With the District 10 sectional tournaments in the books, attention shifts to this weekend’s 2A district tournament in Sharon this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 25, 26).
Wrestling is scheduled to begin Friday at 4 p.m. and then resume Saturday at 9 a.m. The placement matches are slated for 3:30 p.m. Saturday, with the parade of champions for the finals commencing at 5:30 p.m.
The top eight wrestlers in each weight class will advance to next week’s Northwest Regional tournament. As such, this preview, far from being any type of prediction, looks at those wrestlers who have garnered the top eight seeds in each bracket. With the exception of 113 pounds, which only lists 12 wrestlers, all brackets have 14 competitors.
(Note: The state and regional rankings used in this preview are from PA Power Wrestling as of Thursday, Feb. 24. District 9 and District 10 constitute the NW Region.)
106 Pounds
1. Carter Beck, Fr. (30-3) – Saegertown (Section 1-1st)
2. Louie Gill, So. (33-1) – Hickory (Section 2-1st)
3. Sierra Chiesa, Fr. (26-8) – Northwestern (Section 1-2nd)
4. Cael Dailey, So. (17-4) – Franklin (Section 2-2nd)
5. Kyle Lantz, Jr. (21-6) – Cochranton (Section 1-3rd)
6. Leyton Zacherl, Fr. (20-7) – Commodore Perry (Section 2-3rd)
7. Cadyn Shetler, Fr. (17-13) – Maplewood (Section 1-4th)
8. Madilyn Enterline, So. (13-7) – Greenville (Section 2-4th)
Notes: The headliner for this weight is defending state champion Gill, who comes into districts ranked first in the state and NW Region. He will be looking to earn his first district title, having finished as the runner-up a year ago. The only other seeded grappler with district experience at the varsity level is Lantz, a two-time regional qualifier (2021 and 2020). Lantz is ranked 24th in the state and sixth in the northwest. Beck (ninth in the state, second in the region), Chiesa (16th in the state, fourth in the region), Dailey (22nd in the state, fifth in the region), Zacherl, Shetler, and Enterline are making their district tournament debuts.
113 Pounds
1. Hunter Giebel, Jr. (19-8) – Commodore Perry (Section 2-1st)
2. Hunter Robinson, Sr. (27-3) – Saegertown (Section 1-1st)
3. Carter Wise, So. (20-6) – Mercer (Section 2-2nd)
4. Konnor Kimmy, Fr. (11-4) – North East (Section 1-2nd)
5. Dylan O’Brien, Fr. (24-10) – Hickory (Section 2-3rd)
6. Daylend Schlosser, So. (17-12) – Cochranton (Section 1-3rd)
7. Logan Hammerschmidt, Jr. (10-12) – Reynolds (Section 2-4th)
8. Ryan Chambers, Fr. (16-13) – Eisenhower (Section 1-4th)
Notes: The marquee wrestler in this bracket is Robinson; a two-time state qualifier. Robinson finished fifth at states in 2021 as a 106-pounder after winning districts and regionals. He is ranked fourth in the state and first in the NW Region. Geibel, ranked fourth in the northwest, qualified for regionals in 2020. O’Brien (fifth in the region), Wise (seventh in the region), Hammerschmidt (eighth in the region), and Schlosser are wrestling in their first district tournaments.
120 Pounds
1. Owen Hershelman, Sr. (21-12) – Saegertown (Section 1-1st)
2. Hunter Gould, So. (29-0) – Conneaut Area (Section 2-1st)
3. Chase Blake, So. (24-10) – Maplewood (Section 1-2nd)
4. Chase Bell, So. (21-12) – Reynolds (Section 2-2nd)
5. Jake Bennett, So. (25-10) – Fort LeBoeuf (Section 1-3rd)
6. Ryan Double, So. (25-6) – Slippery Rock (Section 2-3rd)
7. Cody Proper, Fr. (26-15) – Corry (Section 1-4th)
8. Connor Naser, Fr. (9-12) – Grove City (Section 2-4th)
Notes: Hershelman, ranked fourth in the NW region, qualified for regionals in 2020. Gould was a state qualifier last season at 106 pounds, having finished third at both districts and regionals. He enters this year’s tournament ranked eighth in the state and first regionally. Blake, a newcomer to the district tournament, wrestled as a 126-pounder most of the season. He is regionally ranked seventh. Bell, ranked 24th in the state and second in the region, and Bennett, fifth in the region, both qualified for states last year as 113-pounders. Double, ranked sixth in the NW Region, made it to districts last year, while Proper and Naser are competing at districts for the first time.
