The high school wrestling season is in its last month of regular season meets with the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference meet set for Jan. 26 at Cony High School.

Camden Hills hosted Erskine Academy and Nokomis Wednesday in their next to last home meet of the season.

In the first match up of the evening, Nokomis defeated Erskine 39-32 to open the meet, the Warriors then took to the mat against powerhouse Camden Hills and fought tooth and nail to the end where the two teams finished the meet tied at 40 each. However an unsportsmanlike conduct call against Nokomis during a match was brought into play to break the tie thus giving the Windjammers a 41-40 win to remain undefeated.

The Windjammers are a young team and new head coach Patrick Kelley did not know what to expect, but knew that if he could get them to work hard, believe in the program and make the connection to the historic past of the Camden Hills wrestling program he and the team would be OK.

"I didn't really have a notion one way or the other in terms of how we would shape up," said Camden Hills coach Kelley. "I knew we had only eight guys coming back and that meant a lot of recruiting had to be done. What ever we put together I knew we would be tough, but I did not realize we would step up in the meets we have stepped up in."

Wednesday that young Windjammer squad got its toughest test in class B this season as Nokomis took them to the limit, but once again they stepped up and managed to pull off the win.

The last match of this meet was the 106-pound weight division and the score was 40-35 Camden Hills. A pin for Nokomis would mean a win and the first loss of the season for the Windjammers, but once again a young Windjammer stepped up, this time Hilary Merrifield who despite losing the match in a techniacl pin fall was able to time and again escape a pinning move from her opponent and hold on to the end.

Here are the individual results with Camden Hills wrestlers listed first. The Erskine and Camden Hills meet will be added when received.

106 pounds - Hillary Merrifield lost to Kolin Fraser (NOK) in a technical fall; and lost by major decision to Issac Taylor (EA).

113 pounds - James Archer won by forfeit over Nokomis; and pinned Justin Studholme (EA).

120 pounds - John Underhill won by major decision over Terran Booth (NOK); and pinned Jakob Church (EA).

126 pounds - Chris Weiss won by forfeit over Nokomis and Erskine Academy.

132 pounds - Calan Bragg pinned Jonathan Crocker (NOK) at 0:58 in the first period; and pinned Joseph York (EA).

138 pounds - Connor Winchenbach won by forfeit over Nokomis and Erskine Academy.

145 pounds - Camden Hills forfeited to Matthew Martin (NOK); and to Robert Soohey (EA).

152 pounds - Eli Smith pinned Joshua King (NOK) at 3:05 in the second period; and won by decision over Stephen Soohey (EA).

160 pounds - Wyatt Parra pinned Jacob Richards (NOK) at 4:26 in the third period; and was pinned by Luke Atchison (EA).

170 pounds - Camden Hills forfeited to Nokomis and Erskine Academy.

182 pounds - Brian Jones was pinned by John Wilson (NOK) at 4:29 in the third period; and was pinned by Brendon Henderson (EA).

195 pounds - Bryan Coleman was pinned at 4:31 in the third period by Russell Wilson (NOK); and lost by decision to Kyle Cassidy (EA).

220 pounds - Camden Hills forfeited to Zach McFarlin (NOK).

285 pounds - Kalo Littlejohn was pinned by John Nichols (NOK) at 2:39 in the second period; and won by forfeit over Erskine Academy. 

Coach Kelley said before the match he was 100 percent happy with the kids in his program and how hard they are working. After five years away, which the team was led by Levi Rollins, Kelly came back because the boss said he could.

"My boss, my wife told me I could," said Kelley. "She said she had heard a rumor that he was going to coach and I [Kelley] said it was a rumor. A couple of weeks later she said are you sure it's a rumor and I said yes and she told me I could."

Kelley continued, "After I thought about it I said why not. I teach in this school so I'm here with the kids and I could recruit. The team lost a lot of seniors last year so I knew there was going to be a gap and I didn't want someone to come in with no connection to these kids so I decided to do it. I don't know if it will be one year or ten years."

What is an obvious fact is Kelley is having fun, back doing what he has such a great passion for, working to instill that Windjammer pride that he is such a big part of establishing in the first place.

Next up for the Windjammers is the Spartans Wrestling Tournament at Sanford High School Friday, Jan. 4 and Saturday, Jan. 5. The Windjammers will return January 9 when they host Winslow and Mt. Ararat in their final home meet of the season.

Click here for the Photo Gallery from the Nokomis and Camden Hills meet

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