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VASSALBORO – So here was Mt. Ararat High hoping to repeat as state golf champion. And there was standout Caleb Manuel three-putting his first hole for bogey.

“Obviously I struggled a little bit,” Manuel said, “but the guys pulled it out.”

Indeed, Mt. Ararat won its second straight Class A team championship Saturday in a close event at Natanis Golf Course.

The Eagles scored 325, nudging ahead of Greely and Falmouth, both at 327. Greely won the tiebreaker for second place.

In Class B, York also was a repeat winner, scoring 342, ahead of second-place Freeport (352) and Leavitt (362) in third. Fourth-place Cape Elizabeth was close behind at 366.

Kents Hill won Class C in its first appearance in the tournament. Kents Hill scored 332, 10 ahead of second-place Orono (342). St. Dominic (362) placed third. The Class C competition was held on Natanis’ Arrowhead course. Mitch Tarrio of Kents Hill had the best score in Class C with a 2-under 70.

The A and B classes played on the Tomahawk course, where Armand Ouellette of Thornton Academy put up the best score with a 1-over 73. Manuel was next at 75.

Manuel, who will defend his individual championship next week on this course, could shrug off his 75. Last week he set the course record at 63.

“I didn’t expect a 63 today,” Mt. Ararat Coach Gerry Caron said, “but anybody else who shot his round would be happy as can be.”

Manuel is a senior headed to the University of Connecticut. He was the key to a rebuilding season for the Eagles, who lost three vital seniors from last year’s title team.

“We took that as a challenge,” Manuel said. “I’m so proud of these guys. They’ve been working since the snow melted last spring. It was a big team win.”

Freshman Parker Bate came in with a 78 for Mt. Ararat, followed by Eli Schoenberg (85) and Ty Henke (87).

Manuel recovered from his double bogey. “I just kind of made seven pars in a row. I couldn’t get anything going but the score was good enough.”

The Eagles needed everything, with Greely and Falmouth on their heels.

“It was close. The kids did a great job,” Greely Coach Brian Bickford said. “In our (conference) we finished third, and then today, finishing second in the state. I can’t complain.”

D.J. Kenney led the Rangers with a 78, followed by Andrew Klein (79), and Dawson Jowett and Connor Albert (both 85). Nick Montminy, the No. 5 golfer, shot an 86, which was the tiebreaker Greely needed for second place.

Falmouth was led by Tyler Baker (79). Thornton (329) finished fourth. Messalonskee (333), behind Bradley Condon’s 76, was fifth.

In Class B, Tyler Rivers of York (76) was the only individual to break 80.

“I played OK. Not many good holes but enough,” Rivers said. “We knew it would be close.”

Rivers was followed by Jonathan Donovan (82), Colin Butters (91) and Greg Goldberg 93).

Freeport, led by T.J. Whelan’s 81, stayed close, as did Leavitt, which was paced by Rudy Haylock’s 81.

“We’re a young team so we’re happy with third place,” Leavitt Coach Harry Haylock said.

In Class C, Kents Hills, a prep school in Readfield, always had played in their New England prep school league but decided to also enter the Maine tournament this year.

“Someone introduced the idea to us,” Tarrio said. “We think we knew we had a pretty good chance.”

Kents Hill was led by three players – Tarrio, T.J. Folsom (83) and Cam Knowles (84). Three of the Huskies who play in the prep league are postgraduate students and not eligible for the high school event. So Kents Hills called up three players from the junior varsity. One of them, Brad Maki, shot a 95 to secure the victory.

Meanwhile, Tarrio was recovering from a double bogey on his second hole – “errant drive” – and began stringing together birdies, including an 8-foot putt after an 185-yard drive with his 7-iron on the par-3 fifth.

With six golfers still on the course, Kents Hill had it wrapped up. St. Dominic appeared headed for a second straight runners-up trophy, but Franc Fowler of Orono was one of those final golfers and his 76 moved the Red Riots into second. St. Dom’s was led by Neil LaRochelle’s 82 to finish ahead of North Yarmouth Academy and defending champion Houlton (both with 365).

“I think we expected a little more,” St. Dom’s Coach Chris Whitney said, “but we’re young. We’ll be back.”