NORTH BERWICK — Four wrestlers in the championship round. Two state championships won. A second place finish (which is about the best anybody can hope to attain behind the Noble juggernaut).

All in all, it was a successful outing for Massabesic, Saturday, at the Maine Class A State Championships, at Noble H.S.

Mustangs Ethan Gilman (119 lbs.) and Andrew Tripp (160) both emerged as state champions to keep Massabesic’s five-year string of capturing at least one solo title intact.

“We breed great wrestlers,” said an excited Tripp, shortly after outpointing Cony’s Justin Pelletier, 15-8.

Said Massabesic third year coach Rick Derosier, “It was definitely a good day. You take the good with the bad. But there was a lot of positive that came out of today. We didn’t win the state championship. But we’ve got a lot of young kids that are coming back, and more coming up through. We know we’re going to be knocking on the door again.”

Of course, that door is labeled “Noble”.

The Knights (135.5) captured their 11th team state title in the past 13 years, a string that only Massabesic (111) interrupted in 2007 and 2008.

Bonny Eagle (106), Westbrook (83.5), and Marshwood (72) rounded out the top five, while ninth-place Kennebunk (41) and 12th place Sanford (22) also competed.

Gilman, a sophomore kept not just the school’s proud wrestling tradition alive, but his family’s, too.

His 7-0 decision over Brunswick’s Jared Jensen, put him in company with his brother Peter Gilman, a two-time state winner (135 in 2007, 140 in 2009).

“Following in his wake,” said Ethan Gilman.

Gilman won his title match by steadily piling up points, two in the first period, two more in the second, then scoring three more on a near fall in the third.

“Just got a couple points here and there,” he said. “Didn’t try anything spectacular. I was looking for a one or two point win, and I came out with seven. I couldn’t be happier.”

Tripp had similar hopes, with the same result.

After spotting Pelletier two points, Tripp rebounded to lead 3-2 after the first period, then exploded for seven unanswered points in the second.

“Always score points,” said Tripp. “They always tell me to wrestle smart. That’s the way to do it. It was all tilts. The guy’s on his back and he thinks he’s out and you’re still scoring points anyway.”

Gage Derosier, last year’s 103 champion, moved up to 112 and lost a close 2-0 match to defending champion Jake Rasque (Marshwood).

After the two struggled through two scoreless periods. Derosier sought to end the match by maneuvering Rasque into position for a pin.

However Rasque managed to break free, scoring the decisive reversal points with 33 seconds remaining.

“I’m very proud of what he (Gage) has accomplished, as a coach and as a father,” said Rick Derosier. “That’s a match that could have gone either way. I think he gave it his all, and that’s the way it fell.”

Justin Dumond (140) lost a similarly hard-fought struggle with Noble’s

Joseph Badger, 3-1. Dumond had pinned Badger a week earlier at the Western Maine

championships. Badger broke a 1-1 tie in the waning seconds with a two-point take

down. Kennebunk wrestlers Richard Gorton (3rd place, 189), Ian Weigle (4th, 152), Garrett Valls (4th, 171), and Will Foley (4th, 285) all placed, while the Rams took home the Western Region Good Sportsmanship banner.

— Contact Staff Writer Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com.