Cony High School’s Noah Dumas used one of wrestling’s ultimate home run moves to win the 106-pound title at the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championships Saturday in Augusta.

The second-seeded freshman entered the championship finals against Oceanside’s Alex Fogarty, who was the top seed. Dumas lost to Fogarty twice during the regular season — once by major decision and again by fall.

Cony’s Noah Dumas, left, and Skowhegan’s Austin Merrill compete in the semifinals of the 106-pound class during the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference wrestling championships last Saturday afternoon at Cony High School. Dumas won the match and would go on to take the title. Staff photo by Joe Phelan

On Saturday, Dumas countered a Fogarty single-leg takedown attempt with a spladle — a move that is almost impossible to escape from — and secured a win by pin in the second period.

“I have done a spladle only a couple times before,” Dumas said. “I do it occasionally in practice. The opportunity opened up and I hit it.”

The fact that Fogarty had beaten him handily in the two prior meetings didn’t deter Dumas.

“I had it in my head I was going to beat him,” he said. “My teammates helped me get ready for it. They kept telling me I could do it and to just go out there and wrestle hard. It was my goal this year to win KVACs. I was super excited because I was in my home gym.”

Dumas had two pins and a win by decision in matches earlier in the day and raised his season record to 34-3.

“Noah wrestled really well on Saturday and seems to be peaking at the right time,” said Cony coach Shawn Totman. “Being a KVAC champ as a freshman is something he should be proud of. He definitely seemed to be a little more relaxed and aggressive than usual.”

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Oak Hill wrestlers brought home two gold medals from the Mid-State League tournament. Danny Buteau (120) and Brenden Tervo (170) both won their weight classes while leading the Raiders to a seventh-place team finish.

Buteau scored first period pins against Mountain Valley’s Eli Stickney, Boothbay’s Nick Labonte and Nat Grader from York to claim his title. Tervo had wins by pin over Lisbon’s Tyler Cossar and Madison’s Joe Foss. Tervo was unopposed in the championship finals match when Wells’ Jake Spofford was unable to wrestle due to an injury suffered during his semifinal match.

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Madison finished in sixth place in the team standings at the Mid-State League tournament behind a strong championship performance by Matt Brown (285). In the championship finals, the junior heavyweight outlasted York’s Ben Mahoney to earn a 2-1 decision. Dawson Senter (113), Josh Savage (126), Joe Boardman (182) and Joe Foss (170) each finished in fourth place in their weight classes.

“I was very pleased with how everyone wrestled,” said coach Scot Padelford. “Our goal was for everyone to wrestle at or above their seed, and they did just that.”

Brown was a state champion last season in Class C, which no longer exists. Madison will compete on Saturday at the Class B South tournament, a change that Brown embraces.

“I feel like the change in the class system is better for the sport itself,” Brown said. “It brought back the feeling of really needing to work hard to go to states. Class C didn’t have regionals last year because of too few numbers. Making two classes with just A and B makes you have to wrestle to go to states. It brings back the true meaning of the sport.”

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Regional tournaments will be held at four sites Saturday. Skowhegan will host the Class A North tournament. Nokomis, Mt. Blue, and Cony will be part of the 11 team field. Winslow hosts the Class B North event, which includes Mount View and MCI. Erskine, Oak Hill, Madison and Monmouth travel to Mountain Valley in Rumford to participate in the Class B South tournament. Gardiner wrestlers will make the long trip to Marshwood High in South Berwick for the Class A South tournament. Wrestling at all locations is slated to begin at 9:30 a.m.

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