By Bob McPhee

Staff Writer

YORK — Fryeburg brothers Connor and Zach Sheehan each realized the opportunity they had Saturday. And they both delivered, winning back-to-back individual championships to lead the Raiders to a win in the Western Class B regional wrestling championship, a 176½-153 win over Wells. The Warriors had pulled to within six points, but the Raiders won five consolation semi-final matches by pin for 35 team points.

“The team is on a roll,” said Connor Sheehan, a two time state champion recently returned from a broken ankle. “It feels good to be able to cheer the team from in the wrestling room, instead of on the sidelines.”

Sheehan won a 15-0 technical fall over freshman Carter LaBrecque of Oak Hill. In the semifinal,

“Having Connor back has been great,” Fryeburg coach Bryce Thurston said. “He is our second wrestler out and wins a lot. It’s good for team to see.”

York finished third with 114½ points, followed by Mountain Valley (96½).

Meanwhile, Mountain Valley’s Dakota Jacques was on a mission. He stepped to the mat with a plan, and despite a few diversions, he accomplished his mission, earning a win in the 132-pound championship match.

Jacques, trailing 5-2, showed superior balance in countering a reversal to pin Sam LaPointe of Wells with a power-half nelson.

“I was looking for the power half,” said Jacques, who had split with LaPointe in two matches this season. “Knowing when to roll off a move comes with having wrestled a lot and it gives me better balance. A goal was to win regional.”

“It was nice to see Dakota win,” Mountain Valley coach Chris Bean said. “He works hard and good things come. As a team, we qualified seven of our eight wrestlers.”

Brandon Gill of Mountain Valley also reached the finals before falling to Colin Sevigney of Wells, 6-0.

“I need to protect myself,” Gill said prior to match, having lost to the Warrior wrestler 11-0 last week in the Mid-State finals.

The Raiders, meanwhile, qualified 12 individuals for the state meet next Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center. It was important to place as high as possible, because the order of finishes will be reversed against Eastern regional competitors in state meet.

Zach Sheehan stuck the Falcons’ Jake Thornton for second straight week. The Raiders’ Ian MacFawn also won regional title, executing a double-under hook throw for the 182-pound title.

The Falcons’ Ian Austin (152) placed third, while Anthony Boucher (182) and Zach Cross (195) each placed fourth.