The PIAA 2A wrestling postseason enters its next phase Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5, with the Northwest Region Tournament at Sharon High School.
Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Friday and continue through the quarterfinals (Session One). The tournament resumes at 9:15 a.m. Saturday for Session Two (the first round of consultations through the consolation semifinals). Session Three is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. with the placement matches. The Parade of Champions is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. with the finals following
What follows is an analysis of the brackets for each weight, with emphasis on the top eight seeds. These are not predictions.
Please be aware that the D9 and D10 champions received seeds one and two, the runner-ups three and four, the third-place medalists five and six, and the fourth-place finishers seven and eight. The placement of D9 and D10 wrestlers at the respective seeds alternated from one bracket to the next.
The top four placers at each weight will advance to the state tournament in Hershey, Pa. March 10-12.
(Note: The state and regional rankings used in this preview are from PA Power Wrestling as of Tuesday, Mar. 1.)
106 Pounds
1. Elijah Brosius (29-4) – Cranberry (D9-1st)
2. Louie Gill (36-1) – Hickory (D10-1st)
3. Logan Powell (27-3) – Clarion (D9-2nd)
4. Carter Beck (32-4) – Saegertown (D9-2nd)
5. Andrew Coriaty (14-3) – Oswayo Valley (D9-3rd)
6. Cael Dailey (21-5) – Franklin (D10-3rd)
7. Damien Brady (26-9) – Curwensville (D9-4th)
8. Sierra Chiesa (28-10) – Northwestern (D10-4th)
Notes: Brosius, a freshman and newly crowned D9 champion, enters his first regional tournament ranked 14th in the state and third in the Northwest. On the opposite side of the bracket is Gill, the reigning state champion at the weight. A sophomore, Gill improved on his runner-up finish at districts a season ago by taking this year’s title. He is ranked first in the state and region. Beck and Powell are both freshmen, the former ranked second regionally and eighth in the state, while the latter is ranked seventh in the NW Region. Dailey, a sophomore, makes his regional tournament debut, entering the event 17th in Pennsylvania and fourth in the Northwest. Another freshman, Chiesa holds the 18th spot in the state poll and fifth in the NW Region. Coriaty is a freshman and Brady a junior; both regional first-timers. Though not seeded in the top eight, Cochranton junior Kyle Lantz (25-10) has both a state and regional ranking, 24th and sixth, respectively. Lantz, who finished fifth at the D10 tournament, is now a three-time regional qualifier. Similar to Lantz, Leyton Zacherl (23-10) is not a top-eight seed but is ranked regionally (eighth). The Commodore Perry freshman finished sixth at the D10 tournament.
113 Pounds
1. Hunter Robinson (30-3) – Saegertown (D10-1st)
2. Weston Pisarchick (30-2) – Brockway (D9-1st)
3. Dylan O’Brien (27-11) – Hickory (D10-2nd)
4. Jacob Carfley (21-6) – Curwensville (D9-2nd)
5. Carter Wise (24-8) – Mercer (D10-3rd)
6. Jared Popson (26-13) – Brookville (D9-3rd)
7. Logan Hammerschmidt (14-14) – Reynolds (D10-4th)
8. Kai Stauffer (21-13) – Port Allegany (D10-4th)
Notes: Robinson, a senior, won his second D10 title, duplicating the feat he accomplished last year as a 106-pounder. Now a three-time regional qualifier and had a fifth-place finish at states a year ago. Also a state qualifier as a sophomore, Robinson is ranked fourth in Pennsylvania and first in the NW Region. Pisarchick won his second D9 title in as many attempts, the sophomore claiming the title at 106 pounds last year. He is ranked seventh in the state and second in the region. O’Brien, a freshman, is ranked sixth regionally. After winning the D9 title at this weight last year, Carfley had to settle for runner-up status this season. The senior, ranked 10th in the state and third in the Northwest, is a three-time regional qualifier. Sophomores Popson (11th in the state, fourth regionally) and Wise (fifth regionally), junior Hammerschmidt (seventh regionally), and senior Stauffer are all regional first-timers. Commodore Perry junior Hunter Geibel (21-11) is not seeded in the top eight after finishing fifth at the D10 tournament. He is ranked at eighth in the region. Giebel last qualified for regionals as a freshman.
