NORTH BERWICK — Austin Locke is not a household name in Maine high school wrestling.

But Wednesday night the Marshwood High junior earned his place in the Hawks’ storied rivalry with Noble.

Locke wasn’t on the original lineup sheet, weighed in at 160 pounds but knew he could wrestle at 170. When his name was called he responded, pushing aside nerves, then pinning Travis Pelletier of Noble with 23 seconds left in the second period.

Locke’s win proved the key in Marshwood’s 36-30 win in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd that witnessed a full 14 varsity matches between Southern Maine’s top two programs.

“This is my first year in the varsity lineup and winning tonight was really big,” Locke said. “It was really stressful going into the match. If I’d lost the whole team could have lost. If I won we could win.”

Locke pushed Marshwood’s lead to 31-18 with three matches left. Otto Keisker kept Noble alive with a decisive 25-second pin of Zachary Faulkner at 182.

Justin Stacy of Marshwood clinched the win and set the Hawks up for a fifth straight SMAA dual-meet title with a 17-3 technical fall against Hunter Smith.

“It just feels good that I could lead my team to another undefeated regular season,” said Stacy, one of the four Hawk captains.

“Noble is a very good team, our rivals, a very talented team. The fact that we come here and beat them is pretty big. Both sides (of) the bleachers were packed. Cheering. You couldn’t hear yourself think in here. It was nice.”

The rivalry starts at the top with the coaches, Kip DeVoll of Noble and Matt Rix of Marshwood.

DeVoll wrestled for Noble, graduating in 1979. He started as an assistant coach in 1981 and took over as the head coach in 1986. He’s led the Knights to 12 Class A championships, including eight straight from 1999-2006 and the 2009-2011 three-peat.

Rix wrestled for Marshwood and graduated in 1981. By 1985 he was Marshwood’s head coach. Rix guided his program to three Class B titles before moving up to A. Three times the Hawks were runner-up to champion Noble before winning the past four Class A titles.

Both teams are expected to be part of a three-way battle with Skowhegan for this year’s title.

“It’s just a great rivalry between us two,” Rix said, “although I know Kip doesn’t think it’s a rivalry. He once said he thought Massabesic was more of a school rivalry.”

That Rix is still nettled by a perceived slight from years ago just adds credibility to this rivalry – one that DeVoll fully acknowledged exists.

“Marshwood’s tough. They came in ready to wrestle and we didn’t,” DeVoll said.

“This will be something (Noble wrestlers will) remember. It’s going to be a painful feeling they’re going to remember for the rest of their lives instead of a good one.”

“You don’t see crowds that big in gyms around here,” DeVoll added. “I mean the kids who wrestled still talk about the one we wrestled with Marshwood here in ’06, which was a huge event. We won that one. This one here, (Marshwood) will have the good memory.”

For Marshwood, other wins came from Zach Eastman at 285 (pin, 1:03 in the first match of the night), Kyle Glidden at 113 (14-6), Bradley Beaulieu at 126 (10-4), Connor LaPointe at 132 (11-2), Aidan Whitis at 138 (8-0) and Jon Stacy at 160 (10-2).

Noble picked up wins from Duncan McGilvray at 106 (6-2), Austin Shorey at 120 (pin, 29 seconds), Josh Grenier at 145 (13-12), Kasey Rogers at 152 (pin, 3:45), and Chase Hamilton at 220 (pin, 4:59).

Rogers’ pin of Marshwood freshman Dylan Strong cut the Hawks’ lead to 21-18 and momentarily thrust him into the starring role.

“I’ve played football and baseball and not even under the lights on the football field is there anything like this,” Rogers said. “There’s nothing that feels this much, especially when there’s this big of a crowd with two big rivals.”