High school wrestling teams from throughout southern Maine opened their seasons at the 20th annual Westbrook Invitational on Saturday.
A strong Massabesic team finished first with 197A?1?2 points, while last year’s Class B State Champions, Mountain Valley (151A?1?2), took second. Bonny Eagle (90) and Westbrook (74) finished fifth and sixth respectively out of the tournaments 15 teams.
“Whether you are Class A, B or C, wrestling is wrestling.” Massabesic coach Bobby Eon said. “It’s an individual sport. I have seen kids on Class C teams that are better than A-kids. (The Westbrook Invitational) gives you a good meter to let you know where you are to start the season.”
Westbrook’s Andrew Howe was the team’s first tournament champion at the event since 2002 when four Westbrook wrestlers took home first place medals. Howe defeated Biddeford Josh Scott in the final of the 152-pound division.
“It’s a good thing for the program to add another champion,” Westbrook coach Ryan Hutchins said. “Andrew (Howe) has worked very hard coming in as a senior. He is our only returning state place winner from last year so he is going to have a target on his back as a senior. A lot of kids are going to know who he is and be gunning for him. For him to respond and come out with a championship is great.”
Bobby Dedovic took first in the 130-pound division for Bonny Eagle. Dedovic, a senior, was first third in last season’s state meet at 119 pounds.
“Dedovich and (Dan) Avery are really focusing on basic fundamental skills that win in big matches,” Bonny Eagle coach Mike Kane said. “The fancy stuff doesn’t work against the best kids. The basic fundamentals are what beat the best kids and that’s what they did on Saturday.”
Avery finished third in the 285-pound division, pinning Winslow’s Dan Clark in the final.
“I think it’s a slight change in philosophy,” said Kane regarding the focus on fundamentals. “It’s really what we are preaching this year. We don’t expect to be our best in December or January, but I tell you, come February we are going to be at our best.”
Sophomore Dalton Gregor (103) finished second, seniors Max Dunzik (135) and Jared Stiles (145) third, and freshman Max Alfiero fourth for the Scots.
“We knew (Alfiero) was good,” Kane said, “but we were not sure he could place at 152 which is a tough weight class. For him to do that as a freshman says more about him personally then it does about the coaching at this point. We’ve only had him for a couple weeks.”
Kane credited middle school coach John Gubelman with having the freshmen class – which Kane says is Bonny Eagle’s best in six or seven years – ready to compete.
“Gubelman is one of the best in the state,” Kane said. “He is fantastic.”
Westbrook senior Ray Barnhart pinned freshman teammate Andrew Drouin, 6-4, in the consolation round to take third in the 189-pound division. Tony Gato (215) finished third as well and freshman Harrison Strondak (130) and Steve Moreau (160)finished fourth.
Gato’s only loss in the tournament came to eventual division winner Denton Weimer of Deering.
“We finished sixth out of 15 teams and actually had a separate kid (Drouin) wrestling as a B-team guy by himself and he scored 10 more points.” Hutchins said. “Overall we did really, really well.”
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