120 Pounds
1. Cole Householder (31-8) – Brookville (D9-1st)
2. Hunter Gould (33-0) – Conneaut Area (D10-1st)
3. Cole Bish (23-7) – Redbank Valley (D9-2nd)
4. Chase Bell (24-13) – Reynolds (D10-2nd)
5. Colton Ross (14-10) – Brockway (D9-3rd)
6. Owen Hershelman (24-13) – Saegertown (D10-3rd)
7. Christian Rothermel (5-10) – Port Allegany (D9-4th)
8. Jake Bennett (29-13) – Fort LeBoeuf (D10-4th)
Notes: Householder, a freshman, is 16th in the state poll and second regionally after winning the D9 title. Gould, now a two-time regional qualifier, made it to states last year at this weight. A first-time D10 champion, improving upon a third-place finish last year, the sophomore is ranked seventh in Pennsylvania and first in the NW Region. D9 runner-up Bish, who bettered his third place at 113 pounds in 2021, is ranked sixth in the Northwest. This will be the second consecutive regional tournament for the junior. Bell finished second at regionals last year to qualify for states at 113 pounds. Now a two-time D10 runner-up, the sophomore is ranked 22nd in the state and third in the region. Hershelman, a senior, is making his second consecutive appearance at the regional tournament. He is ranked fourth regionally. Bennett was a state qualifier at 113 pounds last year, having finished third at regionals. He is ranked fifth in the Northwest. Ross, a freshman, and Rothermel, a sophomore, are regional first-timers. Chase Blake (26-12), a Maplewood sophomore, finished fifth at the D10 tournament, missing out on a top-eight seed for this event. He’ll enter his first regional tournament ranked seventh in the Northwest. Corry freshman Cody Proper (29-18) finished sixth at the D10 tournament and is ranked eighth in the region.
126 Pounds
1. JoJo Przybycien (35-3) – Fort LeBoeuf (D10-1st)
2. Mark Palmer (28-7) – Brockway (D9-1st)
3. Gunnar Gage (21-5) – Cambridge Springs (D10-2nd)
4. Chase Weimer (26-10) – Port Allegany (D9-2nd)
5. Alex Rueberger (26-8) – Sharpsville (D10-3rd)
6. Ridge Cook (24-6) – Redbank Valley (D9-3rd)
7. Kolton Sutter (29-11) – Northwestern (D10-4th)
8. Conner Reszkowski (24-11) – Cranberry (D9-4th)
Notes: Przybycien won his first D10 title last week after finishing as the runner-up at 120 pounds last year. The sophomore took sixth place in Hershey a season ago. He is ranked fourth in the state and first regionally. Palmer, a senior, is a four-time regional qualifier. Last week he won his first D9 title after runner-up finishes as a sophomore and junior. Ranked 18th in the state and second regionally, Palmer was a state qualifier as a freshman. Gage is making his third consecutive appearance at regionals. The junior is ranked 19th in Pennsylvania and third in the NW Region. A senior, Weimer finished as a D9 runner-up for the second consecutive season. He is ranked sixth in the region. Rueberger, a sophomore, is ranked 25th statewide and fourth regionally. This is the second straight year he has qualified for the regional tournament. A senior, Cook has finished third at the D9 tournament each of the past three seasons. A four-time regional qualifier, he has never placed at this event. Cook is ranked eighth in the Northwest. Sutter, a sophomore, is ranked fifth in the NW region. Reszkowski is a freshman. Trenton Rodgers (25-12), a Titusville sophomore, finished fifth at the D10 tournament and, as such, is not seeded in the top eight. A two-time regional qualifier, he is ranked seventh in the Northwest.
132 Pounds
1. Owen Reinsel (37-2) – Brookville (D9-1st)
2. Jack Martinec (29-5) – Cochranton (D10-1st)
3. Parker Pisarchick (27-9) – Brockway (D9-2nd)
4. Wyatt Lazzar (28-5) – Commodore Perry (D10-2nd)
5. Nik Fegert (23-10) – Curwensville (D9-3rd)
6. Cody Miller (29-13) – Hickory (D10-3rd)
7. Daniel DeLong (15-14) – Cranberry (D9-4th)
8. Jonathan Bissell (24-14) – Sharpsville (D10-4th)
Notes: Reinsel is now a four-time D9 champion. The senior has finished as the regional runner-up the past three seasons. He’s also qualified for states the last three years, finishing fourth as a sophomore and junior. He is ranked second in Pennsylvania and first in the NW Region. Also a senior, Martinec won his first D10 title this year. A four-time regional qualifier, he is ranked 16th statewide and second regionally. Pisarchick, a freshman, is ranked fifth in the region. A sophomore, Lazzar is ranked 17th in the state poll and third in the Northwest. Fegert has now finished third at the D9 tournament the past two years. The junior, ranked sixth in the Northwest, will be making his second appearance at regionals. Miller, a senior, is ranked 18th in Pennsylvania and fourth regionally. This is his fourth consecutive regional tournament. DeLong and Bissell, ranked eighth in the Northwest, are both freshmen. Sophomore Jackson Bowers of Fort LeBoeuf is a first-time regional qualifier.
