Windjammers earn ‘B’ crown ‘Wrestle-backers’ key in win

WALDOBORO – Getting eight of your wrestlers into 14 championship final matches is an impressive feat. When six of those eight win their matches, well … that’s something to brag about.

And even though Camden Hills head coach Pat Kelly wasn’t about to brag, he was certainly eager to talk … but the Windjammers’ 6-for-8 championship feat wasn’t his first topic of discussion.

“We had eight matches in the consolation’s semifinals and final round, and we won all eight,” said former assistant Kelly, who switched titles with brother John last year. “That’s incredible, particularly in a regional meet.”

The Windjammers used two traditional strengths – depth and talent – to win their fourth straight Eastern Maine Class B title by 441/2 points over runner-up Belfast at Medomak Valley High School’s gym Saturday.

Although he’s certainly not playing down the role his six Eastern individual champions and two runners-up played in his team’s victory, Kelly wanted to make sure his four third-place finishers were given their due as well.

“My wrestle-back guys are the ones responsible for our lead. The guys getting into the finals are the ones initially getting us the points to hang up there, and when the finals guys are resting, I have my wrestle-back guys coming through.”

Those “wrestle-backers,” wrestlers who advance into the consolation finals through the losers’ bracket, include seniors Jake Rand and John Marriner, junior Nathaniel Boehmer, and freshman Harry Pearson.

“The key [weight] classes for us today were 145 [Pearson], 160 [Boehmer], 171 [Marriner], and 215 [Rand],” said Kelly. “Those all wrestled back and those are big ones … Huge.”

Considering Belfast placed even more wrestlers – nine – than Camden Hills in the championship finals, it was huge, as Camden Hills needed a comfort margin and more heading into those final matches.

“We’ve always depended on our guys in the consolation finals to get the job done,” said junior Chris Remsen, who defended his title in 140. “When somebody falls down or whatever, another person steps up, so when someone you don’t expect to lose loses, someone else wins and does better than expected.”

“It was the same way we won KVACs. It’s one of the strengths of our team,” said three-time champ and senior captain Levi Rollins.

The Lions got off to a great start when sophomore Kyle Bonin earned a major decision (17-0) over Camden Hills freshman Derek Young in the 103-pound class, but he would be the only Lion to beat a Windjammer in a title match as Jake Rollins knocked off Belfast’s Tony Gilmore with a 10-2 decision at 112, brother Levi Rollins edged Mike Ames 4-3 at 130, and Bryan Creamer pinned Brooks Brewer at 189.

Camden Hills’ other individual champs were senior Kyle Sylvester at 119 and junior Kyle Young at 135.

Meanwhile, Belfast’s young squad was experiencing postseason growing pains as Bonin, Norman Gilmore (125), and Steve Cummings (160) were the only ones of the nine finalists to win. Ironically, all three are sophomores.

“We only have two seniors and two juniors,” said second-year Belfast coach Neal Wood, whose squad went from 20 members to eight to 13. “It’s been a numbers game all year. Every dual meet we’ve lost has been the result of forfeits. It’s a goal to be this close going into the finals and have a chance to win, so we’re getting there.

“We’re going to get stronger year to year from now on. Our program’s growing and we’ve been hoping for some kind of championship to help our program get better and bigger.”

Speaking of bigger and better, Caribou’s Jon Judkins was one of the five other wrestlers to come away with regional titles. The senior won his second straight with a pin in the 275 class.

“Everybody thinks we’re a bunch of potato pickers up north, but when it comes right down to it, we can compete with the best of them,” Judkins said. “Our school isn’t as big anymore, so that makes it hard to have a team big enough to compete in these meets, but we still have quality individuals.”

The other individual titlists were Jake Lasselle from Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield at 145, Mount View of Thorndike’s Clifford Gardner at 152 and Jeff Harris at 171, and Chris Desrosiers at 215.