Four Bucksport HS wrestlers poised to pin down 100th win

When it comes to wrestling, there isn’t much that hasn’t been done on an individual or team basis at Bucksport High School.

State, regional and conference championship banners adorn the walls, individual honors and statistics cram the team record books, and it’s a rare year indeed when the Golden Bucks aren’t considered title contenders.

The Bucks are again legitimate title contenders this year, but even if they don’t win a single piece of championship hardware, this season is guaranteed to be one of previously unrealized success.

Barring some drastic, unforeseen setbacks, four Bucksport wrestlers – Dave Maguire (130-pound class), Josh Pelletier (135), Kyle Perkins (112) and Adam Bourgon (140) – will reach or eclipse the coveted career 100-win mark for varsity match victories within the next week.

If that’s not enough to generate some excitement in this riverside mill town, Bucks fans will soon see another first… Twice.

On Wednesday, juniors Pelletier and Perkins are due to become the first non-senior wrestlers in Bucksport High history to reach the 100-win mark.

“It’s amazing. All of this is really a big thing for the program because you know it’s accomplishing everything it can or should be,” said Joe Pelletier, now in his second season as the program’s head coach. “It’s great because my son Travis [Pelletier] and Josh and Adam and Kyle all started with me in third grade and everyone’s been kind of keeping an eye on this group for quite some time.”

Travis Pelletier is 66-6 overall. Had it not been for a double ligament tear (meniscus and anterior cruciate) in his knee at the start of last season – an injury that required two surgeries – Travis would very probably be on pace to swell the membership in Bucksport’s century club to five this season and become the third junior to accomplish the feat.

As it is, space is already at a premium on the 100-win banner, which occupies a prominent place on the gymnasium wall. When Maguire reached the milestone last week, there was just enough space left for his name as the 10th wrestler to join the exclusive club “founded” by Cory Bennett and Shawn Gross in 1991.

“I think we’re just gonna put another one up,” said Pelletier. “Dave will be the last name on this one.”

It’s appropriate for Maguire to be the last name on the banner as his cousin Andy Maguire, who holds the school record for career wins with 123, accomplished the feat in 1995.

“I made it a goal right from my freshman year because of Andy,” said Maguire, whose cousin started teaching him moves when he was 6. “It feels really good because my name will always be on the banner at the high school, about four names down from Andy’s.”

Why the sudden space crunch for an accomplishment that’s historically been rarer than a 1,000-point scorer in basketball? Joe Pelletier has some theories.

“Matches keep getting tougher, but I think it’s having more meets and the fact they [wrestlers] start earlier [in life],” he said. “They’re much more accomplished when they get here, so you have freshmen doing well instead of having to learn the sport for a year.”

Pelletier said both Pelletiers, Perkins and Bourgon were so talented as freshmen, they were able to come right in and displace solid upperclassmen who had already won conference and regional titles in their weight classes.

“It’s just a special group,” he said. “They’re all close and they’re dedicated. They eat, sleep and breathe wrestling. They all love it.”

Other keys include all having good hips, a key physical trait in this sport, and all have backup moves to rely on, although Perkins is so fast he simply relies on his speed to get out of tight spots.

Maguire says now that his No. 1 goal has been accomplished, it’s on to the next one.

“I’m trying to win all my meets this year,” said Maguire, who’s 25-0 after having already beaten B.J. Hamm, the top seed in the state in the 135-pound class and one of the few Maine wrestlers to place in the New England championships last year.

The 10-6 decision was Maguire’s first-ever win over Hamm in several meetings. Maguire also became the first Bucks wrestler to win a title at the annual Wells (High School) Tournament since Bucksport became a regular participant six years ago.

Maguire has some extra motivation working for him this year after the crushing way his season ended last year. He was undefeated and the top seed in his weight class for the Class C state championship meet. He arrived at his weigh-in eight pounds overweight. After exercising nonstop in a desperate attempt to drop the weight, he was disqualified after coming up just a half-pound over the minimum weight requirement.

Goal No. 3 for Maguire is Andy’s career win record and four through six are conference, regional and state titles. Speaking of states, winning a team Class C state crown is goal 1A for Maguire and everyone else on the team.

“Much of this has to do with all the groundwork Mike [Carter] has laid down here,” said Joe Pelletier, referring to the program’s founder and former coach. “He wasn’t satisfied with us just being good. He wanted to put us on the map.”

They’re on the map all right, perhaps as the capital of Eastern Maine wrestling if the current level of success continues.

Andrew Neff’s High school report is published each Wednesday. He can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or aneff@bangordailynews.net.