126 Pounds
1. Alex Rueberger, So. (23-7) – Sharpsville (Section 2-1st)
2. JoJo Przybycien, So. (32-3) – Fort LeBoeuf (Section 1-1st)
3. Trenton Rodgers, So. (21-10) – Titusville (Section 2-2nd)
4. Gunnar Gage, Jr. (22-4) – Cambridge Springs (Section 1-2nd)
5. Braydon Porter, Jr. (27-10) – Greenville (Section 2-3rd)
6. Kolton Sutter, So. (26-10) – Northwestern (Section 1-3rd)
7. Timmy Krivosh, So. (18-10) – Hickory (Section 2-4th)
8. William Allen, Fr. (28-14) – Corry (Section 1-4th)
Notes: Przybycien is perhaps the most recognizable wrestler in the bracket. He won sectionals last year as a freshman, going on to place second at districts, third at regionals, and sixth at states in this weight class. The Fort LeBoeuf grappler enters this year’s district tournament ranked fourth in the state and first regionally. Rueberger, ranked fourth in the northwest, advanced to regionals at this weight last year after finishing fifth at the district tournament. Rodgers, ranked fifth regionally, is making his districts debut as a varsity wrestler. Gage, ranked 21st in Pennsylvania and third in the NW Region, is a two-time regional qualifier (2021 and 2020). He advanced to regionals last year as a 126-pounder. Porter qualified for districts after finishing second at sectionals last year. Krivosh won his section in 2021 at 120 pounds, eventually wrestling his way to regionals. This will be the first district tournament for both Sutter and Allen.
132 Pounds
1. Jack Martinec, Sr. (26-4) – Cochranton (Section 1-1st)
2. Wyatt Lazzar, So. (26-4) – Commodore Perry (Section 2-1st)
3. Damion Kinney, Sr. (20-13) – Corry (Section 1-2nd)
4. Cody Miller, Sr. (25-12) – Hickory (Section 2-2nd)
5. Brody Beck, So. (25-13) – Cambridge Springs (Section 1-3rd)
6. Mason Battles, Sr. (16-11) – Greenville (Section 2-3rd)
7. Jackson Bowers, So. (18-14) – Fort LeBoeuf (Section 1-4th)
8. Nate Stearns, So. (17-8) – Titusville (Section 2-4th)
Notes: Martinec won his second consecutive sectional title last weekend, doing so one weight class higher than in 2021. He is looking for his first district title this year, having finished second in 2021, fifth in 2020, and fourth in 2019. The three-time regional qualifier is ranked 18th in the state and third in the NW region. Lazzar is making his second consecutive appearance at districts and first as a sectional champion. He is ranked 13th in Pennsylvania and second in the NW Region. Kinney qualified for regionals in 2020, but missed doing so last year. Miller is a three-time regional qualifier (2021, 2020, and 2019), last season at this weight. He’ll enter this district tournament ranked 19th in the state and third regionally. Beck, ranked eighth in the northwest, qualified for regionals in 2021 at 113 pounds. Battles will be wrestling in his second district tournament, having qualified in 2020. Bowers is making his second consecutive district tournament appearance. Stearns is presently ranked seventh in the NW Region. Last year as a 138-pounder he qualified for regionals.