138 Pounds
1. Connor Pierce (31-0) – Harbor Creek (D10-1st)
2. Brayden Kunselman (35-6) – Brookville (D9-1st)
3. Connor Saylor (36-5) – Hickory (D10-2nd)
4. Harley Morris (27-6) – Kane (D9-2nd)
5. Riley Kneeland (27-6) – Greenville (D10-3rd)
6. Dane Wenner (30-7) – Cranberry (D9-3rd)
7. Cody Hamilton (24-6) – Grove City (D10-4th)
8. Peyton Stiles (14-13) – Port Allegany (D9-4th)
Notes: Pierce, a two-time D10 champion, has medaled at states each of the past three seasons; taking seventh in 2019 and 2020 and fourth in 2021. The senior is ranked second in Pennsylvania and first in the NW Region. Kunselman, a junior, won a D9 title for the second time last week, duplicating a feat he accomplished as a freshman. He finished that freshman season in Hershey after taking third at regionals. Kunselman is ranked 12th statewide and third regionally. Hickory junior Connor Saylor is a two-time state qualifier, placing for the first time last year (sixth). He’s ranked fourth in the state and second in the Northwest. Senior Harley Morris is a four-time regional qualifier. Ranked fifth in Pennsylvania and the Northwest, he’s finished as the D9 tournament runner-up three times. Kneeland, another senior, made his only previous trip to regionals as a sophomore. He is ranked 14th in the state and fourth regionally. Hamilton (21st statewide, sixth regionally) and Wenner (24th statewide, eighth regionally) are freshmen. Stiles, a sophomore, is also a regional first-timer. Though not seeded in the top eight of the bracket after finishing fifth at D10 districts, Cochranton senior Stephen Martinec (22-6) is ranked 22nd in Pennsylvania and seventh in the NW Region. He last qualified for regionals as a freshman.
145 Pounds
1. Reece Bechakas (25-7) – Kane (D9-1st)
2. Carter Gill (32-5) – Hickory (D10-1st)
3. Mason Gourley (23-6) – Clarion (D9-2nd)
4. Story Buchanan (28-8) – Girard (D10-2nd)
5. Brecken Cieleski (23-11) – Brookville (D9-3rd)
6. Camren Klenke (23-14) – Reynolds (D10-3rd)
7. Zach Shaffer (17-14) – Curwensville (D9-4th)
8. Caullin Summers (28-7) – Sharpsville (D10-4th)
Notes: Gill, a first-time D10 champion, is a four-time regional qualifier. A senior, he made it to states the past two years; placing sixth as a sophomore and seventh as a junior. He is ranked fifth in the state and first regionally. Bechakas, a sophomore, is making his regional debut after winning his first D9 title. Gourley, ranked seventh in the Northwest, is a freshman. Buchanan, a sophomore, is also a regional first-timer. He is ranked 23rd in Pennsylvania and second in the NW Region. Klenke, a senior, is ranked third in the Northwest and Summers, a sophomore, fourth. Both qualified for regionals last year. Cieleski and Shaffer, a pair of juniors, will be making their regional debuts. Also in this bracket but not seeded in the top eight are Northwestern sophomore Lloyd Fountain (29-13, sixth regionally) and Corry junior Trey Proper (25-13, eighth regionally). Fountain finished fifth at last week’s D10 tournament and Proper sixth. Each is a regional first-timer.
152 Pounds
1. Hunter Hohman (19-0) – Grove City (D10-1st)
2. Logan Aughenbaugh (22-6) – Curwensville (D9-1st)
3. Kane Kettering (28-8) – Reynolds (D10-2nd)
4. Devyn Fleeger (22-14) – Cranberry (D9-2nd)
5. Conner McChesney (28-7) – Fort LeBoeuf (D10-3rd)
6. Carson Weaver (18-18) – Brookville (D9-3rd)
7. Clay Thomas (30-10) – Union City (D10-4th)
8. Tyler Merritt (25-8) – Ridgway (D9-4th)
Notes: Sophomores Hohman and Aughenbaugh will both be making their second trip to regionals, but first as district champions (D10 and D9, respectively). Hohman is ranked eighth in the state and first regionally, while Aughenbaugh is ranked sixth in the region. Kettering, a two-time D10 runner-up, has qualified for states each of the past two years after consecutive second-place regional finishes. A district champion in 2020, the senior is ranked 12th statewide and second regionally. Fleeger, ranked eighth in the NW Region, is a sophomore and regional first-timer. McChesney is a two-time regional qualifier. The sophomore is ranked 14th in the state and third in the Northwest. Both Weaver and Thomas are juniors, though only the latter has ever qualified for regionals (in 2021). Thomas is ranked 21st in Pennsylvania and fourth regionally, while Weaver is ranked seventh in the region. Merritt, a senior, is a regional qualifier for the first time. Gannon Jaquay (31-6), ranked 24th in the state and fifth in the region, sits outside the top eight seeds after a fifth-place finish at the D10 tournament. The Eisenhower senior was a regional qualifier as a freshman and sophomore.
