HERSHEY, Pa. — The pairings for the PIAA Class AA and AAA Wrestling Championships have been released and the region’s wrestlers know the path they must travel in search of a state medal.
The action begins Thursday. In AA, the preliminary and first round matches begin at 9 a.m. on six mats.
Wrestling continues Friday and the medal round matches begin Saturday at 2 p.m.
In AAA, the preliminary and first round matches begin at 4 p.m.
Wrestling continues Friday and the medal round matches begin Saturday at 7 p.m.
In AA, there are 19 District 9 wrestlers headed to states, led by Brookville’s seven and Ridgway’s five.
Here’s a listing, by school, of the state qualifiers in AA:
Brookville
For the Raiders, at 112 pounds, senior Keelan Kunselman (29-11) was second in the Northwest and will face Southeast Region third-place finisher, sophomore Richie Markulics (40-3) of Notre Dame Green Pond.
At 120 pounds, Raiders senior Gavin Park (39-3) is the Northwest champ and at the top of the bracket.
Park will face the winner of a preliminary match between Newport junior Isaiah Bryner (33-11) and McGuffey sophomore Jett Pattison (37-10).
Bryner was sixth in the Southeast while Pattison was fourth in the Southwest.
At 132 pounds, junior Dontae Constable (25-14) was third in the Northwest. He will wrestle Northern Lebanon senior Trevor Leonard (42-13). Leonard was the Southeast runner-up.
At 152 pounds, junior Caleb Hetrick (40-3) is the Northwest champ. He will wrestle the winner of a preliminary-round match between Moshannon Valley sophomore Jon Dale (30-9) and Mifflinburg freshman Tyler Stoltzfus (38-16).
Dale was fifth in the Southwest and Stoltzfus was fourth in the Northeast.
At 182, senior Noah Cieleski (33-8) was fourth in the Northwest and will wrestle a prelim match against Johnstown junior Austin Barber (22-2). Barber was fifth in the Southwest.
At 195 pounds, junior Xavier Molnar (36-7) placed third in the Northwest and will battle Southwest runner-up Exree Loe (21-4), of Johnstown. Loe is a senior.
At 220, junior Tyler Cook (37-5) will face South Side Beaver junior Bishop McCoy (32-4). McCoy was third in the Southwest.
Ridgway
The Elkers are led by the McClain brothers trio, Kyle Bush and Bryce Barclay.
At 113, junior Bush (28-3) won the Northwest and will face the winner of the match between Tri-Valley junior Cal Schoffstall (30-15) and Everett sophomore Garrett Cornell.
At 126, Barclay (27-8) was fourth in the Northwest and will wrestle a preliminary round match against Notre Dame Green Pond sophomore Nicholas Vonelli (34-11).
At 132, junior Lukas McClain (26-8) will take on Tamaqua senior Tanner McHugh (36-4).
At 138, junior Logan McClain (33-4) will face Northern Lebanon Zach Kelly (41-9).
At 285 pounds, senior Colton McClain (30-5) will wrestle in a prelim against Everett senior Kyle Peterson (30-11).
Port Allegany
Junior Jake Kallenborn (30-5) will take on Wyomissing senior Tanner Vogel (34-6) at 160 pounds.
Coudersport
At 160, Coudersport senior Gage Arnold (37-2) opens with Panther Valley junior Hunter Kennedy (35-10).
Curwensviile
The Golden Tide are sending sophomore Blake Passarelli at 113 after he placed fourth at regionals. He will wrestle Burrell sophomore Bryan Gaul (32-14) in a preliminary round match.
A win for Passarelli means he will take on Bishop McDevitt’s Chase Sields (36-4).
Kane
Sophomore Aiden Hulings (24-6) is in a preliminary match against Bermudian Springs senior Ashton West (40-5).
Brockway
For the Rovers, freshman 106-pounder Anthony Glasl was second in the Northwest and he drew Southwest Region third-place finisher Allen Simmons of Cambria Heights.
Glasl is 32-7.
Simmons, a sophomore, is 34-8.
Cranberry
Berries senior Josh Hancock (34-6) placed fourth in the Northwest and will wrestle in a preliminary-round match against Penns Valley senior Jared Hurd (31-7).
Hurd placed sixth in the Southwest.
If Hancock wins, he will face Bishop McDevitt senior John Pipa (38-4), the Southeast champ.
Bradford
Junior Tyler Thompson (33-7) will wrestle in a prelim against Ellwood City senior Tyler Alberts (36-7).
The winner gets Pequea Valley sophomore Gabe Miller (40-0).
In AAA, DuBois leads the way with five wrestlers while St. Mary has two, Clearfield and Punxsutawney one each.
Here’s a listing, by school, of the state qualifiers in AAA:
DuBois
Beginning at 106 pounds, Beavers freshman Trenton Donahue (36-2) is the Northwest Region champ and will open with the winner of a prelim match between Cumberland Valley freshman Patrick DeMark and Council Rock South sophomore Max Mendez.
DeMark (35-8) was fourth in the Southcentral Region while Mendez was third in the Southeast.
At 112, freshman Ed Scott (35-1) also has the winner of a preliminary match. Scott, the Northwest champ will face either Plymouth Whitemarsh junior Marco DiBattista (27-4) or Belle Vernon senior Jake Dunlop (38-5).
At 120, sophomore Dalton Woodrow (31-7) will take on Central Dauphin junior Chris Wright (42-4). Woodrow was second in the Northwest while Wright was second in the Southcentral.
At 132, junior Kolby Ho (34-3) was a runner-up in the Northwest and he will face Lower Dauphin freshman T.T. Elhaji (30-5).
At 195, senior Dave Henninger (34-11) was third in the Northwest and will face Hazleton senior Carson Kinney (34-9). Kinney was 34-9.
St. Marys
At 120 pounds, sophomore Tyler Dilley (24-4) is the Northwest Regional champion and will take on Council Rock North senior Aidan Burke (15-7).
Burke placed second in the Southeast.
At 138, sophomore Alec Bittler (25-4) was the Northwest third-place finisher. He will take on Northampton senior Dan Moran (40-5).
Clearfield
At 170 pounds, Bison junior Luke McGonigal (33-1) won the Northwest and will wrestle the winner of the match between Solanco’s Ben Root (37-7) and North Allegheny senior Sean Hoover (17-4).
Punxsutawney
For the Chucks, they will be represented by senior Blake Bizousky (24-7) at 220 pounds. Bizousky was third in the Northwest.
His first-round opponent is Parkland junior Nathan Feyrer (26-10), the Northeast runner-up.
Fall Sports
Rocky Grove and Lakeview Team Up for Mason
