BIDDEFORD — The Biddeford wrestling team had gone through most of its meet with Massabesic with the same result Wednesday night: getting pinned, mostly in a half nelson move by a Mustang wrestler.

That was, until Biddeford wrestler Sam Butler stepped on the mat.

The Tigers lost the meet with Massabesic, 70-9, but Butler’s match with Massabesic grappler Colby Adams stole the show on an otherwise dominant win by the Mustangs.

Butler and Adams wrestled evenly for eight minutes, until Butler escaped on a move from Adams to win the match, 8-7.

Butler, a senior, said his strategy was to simply escape and not allow Adams to regain the lead.

“He had to get an escape for the win, Ijust had to hold him down for 30 seconds and I did that and I just knew I had to get the escape and not get taken down again,” Butler said.

Butler took an early 4-0 lead on Adams in the first period. In the second period, Adams made a comeback by delivering a double-leg takedown to make the score 4-3. Butler tied the match at 4-4 on an escape, but Adams tied up Butler in a head and arm to take the 7-5 lead heading into the third period.

Butler gave credit to Adams for making a comeback.

“He’s a tough kid,” Butler said. “I felt really good right at the beginning. I caught him early but he got back and he fought me hard after. It was tough, he’s a tough kid.”

Both wrestlers, moving around slower from exhaustion, stalemated for much of the third period. Finally, with only nine seconds remaining, Butler reversed an Adams’ move, tying the match 7-7 and forcing overtime, where Butler eventually picked up the victory.

“Once I got into overtime, I just didn’t want to lose,” Butler said. “I hate losing, period. I just didn’t want to go that far and lose.”

Butler said his work in practice helped him to keep his wind going during the match.

“Normally I’ve been hurting pretty good and I’ve been working wicked hard in practice,” Butler said. “I was tired, but I wasn’t that bad, I was feeling pretty good actually. I feel fine right now.”

Biddeford’s only other victory was scored by Derek Vermette, who won by forfeit at 160 pounds.

Josh Andrews, Richard Jackman, Gage DeRosier, Peter LePage, Jeremy Sterling, Ethan Norwald, John Caramihalis, Andrew Tripp and Nick Walker each won their respective matches by pinfall for Massabesic. Ethan Gilman won his match by decision, and Justin Laflamme won by forfeit.

DeRosier, who won his match against Matt Richards by pinfall with a half nelson in the first period, said the Mustangs are relying on a better group effort this year for success as opposed to last year, when they relied on talented individuals such as Joe Eon and Alex Holland, who have since graduated.

“Our whole team is stronger this year,” DeRosier said. “Last year we had four or five guys carrying the team. But this year we have strong unity. No one is going to carry the team, we’re going to get those second, third and fourths to get the state championship.”

— Contact Dave Dyer at 282-1535 ext. 317.