November 15, 2024
HIGH SCHOOL REPORT

Patrick Kelly to join brother in wrestling hall of fame

Hall of Fame inductions are becoming common within the Kelly family.

One year after older brother John Kelly was inducted into the Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame, former Camden Hills of Rockport wrestler and coach Patrick Kelly will be inducted during ceremonies Aug. 18 in Portland.

Patrick Kelly will be one of three inductees in the MAWA Hall of Fame Class of 2007, joined by former wrestlers Steve DeFillip of Rumford and Jim Tuttle of Sanford.

Patrick Kelly had a stellar career at Camden-Rockport during the late 1970s and early ’80s, finishing second in his weight class as a junior before winning an individual state title as a senior at 138 pounds.

At the University of Maine, he won a New England title in 1986 and competed in that year’s NCAA championship. A three-time All-Academic honoree for the Black Bears, Kelly finished his collegiate career with a 116-20 record.

Kelly soon joined his older brother on the coaching staff at Camden-Rockport, first as a volunteer during the early 1990s and later as a paid assistant from 1996-2002. During that period the Windjammers had unprecedented success in Class B, winning 10 state titles between 1990 and 2002.

When John Kelly stepped down after the 2002 season, Patrick Kelly stepped into the head coaching job and guided Camden Hills to three Class B state championships, four Eastern Maine titles, four Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference crowns and an overall meet record of 117-5 over four years.

Kelly, a biology and oceanography teacher at Camden Hills, stepped down from coaching after the 2006 season – and was replaced by John Kelly, who guided the ‘Jammers to the 2007 Class B state championship.

Among other honorees at the banquet, four-time state champion Jeremiah Barkac of Parkman, a recent graduate of Dexter High, will be recognized as wrestler of the year.

Barkac finished his high school career in 2007 with a 190-6 record and was undefeated against in-state competition.

Barkac was 48-1 with 42 pins as a senior. He was named most outstanding wrestler of the state meet, and his only loss was a 6-4 decision to undefeated Massachusetts all-class champ Sean Boyle in the title match of the New England tournament.

Barkac, who recently was named a high school All-American by Wrestling USA magazine, plans to continue his wrestling career next season at Dana College in Blair, Neb.

Vachon new Cony football coach

Cony High School of Augusta moved quickly to find a new varsity football coach in the aftermath of Tom Hinds’ resignation in early June.

Rob Vachon, a former Cony quarterback who has coached in the program for the last six years, has been hired to take over the struggling program.

Vachon played at Cony from 1982-85, then played collegiately at Washington & Jefferson and Framingham State.

Vachon joined the Cony staff in 2001 and was the freshman coach for three seasons before becoming JV head coach and varsity assistant in 2004.

Hinds resigned after seven seasons to become an assistant at Bates College in Lewiston.

Cony went 16-43 during his tenure, 0-16 during the last two seasons. The Rams won two games in 2005, forfeited them when it was discovered the team used an ineligible player.

Correction: A shorter version of this column ran in the Coastal and FInal editions.

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