The 2015-16 high school season ended without a state championship or New England medal for wrestlers in the Journal Tribune coverage area, but if what I have witnessed over the last few weeks is any indication, I am confident next year will be a different story.

Wrestlers like Massabesic’s Leo Amabile, Sanford’s Sam Anderson and Kennebunk’s Alden Shields, who all qualified for New Englands, have not only shown they have the talent to capture a state title in the future, but they have proven that they have the passion and work ethic needed to succeed on the mat.

Let’s start with Amabile, who is the favorite out of all local wrestlers to capture a state title next year.

The junior has put in the time and effort throughout his wrestling career to get to this point and he has been climbing the ladder of success over the last few years. Amabile is a member of the 100-win club and is also a two-time state place-winner, including earning a runner-up finish at both states and the New England Qualifier this year.

One of the keys to Amabile’s success is the work he has put in during the offseason, including making trips to out-of-state tournaments.

Massabesic head coach Rick DeRosier and assistant Peter Gilman have done a phenomenal job in making sure that Amabile and the rest of the Mustangs face tough competition, which only helps when it comes time for regionals and states.

If Amabile continues to work hard – and there’s no signs of him slowing down – he could close out his high school career on top of the podium.

Anderson, who had a stellar sophomore campaign, will also have his sights set on a state title next season and he is planning on wrestling a lot during the offseason to prepare.

The Sanford grappler will be heading to High School Nationals in Virginia Beach in a few weeks, which will be a great experience for Anderson.

Anderson and fellow sophomore Nick Works, who just missed out on a trip to New Englands, will make a dynamic one-two punch for Sanford next season.

Shields has three more years to get to the top of the mountain and throughout his first postseason run, the standout showed the heart of a champion.

The freshman had to compete at regionals, states and the New England Qualifier with a broken bone in his foot. Shields fought through the injury to earn a third-place medal at regionals, a fourth-place finish at states and a top-three finish at All-States.

Shields will likely have Amabile or three-time state champion Cody Craig of Skowhegan in his way for one more year, but if he continues to work hard and goes out and faces some tougher competition in the offseason, a gold medal could be in his future.

There are plenty of other locals that could work their way into the title picture over the next few years with Biddeford’s Josiah Garcia and Trey Burnham, Massabesic’s Matthew Carroll, Kennebunk’s Pat Saunders and Jared Dyer and Wells’ Michael Wrigley – to name a few – all showing signs of championship potential.

One wrestler who won’t have a chance to win a state title next year is Biddeford senior Chris Lantagne, who wrapped up his career with a 1-2 finish at New Englands over the weekend. Even though he doesn’t have a championship on his resume, the Tigers’ heavyweight has a lot to be proud of and he got to go out on the biggest stage in New England.

Leading the way

One of the common themes with all of the talented wrestlers I mentioned above are the incredible coaches they have in their corners.

Biddeford’s Steve Vermette, Kennebunk’s Steve Young, Sanford’s Nate Smith, Wells’ Scott Lewia and DeRosier are all great leaders and are trying to build the sport in the state.

Not only do the local teams have strong head coaches, they also have plenty of great assistants, including Gilman, Sanford’s Brent Coleman and Paul Rivard and Kennebunk’s Mike Dumas.

From what I have seen in the two years I’ve covered the sport in Maine, all of our local teams are heading in the right direction – and a big reason for that is the dedication and passion of the coaches.

Coverage gap

One thing that surprised me when I moved to Maine from the wrestling-rich state of Pennsylvania is the lack of media coverage for the sport.

I covered the sport for 14 years in PA and the state wrestling championships were always the biggest event I covered all year. So, when I made the move to Maine, I brought the same mentality to covering the sport here.

Last week’s features on the four New England qualifiers have received a lot of attention, and according to several people, the main reason for that is because the sport has never received that kind of attention before.

I was one of only a handful of media members at the New England meet and, from what I was told, there was only one other Maine newspaper that put in for credentials.

I understand that wrestling will never be on the level of hockey or basketball in this state, but that doesn’t mean the athletes putting in the time and effort on the mat don’t deserve the same recognition.

— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at [email protected] or at 282-1535 ext. 322. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @ JournalTsports.