FA fourth at Class B championship, Dexter finishes as Class C runners-up

    After winning the last three Class C wrestling championships, the Foxcroft Academy team came in fourth at the Class B finals on Feb. 15 at Morse High School in Bath.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
    SEVENTH HEAVEN — Sophomore Mikayla Dow gets a shot up and over the Sumner defense during the Feb. 11 prelim. The No. 7 Pirates earned the team’s 11th win of 2013-14 by ending the Tigers’ season.

    The Ponies finished with a score of 89.50 points, the fourth-highest total of 21 schools.
    Three Foxcroft wrestlers finished in second place in their respective weight classes. The first was Brooks Law at 138 points. In the 138-pound championship match, Law was defeated by Colin Sevigney of Wells High School by a score of 4-2.
    In the 160-pound finals, Todd Francis was pinned at the 1:14 mark by Connor Elsemore of York High School.
    Corbyn Bruce wrestled his way to the 195-pound championship. In the weight class’ last match of the day, Michael Curtis of Wells recorded a 14-1 major decision victory.
    Antonio Ayala came in third at 120 pounds. In the consolation finals, Ayala earned a 12-8 win over James Archer of Camden Hills Regional High School.
    A pair of Ponies placed fourth at the Class B championship — Michael Pendriss at 170 pounds and Brandon Brock at 182 pounds. In the 170-pound consolation final Tyler Azevedo of Erskine Academy of South China defeated Pendriss 9-4, and Zach Cross of Mountain Valley High School of Rumford pinned Brock at the 4:54 mark of their consolation final.
    Camden Hills won the championship with a score of 124 points, followed by Mountain Valley with 113 points and then Ellsworth High School with 100. The Windjammers won the Class B title for the third year in a row, fourth time in five seasons, 12th time in the last 17 years and 15th time in program history.
    On Feb. 15 Mountain Valley High School was the site of the Class C wrestling championship. Dexter Regional High School finished with a score of 158 points, placing second behind only the 195.5 accumulated by Dirigo High School of Dixfield.
    Three Tigers earned individual state championships. The first was Zachary Caron at 132 pounds. In the final, Caron recorded a 15-2 major decision win over Dirigo’s Bryce Whittemore.
    Seth Blais used a pinfall to become the 152-pound champion. At the 3:25-mark of the championship match Blais pinned Tyler Baird of Lisbon High School.
    In the 170-pound division, Matthew Mower became the third 2014 Dexter wrestling champion. Mower defeated Dirigo’s Spencer Vaughan by a 9-2 decision in the final.
    Dexter’s runners-up were Dillion Garnett and Jacob Hesseltine. Garnett fell via technical fall, 15-0, to Griffin Smith of Dirigo in the 113-pound finals. At 145 pounds, Stewart Buzzel of Monmouth Academy pinned Hesseltine at the 1:05-mark of the championship match.
    Three members of the team came in third at the state championship. Kyle Hartman pinned Devin Libby of Lisbon at the 2:50-mark of the 182-pound consolation final.
    Bryce Salsbury won the last match in the 160-pound consolation competition. He pinned Joseph Foss of Madison Area Memorial High School at the 2:30-mark.
    At 220 pounds, Joshua Haskell pinned Penobscot Valley High School of Howland’s Justin Ringette at the 3:50-mark of the consolation championship.
    Bryce Sweet was fourth at 120 pounds. In the weight class’ consolation championship Joseph Embro of Washington Academy of East Machias earned a 7-4 victory.
    Three wrestlers from Piscataquis Community High School took part in the state championship, and all were in the top four. At 145 pounds Ethan Cooley pinned Brandon Andrews of Boothbay Regional High School at the 2:33-mark of the consolation championship.
    The other two Pirates came in fourth in their weight classes. Cameron Pratt reached the 126-pound consolation final, but Ryan Kiah of John Bapst Memorial High School of Bangor won the match by forfeit.
    Matthew McKusick was fourth at 152 pounds. In the consolation championship Dylan Kruegar of Stearns High School of Millinocket earned a 7-5 victory.
    Dirigo’s state championship was the program’s fourth and first since 2007.