160 Pounds
1. Aiden Zimmerman (21-9) – Johnsonburg (D9-1st)
2. Collin Hearn (27-2) – Conneaut Area (D10-1st)
3. Luke Ely (24-8) – Kane (D9-2nd)
4. Ryan Welka (21-14) – Fort LeBoeuf (D10-2nd)
5. Coyha Brown (14-8) – Brookville (D9-3rd)
6. Vito Gentile (24-14) – Reynolds (D10-3rd)
7. John Wright (17-15) – Coudersport (D9-4th)
8. Christian Hacker (27-10) – Sharon (D10-4th)
Notes: A state qualifier in 2020, Zimmerman is a D9 champion for the second time in three years. He finished as a regional runner-up in 2020. The junior is ranked 11th in Pennsylvania and second regionally. Like Zimmerman, Hearn qualified for states last year. Ranked 15th in the state and first in the Northwest, the senior is a first-time D10 champion. Ely, another junior, qualified for states last year after finishing as a regional runner-up. A two-time regional qualifier, Ely is ranked 21st in the state and third regionally. Welka has qualified for regionals two years in a row. The sophomore is ranked fourth in the Northwest. Brown, Wright, Hacker, all juniors, and Gentile, a freshman, will be making their regional tournament debuts. Gentile is ranked fifth in the region and Hacker sixth. Seeded outside the top eight are Cochranton senior Stetson Boozer (27-9, ranked seventh regionally) and sophomore Josh Divens of Sharpsville (28-12, ranked eighth regionally). Divens, a regional first-timer, finished fifth at least week’s D10 tournament, and Boozer, a three-time regional qualifier, sixth.
172 Pounds
1. Brock Covell (31-5) – Titusville (D10-1st)
2. Kaden Dennis (21-8) – Johnsonburg (D9-1st)
3. Jalen Wagner (27-8) – Reynolds (D10-2nd)
4. Easton Belfiore (23-12) – Brookville (D9-2nd)
5. Louden Gledhill (28-8) – Cochranton (D10-3rd)
6. Jack Smith (14-9) – Brockway (D9-3rd)
7. Clayton Smith (27-9) – Commodore Perry (D10-4th)
8. Gavin Burgess (14-13) – Port Allegany (D9-4th)
Notes: Ranked ninth in Pennsylvania and first in the region, Covell has qualified for regionals the past two seasons. The junior captured his first D10 title this year after a runner-up finish last season. Dennis, a three-time regional qualifier, won his first D9 championship last week after two previous consecutive second-place finishes. A junior, he is ranked fifth in the Northwest. Wagner was a D10 champion last season and finished second at regionals to qualify for states. The junior, a three-time regional qualifier, is ranked 10th in Pennsylvania and second in the NW Region. A freshman, Belfiore is ranked 24th in the state and sixth regionally. Gledhill, a senior ranked 21st in Pennsylvania and third regionally, and Smith, a sophomore, are regional tournament first-timers. Smith, a three-time regional qualifier, made it to states last year. The senior is ranked 22nd in Pennsylvania and fourth in the region. A junior, Burgess will be making his regional debut. Hickory junior Ty Holland (30-15) is ranked seventh in the region and freshman Mason Savitz (34-13) of Corry is eight. Holland was fifth at the D10 tournament and Savitz sixth, causing them to not be seeded in the top eight.
