Dexter finishes as Class C runners-up

Caron named ‘Outstanding Wrestler’

Staff report

    BUCKSPORT — Four individual state champions and another four grapplers winning in the consolation finals helped Dexter Regional High School capture a second-place finish at the 2015 Class C state championship on Feb. 14 at Bucksport High School.

    The Tigers finished the day with a score of 155 points, besting all but the 211.5 earned by Dirigo High School of Dixfield — which captured the state crown for the second year in a row. Dexter more than doubled the 72 points earned by third place and host Bucksport High School.
    Zach Caron of Dexter was honored as the meet’s Outstanding Wrestler. The junior claimed the 138-pound championship, winning two matches before pinning Dirigo’s Hunter White at the 3:24 mark.
    “My biggest challenge is I don’t wrestle very good the first time with new people, so I knew I was going to have a tough match with Hunter White,” said Caron, the winner at 132 pounds one year ago. “I had a close match with him last week and almost got turned on my back. I had to get over my nerves and settle in, realize I just had to do the work and get it done.”
    Dexter finished second for the second year in a row, spearheaded by champions Caron and seniors Matthew Mower, Jordan Gudroe and Matthew Webber.
    Mower, the winner at 170 pounds in 2014, stepped up two weight classes to beat Dirigo’s MacDonald 5-2. “Matt lost to that kid last week and he beat him this week,” said Dexter coach Brian Salsbury. “He’s only 175, but he was wrestling at 195 to get us points.”
    Gudroe pinned Dirigo’s Colin Woodhead at 1:39 of the first period and Webber took down Gus Brown of Dirigo at the 1:21 mark.
    “Going into the final round we had five guys in the finals, four in the consi finals and eight of those nine matches we won,” Salsbury said. “I’m very proud of our guys.”
    The Bangor Daily News’ Pete Warner contributed to this story.