The wrestling should be intense when competitiors step on the mat for the silver anniversary of the Maine/Nebraska Friendship Series later this month. Wrestlers from Mountain Valley, Lisbon, Oak Hill and Dirigo will participate.

Oak Hill High School will be the second of four competitions for the Cornhuskers, who will also compete at York, Cony and Morse.

The series was created in 1985 and is the longest running exchange between two states in the country. Maine and Nebraska have alternated hosting the event.

This is the first time that Oak Hill has hosted the Nebraska wrestlers. That night will feature Lisbon state champions Forrest Cornell (115), Marcus Bubar (145), Mike McNamara (130), Kyle Huston (150) and Joe Doughty (220). Competitors from host Oak Hill include state champion Craig Morrill, and Keith Madore, Dillon and Clyde Tibbetts and Nick Wells.

“Of 16 kids on our team, seven are state champs and eight runners-up,” Oak Hill coach Shane Bouchard said. “One placed fourth, but beat one of the state champs during the year. So while we may not have the marquee wrestlers, we have a very solid group, from some very solid teams (Lisbon, Oak Hill, Camden, Noble).

“Best of all, I believe, is the group of kids. They are all around great kids and that was an important part of deciding who to pick.”

Mountain Valley’s Ryan Burgess (105) will be at Cony and teammate Ernie Matthews (145) has also been invited. Each won Class B state championships. Matthews, a two-time state champ, is the Falcons all time leader in wins.

Dirigo state champion Brandon Jonaitis will compete at Morse.

“Nebraska will be stacked,” Maine team leader Shawn Guest said. “After (Maine) going 3-1 last year out there, Tom (McCann) will be gunning for bear. They are just so deep in high school wrestlers in the state. Kids want to wrestle.”

Maine will feature four-time state champions Joe Eon of Massabesic and Travis Spencer of Belfast. Spencer, a 2009 New England finalist, earned All-American honorable mention by Wrestling U.S.A. Magazine. The Lions standout has received a scholarship from Missouri.

Nebraska wrestlers are well-known for securing legs to control matches.

“The guys we are bringing are not all state champs,” McCann said. “But a good mix of kids that qualified through our tryout system. They are a good group of kids.”

Nebraska has 210 schools offering wrestling in four classes.