroft Academy’s Esau Olsen, 10-5. Josh Mackamin, at 113, lost both his matches.

Four straight: Hughes, Hawks roll to Class A crown

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.

UMaine: NCWA Tournament

Team results
Plymouth State 1st
University of Maine 2nd
University of Southern Maine 3rd

Help send Umaine Wrestling to Texas by Patrick Kane

We have had a tremendous year so far and we certainly aren't done yet! We expect to have many talented UMaine wrestlers qualifier for the national tournament in Allen, TX starting March 12.

As we are a self funded team the cost for sending so many wrestlers to Texas is a significant expense. In order to help fund our travel we have started a GoFundMe campaign:

gofundme.com/mainewrestling

We appreciate any help that you can give.

Please share this post with all Maine wrestling friends and family.

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Last year The University of Maine-Orono established a NCWA collegiate wrestling team and it is on the rise. Being a second year program the number of GOFUNDME.COM

So. Maine: Deupree Named Most Outstanding Wrestler at NWCA Tourney; Southern Maine Places Third

The USM Huskies, despite missing 6 starters, had a very respectable day with outstanding team and individual accomlishments and the North Atlantic Wrestling Championships! The Huskies conclude their record breaking regular season and are focusing on the NCAA Regional and National Championships in the the next 2 weeks

Deupree, Fagan and Dion All Earn Championships

So. Maine: North Atlantic Wrestling Championships

University of Southern Maine seniors, Sean Fagan, Mike Frey and Jonathan Deupree! The North Atlantic Wrestling Championships held at USM was their final home meet appearance in their amazing careers at USM!

They are so appreciated and will be sorely missed!

Class B wrestling: After a year of waiting, Ellsworth’s the champ

The Eagles win five straight matches in the finals to knock off three-time champ Camden Hills.

BY STEVE CRAIG STAFF WRITER

FRYEBURG — Ellsworth High felt it was ready to win the Class B state title last season, but a combination of late-season sickness and upsets kept the Eagles waiting.

There was no stopping them Saturday at Fryeburg Academy.

Ellsworth rolled up 147.5 points to beat Camden Hills (105) and Foxcroft Academy (96.5). The Eagles asserted their superiority with five straight wins in the finals – from the 132-pound weight class through 160.

Dagan Berenyi, a junior, won at 145 pounds. Berenyi was the 2014 champion at 132 pounds as a sophomore.

“We all knew it was about when we peak, being at 100 percent when it mattered, and that’s what we did here today,” Berenyi said.

Just before Berenyi won his title, senior Jack Weeks – the sixth seed – edged Western Maine champ Dakota Jacques of Mountain Valley 4-3 to win at 138 pounds. Weeks was unable to wrestle last season because of mononucleosis.

Two seasons ago, when the state meet was last held at Fryeburg, both Berenyi and Weeks lost in the finals.

“It was right there on that same mat,” Berenyi said. “Now, two years later, it’s him winning and then me winning.”

Four other wrestlers repeated as champions.

Wells senior Michael Curtis won the 220-pound title after winning at 170 and 195 the previous two seasons. Curtis pinned all three of his opponents, including Nathaniel Beckwith of Winslow in the final in 1:02.

Curtis has not lost since finishing third at last year’s New England championships. He said he’s looking forward to next Saturday, when he and the other top four finishers from Class B will take on the top four from Class A and Class C at the New England qualifier in Sanford.

The top three in each weight class at that meet will advance to the New England championships.

“My goal is to win (the New England title). That’s probably everyone’s goal, and there are definitely some good kids there. At the qualifier, I still have a lot of people I have to get by like (Massabesic’s) Mike Risti,” Curtis said.

Repeating in the same weight class were Danny Buteau of Oak Hill (106) and Ethan Boucher of Mountain Valley (120).

As expected, Gardiner junior Peter Del Gallo won his third straight state crown, prevailing at 126 pounds, and was named the meet’s outstanding wrestler. Del Gallo is unbeaten in his career in Maine and won the New England title at 106 pounds as a freshman. His season was in doubt because of a left elbow injury prior to the season.

Del Gallo said he was originally told he would need surgery, but it was later determined it was better to let the injury heal on its own. He returned to the mat in mid-January.

Del Gallo figures to have his first significant challenges of the season at the New England qualifier.

“I’m not at my peak yet, but with another week before (the qualifier) I’ll be back and conditioned great and ready to be in the zone and keep it going,” Del Gallo said.

Freshmen also stood out, as Devin Vigue (113) and Ryan Fredette (170), both of Winslow, and Ellsworth’s Peyton Cole (132) won state titles.

Vigue took advantage of a wide-open, 113-pound bracket after favorite Caleb Austin of Mountain Valley failed to make weight at last week’s Western regional. He beat Zac Annis of Camden Hills 8-3 in the final.

