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FRANKLIN - Winning the first three matches of the titanic Hockomock League meet and then having junior Brett Poirier secure a one-point victory in the 135-pound class, the North Attleboro High School wrestling team may have scored its most dramatic dual meet victory of the 21st century.

The Rocketeers not only extended their unbeaten skein to 14 matches, North went into the Franklin High Fieldhouse Wednesday and beat the Panthers 37-24 to capture no less than a share of the Hockomock League championship.

"We've beaten them a couple of times before, but they were hollow wins," said North coach Wayne Griffin, whose Rocketeers are 9-0 in Hockomock League competiton. "The league title had already been won by Foxboro and they had pulled guys out."

North was not pulling any punches in their determination to beat the Panthers.

And sophomore Rayshawn Green may have set the outcome in motion by overcoming an 8-1 second period deficit in his match at 125 pounds and prevailing 10-9. "We expected to win the early matches at 112 (Rick Mallon on a pin) and 119 (matt Turcotte on a decision)," said Griffin, "but Rayshawn was our good luck charm.

Green, a notorious slow starter, faced a 6-1 deficit after one period and yielded a takedown to trail 8-1 in the second period. Then Green scored points with an escape and a takedown, while drawing three near-falls to face just an 8-7 deficit entering the final two minutes.

By virtue of Mallon, Turcotte and Green each winning their matches, North had seized a 12-0 advantage.

The match of Hockomock powers, which began at 112, continued to have a distinctive Red Rocketeer flair after Poirier beat Franklin's MIAA Division 2 finalist of last year Matt Bakalars.

Poirier held a 4-3 lead after the first period and took that one-point margin into the third session after a scoreless second period. Poirier chose the down position at the outset of the period and scored an escape to take the lead. Then Poirier scored a takedown and gained a 7-3 advantage. "From thereon it was clock management," said Griffin of Poirier holding on for a 7-6 decision.

North won nine of the 14 matches with Kyle Kummer (189) and Matt Barron (215), in addition to Mallon, earning six points for pins. Kummer won 1:07 into the second period, while Barron won with 18 seconds left in the second period.

"This (Hockomock League title) was truly on the line," added Griffin. "We've been planning for this since last week."

North will be participating at the Hockomock League Championship Meet Saturday at Canton and then close out its dual meet season Wednesday with King Philip - a victory over the Warriors resulting in sole possession of the Hockomock dual meet crown for the Red Rocketeers.