FRYEBURG — Quality and quantity were Fryeburg Academy’s allies Saturday, and with a few surprises mixed in, the Raiders had plenty of reasons to smile.

Fryeburg scored 173½ points to win its first-ever Mid-State League wrestling championship Saturday over Mountain Valley, which posted a total of 169.

Thirteen Fryeburg wrestlers places in the top four of their respective weight classes, including champions Connor Sheehan (103 pounds), Jake Thurston (130) and Stephan Emery at 152.

Mountain Valley, the defending Mid-State champion, placed the most champions with five: Ryan Burgess (119), Taylor Carey (171), Josh Allen (189), Christian Durland (215) and Ryan Glover (285).

Lisbon (116.50), Dirigo (93) and Wells 87 rounded out the top five.

“My hats off to Fryeburg,” said Mountain Valley coach Gary Dolloff, who was voted coach of the year. “They came to wrestle and had (all seven) win in the consolation (semi-finals), mostly by pins, and that’s how you win tournaments.”

Fryeburg led Mountain Valley 153-134 entering the championship consolations and finals.

Sheehan started the finals off with a 12-0 major decision over Nick McNamara of Lisbon. Thurston recorded a technical fall (won by 15 points) over Matt McInnis of Monmouth, while Emery executed a sit-out reversal for a 4-2 decision on Garrett Perkins of Wells.

“I’m really happy with team performance this season,” Fryeburg coach Bryce Thurston said. “The kids work hard and listen in practice. A key for us today was having every one drop a weight class from 160 down and our depth certainly paid off.”

Fryeburg Matt Frost decisioned Zach Stevens of Lisbon to place third at 112. The Raiders are the last Maine team to win a New England championship (1970), and Dave Woodsom, the coach of that squad, attended Saturday.

The Falcons made things interesting, beginning with Burgess, who used his legs in a 6-4 decision against Colin Sevigney of Wells. Carey pinned Brad Stevens of York to win the 100th match of his career.

“I knew it was coming,” Carey said.

The junior had three pins in the tournament.

“My Dad had told me (Friday) night that I had 97. I am just comfortable on the mat and once I secure an arm bar and roll them over (done deal).”

Allen (head and arm) pinned Kyle Foyt-Bridges of Monmouth for the third-straight match. Durland stuck Alex Robinson of Wells and Glover had his opponent on his back in the final seconds.

“I feel fine wrestling against bigger guys,”Glover said, who weighs approximately 205. “I’ve done it through out my high school career and have adjusted to it.”

Lisbon had champions with Forrest Cornell (119), Josh Pomerleau (125), Mike McNamara (135) and Matt Nicholson (140), but the Greyhounds lacked a supporting cast to keep pace in the consolations. 

“I just tried for a take down and slip-in my legs,” McNamara said. “I’m concentrating on (the team) winning a fourth-straight Class C state championship. Besides the four of us (individual state champions), we will definitely need help.”

Monmouth’s Eric Coulombe 145 was voted Most Outstanding Wrestler after a late reversal against Fryeburg’s Peter Bacchiocchi. Dirigo’s D.J. Webber was a champion at 160, while teammates Dylan Sattler (103), Caleb Hall, Brett Whittemore (125) and Ryan Lemay (140) each placed third. Joe Provencher and Santos Rodriguez of Mountain Valley were third at 135 and 152.

The fact that the tournament was even held Saturday at Fryeburg’s less-than-five-year-old Ada Cram Wadsworth Arena was nothing short of miraculous. Friday night, a broken water sprinkler spayed 600 gallons of chemical-based water on the floor.