The Bonny Eagle High wrestling team had a fine showing at Saturday’s Class A state championship tournament. The Scots finished behind only Massabesic and Noble in the 20-team event.
The Scots had two wrestlers reach the championship finals with sophomore Dalton Groeger winning the 103-pound weight division and senior Bobby Dedovic finishing second at 130. Groeger is now the youngest wrestler at Bonny Eagle to ever win a state championship.
Groeger will now prepare for the New England wrestling championships on March 2-3 in New Haven, Conn.
Four other Bonny Eagle wrestlers made it into the consolation finals. Senior Max Dunzik took third at 135 pounds with a 5-4 win over Ben Schutt of Morse. Senior Jared Stiles placed third at 140 pounds with a pin against Theo Marshall of Mt. Ararat. Freshman Steve Martin finished third at 152 thanks to a 10-5 win over Alex Holland of Massabesic. And senior Dan Avery took fourth following a 3-2 overtime loss to Ron Packard of Oxford Hills.
Lake Region’s Josh Rutland finished fourth at 130 pounds at Saturday’s Class B state championship.
Rutland entered the tourney as the No. 1 seed from the West and he won his quarterfinal match against Steve Genther of Medomak Valley. Rutland then faced off with True Bragg of Camden Hills and he led for most of the three periods until Bragg rallied in the closing seconds for the win. Rutland then lost a tough 4-3 decision in the consolation final to Corey Kidder of Ellsworth.
New team at top of the heap
A defending state champion in any sport doesn’t give up its crown very easily. When you’re the eight-time defending state wrestling champions from Noble, you fight, claw and scratch in order to retain the title that’s been yours since 1999.
And that’s exactly what happened on Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center as a talented and determined Massabesic High wrestling team overcame those proud Knight wrestlers to win their first Class A state championship since 1998. Massabesic and their 11 qualifiers scored 145.5 points to outlast Noble and their seven-wrestler total of 130.5.
The other teams in the top 10 included third-place Bonny Eagle (82), Oxford Hills (68.5), Biddeford (65), Sanford (61), Marshwood (59), Morse (49), Kennebunk (47), and Deering (44).
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