Foxcroft wrestling team kicks off season in Virginia

By Ernie Clark

Staff Writer

DOVER-FOXCROFT — While high school wrestling teams around the state will begin regular-season competition this weekend, the Foxcroft Academy Ponies are heading south for an additional — and unique — preseason experience.

The team will be in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Sterling Park, Virginia, to compete Saturday in the 38th annual Sterling Lions Club Terry McGowan Invitational Wrestling Tournament.

The Ponies, who won the 2015 Eastern Maine regional title and placed third in the Class B state championship meet, will square off against a field of teams from much larger schools but it’s not by coincidence.

Park View High School,  which hosts the meet, is the alma mater of Foxcroft coach Luis Ayala, a former four-year wrestler at the school.

This marks the second time Foxcroft has competed in the McGowan Invitational.

Four years ago, the Ponies finished third in the team standings with two individual champions, that after spending time touring various Washington, D.C. landmarks.

“This just gave a lot of confidence to our kids for the remainder of the season,” said Ayala, “that they are good wrestlers not only in Maine but outside of the New England area and not only at little tournaments but large tournaments like this one as well.”

Foxcroft hopes to gain similar confidence from this year’s trip with a roster that includes seven veterans who placed at last winter’s state meet. That group consists of seniors Antonio Ayala, Brandon Brock, Connor Holmes and Michael Pendriss, juniors Billy Brock and Conner Johnson and sophomore Brandon Weston, as well as an eighth returnee with state tournament experience in sophomore R.J. Nelson.

Top newcomers for the Ponies include senior Zach Caron, a two-time Class C state champion who transferred to Foxcroft from Dexter; and sophomore Ernst Bester, a boarding student from South Africa.

“I hope my kids get the same experience the team four years ago had,” said Ayala. “They believe that they are good and it doesn’t matter where you are from, but with hard work anything is possible.”  

The trip to Virginia is one of several tournaments in which the team will do as it prepares for the Class B regional and state meets in February. Foxcroft also is scheduled to wrestle at the McDonald’s Tournament at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Noble Christmas Tournament in North Berwick, the Warrior Clash at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, and the Spartan Tournament at Sanford High School.

“The challenge for FA will be to fill our empty weight classes with quality wrestlers and get them plenty of experience before the end of the season.” Ayala said. “We also have some wrestlers that are battling injuries and hoping to be at full strength to help the team this year.”

Anyone interested in making a donation to help the team finance its trip to Virginia should contact coach Ayala at luis.ayala@foxcroftacademy.org.