Coaches and athletes are certainly in favor of a Maine tourney.
By Bob McPhee
Staff Writer

An All-State wrestling tournament could certainly help fill a gap for wrestlers who are waiting around to compete in the New England championships.

The Maine state championships were held Feb. 6-7. The champions from Classes A, B and C automatically qualified for the New England meet. That left an entire month of training, largely alone, although some individuals did band together to practice. Still, the quality and intensity levels were dramatically reduced during this time.

It could also serve as a qualifying tournament, so Maine would send its best athletes to the New England tourney. The Maine Principals’ Association wrestling committee has been noncommittal, regarding this issue.

“The majority of coaches are in favor of holding one,” Belfast coach Neil Wood said. “I’d like to see an All-State tournament and the MPA has discussed it. It needs to be organized earlier during the season, so everyone is aware of the existence of it. The coaches need to stand up and lobby. A tournament will come in time.”

Some Class C coaches are reluctant in giving up an automatic spot for their state champions advancing to New Englands, but the stakes are equally high for Class A and B wrestlers because they could also be unseated.

The wrestling season in Maine used to run from early December through the third week in February. The season has been reduced by nearly three weeks over the past decade.

The proof is in the performances at the New England competition. The out-of-state wrestlers held their respective state meets after Maine’s meet and they each hold All-State tournaments prior to the New England tournament.

“I thought the Maine kids were OK conditioning wise,” Noble coach Kip Devoll said. “A month was a long time and some kids let their weight go. They figured they had time, but I hated to see kids cutting weight for a tournament of this magnitude.”

There were 42 entrants from Maine (three each in 14 weight classes) and a trio advanced to the semifinals. Chris Remsen of Camden Hills and Noble’s Dekota Cotten (Most Outstanding Wrestler) each won crowns. Derek Giusto of Lisbon and David Smith of Mountain Valley each placed sixth.

Alternates Mike Dumas of Kennebunk and Dan Cofone of Westbrook each placed fourth. These two individuals, each state finalists, had become eligible to compete because other wrestlers declined to attend the tournament.

“Maine wrestlers were lacking an edge,” Oxford Hills coach Mark Dolloff said. “I’m not making excuses, but the month off obviously hurt. It’s just not the same practicing with one or two people. I had Seth McAlister and my assistant Tony Stevens and I each worked with him, but it wasn’t the same intensity.”

In the past four New England tournaments, 26 of 168 (15 percent) of Maine wrestlers have finished in the top six of their respective weight classes. This includes nine in 2001, four in 2002, seven in 2003 and six this year.

Marty Ryan, who chairs the MPA wrestling committee, has expressed a desire to hold duals championships for teams. This would be contested after the state meets and prior to the New Englands.

A majority of states hold annual team competitions, which continues to gain in popularity.

There’s no question holding an All-State tournament would provide wrestlers with an incentive. The extra practices would also help keep them prepared for the rigors of wrestling.

An All-State tournament actually existed throughout the 1990s and was sponsored by the Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance. The tournament received mixed reviews because some champions stayed away in fear of losing to another champion. The MPA, which tried to stop the tournament, finally succeeded when Maine was reinstated back in to the New England tournament in 1999.

The additional financial cost of holding a tournament persuaded the MPA to simply qualify the three state champions.