Cole started Ellsworth’s streak of five straight individual titles when he pinned Steven Thompson of Medomak Valley in 2:17 to remain undefeated at 132 pounds.

Also claiming titles for Ellsworth were Conor Petros (152) and Trent Goodman (160).

Three-time defending champion Camden Hills had one champion, Kalo Littlejohn at 195 pounds. Littlejohn’s win, combined with Jared Gilbert victory over Foxcroft’s Michael Pendriss in the 220-pound consolation final, pushed Camden Hills into second place.

Class A wrestling: Marshwood remains the best

The Hawks sport five individual champions, including two wrestlers with four state titles

BY PAUL BETIT

Jeremy Sendrowski of Scarborough jumps into the arms of his coach, Shane Stephenson after winning the 113 pound Class A State Championship. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Tyler Craig, above, of Skowhegan competes with Bradley Beaulieu of Marshwood in the 126 pound division Class A State Championship. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Jackson Howarth of Marshwood competes with Robert Heatherman of Mt. Ararat in the 160 pound division Class A State Championship. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Killian Murphy of Marshwood celebrates after defeating Max Storm of Westbrook to win the 132 pound Class A State Championship. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer 

Killian Murphy of Marshwood, above, competes with Max Storm of Westbrook in the 132 pound Class A State Championship. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer 

Cody Craig of Skowhegan, above, competes with Kyle Glidden of Marshwood during the 106 pound division Class A State Championship. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer 

Josh Hunnewell of Portland escapes the grasp of Brett Gerry of Marshwood during the 182 pound semifinal during the Class A State Championship. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer 

Dominick Day, left, of Biddeford competes with Kameron Doucette of Skowhegan during the 152 pound division Class A State Championship. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer 

Cody Hughes of Marshwood celebrates after defeating Greg Cassella of Portland to win his fourth Class A State Championship. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer 

TOPSHAM — Buoyed by a record-setting performance by Cody Hughes, Marshwood cruised to its fourth consecutive Class A state wrestling championship Saturday. 

Hughes set the record for career wins by a Maine high school wrestler when he pinned Zach Harris of Oxford Hills in the semifinals of the 170-pound weight class, passing the record of 203 set by Peter Bronder of Noble from 2006-09. 

Killian Murphy of Marshwood celebrates after defeating Max Storm of Westbrook to win the 132 pound Class A State Championship. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer 

Hughes then captured his fourth state title by pinning Greg Cassella of Portland in the third period for win No. 205. 

“The team comes first,” said Hughes. “We work hard every day. We go into practice and bust our butts every single day, so I think we all deserve to win our fourth straight team title.” 

Marshwood finished with 183 points, well ahead of Noble with 130.5 and Skowhegan with 115. 

“It was definitely a team win,” said Jackson Howarth, who was named the meet’s outstanding wrestler after winning the 160-pound division for his fourth consecutive individual state championship. “A lot of kids stepped it up and we got wins that we didn’t expect, and we pulled it off.” 

Eleven of the 14 Marshwood wrestlers who qualified for the state meet finished among the top four in their weight class. 

“The guys who came through with third and fourths were huge for the team,” said Matt Rix, in his 32nd season as the Hawks’ coach.” 

Marshwood is the first Class A team to win four consecutive state titles since Noble finished its unprecedented string of eight championships in 2006. 

Howarth and Hughes became the 17th and 18th Maine wrestlers to win four individual state championships. 

Howarth, who was seeded second in the 160-pound division, recorded a 6-1 decision against Eastern Maine champion Robert Heatherman of Mt. Ararat in the final. 

“Once we got the team win, we just focused on individual wins,” Howarth said. “It just makes it that much better.” 

Other wrestlers who won individual titles for the Hawks were top-ranked Bradley Beaulieu at 126, Killian Murphy at 132 and Brett Gerry at 182. 

It was the third straight title for Gerry and the second in a row for Beaulieu, a sophomore. Beaulieu, Howarth and Hughes are unbeaten this season. 

Murphy, who finished fourth at the West regionals, started off by scoring a lopsided win over Eastern Maine champion Cooper Holland of Skowhegan. After a 2-1 decision over Aiden Whitis of Deering in the semifinals, Murphy outpointed Max Storm of Westbrook for a 9-4 win in the final. 

“He had a tough regional tournament and it just wasn’t his day,” Rix said. “It was a great week of mental preparation for him, and he got his head into it.” 

The Hawks lost the opportunity to capture a sixth individual title when Zac Schluntz was unable to wrestle against Mike Risti of Massabesic in the 220-pound final. Schluntz was injured while pinning Max Storey of Cony in a semifinal and was forced to forfeit. 

The seedings held up for the most part. 

Fifth-seeded Jeremy Sendrowski of Scarborough knocked off the top two seeds to win the 113-pound division. After pinning top-seeded Jeffrey Bryan of Massabesic in the semifinals, Sendrowski scored a 6-3 decision over second-seeded Samson Sirois of Skowhegan in the final. 

