Lions split matches in state Class B duals championships

HOWLAND — The Belfast wrestling team experienced a remarkable regular season in 2019-20, as the Lions roared to a 28-3 dual-match record.

That strong, consistent, campaign-long performance earned the Lions an opportunity to participate in the first Maine high school Class B duals championships on Friday, Feb. 21 at Penobscot Valley High School.

The Lions finished 1-1 in two matches on the day. Belfast defeated Mountain Valley of Rumford 59-21 and lost to Wells 48-33.

Wells won the duals event and also captured the state Class B title this year. Belfast won the Class B South meet and was the top Class B team in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference tournament.

The duals event was set up to pit the top four teams in the two regions against one another in a single-elimination, state championship event. It was, as implied, a dual-match event, unlike the league, regional and state championship meets, which are individually-based as wrestlers earn places for themselves and points for their teams.

The top four teams, determined by regular-season dual-match records (it was previously incorrectly indicated the top four teams from the North and South regional championship meets participated in this event), from the two regions were pitted against one another.

Thus, on Friday, the teams faced off in head-to-head dual-matches.

The teams continued to battle on the mats in the single-elimination format until a champion was crowned.

Team seeds were based on the same criteria set down by the Maine Principals' Association to seed the regional championship meets for wrestlers in each weight class: Winning percentage, head-to-head, common opponent, etc. No consideration was given to a team's strength of schedule, which, is also true for individual wrestler's regional seeding placements.

In the quarterfinals, No. 2 North Belfast beat No. 3 South Mountain Valley of Rumford 59-22, No. 1 South Wells beat No. 4 Foxcroft Academy of Dover-Foxcroft 54-25, No. 1 North Dexter beat No. 4 South Dirigo of Dixfield 51-24 and No. 2 South Medomak Valley of Waldoboro beat No. 3 North Washington Academy of East Machias 42-30.

In the semifinals, No. 1 South Wells beat No. 2 North Belfast 48-33 and No. 1 Dexter beat No. 2 South Medomak Valley 48-36.

In the finals, No. 1 South Wells beat No. 1 North Dexter 50-30.

The individual Belfast results, with Lions listed first, were:

106 pounds — Connor Fournier won by technical fall over Hamidou Haidara, MtVal; and was pinned by Griffin Brickett, Wells.

113 pounds — Gavynn young won by forfeit over Mountain Valley; and beat Dan Marquis, Wells.

120 pounds — Timmy Smith pinned Nathan Laclair, MountVal; and was pinned by Michael Ducharme, Wells.

132 pounds — Kaden Bonin lost by major decision to Matt Miles, MountVal; and was pinned by Josh Burgess, Wells.

138 pounds — Mike Ham pinned Isaac Gordon, MountVal; and was pinned by Trevor Bickford, Wells.

145 pounds — Jonah Lovejoy pinned Max Merrill, MountVal; and pinned Devin Chace, Wells.

152 pounds — Gabe Kelley was pinned by Evrit Roy, MountVal; and pinned Nathan Coleman, Wells.

160 pounds — Francesco Martin was pinned by Anthony Mazza, MountVal; and was pinned by Xander Trofatter, Wells.

170 pounds — Elijah Charbonnier pinned Matt Brown, MountVal; and was pinned by Evan Cash, Wells.

182 pounds — Brian White pinned Jonah Byam, MountVal; and pinned Devin Bickford, Wells.

195 pounds — Nathaniel Porter pinned Tresdon Mills, MountVal; and was pinned by Jonah Potter, Wells.

220 pounds — Cam Watts pinned Gabe Winson, MountVal; and pinned Joshua Martinez, Wells.

285 pounds — Ben Watts pinned Gordon Gortler, MountVal; and won by forfeit over. Wells.

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