Peter Del Gallo’s first goal in his senior wrestling season at Gardiner High was to cement his legacy within the family ranks.
Then it was to make his mark in a broader context.
TELEGRAM ALL-STATE TEAM
Cody Craig, Skowhegan junior, 106: Craig was unbeaten in Maine for the third straight season, winning Class A and the New England qualifier and finishing second at the New England championship in 60-1 season. He is 161-5 in career.
Griffyn Smith, Dirigo senior, 113: A four-time state champion, he added a Class B title to three Class C crowns. Also won the New England qualifier in a 46-3 season and finished 193-25 in his career.
Peter Del Gallo, Gardiner senior, 120: Del Gallo won his fourth state title, his first in Class A. He capped a 52-0 season by becoming just third Maine wrestler to win more than one New England championship.
Austin Shorey, Noble junior, 120: Shorey was 54-6, with four close decision losses to Peter Del Gallo. Considered one of the top five or six wrestlers in the state, he placed third in New England. With 164 career wins, he could break the state record of 212.
Caleb Austin, Mountain Valley junior, 126: A compact, physical athlete with good quickness, Austin won the Class B title and the New England qualifier. He finished 56-5 but did not lose to a Maine wrestler at 126. His career mark is 156-8.
Bradley Beaulieu, Marshwood junior, 132: Won his third straight Class A title and was third at the New England championships in a 48-1 season. Also won the New England qualifier and Noble and Spartan invitationals, and is 160-15 in his career.
Peyton Cole, Ellsworth sophomore, 138: Cole won his second straight Class B title and finished first in the New England qualifier. Was 39-5 overall, including a 3-2 record at New Englands, with three losses to Zac Caron at 145 pounds.
Zac Caron, Foxcroft Academy senior, 145: In his first season with the Ponies, Caron won the Noble and Spartan invitationals before a Class B title. He also won the New England qualifier and went 3-2 at New Englands to finish 56-3 overall.
Julian Sirois, Skowhegan senior, 152: Won his first Class A title and placed first at the New England qualifier. Topped 200 career wins and finished the season 58-2, his only losses coming at the New England championships.
Trent Goodman, Ellsworth junior, 160: The Class B champion edged Skowhegan senior Kam Doucette in overtime of the New England qualifier championship match. Goodman was 40-2 this season.
Robert Hetherman, Mt. Ararat junior, 170: Earned the outstanding wrestler honor while winning his first Class A title. Added a fourth-place finish at the New England championships to cap a 55-3 season.
Justin Stacy, Marshwood senior, 182: Moved up from 152 pounds and did not lose to a Maine wrestler, going 45-3 overall. Joined All-Telegram picks Beaulieu, Caron and Pendriss as the only Mainers to win at the Spartan Invitational.
Christopher Wilson, Nokomis junior, 195: Rolled to the Class A title and won the Outstanding Wrestler award at the New England qualifier. Also was the Noble Invitational champ. Finished 49-1 overall after third-place finish at New Englands. Intends to graduate early this spring and join the Coast Guard.
Michael Pendriss, Foxcroft Academy senior, 220: Won the Class B title and the New England qualifier after winning at both the Noble and Spartan tournaments. Finished sixth at New Englands to cap a 51-4 season.
Hunter Glidden, Nokomis senior, 285: The Class A and New England qualifier champion in his first season as varsity starter, Glidden went 45-2 in state and 45-4 overall.
Coaches of the Year
Tenney Noyes and Brooks Thompson, Skowhegan: Noyes and Thompson have steadily built a powerful program that has won four straight regional titles, and the Indians became the first East/North team to win the Class A state title since Oxford Hills in 1989.
– Steve Craig
The youngest of five Del Gallo boys succeeded on both counts. He won his fourth state championship with the Class A 120-pound title to join one of his brothers, Matthew (2007-10), in Maine’s 20-member, four-time champion club.
With his 52-0 season and a second New England championship, he now joins two brothers – Matt (2010), and three-time state champ Daniel (2013) – as the Maine Sunday Telegram Wrestler of the Year.
“My first big goal was to win states and to be a four-time champ, like Matthew,” Peter Del Gallo said. “And I think the other goal was to wrestle good and to dominate and to show that I’m the best in the 120-pound class.
“I think I pretty much accomplished that.”
Del Gallo beat Noble junior Austin Shorey four times. All were close matches. Shorey went on to place third at New Englands.
“I definitely think wrestling Shorey a lot helped. He makes me have to grind through a match,” Del Gallo said.
