The 2020 PIAA Class AA and Class AAA state tournaments begin on Thursday in Hershey. With official brackets released earlier today, here's my look at each of the 14 weights in Class AA. Reynolds and Saucon Valley have the most wrestlers in the field with nine each, while Chestnut Ridge and Southern Columbia are sending eight apiece.
106 Pounds - This to me seems like a very wide open bracket, where I could see five or six different wrestlers finding their way to the top of the podium. That includes Chestnut Ridge freshman Calan Bollman. I said in my last blog posting regarding the Lions team success again that Bollman is probably his school's next superstar, and he could certainly cement that status next weekend. Also in the top half of the draw with Bollman are Wyoming Area freshman Jaden Pepe and Notre Dame sophomore Evan Maag. Montoursville freshman Branden Wentzel and Brookville's Cayden Walter, a junior, are the regional champions on the bottom side of the bracket. Bollman owns a 7-3 win over Walter from earlier in the season.
Darkhorse - Catasauqua's Jaryn Hartranft.
Spring's Pick - Wentzel.
Chestnut Ridge's Calan Bollman, 106 pounds
113 - The top half of this bracket will draw a lot of attention up until and throughout the tournament, with a pair of state champions in Reynolds junior Gary Steen and Notre Dame junior Brett Ungar among the competitors. If both were defending champs from the same state, the PIAA would have separated the two from meeting until the finals. But this isn't the case either way, as Steen won his title two years ago while Ungar was a New Jersey champion last winter before transferring across the river. They have met twice this season. Steen won 6-4 at the Ironman Tournament in December, and Ungar scored a 3-1 overtime win at the state duals. Other notables here include Chestnut Ridge junior Kai Burkett, Muncy freshman Scott Johnson, South Park junior Joey Fischer, and Athens sophomore Gavin Bradley.
Darkhorse - Johnson.
Spring's Pick - Steen.
120 - Troy senior Sheldon Seymour is a defending state champion and the favorite from at least the top half of this bracket. His lone loss is to Benton junior Gable Strickland, 8-5 last week. Strickland is in the bottom half with a wealth of other talent that includes Elizabeth Forward senior Ryan Michaels, Southern Columbia sophomore Kole Biscoe, and Notre Dame sophomore Brandon Chletsos.
Darkhorse - Bishop McDevitt's Nate Smith.
Spring's Pick - Seymour.
126 - A pair of defending champions highlight 126 pounds. Notre Dame sophomore Ryan Crookham won at 120 last year, while Forest Hills sophomore Jackson Arrington was the 113 champ. The other two regional champions are Tunkhannock senior Dave Evans and Harbor Creek sophomore Connor Pierce, who are a combined 82-3 this season.
Darkhorse - Biglerville's Levi Haines.
Spring's Pick - Crookham.
132 - Glendale's Brock McMillen became his school's first ever state champion last March and now the junior will look to repeat. The bottom of the draw features Burrell junior Ian Oswalt, Brockway senior Anthony Glasl, and East Pennsboro senior Adam Jacob. McMillen beat Oswalt 3-1 in overtime for the Southwest Regional title.
Darkhorse - Reynolds' Kaeden Berger.
Spring's Pick - Oswalt.
138 - Bedford senior Kaden Cassidy is hoping the third time is the charm to put a cap on a strong high school career. Cassidy is in his third state tournament and has finished third in each of his previous appearances, having lost in the semifinals both times. This year's path could have the Bison standout looking to exact some revenge on the Jones family from Saucon Valley, as the semifinal on top here looks like Cassidy vs. freshman Jacob Jones. Last year, Josh Jones beat Cassidy on his way to the title at 132. The elder Jones is now at George Mason, where Cassidy will become his teammate next season. The bottom half of 138 is a minefield of talent, with Saegertown senior Kenny Kiser, Trinity senior Patrick DeMark, Southern Columbia junior Patrick Edmonson, and St. Joseph's junior Zack Witmer among the main players.
