The 2023 PIAA Team Dual State Championships kick off Thursday in Hershey. Here are my dual-by-dual predictions for the AAA tournament.

I reviewed every matchup and jotted down projected lineups for each team. Then I scored each matchup that I came up with. I want everyone to understand that I did not account for forfeits or possible injuries. If I knew that a wrestler would not be in the lineup, I took them out, but scores reflect every match being wrestled without forfeits. I will end these predictions with an explanation of each matchup, but first, let me run through my initial thoughts.

Well, District 11 will run this bracket. It still amazes me that the district only gets two qualifiers, but regardless, Nazareth and Bethlehem Catholic seem to be on another collision course to the finals. Bethlehem Catholic has the easiest road to the finals of the two teams, with only Waynesburg being the only real threat. If Bethlehem Catholic can get past Waynesburg, they should make it to the finals. Nazareth has a more challenging path, with Central Dauphin and Canon-McMillan potential Quarterfinal and Semi-Final matchups. They should be able to get past both teams to square off against Bethlehem Catholic in the finals. Since we just saw that dual last week, I do not see any real change in results, so Bethlehem Catholic should take home the title.

Central Dauphin and Waynesburg have similar paths to the 3rd Place match. Both will lose to the District 11 teams and drop to the consolations. Central Dauphin will have an easier way than Waynesburg will in the consolations. I do not see Central Dauphin stumbling much in the consolations, so that is why I have them wrestling for third. Waynesburg will have two “easy” duals before they get another re-match with Canon-McMillan. Both duals were close this year, with Canon-McMillan able to flip results from the first dual to win the District 7 title last Saturday. This time around, I have Waynesburg winning a razor-sharp dual to advance to the consolation finals. There will be another tight dual, but Waynesburg is just put together better at the heavier weights, pushing them to a victory.

Round of 16

Hempfield Area defeats Pennridge 32-23

Hempfield Area wins 8/13 matches with 4 wins including bonus points. Pennridge wins 5 matches with 3 wins by bonus points.

Cumberland Valley defeats Central Mountain 27-22

Cumberland Valley wins 7/13 matches with 3 wins collecting bonus points. Central Mountain wins 6 matches with and 2 win including bonus points.

Waynesburg defeats Shikellamy 30-22

Waynesburg wins 7/13 matches with 3 wins including bonus points. Shikellamy wins 6 matches with and 2 win including bonus points.

Bethlehem Catholic defeats Council Rock South 38-6

Bethlehem Catholic wins 11/13 matches with 3 wins including bonus points. Council Rock South wins 2 matches all by regular decision.

Central Dauphin defeats LaSalle 36-12

Central Dauphin wins 10/13 matches with 4 wins with bonus points. LaSalle wins 3 matches with 1 match ending with bonus points.

Nazareth defeats Delaware Valley 39-12

Nazareth wins 10/13 matches with 5 wins including bonus points. Delaware Valley wins 3 matches with 1 match ending with bonus points.

Cathedral Prep defeats Spring-Ford 25-19

Cathedral Prep wins 8/13 matches with only 1 win including bonus points. Spring-Ford wins 5 matches with 3 wins including bonus points.

Canon-McMillan defeats Chambersburg 28-19

Canon-McMillan wins 8/13 matches with 2 wins being bonus points. Chambersburg wins 5 matches with 2 bonus point wins.

Consolation Round 1

Pennridge defeats Central Mountain 31-27

Pennridge wins 7/13 matches with 5 wins including bonus points. Central Mountain wins 6 matches with 5 bonus point wins.

Council Rock South defeats Shikellamy 29-24

Council Rock South wins 8/13 matches with 3 bonus point wins. Shikellamy wins 5 matches with 3 wins including bonus points.

Delaware Valley defeats LaSalle 32-28

Delaware Valley wins 7/13 matches with 5 wins including bonus points. LaSalle wins 6 matches with5 bonus point wins.

Spring-Ford defeats Chambersburg 30-22

Spring-Ford wins 8/13 matches with 2 bonus point wins. Chambersburg wins 5 matches with 3 wins including bonus points.

Quarterfinals

Cumberland Valley defeats Hempfield Area 32-27

Cumberland Valley wins 7/13 matches including 5 bonus point wins. Hempfield Area wins 6 matches also with 5 bonus point wins. This will be one of the tighter Quarterfinal matches with both teams matching up very well. Although I believe that they will have equal bonus point wins, Cumberland Valley will have 3 pins to Hempfield Area’s 2. The extra match win will help push Cumberland Valley to a win.

Bethlehem Catholic defeats Waynesburg 36-24

Bethlehem Catholic wins 8/13 matches with 7 bonus point wins. Waynesburg wins 5 matches with 4 bonus point wins. Bethlehem Catholic can pull away with key wins in the lightweights before they get to the heavier weights where Waynesburg is much better.

Nazareth defeats Central Dauphin 34-22

Nazareth wins 8/13 matches with 4 wins including bonus points. Central Dauphin wins 5 matches with 3 bonus point wins. Nazareth will pick up wins in bunches with a solid middle-weight and upper-weight combo. Central Dauphin will need to win some key matches early on to keep up with Nazareth.

Canon-McMillan defeats Cathedral Prep 40-21

Canon-McMillan wins 9/13 matches with 5 bonus point wins. Cathedral Prep wins 4 matches with 3 bonus point wins. Canon-McMillan will take advantage of a weaker lineup in Cathedral Prep to get a big win. Canon-McMillan has great lower-weight and upper-weight wrestlers that they should get some big wins from. That will help them push past Cathedral Prep.

