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AUGUSTA – When Pat Kelly was handed the keys to the Camden Hills wrestling program after his brother John decided not continue as coach this year, his main concern was keeping the team on a smooth road.
The Windjammers had enjoyed incredible success with John at the helm, winning three straight Class B state championships and four of the last five state titles. Pat Kelly had been an assistant coach with the program for 16 years.
Saturday night, after a long day at the Augusta Civic Center, Kelly realized the team is now his when the Windjammers’ Brian Creamer outpointed Mountain Valley’s Jason Provencher for the 189-pound state championship. The win assured Kelly and the Windjammers their fourth straight team title.
“I took some ownership to it,” Pat Kelly said, “because I feel as though there were two freshmen on our squad that I tutored along. There were two guys who hadn’t wrestled in two years for us who came out late this season. One is a state champion, the other a third. So, I took some ownership.”
Camden Hills’ 173.5 points were 9.5 better than Mountain Valley of Rumford’s 163. Belfast was third with 112 and was followed by Wells with 71, Erskine of South China (59), Ellsworth (48), Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield (46), Winslow (43) and Mount View of Thorndike (40.5).
Noble of Berwick easily won its fifth straight Class A championship and Lisbon received little challenge in winning its third consecutive Class C title.
In the B meet, Chris Remsen (140) won his third state title while Kyle Young (135 pounds), and Levi Rollins (130) also won state crowns for Camden Hills. It was also Rollins’ third state championship. The senior won at 103 pounds as a sophomore and at 125 pounds last year.
At the time of his win Saturday he was more concerned about the team championship.
“Our team really needed [my win]. Hopefully it will be enough [points] to pull it off,” Rollins said.
Belfast crowned two champions and they happen to be brothers. Tony and Norman Gilmore won at 112 and 125 pounds, respectively.
Tony, a freshman, seemed surprised at his win over Jake Rollins of Camden Hills.
“Beating him is sweet. He beat me four times this year. I guess I wanted it more today,” Gilmore said.
One of the more exciting matches of the day in Class B was the 145-pound final between Jake Sinclair of Ellsworth and Jake Lasselle of MCI.
Sinclair avenged a loss to Lasselle in last week’s Eastern Maine championships when he broke free of Lasselle with six seconds remaining in overtime to earn an escape point and a 2-1 win.
“It was the same situation as the last time. I just happened to get up this time. I just gave it all I had,” the sophomore explained.
Also winning Class B titles were Mountain Valley’s Ian Venskus at 103 pounds and Kirk Nelson (160), Peter Lee of Winslow (119), Shawn Studholme of Erskine (152), Josh Lasselle of MCI (171), Pat Casten of Wells (215) and Fryeburg’s Tom Mango at 275.
In Class C, while Lisbon ran away from the field in Class C there was a real fight for second place. As at the Penobscot Valley Championships and last week’s EM tourney, Dexter, Foxcroft Academy and Bucksport fought tooth-and-nail for the runner-up spot.
In the end, as at the EM championships, Dexter emerged as the top EM team with 154 points behind Lisbon’s 210.5. Foxcroft was third with 136.5, Bucksport fourth (132) and Penobscot Valley of Howland fifth (86).
Dexter won three individual titles as sophomore Chris Barkac (119) won his second state championship. He won at 103 pounds in 2002. Keith Thompson (125) and Josh Bishop (189) also picked up titles for the Tigers.
Foxcroft Academy’s Randy Briggs won at 171 pounds and teammate Caleb Pelletier won an 11-6 decision over Josh Dubois of Lisbon at 145 pounds. The sophomore fulfilled a season-long goal.
“It’s what I’ve been working for. It’s exactly what I’ve been aiming for. He didn’t give up. He was in it for the long haul. It was a great match,” Pelletier said.
Penobscot Valley’s Aaron Priest was the winner at 103 pounds while Travis Pelletier won at 160 and teammate Adam Bourgon ended a four-year quest at 140.
“This is what I’ve been working all four years for. The past two years I’ve been in the state finals and hadn’t been able to finish it. This year I did. Everything just came together this year,” Bourgon said.
Monmouth’s Aaron Kaluzynski (103) and Lisbon’s Nate Hix (130), Derek Giusto (135), Robert Hespe (152), Adam Lord (215) and Joey Schreiber (275) round out the Class C winners.
In Class A, Eastern Maine teams and wrestlers didn’t fare as well. Noble topped the division with 183 points and had the championship sewed up during the consolation round semifinals. Westbrook was second with 102.5 points and followed by Biddeford (101), Marshwood (81) and Skowhegan (72).
Mt. Blue of Farmington’s Seth Webber (125) and Skowhegan’s Brandon Hamilton (160) were the only EM wrestlers to win titles.
The other winners were Noble’s Paul Desmarais (103), Jarred Porper (130) and Decota Cotton (152). Biddeford’s Jim Gaudette won at 112 pounds, Westbrook had winners in Nick Lavigne (119) and Chris Tracy (215) while Sanford’s Brian Bourque (135) and Chad Edwards (171) picked up wins.
Deering of Portland’s Kellen HollenKamp (189) and Brent Armstrong (275) were winners and Marshwood’s Colby Lamson was the state champion at 145 pounds.
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