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RUMFORD – Last week, the Belfast Lions ended a 13-year winning streak. This week, they ended a 13-year drought.
The Lions followed up last week’s Eastern Maine Class B title with an even more impressive effort at Puiia Gym, putting up a whopping 160 points to outdistance runner-up and host school Mountain Valley by 36 points.
In fact, the Lions could have been shut out in the consolation and championship finals, points-wise, and still won the meet as they racked up 130 before consolations began.
“We got a pile of points after semis the last two weeks,” said Ted Heroux, now winding up his 40th coaching season. “We had a great tournament last week and I think that was a springboard because we had an even better one this week. Your confidence grows as you win.”
That confidence was evident as the Lions won in various ways: With technique, talent, luck and/or determination.
. Determination: Despite having a bad collar bone injury, Zack Shellabarger not only practiced but received his doctor’s permission to wrestle Saturday. He won twice by decision and finished second in the 145 class.
“It was real tender, but his doctor signed off on it,” said Belfast coach Mike Cummings. “He had a Class III separated clavicle, but he knew if he could get to the finals, he could get some points, so he gutted it out.”
. Luck: It looked over early for senior co-captain Mike Rolerson as top west seed Ray Gauthier of York had him off-balance and all but pinned 30 seconds into their 171-pound championship final. Rolerson not only escaped, he turned the tables and pinned Gauthier 1 minute, 13 seconds later.
“He picked me up and started bringing me down, and I had his head and saw the leg, and I took advantage,” Rolerson recalled. “I’ve been in that situation before. I’ve been thrown on my back and reversed it, but never in a championship match. I think that was more luck than skill.”
. Technique: Kote Aldus looked like he was directing a clinic while racking up 18 points and winning the 160 class with a technical fall over West champ Eddie Estes of Mountain Valley.
. Talent: Junior Travis Spencer made winning the 189 class look easy as he rolled up 13 points after just the first two rounds before pinning James Grady of Lincoln Academy with 35 seconds left in the match.
Then there was big brother Jimmy Spencer, the other co-captain who finished third overall in 140, but broke a school record for career victories (154) with a 15-0 decision (technical fall) in the consolation final.
“Three weeks ago, I looked at my record and started counting. I got to 140 and said ‘Wow, that’s a lot,'” he said. “Going into the season, I didn’t think I had a shot at the record because I thought Tony [Gilmore] had a lot more than me.”
Spencer wasn’t the only one rewriting school record books in the finals.
Hermon senior P.J. Richards won his first state title and 153rd career match by winning a 5-0 decision over York’s Nick Mercurio in 215.
“This is my first one. I got second last year and didn’t make states before that,” said Richards, who will continue wrestling either at the University of Southern Maine or York College in Pennsylvania next fall. “We only had five wrestlers, so you really can’t win a state title, but you can show there are some good wrestlers in Eastern Maine.”
Caribou senior Carlin Dubay won his third straight state championship at 103 pounds with his school-record 158th career victory.
“I eat like I normally eat, but my weight just stays down primarily,” said Dubay, explaining how he’s been able to stay in the same weight class four straight years.
Dubay, who plans to study electrical maintenance and construction at Northern Maine Community College next fall, finished fourth in regionals and states his freshman year but pointed out he was wrestling at just 80 pounds and giving up 20-25 to his opponents.
Defending state champion Camden Hills, which had its string of 13 consecutive regional titles snapped by Belfast last week, finished fourth with 98 points, but came away with two individual champions, one of whom was named the meet’s outstanding wrestler.
Murphy McGowan earned that honor after winning three matches, the third of which was easily the most dramatic of the day after he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the final seconds.
Trailing 6-4 with 17 seconds left, McGowan managed to capitalize on a mistake by Mountain Valley’s Ernie Matthews. The result was a dramatic 7-6 McGowan win.
“Coach told me to shoot on him, but it was hard because he kept charging on me, grabbing my head and not letting go,” McGowan said. “I had to keep my distance and that’s what he wanted me to do.
“He wasn’t locking up on me and left his foot out there, so I shot out on it. I didn’t expect to put him on his back from it, but it worked. I thought I had him pinned, but I won and that’s what I wanted.”
Jacob Berry was Camden Hills’ other individual champ with a 19-4 decision at 145.
Other Eastern Maine state champions included Cinjin Goewey of Pittsfield’s Maine Central Institute at 135 and Mark Heathcote from Central of Corinth at 285.
Caribou was awarded the East sportsmanship award and Fryeburg was the West winner.
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