138 Pounds
1. Connor Saylor, Jr. (34-4) – Hickory (Section 2-1st)
2. Connor Pierce, Sr. (28-0) – Harbor Creek (Section 1-1st)
3. Riley Kneeland, Sr. (23-5) – Greenville (Section 2-2nd)
4. Stephen Martinec, Sr. (18-2) – Cochranton (Section 1-2nd)
5. Cody Hamilton, Fr. (21-4) – Grove City (Section 2-3rd)
6. Hunter Savitz, Sr. (29-15) – Corry (Section 1-3rd)
7. Gavin Donaldson, So. (12-6) – Titusville (Section 2-4th)
8. Andrew Proper, Fr. (18-14) – Maplewood (Section 1-4th)
Notes: Pierce might be the featured wrestler in this bracket. He is a three-time state medalist, taking seventh place in 2020 and 2019 and fourth in 2021 (at 132 pounds). Ranked second in the state and first in the region, Pierce is now a three-time sectional champion. He’s won districts and regionals the past two seasons. Saylor qualified for states in 2021, finishing sixth at 126 pounds, and 2020. The third-ranked 138-pounder in the state and second-ranked in the region, he finished third at districts in 2021 and second in 2020. Kneeland qualified for regionals in 2020. He spent most of the season at 145 pounds, but has been ranked 16th in the state and fourth in the region at this weight. Martinec, ranked seventh in the northwest, won a sectional title in 2019, making his only trip to regionals that year. Hamilton, a district first-timer, is ranked 22nd in Pennsylvania and sixth in the region. Savitz qualified for districts in 2020, while Donaldson and Proper are wrestling in this tournament for the first time.
145 Pounds
1. Story Buchanan, So. (26-7) – Girard (Section 1-1st)
2. Carter Gill, Sr. (29-5) – Hickory (Section 2-1st)
3. Lloyd Fountain, So. (25-11) – Northwestern (Section 1-2nd)
4. Camren Klenke, Sr. (19-13) – Reynolds (Section 2-2nd)
5. Trey Proper, Jr. (22-10) – Corry (Section 1-3rd)
6. Caullin Summers, So. (25-5) – Sharpsville (Section 2-3rd)
7. Dominic Stearns, So. (14-15) – Fort LeBoeuf (Section 1-4th)
8. Landen Wolfkiel, So. (8-6) – Titusville (Section 2-4th)
Notes: Gill is now a two-time sectional champion. Last year his sectional title propelled him to runner-up finishes at district and regionals on his way to finishing seventh in Hershey at this weight. He is ranked fifth in the state and first in the region. Buchanan, ranked 23rd statewide and second regionally, will be making his second district appearance after winning sectionals for the first time a week ago. Fountain, ranked sixth in the NW Region, and Klenke will be wrestling in their first district tournaments. Klenke, ranked third regionally at 145 pounds, spent a lot of this season competing at 152 and 160 pounds. Proper is in his second district tournament, having qualified in 2020. He is ranked seventh regionally. Summers qualified for regionals last year at 132 pounds. He is currently ranked fourth in the NW Region. Stearns won a sectional title last year. This will be his second district tournament. Wolfkiel will be making his district tournament debut.
152 Pounds
1. Hunter Hohman, So. (16-0) – Grove City (Section 2-1st)
2. Conner McChesney, So. (25-6) – Fort LeBoeuf (Section 1-1st)
3. Kane Kettering, Sr. (25-7) – Reynolds (Section 2-2nd)
4. Gannon Jaquay, Sr. (28-4) – Eisenhower (Section 1-2nd)
5. Luke Gentile, Jr. (18-12) – Greenville (Section 2-3rd)
6. Clay Thomas, Jr. (30-7) – Union City (Section 1-3rd)
7. Jaxon Covell, Fr. (20-14) – Titusville (Section 2-4th)
8. Sebastion Raucci, Sr. (12-12) – Harbor Creek (Section 1-4th)
Notes: Hohman and McChesney both qualified for regionals in 2021. Ranked eighth in the state and first in the region, Hohman was sectional runner-up and third at districts as a 138-pounder last year. McChesney, ranked 15th in Pennsylvania and third in the NW Region, won his second sectional championship last week. Last year he finished fourth at districts at 145-pound. Kettering is a two-time state qualifier, last year going to Hershey as a 132-pounder. He’s a two-time sectional champion, won districts in 2020 and was runner-up in 2021, and finished second at regionals the past two years. Kettering spent much of the season at 145 pounds but is currently ranked 14th statewide and second regionally at 152 pounds. Jaquay is looking to return to regionals after not making it last year for the first time in his career. Currently, 22nd in the state and fourth in the region, he was sixth at districts in 2019 and fifth in 2020. Gentile previously wrestled at districts in 2020. Thomas, seventh-ranked in the northwest, qualified for regionals last year at 152 pounds. This will be the first district tournament for both Covell and Raucci.
