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The high school wrestling postseason begins Saturday when the Penobscot Valley Conference and Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference stage their championship meets.
Camden Hills of Rockport will seek its fourth straight KVAC title beginning at 9 a.m. at Oxford Hills High in South Paris.
That streak is the shortest among three long runs for the Windjammers, who are the 10-time defending Eastern B champions and five-time reigning Class B state champs.
The KVAC meet features teams from Classes A, B and C.
Camden Hills’ biggest competition this weekend may come from Class B midcoast rival Belfast, along with Class A Mt. Blue of Farmington, Skowhegan, and Oxford Hills.
The Windjammers are led by their lighter and middle weight classes, including Joe McGowan (112), Murphy McGowan (103), True Bragg (119), Jake Berry (125), Derek Young (130), Cody Laite (140), and Harry Pearson (160).
“It’s going to be tough,” said Belfast coach Neal Wood, whose team is strongest in the lighter weight classes with 100-win seniors Norman Gilmore (130 pounds) and Kyle Bonin (119) and junior Tony Gilmore (125).
“It should be a better tournament this year, closer than it’s been in the past,” said Wood. “A lot of teams have a few kids that will be in the mix.”
At Caribou, Foxcroft Academy will attempt to win its third straight PVC title.
“This year we have a big target on us,” said FA coach Luis Ayala. “Every week teams step up and give us their best because they want to beat us.”
Foxcroft features two-time state champions Caleb Pelletier (152) and Randy Briggs (171), though Briggs has been injured recently. Junior Josh Pelletier is the state champ at 215.
The Ponies’ major challengers should include Class C rivals Bucksport and Dexter. Bucksport narrowly lost to the Ponies 35-31 in a dual-meet battle, while Dexter features three-time state champion Chris Barkac (130) and his sophomore brother Jeremiah, the 2004 state champ at 103.
“You’ve always got to respect Dexter, coach [David] Gudroe does an excellent job getting his guys ready, and Bucksport’s also got a great team,” said Ayala.
The PVC meet is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.
State champions to square off
The reigning Class B and Class C state championship wrestling teams will meet in a rare regular-season matchup today when Foxcroft hosts Camden Hills as well as Old Town and George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill at 6 p.m. in Dover-Foxcroft.
For Class C Foxcroft, the match against five-time Class B champ Camden Hills should provide a challenge to a pair of impressive streaks. The Ponies have won 45 straight dual matches and have not lost at home in four years.
During that span, the Ponies are 84-4 overall.
“We’ve talked about it before, but both of us had tight schedules with us in the PVC and Camden Hills in the KVAC,” said Foxcroft coach Luis Ayala. “But something opened up on Camden Hills’ schedule so they’re able to come here, and it’s something we’re looking forward to.”
Reardon, Wing earn 100th wins
Two more wrestlers have entered the 100-win club.
Pat Reardon of Hermon, who wrestles in the 275-pound division, reached his milestone during a Jan. 19 meet with wins against wrestlers from Mount Desert Island and Old Town.
Brad Wing, a 130-pound senior from Ellsworth, has joined teammate Tom Burns in the select circle for the Eagles this season. Wing gained his 100th victory during a recent meet against Caribou and Hermon.
Windjammers sailing along
The Camden Hills boys basketball team is cruising through its Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference schedule and currently stands as the No. 1 team in Eastern B.
Coach Jeff Hart’s club ranks as one of only two undefeated boys teams left in Eastern Maine (along with Class C Dexter) after Tuesday night’s 60-44 home victory against Mount View of Thorndike. The Windjammers’ 13-0 record is highlighted by two victories against reigning Class B state champion Erskine Academy of South China – one an overtime win at Rockport on Jan. 15.
“We’ve been playing pretty well,” said Hart. “We went through the midseason slump I think every team goes through, but we seem to be back on track.”
Camden Hills began the season with an advantage over most of its rivals, a veteran starting cast featuring four seniors in guards Jamey Davis and Will Horn and frontcourt players Tim Stammen and Nick Tedford along with junior Cameron Puls.
That unit has been a constant, with Stammen, Davis, and Tedford all averaging in double figures and Horn and Puls also providing timely offense.
“I think one big thing we’ve come to realize is that it doesn’t matter who scores,” Hart said.
As the season has progressed, the Windjammers have developed a solid bench to maximize their traditional aggressive play. Seniors Morgan Kerr, Daniel Pike, and Andrew Rogers and sophomore Jared Mitchell are all providing quality minutes.
“We’re so much more on top of what we want to do defensively,” said Hart, “and our roles are more defined.”
Ernie Clark may be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or eclark@bangordailynews.net
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