SOUTH BERWICK — Southern Maine wrestling powers Marshwood High and Noble were the dominant teams Saturday at the Class A South championships, but the top wrestlers came from across the region.

Marshwood won the meet with 210.5 points. Noble scored 201.

Marshwood had seven finalists and four won titles: Kyle Glidden (113 pounds), Brad Beaulieu (132), Aidan Whitis (138) and Justin Stacy (182). Noble’s eight finalists produced three wins: Jake Martel (126), Josh Grenier (145) and Otto Keisker (170).

Both teams will send 10 qualified wrestlers to the Class A state meet next Saturday at Noble High. Placing in the top four at the regional earns a berth in the state championship meet.

Marshwood is the four-time reigning Class A champ. Noble won 11 of the previous 13 titles.

Two of the state’s best went at it in the 120 final, with Peter Del Gallo of Gardiner pulling out a 4-3 win with a late third-period takedown of Austin Shorey of Noble.

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Del Gallo went for a move but was rebuffed by Shorey, who came very close to executing a head-lock throw. Del Gallo fought through that and was then positioned off Shorey’s hip. Once Del Gallo popped his head free, he took down Shorey for the decisive points.

“The two matches I’ve had with him are the toughest I’ve had this year,” Del Gallo said, adding he has a plan for the future meetings. “It’s a secret plan.”

“I think we’re probably the best (120s) and I don’t think anyone from A North will beat him, so we’ll see each other next week at states and then probably the following week at all-states,” Del Gallo said.

DelGallo won Class B titles the previous three years to go with his New England title as a freshman. This is Gardiner’s first year in Class A after wrestling was changed from a three-class to a two-class system last spring.

This year the Southern Maine powers must contend with Class A North champ Skowhegan, which advanced 12 wrestlers, and earlier this year won the Noble Invitational.

Keisker, the 170-pound champ, noted the South does have greater depth, pointing to his own 4-2 victory in the final against Clautel Buba of Portland as an example.

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“As far as next week, we’re right on par with Marshwood, 10 guys and 10 guys, but Skowhegan up north, it’s a little different and they were able to qualify a couple more guys,” Keisker said. “It’s going to be hard. (Skowhegan has) beaten us all year. It’s going to be a heck of a day.”

Massabesic was third (132 points) with championship efforts from Leo Amabile at 106 pounds and Matthew Carroll at 195.

Amabile pinned Duncan McGilvery of Noble late in the second period to improve to 35-5. Like the top teams, Amabile also will have to contend with a Skowhegan influence next Saturday. Cody Craig of Skowhegan, a junior, won his 150th career match Saturday and will be a heavy favorite to win a third state title.

“I haven’t faced him this year but I’m looking forward to it,” Amabile said.

Another former Class B wrestler turned Class A regional champ was Josh Smith of York/Traip, who pinned Joe Kenney of Bonny Eagle in 2:31 of the 160-pound final.

Portland freshman Zack Elowitch was impressive in his 8-4 win against Kasey Rogers of Noble in the 152 final. Elowitch was strong enough to deflect Rogers’ muscle moves and capitalized with quick moves for points.

“He’s really strong so I didn’t really want to play the muscle game with him because I knew I wouldn’t win that way,” Elowitch said. “I’d hoped to place but I didn’t expect to win. Winning feels pretty darn good.”

In the two heaviest weights, Nick Works of Sanford decisively pinned Zach Eastman of Marshwood in 54 seconds to win at 220. With Works’ pin, Sanford finished fourth as a team with 94 points, edging Biddeford (91).

In the 285 class, Mike Darling of Deering improved to 37-1 with 37 pins when he put Zebulun Leavitt of Cheverus into a bear hug, pushed him backward and then adeptly tripped him with a hooking heel. Darling finished off the pin at 3:12.


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