189 Pounds
1. Seth Stewart (30-6) – Brockway (D9-1st)
2. Cole Karpinski (35-0) – Greenville (D10-1st)
3. Jackson Zimmerman (20-4) – Brookville (D9-2nd)
4. Landon Caldwell (38-3) – Saegertown (D10-2nd)
5. Alex Shaffer (17-11) – Curwensville (D9-3rd)
6. Danny Church (29-8) – Fort LeBoeuf (D10-3rd)
7. Juuso Young (19-11) – Port Allegany (D9-4th)
8. Ethyn Allen (29-15) – Corry (D10-4th)
Notes: Karpinski has qualified for states the past two years, placing sixth in 2021 at this weight. The senior won his second consecutive D10 title last week and will be looking for his first regional championship after finishing as a runner-up the past two seasons. A three-time regional qualifier, Karpinski is ranked first in Pennsylvania and the NW Region. Stewart won his first D9 championship this year and is making the trip to regionals for the second consecutive season. The junior is ranked 10th in the state and fourth regionally. Caldwell, who finished as D10 runner-up for the second consecutive year, qualified for states at this weight in 2021. A senior, he’s ranked third in the state and second in the region. Zimmerman, a junior, qualified for regionals as a freshman. He is ranked 11th in Pennsylvania and fifth regionally. Whereas Shaffer, a sophomore, is a regional first-timer, Church, a junior, has qualified for this tournament the past three seasons. In 2021, Church, who’s ranked eighth in the state and third in the region, was a state qualifier. Young is a freshman. Allen, a senior, is ranked sixth in the Northwest. Aiden Osborne (18-10), a Commodore Perry sophomore, is ranked outside the top eight seeds due to a fifth-place at the D10 tournament. He’s ranked eighth in the state. A Northwestern junior, Ben Campbell (24-13) is ranked seventh in the region despite an eighth-place finish at districts.
215 Pounds
1. Hayden Linkerhof (30-6) – Corry (D10-1st)
2. Bryce Rafferty (33-4) – Brookville (D9-1st)
3. Abe Keep (31-4) – Girard (D10-2nd)
4. Brayden McFetridge (17-6) – Cranberry (D9-2nd)
5. Cael Black (29-1) – Eisenhower (D10-3rd)
6. Miska Young (28-8) – Port Allegany (D9-3rd)
7. Brayden McCloskey (23-10) – Reynolds (D10-4th)
8. Gavyn Ayers (24-7) – Coudersport (D9-4th)
Notes: Linkerhof won districts and regionals last year on his way to finishing seventh in the state. A four-time regional qualifier, he won his second consecutive D10 title at this weight. The senior is ranked fourth in the state and first in the region. Rafferty, a senior, won his second straight D9 championship as a 215-pounder. A two-time regional qualifier, he is ranked seventh in Pennsylvania and third in the Northwest. Keep, a junior, is a three-time regional qualifier. He enters this year’s tournament ranked ninth in the state and fourth in the region. McFetridge, a junior ranked seventh in the Northwest, is a first-time regional qualifier. Black, a senior, is a three-time state qualifier, finishing sixth in 2020. He won a regional title in 2019. The senior is ranked fifth statewide and second in the region. McCloskey (23rd in the state, fifth in the Northwest), a junior, and Young (eighth in the Northwest), a sophomore, and Ayers, a sophomore, are slated to make their first regional tournament appearances. A senior at Greenville, Collin Wilson (15-6), who finished fifth at the D10 tournament and is, thus, not seeded in the top eight, carries a 24th statewide ranking and is sixth in the region.
285 Pounds
1. Gavin Thompson (31-3) – Brockway (D9-1st)
2. Xavier Reyda (27-4) – Corry (D10-1st)
3. Danah Campbell (25-6) – Sheffield (D9-2nd)
4. Josh Perrine (33-6) – Saegertown (D10-2nd)
5. Shawn Nystrom (18-8) – Kane (D9-3rd)
6. Lodge Nosko (28-10) – Titusville (D10-3rd)
7. Porter Kahle (10-10) – Brookville (D9-4th)
8. Mike Mazurek (27-5) – Sharon (D10-4th)
Notes: This is the second consecutive regional tournament for Thompson, who just won his first D9 title. He is ranked 10th in the state and first in the region. Now a three-time regional qualifier, Reyda is also a first-time D10 champion. Whereas Campbell is a regional first-timer, this is the second time for Perrine, his last trip coming in 2020. Perrine (23rd in the state, third regionally) and Campbell (sixth regionally) are both seniors. Mazurek, a junior who will be making his regional tournament debut, is ranked 13th in Pennsylvania and fifth in the NW Region. Nosko (fourth regionally), Nystrom (eighth regionally), and Kahle are all seniors and regional first-timers. Though not a top-eight seed due to a fifth-place finish at the D10 tournament, Girard junior Zachary Baldwin (31-10) is ranked seventh in the region.
