TOPSHAM — Mt. Ararat/Brunswick senior Brycen Kowalsky took the mat for his final home match Saturday with two clear goals: win a third state title for himself, and do everything he possibly could to make sure his team won the Class A state championship.
Kowalsky said he was after “every single point,” and he emphatically pinned South champion Dyllan Davis of Biddeford/Thornton at 1:39 of the 126-pound final.
With Spencer LeClair’s victory in the 152-pound match already assured because runner-up Dominick Bubar had to default after an ankle injury, Kowalsky’s win turned out to be the final points Mt. Ararat needed to capture its second team championship in the past three competitive seasons. Mt. Ararat won its first title in 2019. The wrestling season was canceled in Maine last winter.
Kowalsky and LeClair were both freshmen champions in 2019. Kowalsky repeated as a sophomore.
“It sucks that there wasn’t a season last year so I couldn’t have a chance at four (state titles),” Kowalsky said. “But it’s nice to be back. It’s nice to have another one. Everyone did a wonderful job. I’ve got to give it to the coaching staff.”
The Eagles scored 106.5 points and were one of four teams with two individual champions. Sanford, fifth in the tightly bunched South regional, placed second with 99.5 points and will advance seven wrestlers – the most of any Class A team – to the New England Qualifying tournament on Friday. North champion Oxford Hills (98 points), 2020 Class A champion Noble (97.5) and Bonny Eagle (94) rounded out a tight top five.
“The kids really came to wrestle today and I was really proud of them,” said Mt. Ararat/Brunswick Coach Erick Jensen. “They really stepped up, and I told them we needed that dark horse.”
Jensen credited junior 145-pounder Caleb Chamberland as the difference maker.
“He was my dark horse. The other kids sort of did what they were supposed to do. But he was the one that really, really helped us. And he’s kind of had a rough year and he really peaked at the right time. He got us the seven points we needed to win this thing.
“And you can’t say enough about Brycen,” Jensen added. “I was worried about that kid from Biddeford. He’s tough and Brycen just went out like he always does like an animal and went after him. Great to see him and Spencer come out as champions. They’ve meant a lot to the program the past four years.”
Dash Farrell (132) and Kyle Graffam (182) both placed second for Mt. Ararat, and North champion Shea Farrell came back from a minor upset against South runner-up Eli Soule of Kennebunk in the 160-pound semifinal to get a pin and a technical fall in the consolation bracket, finishing third.
Kennebunk, which won the South regional by a half-point, finished eighth. Soule was named the John Pelletier Most Outstanding Wrestler. After pinning Farrell in the semifinals, and picking up a black eye in the process, he pinned previously unbeaten Marshall Fowler of Cheverus at 2:58 in the final. Fowler had pinned Soule in the regional final.
“I did my favorite move, a chin whip, and last week I didn’t do it the way I should have and I got caught and got pinned, and this week I managed to do it,” Soule said.
Sanford’s lone champion was junior James Blood at 106 pounds. Blood, a state runner-up as a freshman, pinned Isaac Boulard of Massabesic in the second period, which briefly vaulted the Spartans into the team lead.
“Honestly we came in thinking we were going to take first or second or third because we’re an outstanding tournament team. We worked hard for this,” Blood said.
Oxford Hills had two individual winners – Eitan Afriat (170), who pinned South champion David York of Kennebunk in 4:57 of the final, and Dillon Worster (195), who had the quickest championship pin when he beat Massabesic’s Sean Wakefield in 47 seconds.
Skowhegan, which has only five wrestlers, finished seventh, led by individual champions Aiden Clark (145) and Kobe Butters (7-5 overtime win at 285). Clark ran his record to 46-0, every win by pin, when he stopped Rocco Hayden of Oxford Hills at 4:36. Hayden led 6-5 after two periods.
“I don’t get many matches like that. I love that type of stuff,” Clark said. “That kid (Hayden) has been working hard all year, grinding all year. I respect that completely.”
Camden Hills also had two individual champions. Julian Henderson pulled a last-second reversal, moments after being docked two back points, to beat Cameron Frost of Bonny Eagle, 6-4. Henry Pharris pinned Graffam in the 182-pound final.
Other individual winners were Windham/Gray-New Gloucester/Westbrook freshman Ayden Cofone (113), Bonny Eagle senior Caden Frost (132), Noble junior Derek Cote (138) and Cony sophomore Jonny Letre (220). Caden Frost and Cote each won their second individual state title.
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