At the New England championships, Del Gallo allowed a total of two points in his four wins. He beat Connecticut champ Alec Opsal 4-0 in the semifinal and New Hampshire champion Connor McGonagle 7-2 in the final.
Del Gallo, Earl Boyes of Massabesic (1973-75) and Decota Cotten of Noble (2003-04) are the only Mainers to win more than one New England title. Del Gallo’s first came as a 106-pound freshman.
“And only one other wrestler from Maine, as far as I know, has placed all four years at New Englands,” said Gardiner Coach Matt Hanley, referencing Marshwood’s Cody Hughes, the 2014 and 2015 Wrestler of the Year. “So Peter is in some pretty elite company, and he’s the only freshman from Maine to ever win (New Englands).”
Were it not for an elbow injury that robbed him of most of his junior season, it’s quite likely Del Gallo would have challenged Hughes’ state record of 212 career wins. He finished with a 185-5 record. Four of the losses came at New Englands. The other was in the third overtime of the 2015 New England qualifier against Marshwood’s Bradley Beaulieu. All five losses were by one point.
Del Gallo plans to join his brother, Daniel, on the University of Southern Maine team.
TELEGRAM ALL-STATE TEAM
Cody Craig, Skowhegan junior, 106: Craig was unbeaten in Maine for the third straight season, winning Class A and the New England qualifier and finishing second at the New England championship in 60-1 season. He is 161-5 in career.
Griffyn Smith, Dirigo senior, 113: A four-time state champion, he added a Class B title to three Class C crowns. Also won the New England qualifier in a 46-3 season and finished 193-25 in his career.
Peter Del Gallo, Gardiner senior, 120: Del Gallo won his fourth state title, his first in Class A. He capped a 52-0 season by becoming just third Maine wrestler to win more than one New England championship.
Austin Shorey, Noble junior, 120: Shorey was 54-6, with four close decision losses to Peter Del Gallo. Considered one of the top five or six wrestlers in the state, he placed third in New England. With 164 career wins, he could break the state record of 212.
Caleb Austin, Mountain Valley junior, 126: A compact, physical athlete with good quickness, Austin won the Class B title and the New England qualifier. He finished 56-5 but did not lose to a Maine wrestler at 126. His career mark is 156-8.
Bradley Beaulieu, Marshwood junior, 132: Won his third straight Class A title and was third at the New England championships in a 48-1 season. Also won the New England qualifier and Noble and Spartan invitationals, and is 160-15 in his career.
Peyton Cole, Ellsworth sophomore, 138: Cole won his second straight Class B title and finished first in the New England qualifier. Was 39-5 overall, including a 3-2 record at New Englands, with three losses to Zac Caron at 145 pounds.
Zac Caron, Foxcroft Academy senior, 145: In his first season with the Ponies, Caron won the Noble and Spartan invitationals before a Class B title. He also won the New England qualifier and went 3-2 at New Englands to finish 56-3 overall.
Julian Sirois, Skowhegan senior, 152: Won his first Class A title and placed first at the New England qualifier. Topped 200 career wins and finished the season 58-2, his only losses coming at the New England championships.
Trent Goodman, Ellsworth junior, 160: The Class B champion edged Skowhegan senior Kam Doucette in overtime of the New England qualifier championship match. Goodman was 40-2 this season.
Robert Hetherman, Mt. Ararat junior, 170: Earned the outstanding wrestler honor while winning his first Class A title. Added a fourth-place finish at the New England championships to cap a 55-3 season.
Justin Stacy, Marshwood senior, 182: Moved up from 152 pounds and did not lose to a Maine wrestler, going 45-3 overall. Joined All-Telegram picks Beaulieu, Caron and Pendriss as the only Mainers to win at the Spartan Invitational.
Christopher Wilson, Nokomis junior, 195: Rolled to the Class A title and won the Outstanding Wrestler award at the New England qualifier. Also was the Noble Invitational champ. Finished 49-1 overall after third-place finish at New Englands. Intends to graduate early this spring and join the Coast Guard.
Michael Pendriss, Foxcroft Academy senior, 220: Won the Class B title and the New England qualifier after winning at both the Noble and Spartan tournaments. Finished sixth at New Englands to cap a 51-4 season.
Hunter Glidden, Nokomis senior, 285: The Class A and New England qualifier champion in his first season as varsity starter, Glidden went 45-2 in state and 45-4 overall.
Coaches of the Year
Tenney Noyes and Brooks Thompson, Skowhegan: Noyes and Thompson have steadily built a powerful program that has won four straight regional titles, and the Indians became the first East/North team to win the Class A state title since Oxford Hills in 1989.
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