Bucksport utilizes talent, depth to earn PVC championship

NEWPORT – The Bucksport Golden Bucks combined the power of individual performance with the power of numbers Saturday to win the Penobscot Valley Conference wrestling championship at Nokomis Regional High School.

And Dexter senior Jeremiah Barkac achieved another number reached only once before in Maine wrestling history.

Bucksport placed 10 wrestlers in the championship and consolation finals and won four individual titles to pull away from Dexter and four-time defending conference champion Foxcroft Academy of Dover-Foxcroft in the team competition.

The Golden Bucks finished with 166 points, compared to 133.5 for second-place Dexter and 130 for Foxcroft. Caribou (94) and Penobscot Valley of Howland (67.5) completed the top five, followed by Hermon (63), Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln (59), and Brewer (56) in the 17-school field.

“It was all of our kids stepping up,” said Bucksport coach Larry Clement, whose team persevered despite losing 130-pound competitor Jeff Hall to a dislocated shoulder during his semifinal match. “We had 10 kids make it to the medal rounds, and that was the most by any team. All of our kids stepped up and fed off one another, it was a great team effort.”

Bucksport, Dexter, and Foxcroft were all well represented in the championship finals, Dexter and Foxcroft with six wrestlers each and Bucksport with five. But while Dexter and Foxcroft each won two title matches, Bucksport went 4-1 as Ray Wood (135 pounds), Jon Pelletier (140), Steven Klenowski (160), and Andrew Wescott (285) each won his weight class while Kasey Pelletier (145) finished second.

Bucksport’s depth also showed itself in the consolation finals, where the Golden Bucks were represented in five weight classes compared to just one each for Dexter and Foxcroft. Shawn Powell (125) and Darrin Ryder (171) finished third for Bucksport, while Luke Herrling (112), Cam Wadleigh (152), and Craig Woodard (215) each contributed a fourth-place finish.

“We knew we were going to be up there,” said Klenowski. “We were never sure if we were going to win it, but we had to bring our ‘A’ game and it looks like we brought it.”

Dexter’s strength came primarily in the lower weight classes, particularly from Barkac, the undefeated senior who used three pins to win the 112-pound title. His final match, a 1-minute, 56-second pin of Foxcroft’s Kaleb Mann in the championship bout, was the 180th win of his career, tying former Noble of North Berwick star Decota Cotten for the state record in that category.

“I’m pretty excited about it, that’s about all I can really say,” said Barkac, a three-time state champion who will attempt to break the career wins record during next Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class C championship meet at Bucksport. “I can’t describe it. It feels good to have everybody else cheering for me because it usually doesn’t happen that way.”

Dexter coach Adam Gudroe added, “It’s amazing. Jeremiah’s a one-in-a-million wrestler. We’re hoping that next weekend – and we’re crossing our fingers because you never know what will happen – he can break it, and if he does, that’s going to be a hard record to beat.”

Brian O’Connor (119) also won an individual title for Dexter, while Mike O’Connor (103), Ronnie Harvey (125), Ryan Newcomb (135), and Josh Harvey (152) each finished second.

“Bucksport came on strong today,” said Gudroe. “It’s thirds and fourths that really pick a team up, and today we were an all-or-nothing team. We were either in the finals or not in it at all.”

Two-time state champion Jerod Rideout (152) and Colby Johnson (130) earned PVC individual titles for Foxcroft, while Mann, Ethan Whittemore (140), Bill Macomber (171), and Jon Geiger (215) placed second for the Ponies.

“I thought we a good chance,” said Foxcroft coach Luis Ayala. “I knew it was going to be a really close race, but Bucksport had some upsets – at 145, Kasey Pelletier did an awesome job – and the depth of their team was the difference today.”

Hermon junior P.J. Richards was named the meet’s outstanding wrestler, as he earned one win by major decision and two victories by pin to claim the 215-pound title despite competing at a considerable weight disadvantage.

“I weighed in at 177 and I was wrestling at 215, so I didn’t figure I was going to do that great,” said Richards. “They have 40 extra pounds to haul around, so I guess that’s good, but I also have to pick up that extra 35 or 40 pounds.”

“I’ve been wrestling at both 189 and 215 this year, and I had a better record at 215, so I figured that’s what I’d do today.”

Richards was one of two individual champions from Hermon, joined by Steve Cummings at 189 pounds. Other weight-class winners were junior Carlin Dubay of Caribou, whose path to the 103-pound title included his 100th career win; Curtis Lozier of Fort Kent (125); Booky Nesin of Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln (145); and Jake Hesseltine of Brewer (171).