With the 2021-2022 wrestling season just underway, now seems as good a time as any to try and get a sense of those grapplers who will make their presence known in the large school division of District 9.
What names will the fans be hearing over the course of the next several months? Who might need reckoned with when the postseason rolls around? Who could possibly find themselves staking a claim to a podium spot in Hershey come March 2022? There are guides that can be used for assistance, in this case the preseason state and NW Region (District 4/6/9/10) rankings released last week just prior to the first day of competition by PA Power Wrestling (PAPW).
Any effort such as this is, by its very nature, an inexact science; some wrestlers will be changing weight classes, some may opt-out for various reasons, some may not compete due to injury. Please keep that in mind while considering what follows. (All records are from the truncated 2021 season).
106 Pounds
No District 9 wrestlers appeared in the PAPW 3A preseason state or regional rankings.
113 Pounds
Clearfield junior Evan Davis (17-9) is a two-time regional qualifier, having finished second at districts in 2020 and 2021. Last season Davis wrestled primarily as a 106-pounder. He is ranked 17th in the state and third in the region. Punxsutawney Sophomore Dysen Gould (6-3) is ranked seventh in the NW.
120 Pounds
No District 9 wrestlers appeared in the PAPW 3A preseason state or regional rankings.
126 Pounds
No District 9 wrestlers appeared in the PAPW 3A preseason state or regional rankings.
132 Pounds
Two District 9 grapplers garnered preseason regional rankings; DuBois sophomore Davey Augenbaugh (17-6) comes in at sixth and Brady Collins, a Clearfield freshman, eighth. Augenbaugh won districts in 2021 when he wrestled at 120 pounds. PAPW projects Collins to finish his first varsity campaign as a regional qualifier.
138 Pounds
Brendan Orr (12-10) of DuBois is ranked 25th in Pennsylvania and fourth in the NW Region. The junior, who won a district championship as a freshman, was district runner-up at 126 pounds last season. Clearfield senior Nolan Barr (17-5) was third in the districts at 126 pounds in 2021. Barr, who was a regional qualifier as both a freshman and sophomore, is ranked fifth in the NW.
145 Pounds
Bradford’s Brett Thompson (10-4) enters the season ranked 24th statewide and seventh regionally. Last season he finished third at districts as a 132-pounder. He was a regional qualifier as a sophomore.
152 Pounds
Junior Brady Smith (7-4) of Punxsutawney was district runner-up in 2021 at this weight, going on to place fourth at regionals. A regional qualifier in 2020, Smith is ranked eighth in the NW.
160 Pounds
Karson Kline (17-8), a senior, is a three-time regional qualifier, doing so at 145 pounds last season after finishing as the district runner-up. PAPW has the Clearfield grappler at 24th in the state and third in the region. St. Marys junior Logan Moiser (8-5) is ranked seventh regionally.
172 Pounds
Mark McGonigal (20-5) of Clearfield won the district title at 215 pounds last year and finished fourth at regionals. A senior, McGonigal qualified for states at the end of both his freshman and sophomore campaigns. He is ranked seventh in the state and first in the NW Region.
189 Pounds
St. Marys Waylon Wehler (15-2) starts the 2021-2022 campaign at 12th in the state and second in the region. The junior closed out last season by winning districts at this weight. Clearfield sophomore Carter Chamberlain (15-10) was district runner-up at 172-pounds in 2021 and placed fourth at regionals. He is ranked 21st in the state and fifth regionally. Ryan White (12-10), a DuBois senior, is sixth on PAPW’s regional poll. He placed third at districts to qualify for regionals as a sophomore.
215 Pounds
Clearfield’s Hayden Kovalick (15-4) took third in the district at 189 pounds last season. The year prior he was a district champ. Kovalick is ranked seventh in the NW Region.
285 Pounds
Oliver Billotte (22-5) is the only returning 3A state qualifier in District 9. Last season the Clearfield senior was the district and regional runner-up at this weight. As a sophomore, Billotte finished eighth in the state. He was a regional qualifier as a freshman. Entering this season Billotte is ranked sixth statewide and first in the region. DuBois sophomore Zach Gallagher (8-14) is ranked fifth in the NW. As a freshman 215-pounder, he was third at districts.
