AUGUSTA – Noble turned back a challenge from a young Marshwood team to capture its third consecutive Class A state wrestling championship Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center.
The Knights captured their 11th state championship in 13 seasons, helped by having all 14 wrestlers qualify for the state meet.
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The top five Class A teams: Noble 181.5 points, Marshwood 126, Massabesic 113, Westbrook 75 and Mt. Ararat 67.5.
The Knights nailed down the championship by wrestling well in the consolation round.
“The key to any tournament like this is the ones who wrestle back through,” Noble Coach Kip DeVoll said. “The guys who lost (in the early rounds) wrestling back through was the key to us winning, no doubt.”
Five Noble wrestlers advanced to Saturday night’s final round, but Ben Valencia was the only one of the Knights to win an individual title, and he did it in dramatic fashion.
Valencia was trailing 5-3 before he pinned previously unbeaten Caleb Austin of Skowhegan in the 140-pound final.
“You have to wrestle for six minutes,” DeVoll said. “The match was close at the end and Ben kept plugging away at it.”
It wasn’t easy for Noble.
During the quarterfinals, Manny Vincent of Westbrook, who was seeded second in his bracket, scored a third-period pin over the Knights’ top-seeded Joe Badger in the 145-pound division.
During the semifinals, Andrew Pineo of Skowhegan, a second seed, scored a 7-5 overtime victory against Noble’s top-seeded Micah Lewis in the 189-pound class.
In the finals, Massabesic freshman Tyler Everett ended Noble senior Kayleigh Longley’s quest to become the first female to win a Class A state title by winning a 9-1 decision in the 103-pound division. It was his third victory of the season against Longley.
During the consolation round, Brian Bentley of Noble recorded his 100th career victory while finishing third in the 152-pound division.
Three wrestlers won individual titles for second-place Marshwood.
At 112, sophomore Tyler Davidson scored a 5-3 decision over Cheverus sophomore Ian Whitis.
At 119, Jake Rasque, a senior, won his third consecutive state title by scoring an 8-1 decision over Glenn Emery of Westbrook.
At 285, Josh Perschy, a senior, eked out a 4-3 decision over Brewer’s Marcus Eaton to win his first state championship.
Sophomore Jared Jensen became the first wrestler from Brunswick to capture a state championship when he pinned Noble’s Shane Shibles less than a minute into the 130-pound final.
Senior Mike Cyr became the first wrestler from Scarborough to win a state championship when he won the 215-pound title.
Massabesic’s Andrew Tripp recorded his 100th career win with his 18-2 victory over Cony’s Norton Revell in the final of the 171-pound division.
William Lundquist of Cony was named the outstanding wrestler of the meet after winning the 135-pound title.
Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:
pbetit@pressherald.com
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