Shock and awe in Wells

WELLS — One year ago, Kennebunk wrestler Rick Gorton lost to Art Stambach of Lisbon during the Atlantic Invitational Tournament, hosted at Wells High School.

One year later, Gorton exacted his revenge on Stambach in the 189-pound championship final, making an escape in overtime that would lead to a 3-2 victory.

The match received the loudest ovation from the crowd, many of whom had been sitting on the wooden benches of the Wells gymnasium for close to 12 hours by the time the finals began. As soon as the buzzer sounded, signifying the end of the match, Gorton raised his arms in celebration, while his teammates, watching the action closesly on a neigboring mat, jumped in the air and yelled in celebration.

Gorton said he was particularly proud of the win, as he had many fans in the crowd.

“It was huge for me, because my whole family was here and I could hear them go crazy,” Gorton said. “I lost to him last year in overtime, I couldn’t hold him down last time and I really wanted to win this one.”

Neither Stambach or Gorton scored a point in the first period. Stambach was able to take a 2-1 lead in the second period on an escape, while Gorton made an escape to score a point.

Gorton made another escape in the third period to tie the score at two, before making his winning escape in overtime to secure the victory.

“I realized it was a good match right there,” Gorton said. “I just found whatever I had to get up.”

While Gorton’s match was the most highly contested, it wasn’t the most highly anticipated. That distinction would have to go to the 112-pound final, where the champions in Maine Classes A, B and C from last season all competed.

The final pitted last year’s Class A champion, Jake Rasque of Marshwood against Class B champion Vanya Tomaszewski of Wells.

In the semi-final match earlier in the day, Tomaszewski had to wrestle against the Class C champion, Forrest Cornell of Lisbon. Both wrestlers put on a clinic, going into overtime tied at two before an escape by Tomaszewski secured a 4-2 victory.

The final match bared different results, however. Rasque took an early 2-0 lead on a takedown in the first period. In the second period, Rasque caught Tomaszewski, who was trying to break out of a hold, and used all of his weight to pin Tomaszewski and win the match.

“I just got in the wrong spot at the wrong time and he caught me at the right time, so that’s basically what happened and I couldn’t get up from it,” Tomaszewski said.

Tomaszewski, a two-time state champion, said it was the first time he wrestled against Rasque, but said he didn’t think it was much of a factor in the loss.

“Kind of, but at the same time since you haven’t wrestled them, you don’t know what they’re like, and you’re not worried about what you have to do,” Tomaszewski said.

Coaches of the 16 schools participating in the tournament were impressed enough with the win to award Rasque as the “Most Outstanding Wrestler.” Tomaszewski was given the “Wells Wrestler Award,” as the top Wells wrestler of the tournament.

The Warriors had a good showing during the competition, as five wrestlers, Tomaszewski, Scott Cryer, Mike Burgess, Alex Robinson and Stephen Johnson all had second place finishes in their respective divisions, while Chris Neumann had a third place finish.

Wells was fourth place in team points with 108, while Lisbon, the defending Class C champions, won the tournament with 155 points, thanks to four wrestlers capturing first place finishes.