They’ve wrestled in the shadow of a regional rival in recent years, but this winter the Belfast High wrestling team is poised to mount its most serious challenge for a Class B state championship since winning back-to-back crowns in 1994 and ’95.

The Lions are off to a flying start, most recently winning the 23rd annual McDonald’s Invitational tournament hosted by Mountain Valley of Rumford last weekend.

Belfast had five individual champions and nine top-three finishers overall in cruising to its second straight victory at the McDonald’s meet. The Lions scored 190 points, well ahead of runner-up Dirigo of Dixfield, the reigning Class C champion that finished with 139 points. Lisbon, Mountain Valley of Rumford and Deering of Portland rounded out the top five teams.

So dominant was Belfast that it had the meet championship clinched before the consolation and championship finals.

“We had a good day,” said Belfast head coach Ted Heroux. “We’re fortunate to have a good group of kids back from last year.”

Belfast got individual McDonald’s championships from Josh Robbins (125 pounds), Jimmy Spencer (140), Kote Aldus (160), Mike Rolerson (171) and Travis Spencer (189). Josh Wolfe (112) and Zach Shellabarger (145) each finished second, while Jordan Young (103) and Rico Borzoni (135) earned third-place finishes.

The McDonald’s victory came on the heels of two other impressive early-season performances by Belfast, a second-place finish at the Oxford Hills Duals and a victory in Belfast’s own Crossover Duals, when the Lions upended Camden Hills, Ellsworth and Marshwood of Eliot en route to victory.

Belfast returns three state individual champions in brothers Jimmy and Travis Spencer and Rolerson along with two runners-up in Robbins and Aldus, who went on to earn All-America status with a fourth-place finish in his weight class at the inaugural NHSCA National High School Freshman Wrestling Championships at Virginia Beach, Va.

And Shellabarger, who placed fourth in the state at 135 pounds last winter, is considered the most improved wrestler on the team, according to Heroux, while Dalton Hines, a first-year starter in the 285-pound weight class, also is showing promise.

Belfast, which finished second to Camden Hills at the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championships, the Eastern B meet and the state championships last season, will continue to test itself during the coming weeks at the Noble Invitational and the Sanford Invitational before January brings the bulk of the dual-meet schedule.

“It’s going to be tight,” said Heroux, who likes Camden Hills of Rockport, Belfast, Mountain Valley and Wells as four of the top contenders in Class B. “I think you could probably win Class B with 160 points this year. It’s a long way to the end of the season, but it’s going to be very interesting.”

PCHS to host 1st meet in 41 years

Piscataquis Community High School will hold its first home wrestling meet in more than 40 years Saturday when the Pirates host Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln, Fort Kent and Stearns of Millinocket in Guilford.

Weigh-ins are scheduled for 11 a.m, with the meet scheduled to start at noon.

PCHS is fielding its first varsity wrestling team since the 1966-67 season this season. Coached by Tom Cyr, the Pirates already have scored their first dual-meet victory and now are looking to have success on their home mat.

Several special activities are being scheduled in conjunction with the meet. Roger Brawn, the PCHS wrestling coach during the mid-1960s, is expected to attend the meet, and former Pirates wrestlers from the 1966-67 team have been invited to attend and will be introduced during the meet.

In addition, a spotlight is being placed high above the mat to be used during the competition, and some youth wrestlers are slated to put on an exhibition during a break in the varsity matches.

The PCHS varsity wrestling team was approved last summer to build on a successful wrestling club for students in grades 6-12 that met after school for three days a week for six weeks last winter.

Called Reading, Writing and Wrestling, the club was funded by a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant designed to provide a broad array of activities that foster additional academic enrichment opportunities for children. Through the program participants learned basic wrestling techniques and the written rules of the sport.

“What’s great is that a lot of the kids that are involved now were in the club before,” said PCHS principal Jim Chasse. “Most of those kids really weren’t connected to other school activities before, and being involved really changes their attitude around school during the school day.”

Ernie Clark may be reached at eclark@bangordailynews.net or 990-8045.