DEXTER – It turns out that Dexter’s most important wrestler at Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class C Championship wrestled for John Bapst of Bangor.

Alex Desmond, a junior at John Bapst, stepped onto the mat in the 275-pound finals with Dexter’s fate in his hands. A Desmond win would give Dexter the championship. Were he to be pinned by Foxcroft Academy’s Chris Lewis, the Ponies would take the title.

“I’d been approached by several of the Dexter guys before the match, and they expressed to me how they would like for me to win. That was pretty good,” Desmond said.

Desmond became a Dexter crowd favorite, earning an 11-7 decision over a game Lewis.

Dexter edged Foxcroft Academy 186-183 for its second straight EM Class C championship. Bucksport was third at 173, Penobscot Valley of Howland was fourth with 119. The Howlers were followed by Woodland with 561/2, George Stevens of Blue Hill 50, John Bapst 46, Madawaska 25, and Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln with 17.

Throughout Desmond’s match, the Dexter team and fans chanted his name and urged him on.

“We don’t really get a big crowd at John Bapst. We have a pretty small team. It was nice to have support in a big match like that,” Desmond said.

For Foxcroft it was a disappointing finish to a strange day. The Ponies won last week’s Penobscot Valley Championship, edging Bucksport by just two points. This time around it was the Ponies on the receiving end of a close loss.

In fact, Foxcroft would have lost by only a single point but one of its wrestlers received a two-point penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Dexter’s Josh Bishop had put his team into position to win the team title when he pinned Bucksport’s Evan Cottrell in the 189 final. It was the senior’s 100th win of his career.

“It was great getting it at home and getting it under the dome light. It’s amazing. I couldn’t have ever believed that would happen,” Bishop said.

Unlike many of the coaches, who keep a close tab on the score, Dexter coach David Gudroe was unaware that Desmond’s win had sealed the deal for the Tigers.

“Now you’ve got me excited,” Gudroe said upon hearing his team had won. “We had some kids get into the finals who really had to work to get there.”

The Tigers put nine wrestlers in the championship finals while Bucksport had seven and Foxcroft Academy six.

To receive additional points in the finals, the wrestler must win his match. His team has already received the points for him qualifying for the final.

Dexter won four of its matches in the final round.

In addition to Bishop, Matt Ward won at 112 pounds, Chris Barkac took home the 119- pound title, and Keith Thompson won at 125 pounds.

For Thompson it was a special day. The junior picked up wins 100 and 101 in the final two rounds.

“That was the first time I’ve ever seen that kid,” Thompson said. “I just went out and kept my head together and did what I can do. I won for my team.”

Three of Dexter’s wins came head-to-head against Bucksport wrestlers. The Golden Bucks entered the final round trailing the Tigers by only three points.

Bucksport was in a chase mode all day. The strangeness alluded to earlier came at the seeding meeting. With not enough wrestlers to fill out the brackets, some wrestlers received byes. In some sports, a bye is a good thing. In wrestling they’re not because no points are awarded for a wrestler’s advancement through a bye. Bucksport received six byes.

“It was so ridiculous it was funny,” Bucksport assistant coach Alan Snowman said. “They just keep reaching in and pulling out Bucksport.”

Still, the Golden Bucks crowned three champions Saturday. Adam Bourgon (140 pounds), Adam Tweedie (152), and Travis Pelletier (160) won titles.

Ryan Whittemore won at 130 pounds for Foxcroft Academy while teammates Caleb Pelletier (145), Randy Briggs (171), and James McPhee (215) all collected individual titles.

Rickey McKechnie won the 135-pound title and Aaron Priest earned the 103 championship for Penobscot Valley.