NORTH BERWICK – The Noble High wrestlers did what was expected Saturday and made their own mark in the annals of the powerhouse program.
The Knights had six wrestlers win titles while taking the Western Class A championship.
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Noble scored 243 points to pull away from Massabesic at 219. Marshwood was third with 188, followed by Sanford (62.5) and Bonny Eagle (53.5).
The top three teams claimed 40 of the 56 qualifying positions for next Saturday’s state meet at Augusta. The top four wrestlers in each weight class advanced. A Noble wrestler will be in all 14 weights; Massabesic and Marshwood each had 13 advance.
“We don’t look at it as year-to-year,” said Noble Coach Kip DeVoll. “Each team here has its own individual stamp and tries to leave its own legacy, and this team will be remembered for bringing all 14 wrestlers to state. That’s just the third time in the 38 years of the program we’ve done that.”
Early in the championship round, Massabesic closed within one win of overtaking Noble, thanks to 103-pound Tyler Everett pinning Noble’s Kayleigh Longley and Ethan Gilman’s 12-0 win over William Bellottie of Marshwood at 125 pounds.
Noble then won the next four matches, three against Massabesic opponents. Setting the tone was Shane Sibles’ pin in 55 seconds at 130 pounds. Sibles, who placed fourth at the state meet at 112 pounds a year ago, wrestled at a variety of weights throughout the year and said he didn’t know until Friday that he would be in the 130-pound class. Noble was without two-time state champ Jake Bagley, who was dismissed from the team.
“Our coach had talked to us before the finals to let us know it was pretty close with Massabesic and I wanted to get a rally going,” Sibles said.
“Shane Sibles was the backup to probably the number one kid in the state and goes through and wins the meet. That just shows the depth we have,” said Jonathan Badger or Noble, a regional champ at 160 pounds.
Tyler Beaudet won 3-2 with an escape in the last 20 seconds to beat Peter LePage of Massabesic at 135. Ben Valencia followed with a 16-6 win at 140 over Massabesic’s Joshua Lestage.
Noble’s Joseph Badger then won at 145 pounds on an injury default when Massabesic’s Justin Dumond injured his elbow while being thrown to the mat on a takedown.
“It was sad in one way and good in another because they don’t think anything’s broken,” Massabesic Coach Richard Derosiers said. “He’s going into the military, so I don’t think (the injury) will affect him, but I don’t think he’ll be able to come back this year.”
That means Massabesic must increase its efforts at states.
“Absolutely we can do it,” said Andrew Tripp, a dominant champion at 171. “We need to win a lot of pins and we need everybody to step up and more.”
Noble’s other champion was Micah Lewis at 189 pounds. Massabesic title winners were Tripp, freshman Tyler Everett at 103 and Ethan Gilman at 125.
Marshwood’s Jake Rasque will look for his third straight state title after winning the 119-pound division with a second-period pin. Marshwood’s Josh Perschy won at 285, and Ian Whitis of Cheverus won at 112.
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