Goffstown High School earned five individual top-five finishes en route to an eighth-place finish at the Division I wrestling state tournament.

Although the Grizzlies were unable to grab any individual titles, Tom Foote came oh-so-close, absorbing an overtime loss in the finals to Timberlane’s Brian Nicoll on Saturday, Feb. 16, at Exeter High School.

Timberlane won the team title with 300 points thanks to seven first-place finishes in the 14 weight classes, easily outdistancing second-place Concord’s 225.5 points. Goffstown finished with 96.5 points, one point ahead of Nashua South.

Foote’s bout at the 285- pound weight class was closely contested throughout, tied 1-1 at the end of the three regulation periods. Nicoll earned one escape point in the extra frame, taking the heavyweight individual title.

Goffstown head coach Todd Lavallee was impressed with Foote’s performance in the finals and in the matches leading up to it.

“Tom Foote deserved that win because he was working for it the whole match. It was just a matter of time before it paid off,” said Lavallee. “When he steps on the mat, he’s going to outwork his opponent and get after him. It usually paid off, and yesterday in key situations it did pay off.”

Lavallee said he would have liked the Grizzlies to finish higher in the team standings, but was still happy with the performance.

“I don’t think we brought our total ‘A’ game. We started off good, but finished rocky. There were good moments and also heartbreaking losses,” he said.

The head coach said it was the close defeats that impacted the team’s score.

“Those small situations in key rounds, those can dictate the outcome of the state championship,” he said. “Every move, point scored and match won or lost can make it or break it in the state championship.”

Chris Ives took third place in the 160-pound weight class, while Nick Wheelock, fifth in the 135-pound class; Tyler Clites, fourth at 145; and Richard Alas Chavez, fifth at 215, joining Foote at the Meet of Champions, which takes place at Londonderry High School on Saturday, Feb. 23.

Lavallee said the two-day tournament, which began Friday, Feb. 15, can be draining on wrestlers.

“You have to get out of the gym at some points, stay focused and stay fresh as the day goes on. There’s a lot of strategy behind the scenes as the day goes on,” he said. “You have to hold your composure and balance that energy and not get overemotional. It’s a roller coaster of a day at times.”