160 Pounds
1. Ryan Welka, So. (19-13) – Fort LeBoeuf (Section 1-1st)
2. Collin Hearn, Jr. (23-2) – Conneaut Area (Section 2-1st)
3. Stetson Boozer, Sr. (25-6) – Cochranton (Section 1-2nd)
4. Vito Gentile, Fr. (20-13) – Reynolds (Section 2-2nd)
5. Tucker Lindell, So. (3-1) – Eisenhower (Section 1-3rd)
6. Josh Divens, So. (24-9) – Sharpsville (Section 2-3rd)
7. Gregory Raoe, Sr. (21-16) – Maplewood (Section 1-4th)
8. Christian Hacker, Jr. (23-8) – Sharon (Section 2-4th)
Notes: Welka qualified for regionals as a 160-pounder last year. A sectional champ this year after finishing as a runner-up in 2021, he’s fourth in the NW Region poll. Hearn, now a two-time sectional titlist, qualified for states at 152 pounds in 2021 after finishing third at both districts and regionals. He is ranked 14th in the state and first regionally. Boozer, ranked fifth in the northwest, qualified for regionals the past two seasons, last year at this weight. Making their first district tournament appearances are Gentile (sixth regionally), Divens (seventh regionally), Hacker (eighth regionally), Lindell, and Raoe.
172 Pounds
1. Brock Covell, Jr. (28-5) – Titusville (Section 2-1st)
2. Louden Gledhill, Sr. (25-7) – Cochranton (Section 1-1st)
3. Jalen Wagner, Jr. (24-7) – Reynolds (Section 2-2nd)
4. Mason Savitz, Fr. (31-10) – Corry (Section 1-2nd)
5. Ty Holland, Jr. (27-13) – Hickory (Section 2-3rd)
6. Jackson Carico, Sr. (26-7) – Cambridge Springs (Section 1-3rd)
7. Clayton Smith, Sr. (23-7) – Commodore Perry (Section 2-4th)
8. Ryan Miller, Jr. (15-3) – Seneca (Section 1-4th)
Notes: Ranked 11th in the state and first in the NW Region, Covell is a first-time sectional champion after finishing as the runner-up last year at 152 pounds. He will be looking to qualify for regionals for the second consecutive year. Gledhill advanced to his second district tournament with his sectional title last week, most recently wrestling at this level in 2019. He spent most of this season at 189 pounds, though he was recently ranked 22nd in the state and third regionally as a 172-pounder. Wagner won sectionals at 160 pounds last year, parlaying that into a run in which he won districts and qualified for states after taking second at regionals. The two-time regional qualifier is ranked 11th in the state and second regionally. Savitz is a first-time district qualifier and Holland, ranked fourth regionally, is now a three-timer. Carrico qualified for regionals in 2020. He competed at 189 pounds much of the season but has garnered the seventh spot on the regional poll. Smith advanced to regionals the past two seasons, qualifying for states as a 160-pounder a year ago. He is ranked sixth regionally. Miller, positioned at eighth in the NW Region, won sectionals last year, making this his second district tournament.
