BAR HARBOR – At its roots, wrestling is very much an individual sport, one-on-one confrontations in the middle of the mat.

But in team competition, it’s the depth of that individual talent that determines the champion.

Foxcroft Academy needed all its depth to retain its hold on the Penobscot Valley Conference title at Parady Gymnasium on Saturday, as the Ponies rallied to hold off Bucksport after trailing the Golden Bucks by 24 points midway through the meet.

“We talked about how we had done a good job but we needed to step it up,” said Foxcroft senior Colby Johnson of a team meeting held midway through the meet. “It was just as important for the people going for third and fourth place to step it up and win the consolation brackets, and we had to win the championship brackets, too. We needed everyone to put it out there and win.”

That pep talk paid off, as Foxcroft sent 13 of its 14 wrestlers into the championship or consolation finals and went 4-2 in championship matches and 6-1 in third-place matches to surge to a 218.5-185 victory over Bucksport.

“It was a gut check halfway through the meet,” said Foxcroft coach Luis Ayala. “We talked about how it was time to show what we could do, that it was time to step it up, and they really did.”

The two-time defending Class C state champions crowned four individual winners in Johnson at 125 pounds, Jerod Rideout (140), James McPhee (215) and Josh Pelletier (275), but it was depth that enabled the Ponies to persevere.

Take 152-pound junior David Farrar, a junior varsity wrestler for most of the year who fought his way into the Ponies’ lineup last week and battled his way to the championship match where he was pinned by Dexter’s David Richardson with one second left in the final period.

“I’ve wrestled varsity before,” said Farrar, 3-2 in varsity competition entering the meet. “I guess this wasn’t the same. I was a little nervous, but it got better and better.”

Foxcroft got another boost from Tim Fogg, another JV wrestler who replaced the injured Chris Steinke at 130 and placed fourth after reaching the consolation final.

Other top-four finishes for Foxcroft came from second-place Ethan Whittemore at 135 and third-place Bud McIntosh (103), Ray Benson (119), Alan Whittemore (145), Nick Lancisi (160), Leonard Sheen (171) and Bill Macomber (189).

Bucksport sent eight wrestlers to the championship finals and got victories from Jonathan Pelletier at 130 and Adam Tweedie at 189 along with runner-up efforts from Shawn Powell (112), Ray Wood (125), Cameron Wadleigh (140), Patrick Dedmond (145), Joe Soper (160) and Chris Gray (215).

“I think all in all the kids responded well to the tournament situation, and to keep the match as close as it was to Foxcroft is a testament to their preparation this week,” said Bucksport coach Larry Clement. “The kids have worked hard and come a long way. We have a very young squad with only three senior starters, so for them to be able to respond to the pressure of a tournament like this as young wrestlers, we’re very thrilled.”

Dexter crowned four champions to finish third in the 15-school meet with 157 points, followed by Caribou (119), Penobscot Valley of Howland (81) and Hermon (72).

Dexter’s Billy Greene won at 145 pounds, his fourth PVC title in his fourth different weight class. Greene joined Richardson, All-American Jeremiah Barkac (112) and Josh Harvey (135) atop the medal stand for the Tigers.

Caribou was led by champions Carlin Dubay (103) and Brad Burlock (160), while Penobscot Valley’s eight-wrestler contingent was led by junior Brandon Vainio, winner at 171 pounds. Hermon’s effort featured a second-place finish by Eric Cole (171) and thirds from Tristen Taggart (130), Graham Garber (152), and Matt Julian (215).

Ellsworth’s John Gordon captured his individual title in dramatic fashion, outlasting Caribou’s Dan Godin 15-14 in the 119-pound final.