Sports
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Mattanawcook Academy freshman Cole Albert (top) works against Fort Kent's Jack Desjardins during the 120-pound final at Saturday's Class B wrestling state championships held at Morse High School in Bath. Albert won by pin to help the Lincoln-based Lynx capture the school's first team state title in the sport. (Contributed photo)
Mattanawcook Academy freshman Cole Albert (top) works against Fort Kent's Jack Desjardins during the 120-pound final at Saturday's Class B wrestling state championships held at Morse High School in Bath. Albert won by pin to help the Lincoln-based Lynx capture the school's first team state title in the sport. (Contributed photo)

Mattanawcook wins 1st Class B wrestling state championship

Contributed •February 21, 2022

By Ernie Clark, Bangor Daily News Staff

BATH – The Mattanawcook Academy wrestling team made history Saturday, capturing the first state title in program history by outclassing the field at the Class B championships held at Morse High School in Bath.

The Lynx of Lincoln, coached by Matthew Lindsay and Josh Sutherland, crowned four individual state champions and placed five others among the top four in their weight classes to amass 149 points, well ahead of 2020 champion Wells, which finished second with 93 points.

York (88), Mountain Valley of Rumford (75) and Morse (74.5) were next in the field, followed by Belfast (69), Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield (50.5), Lincoln Academy of Newcastle (49), Oceanside of Rockland (44) and Bucksport (42) to round out the top 10.

Mattanawcook compiled a 23-9 record during the day, with 20 of the victories by pin. Three were secured by 170-pound senior Jackson Sutherland, who won his third individual state title in his four years after the 2021 wrestling season was canceled due to COVID-19.

Sutherland, a state champion at 113 pounds in 2019 and at 138 pounds in 2020, stopped Wells’ Eli Potter in this year’s championship match and remains undefeated against in-state competition during his high school career. The Lynx’ other individual champions were senior Deegan Tidswell, freshman Cole Albert and junior Isaac Hainer. Each won by pin.

Tidswell, a 2019 state champion at 106 pounds, secured his championship-round victory at 113 pounds with a first-round pin of Oceanside sophomore Maddie Ripley, who was bidding to become the first girl in Maine to win an individual state wrestling championship against boys.

Ripley had pinned her first two opponents to advance to the title match, and the Class B South champion is now 34-2 this season.

Albert defeated Jack Desjardins of Fort Kent in the 120-pound final while Hainer earned his first individual state title by pinning Wells’ Nathan Coleman at 182 pounds.

Alex Munson contributed a third-place finish for the Lynx at 195 pounds, while teammates Connor Langerak (126 pounds), Owen Harper (132), Emmett Fitch (160) and James Dube (220) each finished fourth in his weight class.

Bucksport’s Jaxon Gross avenged a 9-5 loss to MCI’s Bryce Bussell in the 220-pound final at last week’s Class B North championships in Belfast by winning a 6-1 decision in their rematch for the state championship.

Gross advanced to the final by edging Class B South champion Tresdon Mills of Mountain Valley 5-4 in the semifinals.

Gavin Ripley of Oceanside, Maddie’s twin brother, won the 126-pound state title by defeating  MCI’s Keith Cook in the final.

Other individual state champions were Wynn Pooler of Erskine Academy (106 pounds), Griffin Brickett of Wells (132), Samuel Schmitt of Winslow (138), Jayden Lafrenaye of Lincoln Academy (145), Lucas Libby of Mountain Valley (152), Joe Neal of York (160), Job Fox of Fryeburg Academy (195) and William Orso of York (285).

WRESTLING

Class B state championships

At Morse High School, Bath

Mattanawcook Acad. 149, Wells 93, York 88, Mountain Valley 75, Morse 74.5, Belfast 69, MCI 50.5, Lincoln Acad. 49, Oceanside 44, Bucksport 42, Dexter 40, Erskine Acad. 39, Winslow 30.5, Piscataquis 23, Fryeburg Acad. 21, Fort Kent 19, Foxcroft Acad. 18, Old Town 13, Dirigo/Spruce Mountain 10, Medomak Valley 3, Mount View 3, Caribou, Ellsworth, Monmouth/Richmond and Woodland no scores

Championship finals

106: Wyatt Pooler (EA) dec Adam St. Cyr (LA) 5-1, 113: Deegan Tidswell (MA) pinned Maddie Ripley (O), 120: Cole Albert (MA) pinned Jack Desjardins (FK), 126: Gavin Ripley pinned Keith Cook (MCI), 132: Griffin Brickett (Wells) dec. Kadin Bonin (Bel) 6-2, 138: Samuel Schmitt (Wins) dec. Michael Ducharme (Wells) 17-10, 145: Jayden Lafrenaye (LA) pinned Alex Zeller (Pisc), 152: Lucas Libby (MtV) tech fall Braeden Cunningham (Mor) 17-0, 160: Joe Neal (York) pinned Max Merrill (MtV), 170: Jackson Sutherland (MA) pinned Eli Potter (Wells), 182: Isaac Hainer (MA) pinned Nathan Coleman (Wells), 195: Job Fox (Frye) dec. Nathan Schobel (Dex) 7-4, 220: Jaxon Gross (Buck) dec. Bryce Bussell (MCI) 6-1, 285: William Orso (York) maj. dec Grayson Fernald (Bick) 10-0

Consolation finals106: Garrett Tibbetts (Dex) dec. Nickolas Allen (Wells) 5-2, 113: Sean Bonzagni (Mor) pinned Ryker Evans (Bel), 120: Connor Fournier (Bel) dec. Jace Patel (Wells) 6-5, 126: Jim Neal (York) pinned Connor Langerak (MA), 132: Zack Putnam (MtV) dec. Owen Harper (MA) 2-1, 138: Isaac Keresey (MCI) maj dec. Jacob Ouellette (Mor) 12-0, 145: Samuel Charles (OT) dec. Owen MacIntosh (York) 12-6, 152: Skylar Gibbs (FA) dec. Francesco Martin (Bel) 10-9, 160: Gabriel Kelley (Bel) pinned Emmett Fitch (MA), 170: Ben Ronca (York) pinned Sam Taft (Mor), 182: Ashford Hays (Mor) dec. Allan Rogers (Wins) 7-2, 195: Alex Munson (MA) pinned Cornin Drake (LA); 220: Tresdon Mills (MtV) dec. James Dube (MA) 6-2, 285: Tyreke Hitchner (EA) dec. Andrew Wisecup (Dir/SM) 5-1

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