Darkhorse - Notre Dame's Holden Garcia. I'll make a note here because this is one weight where I think a regional fifth-placer could be a title contender. Garcia had a stellar grade school career in New Jersey (I went to elementary school and high school with his dad) before joining Notre Dame's squad as a freshman this year. He's 1-2 against Jones this season, but he beat him 5-0 for the District 11 title two weekends ago.
Spring's Pick - Cassidy.
145 - There's two unbeaten wrestlers, Sullivan County junior Nate Higley and Redbank Valley senior Ethan Wiant, in this weight but I'm not sure either would be the favorite. That distinction likely lies with others such as Bald Eagle Area senior Gage McClenahan, Forest Hills sophomore Erik Gibson, and Saucon Valley senior Thomas Spirk. Also not to be discounted is Berlin senior Tristan Pugh, and I think a Pugh-Gibson semifinal is possible on the bottom side of the draw. Gibson and McClenahan have split their matchups in the district and regional finals recently.M
Darkhorse - Midd-West's Avery Bassett.
Spring's Pick - Gibson.
152 - St. Joseph's senior Caleb Dowling has finished no worse than fourth at any of his three state tournaments but is still seeking his first title. Other likely contenders here are Palisades junior Ben Haubert, Burrell junior A.J. Corrado, and Southern Columbia freshman Wes Barnes.
Darkhorse - Bishop McDevitt's Tyler Martin.
Spring's Pick - Dowling.
160 - Like 126, there are two returning champions in the fold at 160 pounds with Frazier senior Thayne Lawrence and Notre Dame senior Andrew Cerniglia. Lawrence is a two-time champion but maybe doesn't get as much talk as that would suggest around the state, for whatever reason. Bottom line to me is he's not flashy but gets the job done. Cerniglia is also well-regarded. Both are Division I recruits, Lawrence to Lehigh and Cerniglia at the Naval Academy.
Darkhorse - Benton's Nolan Lear.
Spring's Pick - Cerniglia.
170 - This is a sneaky good weight with three wrestlers (St. Joseph's Tyler Stoltzfus, Freedom's Trent Schulteis, and Saucon Valley's Matt Arciuolo) all in the national rankings by at least one publication. Stoltzfus beat Schulteis in overtime for the Southwest Regional title last week.
Darkhorse - Montoursville's Cael Crebs.
Spring's Pick - Stoltzfus.
182 - In my opinion, this bracket will come down to the four regional champions. Ellwood City senior Austin Walley, Reynolds senior Bryce McCloskey, Saucon Valley senior Dane Csencsits, and Montoursville junior Dylan Bennett are those talked about.
Darkhorse - Kane's Cameron Whisner.
Spring's Pick - Walley.
195 - If you're selecting confidence picks this week, as in who's most likely to win a certain weight, Southern Columbia senior Gaige Garcia almost has to be that pick in my eyes. Garcia has pinned his way through the postseason so far, and I wouldn't be surprised if he adds four more on his way to a repeat title in Hershey.
Darkhorse - Brockway's Eric Johnson.
Spring's Pick - Garcia.
220 - This is a strong weight with a number of options for the title. Chestnut Ridge senior Duane Knisely is one of them after beating Mount Union's Jake Ryan and Glendale's Cory Johnston back to back for the Southwest Regional crown. Also in the conversation should be Montoursville's Cameron Wood, Brookville's Nathan Taylor, and Wilson's Kolby Flank. Ryan, Johnston, Wood, and Taylor are all in the top half, with Knisely and Flank a potential semifinal meeting on the bottom.
Darkhorse - Eisenhower's Cael Black.
Spring's Pick - Ryan.
285 - Brookville senior Colby Whitehill is a defending champion and the favorite, but there are some other top contenders for the big boys. They include Meyersdale junior Jalen Stephens, Southern Columbia senior Lear Quinton, Saucon Valley senior Nick Warnke, Reynolds junior Guy Rocco John-Daniello, and Tamaqua senior Bronson Strouse.
Darkhorse - Laurel's Mitch Miles.
Spring's Pick - Whitehill.
