This time it wasn’t even close as Lisbon repeated in the Mid-State League championships. The Greyhounds took control by advancing nine wrestlers to the finals en route to a 47-point victory over Mountain Valley.
The Greyhounds rallied a year ago for an eight-point win. The championship had remained elusive for Lisbon, who had finished second the previous three years, despite three state championships.
“This year’s results were similar to last year,” Lisbon coach Mark Stevens said. “We matched up in six matches with Mountain Valley and we won three of them. That was a goal because we wanted to maintain our lead going into the finals.”
MSL champions included Justin Cornell (112), Tyler Clark (119), Charlie Stambach (125), Josh Dubois (140) and Jake Sprinkle (215).
There were several exciting matches that could have provided a big swing. Charlie Stambach executed a nice single-leg takedown to win in overtime against Jon Smith of Dirigo. The Lisbon senior was voted Most Outstanding Wrestler for the second straight year.
Sprinkle executed an escape with 10 seconds left in double OT to beat against Brendan Bradley of Mountain Valley.
Mark Stambach (189) wrestled a solid match, but lost 7-1 to the Falcons two-time state champ Chris Smith.
“It was a measurement of progress for Mark,” Stevens said. “In (wrestling), some of our best matches are losses, and we certainly learn more from them.”
Mountain Valley also benefited from the competition as Zack Bradley (135), Aaron Arsenault (152) and David Smith (275) also won crowns. The Smith brothers remain unbeaten.
Dirigo took advantage of the seeds to grab the lead after the first round. Derek Daley (103) and Devin Brann (160) won titles for the Cougars, but they lacked depth to challenge Lisbon.
Late replacement
Shane McNear accepted a challenge when he became head coach at Mt. Blue two weeks ago. The helm became vacant when Nate Platt resigned for personal reasons.
McNear, who grew up in Leeds, never wrestled in high school. Despite the lack of experience, McNear felt confident after having watched and listened during the past four years.
“The kids are all familiar with me,” McNear said. “I’ve been helping with the program for four years, so when the chance to coach became available I jumped at it. I was fortunate to have worked with (former coach) Nate Phillips who taught me the techniques and drills.”
Mt. Blue finished fourth at the KVAC championships. Seven wrestlers earned medals, including unbeaten Shane Webber, who won the 135-pound division. The Cougars will host the Class A East Regional this Saturday.
“We’ll be determined to defend our crown,” McNear said. “It certainly won’t be easy because Oxford Hills, Mt. Ararat and even Skowhegan will be very competitive. But, we have team goals and will be ready.”
Extra week of rest
Ben Madigan, a former state champion, will be key in Mountain Valley’s postseason push. Sidelined with a neck injury that he suffered three weeks ago at the Redskin Invitational, Madigan sat out Saturday’s MSL championships.
“There was no sense to push the issue, and we had to keep an eye on the big picture,” Mountain Valley coach Gary Dolloff said. “It was more important to let him remain idle another week because the team will need him this weekend.”
Individuals need to place in their respective regional tournament this weekend to qualify for the state meet Feb. 12 at the Augusta Civic Center.
A strong performance by Madigan, who won a regional title in 2004, will have a direct bearing on his seeding at the state meet.
The top four wrestlers in each weight class in the respective regions will face off at states. The regional finishes are usually crucial because the brackets are reversed for the state meet. These factor heavily in the semi-finals matches.
Girl power
History was made when Deanna Rix of Marshwood became the first female wrestler to win 100 career matches. Rix reached the century mark last Thursday, but the Hawks suffered their first loss, losing to Noble 33-29.
Rix, a senior, is one of the favorites at 130 pounds to win the Class A West regional and state meet. She utilizes an aggressive style and isn’t afraid to mix it up on the mat.
She is a two-time U.S. girls’ wrestling champion. Rix hasn’t allowed a single point scored against her in the past two national tournaments.
Jenn Wormwood of Oxford Hills also won two national crowns. The former Vikings wrestler is the only female to place in Maine’s Class A state meet, when she finished third.
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