DIXFIELD — Dirigo was unable to follow through with its objective and will have to regroup in another wrestling meet.
The Cougars simply was unable to gain any momentum and it proved costly as Dexter recorded six pins en route to a 45-31 win shined in a season-opening five-team event Saturday morning at DeFoe Gymnasium.
It wasn’t total gloom because Dirigo roared back to beat Boothbay 62-17, Madison 66-6 and Piscataquis Community 66-8. The biggest showdown was with Dexter who figure to be the Cougars main competition in the Class C state championship meet, in February.
This is expected to be the final Class C campaign. The MPA will have just Classes A and B next year.
There was several interesting matches between the Tigers and Cougars, including Tucker Barnett (138-pounds) who needed to utilize some strategy to rally back with a pin.
”I was scared,” said Barnett, who wrestled in his second-ever varsity match. ”I’m a new kid on the block. Last year, I was a bigger (fish) in junior high because I won it all. But up here, it’s a different style.”
Barnett was behind 5-4 in the third period to Jordan Gudroe when Barnett allowed the Tiger wrestler to stand up (one-point escape) and then executed a takedown. Barnett eventually shifted his arms in place and snapped a splade to pin Gudroe with 15 seconds left in the match.
”Letting him up really helped,” Barnett said. ”I looked over and (coach Doug Gilbert) said to let him go, and I wasn’t able to do any thing, so I welcomed the change. It required a little maneuvering, but I got my hands in place, but he never moved his head up, so I hit move.”
Dexter took control of the meet by winning two-straight matches on three occasions following a Dirigo win. The six pins served to derail the Cougars.
”A big match to me was with (Dirigo freshman) Bryce Whittemore,”Dexter coach Brian Salsbury said. ”Whittemore is going to do well, and he went against Zach Caron (state finalist last season at 126) and he’s only a sophomore. We are a young team, not as young as Dirigo, but we were stronger today.”
The Cougars have freshmen in five of the first six weight classes. But, each one is not a greenhorn when it comes to the mat. They have wrestled four years at the middle school and placed in the tournament.
Dirigo’s Hunter White (120) and senior Jesse Hutchinson (160) each recorded three wins. White stayed in control in a 6-0 decision against Bryce Sweet of Dexter. Hutchinson, a state finalist last season, stuck opponents in 24 and 52 seconds.
”It was just inexperience out there today,” Gilbert said. ”Except for Griffyn Smith (state champion as a freshman last season), my first eight wrestlers haven’t been on varsity. Plus, we are missing four kids today.
The Cougars secured quick pins, Colin Woodhead (27 seconds at 126), Ivan Lu (:52 at 145) and Dylan Helms (7 at 152), transferred from Telstar and Lucas MacDonald (44 at 195).
Boothbay has fielded a team for the first time in several years.
”We had a state champion as an independent last year,” said coach/ athletic director Alan Crooker, who won three state champions wrestling for the Seahawks in the mid 1990s. ”There was interest, so I approached the school board. We fill 10 weight classes.”
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