The top four in each weight class advance to the New England qualifier next Saturday at Sanford, joined by the top four in Class B and Class C. The top three wrestlers from that meet will qualify for the New England championships March 6-7 at North Andover, Massachusetts.

Hawks focus on 4th straight wrestling title

By Mike Whaley

Marshwood senior Brett Gerry, top, is gunning for his third state title, while the Hawks are looking for a fourth consecutive Class A crown. (Whaley/Democrat photo)

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — The road to the Maine Class A wrestling state championship today at Mt. Ararat High School will go through Marshwood High School.

The Hawks dominated last Saturday’s regional event, which they hosted, winning their fourth straight title (242 points to 218 for second-place Noble). Now they set their sights on a fourth consecutive Class A crown.

“If Marshwood wrestles like they did Saturday, it won’t matter what we do,” said Noble coach Kip DeVoll.

Maybe. Maybe not.

The Knights had a very good regional performance, highlighted by a trio of regional crowns, all from sophomores. All told, Noble had 11 wrestlers advance, and eight were underclassmen.

Contrast that with Marshwood, which advanced 13 wrestlers, including six seniors. Five Hawks won regional titles.

Today’s championship starts at 9:30 a.m. with preliminary matches. To beat tonight’s blizzard, the consolation and championship finals will be run simultaneously starting around 2:30 or 3 p.m.

“We got the kids we really needed to advance,” said Marshwood coach Matt Rix. 

Zac Schluntz, back, is one of 11 Noble wrestlers competing at the Maine Class A championship today in Topsham. (Whaley/Democrat photo)

The five regional winners were seniors Cody Hughes (170 pounds), Jackson Howarth (160) and Brett Gerry (182), sophomore Bradley Beaulieu (126) and freshman Kyle Glidden (106). Hughes’ title, his fourth straight, included his 200th career win. He has 201, and should break the state record today of 203 held by first-year Noble assistant coach Peter Bronder. Bronder wrestled for the Knights from 2005 to 2009.

Hughes and Howarth are going for their fourth straight state titles, while Gerry is eyeing his third in a row. Hughes is unbeaten in Maine.

Other teams to watch in Marshwood’s shadow are Noble and third-place Massabesic from the West, and Eastern champ Skowhegan.

On the Noble side, the sophomore trio of Austin Shorey (120), Bailey Coull (132) and Josh Grenier (138) claimed regional crowns. Four other Knights were runners-ups. Seven of the team’s scoring wrestlers were sophomores and freshmen.

“We knew we had a good group of younger kids,” DeVoll said. “They’ve gotten good leadership from the seniors. 

After three subpar state showings since winning the 2011 title, Noble is hoping to be in the championship mix today.

“We’ve talked about it,” DeVoll said. “For whatever reason we didn’t do well once we got there those other times. We were doing fine up until then. We have the talent to do well.”

Two seniors, Robert Worell (195) and Jamal Durrani (182) lost their consolation final matches by injury default, but DeVoll expects them to be back at it today.

“We need to catch some breaks,” DeVoll said. “You’ve got that many kids it’s easy to catch some. Once things happen your way it seems to snowball. We know we’ve got to get going right off.”

Noble’s four runners-up were freshman Eric Pilcher (285), sophomore Jake Martel (126), junior Otto Keisker, and senior Zac Schluntz (220).

Marshwood really controls its own destiny. Rix noted that at last year’s state meet, 10 Marshwood wrestlers won first-round matches by pin, so double the points.

“We made a statement in the first round,” Rix said. “It puts everybody on guard. It’s all about the momentum. 

Rix sees tough competition for some of his guys coming from Skowhegan at 106 and 126 with the Craig brothers, Cody and Tyler. Tyler Craig, at 126, is going for his fourth straight state title. Beaulieu, who wrestled last year and won at 120, bumped up to 126 because Rix felt it was a tougher weight class and they had no one else who could make the grade like Beaulieu.

“We knew Brad would come through,” Rix said.

Although Connor Lapointe (120), Killian Murphy (132), Sam Hebert (145) and Justin Stacy (152) all had subpar performances last Saturday, Rix feels they could elevate today.

“We’re wondering whose going to be our Shamus McManus this year,” Rix said.

McManus was the surprise of last year’s tournament. A three-year JV wrestler, his first-ever tournament win was a state title at 145. He received the event’s top wrestler award.

“The first matches are tough for everybody,” Rix said. “Sometimes No. 1 overlooks No. 4.”

Rix is comfortable with Hughes and Gerry, but did note that Howarth only beat Mt. Ararat’s Robert Heatherman (Eastern champ at 160) by one point at the Essex Junction (Vt.) tournament. 

Since Bonny Eagle won the 1996-97 Class A crown, it’s been either Marshwood, Noble or Massabesic at the top. Noble won 11 of 13 championships from 1998 to 2011, including eight straight at one stretch.