LISBON — Never mind how easy the occasional sports dynasty makes it look. The Lisbon High School wrestling team says climbing the championship mountain is easier than planting your flag there and making it home.

“When you’re behind, you’re the team that’s working hard to get better, instead of just trying to maintain,” said Marcus Bubar.

Maintenance is easier, of course, when the people who built a machine are the ones working on it.

That’s the advantage for Lisbon, which finds itself in the rare position of trying to win a third straight Class C championship while still carrying many of the same cornerstones that were used to construct the first two.

Lisbon welcomes back four wrestlers who have won a combined six individual state championships. Bubar and Forrest Cornell were gold medalists at the Class C meet in both 2008 and 2009. Mike McNamara and Joe Doughty each moved to the top step of the podium last winter.

In addition, state finalist Matt Nicholson and semifinalist Art Stambach each defeated the eventual state champion in his weight class during the ’09 regular season.

While the Greyhounds won their sixth Class C championship in the last nine years, they reaped unprecedented hardware last season. For the first time in school history, Lisbon swept the Mid-State League, Western regional and state meets. It also prevailed in a Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance all-star meet.

Seven wrestlers walked away with state titles. Kyle Huston, Cameron Bubar and Dan Schofield have since graduated.

“We’re not replacing those guys easily,” said Lisbon coach Mark Stevens. “But the kids we have back know they can score in big meets.”

Much like Noble and Massabesic in Class A and Camden Hills, Mountain Valley and Belfast in Class B, Lisbon has built its mat juggernaut through tradition.

Bubar and Cornell both are the younger brothers of state champions. McNamara is a standout linebacker for Lisbon’s equally proud football program.

“I just got back from lifting for football this afternoon. You don’t always want to, but when (football coach Dick) Mynahan says you need to be in the weight room year-round, you do it,” McNamara said. “The practices for both sports are so tough. When it’s football season, I’m looking forward to wrestling. And when it’s wrestling season, I’m sort of thinking about football.”

Lisbon is a small team in both numbers and stature.

Cornell hopes to defend his title at 112 pounds, with Bubar attempting the same at 145. McNamara slides up one weight class from 125 to 130.

“We’re missing some weight classes right now,” said Bubar, “but we have a strong nucleus of probably at least seven guys who can win or place at the state meet.”

Josh Pomerleau (125), Nicholson (135), Stambach (189) and Doughty (215) are the remaining veterans.

“We can’t afford any injuries,” cautioned Stevens. “It would only take one key injury or one flu to devastate our team. And it doesn’t help when everybody is gunning for you and you’re spending all that time looking over your shoulder. It’s better to be looking straight ahead and worrying about yourselves.”

The schedule won’t give the Greyhounds any breathers, either.

Lisbon will compete against the top wrestlers in New England over the holidays, traveling to major tournaments in Massachusetts and Vermont.

And the regular-season slate begins Friday night with a road quadrangular meet against closest rival Dirigo, Foxcroft and Dexter. The four schools that have won every Class C crown since 1996 will be in the same building.

“We’ll see how things go,” Cornell said. “That will show us where we are.”

“Everybody wants to be on top,” noted McNamara. “It’s a lot easier to go from second to first than to hold everybody off.”

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2009-10 High School Wrestling Preview

Class A

As usual, the power lies in the West. Or most precisely in the South, where York County schools Noble, Massabesic and Bonny Eagle dominate the discussion. Noble has been either first or second in the state for 12 consecutive years, winning its ninth state title in that stretch last winter. Noble and Massabesic have been one-two the last four years. Cony, Morse and Mt. Ararat will be the teams to watch in the East out of the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference. Hoping to stick its nose into that fray is Mt. Blue, which finished sixth in the preseason Westlake Tournament at Bath and drew more than 40 wrestlers to tryouts this season. Gary Theriault (135-140 pounds) is a defending regional champion, while Andrew Currier is back after winning the KVAC title at 130. Oxford Hills continues its rebuilding efforts after winning only one dual meet a year ago.

Class B

Belfast, Mountain Valley and Camden Hills remain the Big Three, although Oak Hill opened eyes last year and will be a factor again. Belfast seeks its third consecutive state title. Mountain Valley, which was state champ or runner-up seven times in the double-zero decade, will lean on returning state finalist Matt Duka (160) and senior classmate Tim Ross (130) in its pursuit of another banner. Josh Allen, third in the state as a freshman, is back at 189 after sitting out a year. Oak Hill harbors its highest-ever preseason hopes with reigning state champ Craig Morrill (125) and finalists Keith Madore, Dillon Tibbetts and Nick Wells anchoring the Raiders. 

Class C

Lisbon and Dirigo have reigned as one-two in the state for four straight seasons, with the Greyhounds winning three state titles. Forrest Cornell, Marcus Bubar, Mike McNamara and Joe Doughty have won a combined six individual state championships, and Art Stambach and Matt Nicholson each defeated the state champion in his respective weight class during the regular season. Caleb Hall and Brandon Jonaitis are defending state champions for the Cougars. Bryan Blackman and Alex Miele have the potential to join them. The top four returning wrestlers from Monmouth won a total of nearly 70 matches last winter, so the Mustangs hope to move up in the standings. Friday’s meet at Dexter will give Lisbon and Dirigo a chance to go head-to-head with the host Tigers and Foxcroft, who maintain the equivalent rivalry in the central part of the state.

Local wrestlers to watch

Josh Allen, Mountain Valley

Bryan Blackman, Dirigo

Joey Billings, Oxford Hills

Marcus Bubar, Lisbon

Forrest Cornell, Lisbon

Eric Coulombe, Monmouth

Andrew Currier, Mt. Blue

Joe Doughty, Lisbon

Matt Duka, Mountain Valley

Caleb Hall, Dirigo

Kyle Foyt, Monmouth

Brandon Jonaitis, Dirigo

Keith Madore, Oak Hill

Matt McInnis, Monmouth

Pat McInnis, Monmouth

Mike McNamara, Lisbon

Alex Miele, Dirigo

Craig Morrill, Oak Hill

Nick Paine, Oxford Hills

Tim Ross, Mountain Valley

Art Stambach, Lisbon

Gary Theriault, Mt. Blue

Josh Thornton, Mountain Valley

Dillon Tibbetts, Oak Hill

Nick Wells, Oak Hill