Sports Desk

There was plenty of action over the weekend as teams from Mountain Valley and Dirigo participated in games on the hardwood or on the wrestling mat.

It provided players with an opportunity to show and test their skill in an effort to showcase talents. It also provided the respective coaches to further evaluate individuals competing in a competitive atmosphere.

Junior Ayla Allen scored a game-high 22 points as the Mountain Valley girls' basketball team started off on the right foot with a 50-35 win against Madison. The action was tight going into intermission, but the ability to adjust told the story. The Lady Falcons made correct ones by outscoring the Bulldogs by 18-9 in the third quarter to take a commanding lead.

Allen, a center, tallied 14 points in the second half. Point guard Lyndsey Gallant had nine points and Chrissy Briggs added six.

A night earlier, the Mountain Valley boys' team also achieved success on the same basketball court. Some of the names have changed, however, the Falcons still rely on an uptempo offense. This type of running style eventually takes a toll on the opposition. MV pulled away for a convincing 72-45 win.

Cam Kaubris led the way with 21 points, including three three pointers. The Falcons drained 11 treys during the game. Jacob Theriault made two from beyond the arc and finished with 10 points. Andy Child added two treys.

On the wrestling mat, Mountain Valley had a strong performance (114 points) to finish third at the Westbrook Invitational.

Seven wrestlers placed in the top four of their respective weight classes, led by champions Ryan Burgess and Josh Allen at 119 and 189. Burgess, a two-time Class B state champion, recorded a 16-4 major decision against William Bellottie of Marshwood. Allen showed his opponent the lights in 52 seconds.

The Falcons advanced three others into the finals, including Joe Provencher (135), Josh Thornton (145) and Christian Durland (285). Provencher was dismantled by Jared Jensen, who is an independent wrestler from Brunswick. Thornton, defending state champ, lost 5-1. Despite being outweighed, Durland (approximately 190) was decisioned 7-4. Taylor Carey (171) and freshman Jake Thornton (112) placed third and fourth, respectively.

It was a very late night for the Dirigo wrestlers Friday in Foxcroft. The final match did not conclude until after 10 p.m.

And the bus arrived at 1:30 a.m. in Dixfield. The Cougars beat Lisbon, 48-30, Dexter, 50-21 and Foxcroft, 43-33.

Caleb Hall 119 and DJ Webber 160 each won three matches. Thomas Barnett (152), DJ Webber (160), Nelson Pepin (171) and Zach White (189) each had two sticks.