Top 15 challengers for District 11 2A competitors
District 11 must go to enemy territory for the Class 2A Southeast Regional with a bracket tilted toward host District 3.
There are no excuses, however, for the locals who will walk away with state-qualifying berths if they wrestle their best. The top six in each weight class advance to the PIAA championships.
Here’s a look at the top 15 challengers from Districts 1, 3 and 12 at this weekend’s event at Wilson-West Lawn High School (listed in alphabetical order): Bronson Garber, Upper Dauphin (35-3): State-ranked No. 3 has 164 career wins and three state medals. His three losses are by a combined six points. He beat Liberty’s Mike Torres 6-3 for third place at the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic. Levi Haines, Biglerville (34-0): Ranked third at 106 according to papowerwrestling.com, the freshman has had only three matches decided by decision. Saucon Valley’s Cael Markle could see him in the quarterfinals. Carl Harris, Littlestown (20-2): The two-time state medalist is ranked fourth at 170. Tamaqua’s Nate Wickersham could see him in the quarterfinals. Adam Jacob, East Pennsboro (33-3): State No. 6 at 113; one of his losses is to Liberty’s Matt Maloney (6-3) in the Penn Manor Holiday Tournament final. Saucon Valley’s Chris Arciuolo could see him in the quarters. Damon James, Boiling Springs (33-8): The 13th-ranked 285-pounder is part of a large group of potential champions along with the District 11 foursome of Tamaqua’s Bronson Strouse, North Schuylkill’s Ryan Weitz, Jim Thorpe’s Derek Hunter and Saucon Valley’s Nick Warnke, who is coming off a district tournament he’d like to forget. James is a physical, aggressive wrestler. Colin Leonard, Northern Lebanon (34-5): A three-time state qualifier with 158 career wins. One of the 132-pounder’s five losses is to Wilson’s Elijah Bundro at the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic. Tyler Martin, Bishop McDevitt (38-4): State’s No. 3-ranked 138-pounder who could rain on District 11’s party. One of his losses is to Nazareth’s Dashawn Farber in the Cumberland Valley Kickoff Classic semifinals. Gabe Miller, Pequea Valley (37-0): The two-time state medalist with 163 career wins pinned his way to District 3 title. He is ranked No. 3 at 145. All but two of his victories are by bonus points – one was 7-0 over Wilson’s Anthony Micci. Jason Penton, Littlestown (28-2): The District 3 champion in a wide-open weight class (182) did not wrestle a District 11 opponent all year. Palisades’ Adam Marsh would see him in the quarters if the Pirate beats Kutztown’s Justin Akers in the opening match. Lawrence Richardson, Bishop McDevitt-District 12
(19-2): Ranked eighth at 195, the senior will have to go through bracket favorite Colin Fegley of Mahanoy Area in the semis. Fegley is ranked third. Saucon Valley’s Dane Csencsits (No. 6) is in the other half of the bracket. He could see Pope John Paul II’s Jack Files in the quarters. Files won 4-2 at the Beast of the East. Ethan Rode, Newport (38-1):
The No. 7-ranked 220-pounder may have to beat three District 11 wrestlers ranked ahead of him to win here – Salisbury’s Jonah Niesenbaum in the quarters, Wilson’s Kolby Flank in the semis and Jim Thorpe’s Ethan Mordaunt in the final. Rode’s lone loss came to state No. 2 Jacob McMaster of Greenville. Chase Shields, Bishop McDevitt (23-3): One of four District 3 wrestlers ranked in the top nine at 126. He is a three-time state medalist – twice a runnerup – with 138 career wins. One of his three losses was to Notre Dame-GP’s Brandan Chletsos. Nate Smith, Bishop McDevitt (36-6): State No. 6 at 120, the junior is a two-time state medalist who won five matches at Beast of the East and was third at Trojan Wars. He is one of five District 3 wrestlers ranked in the top 11 at this weight, but Notre Dame-GP’s Ryan Crookham is No. 1. Ryan Vulakh, Pope John
Paul II (27-0): State’s top-ranked 152-pounder and third nationally according to flowrestling.org. The two-time state medalist with a 103-12 record owns a pair of wins over Bethlehem Catholic’s 3A No. 2-ranked Cole Handlovic in the Beast of the East and Escape the Rock finals. He also won Powerade with a victory over national No. 4 Sam Dover of St. Edward (Ohio). Caydin Wickard, Boiling
Springs (34-5): Two-time California state qualifier; one of his losses is to Nazareth’s Sean Pierson (10-6) at the Cumberland Valley Kickoff Classic. The 120-pounder also beat Notre Dame-GP’s Josh Bauman in the PIAA team tournament.
Others to watch (in alphabetical order)
Trey Donmoyer, Eastern Lebanon (38-4 at 182)
Donny Gelnett, Upper Dauphin (31-9 at 220)
Bailey Gimbor, Hamburg (34-8 at 120)
Noah Frack, Brandywine Heights (32-3 at 106)
Trenton Harder, Bermudian Springs (28-3 at 152)
Nick Kostyak, Boiling Springs (35-9 at 160)
Caden Morrison, West Perry (30-7 at 160)
Josh Tuckey, Biglerville (32-4 at 126)
Matt Vulakh, Pope John Paul II (20-7 at 106)
Ben Weidenhammer, Hamburg (31-9 at 195)