The Webber Empire is still going strong at the Mt. Blue.

Senior Shane Webber is currently unbeaten and is looking to win a second-straight Class A championship next month.

Shane is joined on this year’s team by the youngest brother, freshman Sam Webber. Older brothers Scott and Seth each won state championships. Scott won three crowns.

Shane is cut from a similar mold. He utilizes an aggressive style to overpower numerous opponents and he doesn’t waste energy while on the mat.

“I go all out,” Webber said. “When I get a pinning hold on an opponent, I follow it through.”

Webber has won the Westlake and Tiger tournaments this season by outpointing Kris Sleeper of Gardiner. The Cougar standout fought Sleeper to a 4-0 decision last week.

Webber, who surpassed 100-career wins last month, is closing in on Scott, who has approximately 125 wins. Seth holds the school record with more than 130 wins.

Shane has an outside chance to reach Seth, but a burn mark on his neck forced him to miss the Redskin Tournament in Sanford.

“I would have had to wrestle in every one of our scheduled meets,” Webber said. “Coach (Nate Platt) thought the burn might have been a ringworm, so he kept me out. It was really tough to sit on the sidelines through a two-day tournament.”

Triple threat

The Class B state meet is shaping up to be a three-team shootout between powerhouses Camden Hills, Mountain Valley and Belfast.

Camden Hills has won the past five state championships, while Mountain Valley has finished second in four of those five years. The respective coaches have already mapped out battle plans.

“It’s going to be close,” Mountain Valley coach Gary Dolloff said. “Camden Hills and Belfast are both strong in the lower weights. Hopefully, they will knock each other off. Our strength is in the upper weights, plus I’m counting on picking up some points in a couple other different weights.”

The Falcons are led by state champion brothers Chris and David Smith at 189 and 275, respectively. Ben Madigan (160) won a state crown as a freshman and is determined to end his career on a high note.

Defending state champion Harry Pearson of Camden Hills may be the biggest obstacle.

“The boys all realize what’s at stake,” Dolloff said. “This team is coming together, you can see them cheering each other on.”

There are several others who Dolloff believes can score heavily, including sophomore Zack Bradley (135), who reached the state finals last year. Chris Cayer (140) and Aaron Arsenault (145) have each won tournaments. Tyler Child (171) and Brendan Bradley (215) are capable of getting on a roll. The lone seniors are Madigan and Chris Smith.

Camden Hills start nine freshmen and sophomores, but will be ready.

“Wow,” Camden coach Pat Kelly said. “How’s that for being young, only 5 starters from last year’s dominant squad. We are (16-1), but I suspect some tough competition in the weeks to come. My focus is on the regional meet in effort to set ourselves up for the state meet and a bid for number six.”

The Windjammers have Jacob Berry 125 and Derek Young at 130.

A key match-up is looming at 112, between state champions Joe McGowen of Camden and Kyle Bonin of Belfast.

The Lions are solid with Tony and Norman Gilmore. Ben Damon at 145.

Vikings making noise

Oxford Hills’s young team is gaining experience on the mat. The philosophy is already paying dividends. The Vikings have been busy and the future schedule is equally demanding.

The team scored 110 points in the Noble tournament and then won the Cony Duals the following day. The lineup is comprised mostly of underclassmen, including three freshman and five sophomores. The Vikings have some lumps.

“We got home at 10 p.m. on Thursday,” Oxford Hills coach Mark Dolloff said. “The next day we were back on the bus to go to Cony Duals at six a.m. The kids really surprised the coaching staff because it was if they hadn’t wrestled in a while. They wrestled with a purpose.”

Cory Smith (189) continues to impress, advancing to the finals against 2004 state champions in the McDonalds, Noble and Redskin tournaments. Smith earned a first-place finish (10-5 decision) against Adam Tweedie from Bucksport at Noble.

Tom Moulton is a force at 152. The team knows that these tourneys build them for the last part of the season.

“We are starting to win the close matches,” Dolloff said. “That will help them in the regional and possible states. I see a shift in competition when we wrestled Noble, Lisbon and Camden. We won matches that the last two years, we have been losing. It is extremely encouraging.”