189 Pounds
1. Landon Caldwell, Sr. (36-2) – Saegertown (Section 1-1st)
2. Cole Karpinski, Sr. (32-0) – Greenville (Section 2-1st)
3. Sam Kightlinger, So. (16-4) – Iroquois (Section 1-2nd)
4. Kaleb Brunst, So. (22-7) – Titusville (Section 2-2nd)
5. Ben Campbell, Jr. (23-11) – Northwestern (Section 1-3rd)
6. Aiden Osborne, So. (14-8) – Commodore Perry (Section 2-3rd)
7. Ethyn Allen, Jr. (25-13) – Corry (Section 1-4th)
8. Michael Breneman, Sr. (17-16) – Sharpsville (Section 2-4th)
Notes: The duo who sit atop this bracket are both solid grapplers. Karpinski, the state’s and region’s top-rated 189 pounder, is now a two-time section champion. He will be looking to defend the district title he won last year at this weight, a campaign in which he went on to place second at regionals and sixth in the state. A three-time regional qualifier, he was the runner-up the last two seasons. Caldwell is a returning state qualifier as well, having made his as a 172-pounder after taking second at both districts and regionals. Ranked third statewide and second regionally, he is now a three-time sectional titlist. Of the remaining seeds, only Campbell, ranked sixth in the NW Region, has wrestled at the district tournament before, doing so in 2020. Allen and Brunst are both ranked regionally, seventh and eighth, respectively. Though not seeded after sectionals, Fort LeBoeuf junior Danny Church is ranked seventh in the state and third in the region. Wrestling at this weight a season ago he was runner-up at districts and qualified for states after a third-place performance at regionals. He was also a regional qualifier in 2020.
215 Pounds
1. Collin Wilson, Sr. (13-4) – Greenville (Section 2-1st)
2. Cael Black, Sr. (26-0) – Eisenhower (Section 1-1st)
3. Braiden Reich, Jr. (18-7) – Slippery Rock (Section 2-2nd)
4. Abe Keep, Jr. (28-3) – Girard (Section 1-2nd)
5. Brayden McCloskey, Jr. (19-8) – Reynolds (Section 2-3rd)
6. Hayden Linkerhof, Sr. (26-6) – Corry (Section 1-3rd)
7. Kadin Karns, Jr. (19-14) – Franklin (Section 2-4th)
8. Mike Spires, Jr. (18-4) – Seneca (Section 1-4th)
Notes: Whereas Wilson is making his first district tournament appearance, Black, currently ranked fifth in the state and third in the region, is making his fourth. He has finished as the district runner-up the past two seasons, last year at this weight. Having won his first sectional title last week, maybe this is the year. That isn’t to diminish Black’s accomplishments, he’s a three-time state qualifier who finished sixth in 2020. He won regionals in 2019, took third in 2020, and was runner-up last year. Wilson, by virtue of his sectional winning performance, is now ranked 25th in the state and sixth regionally. Keep won sectionals last year at 172 pounds, advancing to regionals for the second consecutive year. He is ranked seventh in Pennsylvania and third in the NW Region. In 2021 Linkerhof won sectionals, districts, and regionals on his way to placing seventh at 215 pounds in his first state tournament. The two-time sectional champion has never finished lower than third at districts. Linkerhof is ranked eighth in the state and fourth in the region. McCloskey, a first-timer at districts, wrestled a lot of the season at 189 pounds. He is now ranked seventh in the region as a 215-pounder. Spires (13th in the state, fifth in the region), Reich, and Karns are also poised to make their district debuts.
285 Pounds
1. Josh Perrine, Sr. (32-5) – Saegertown (Section 1-1st)
2. Mike Mazurek, Jr. (25-3) – Sharon (Section 2-1st)
3. Xavier Reyda, Sr. (23-4) – Corry (Section 1-2nd)
4. Lodge Nosko, Sr. (24-9) – Titusville (Section 2-2nd)
5. Zach Baldwin, Jr. (27-8) – Girard (Section 1-3rd)
6. Nick Maule, Sr. (18-17) – Hickory (Section 2-3rd)
7. Ramy Sample, Sr. (17-12) – Cochranton (Section 1-4th)
8. Garet Gathrie, Fr. (8-10) – Commodore Perry (Section 2-4th)
Notes: Mazurek is ranked 13th in the state and second regionally. Ranked 14th in Pennsylvania and third in the NW Region, Perrine, a first-time sectional champ, qualified for regionals in 2020. Reyda has qualified for regionals the past two seasons, having placed third at districts in 2021 and second in 2020. The two-time sectional champion is ranked 16th in the state and fourth regionally. Of the remaining seeded wrestlers, Maule is the only one to have wrestled at the district tournament before, having done so in 2020. Nosko and Baldwin are ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, in the NW Region.