Consolation Round 2

Pennridge defeats Cathedral Prep 33-29

Pennridge wins 7/13 matches and wins 6 matches including bonus points. Cathedral Prep wins 6 matches with 4 bonus point wins.

Central Dauphin defeats Council Rock South 37-19

Central Dauphin wins 8/13 matches with 5 bonus point wins. Council Rock South wins 5 matches with only 2 bonus point wins.

Waynesburg defeats Delaware Valley 40-23

Waynesburg wins 8/13 matches with 6 bonus point wins. Delaware Valley wins 5 matches with 2 bonus point wins.

Spring-Ford defeats Hempfield Area 31-29

Spring-Ford wins 7/13 matches with 4 bonus point wins. Hempfield Area wins 6 matches with 5 bonus point wins.

Semi-Finals

Bethlehem Catholic defeats Cumberland Valley 39-15

Bethlehem Catholic wins 9/13 matches with 6 bonus point wins. Cumberland Valley wins 4 matches with only 1 win including bonus points. Bethlehem Catholic has a deeper lineup than Cumberland Valley does and it will show here. Cumberland Valley might have the opportunity to win a weight or two more but it will not change the final result.

Nazareth defeats Canon-McMillan 35-16

Nazareth wins 8/13 matches with 5 wins including bonus points. Canon-McMillan wins 5 matches with only 1 bonus point win. Canon-McMillan will make it interesting early with the lighter-weights winning 3 out of 4 matches. Nazareth will take over winning 7 of the next 9 matchups to pull away from Canon-McMillan.

Consolation Round 3

Central Dauphin defeats Pennridge 38-21

Central Dauphin wins 8/13 matches with 6 bonus point wins. Pennridge wins 5 matches with only 2 bonus point wins.

Waynesburg defeats Spring-Ford 34-25

Waynesburg wins 7/13 matches with 5 bonus point wins. Spring-Ford wins 6 matches and wins 4 matches by bonus points.

Consolation Semi-Finals

Central Dauphin defeats Cumberland Valley 40-18

Central Dauphin wins 9/13 matches with 6 wins by bonus points. Cumberland Valley wins 4 matches with 2 bonus point wins. Central Dauphin has a way better lineup and it will show in this match.

Waynesburg defeats Canon-McMillan 28-27

Waynesburg wins 6/13 matches with 4 bonus point wins. Canon-McMillan wins 7 matches with 3 bonus point wins. The key victories will come with pins at 145, 160, and 285 that will ultimately determine this dual. We have seen this dual play out twice this year with a combined point differential of 4 points. This dual will be just as close as the previous matchups.

Third Place

Waynesburg defeats Central Dauphin 29-28

Waynesburg wins 6/13 matches with 5 bonus point wins. Canon-McMillan wins 7 matches with 4 bonus point wins. Waynesburg will need bonus point wins to take this dual because Central Dauphin’s lineup is pretty deep. 172-285 will be important weights for Waynesburg where I see them winning all those matchups with 3 pins and 1 major decision. Any fluctuation in those results can change the outcome.

Finals

Bethlehem Catholic defeats Nazareth 30-26

Bethlehem Catholic wins 7/13 matches with 5 bonus point wins. Nazareth wins 6 matches with 4 bonus point wins. This will be a closer dual than we saw last week but I do not see the winner changing hands. Bethlehem Catholic will ride key wins in their middle-weights to take the dual and the state title over Nazareth.

The 2023 PIAA Team Dual State Championships kick off tomorrow in Hershey. But first, let’s introduce you to the teams that will be gunning for a state title this weekend. To find the brackets for this years state tournament visit my bracket hub.

(1-1) Pennridge

Pennridge is the District 1 Champion after defeating Spring-Ford 36-22 in the finals. Pennridge is coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history, winning their first district title. In addition, Pennridge looked very impressive this year, with only 3 losses to high-quality opponents but wins over 3 teams in the AAA tournament.

Key Wrestlers

107/114 – Colby Martinelli, SO

114/121 – Cole Coffin, JR (2022 state qualifier)

139/145 – Sam Kuhns, JR (2021 state qualifier)

172/189 – Talan Hogan, SO

189 – Ryan Rowe, FR

215/285 – Riley Cullen, JR

Key Results

Council Rock South (L 33-27)

Wilson (W 33-30)

Easton (L 40-19)

Quakertown (W 37-32 and W 38-22)

Malvern Prep (L 62-6)

Spring-Ford (W 36-22)

(7-3) Hempfield Area

Hempfield Area is the District 7 3rd place finisher after defeating Connellsville 32-31 in the 3rd place match. Hempfield Area had an awe-inspiring season in a challenging WPIAL schedule where they found themselves facing Canon-McMillan, Butler, and Connellsville multiple times throughout the season. Still, this team had one of the more impressive runs in the district tournaments, with 4 duals being decided by 1 point and going 3-1 in the District 7 tournament.

Key Wrestlers

107 – Nico Kapusta, FR

121/127 – Owen Caracciolo, JR

133/139 – Ethan Lebin, SR (2022 state qualifier, 2022 2nd Place, and Bucknell Commit)

139/145 – Eli Carr, JR

145/152/160 – Lucas Kapusta, SR (2022 state qualifier and 2022 5th Place)

152/160 – Charlie Mesich, SR

215/285 – Elijah Binakonsky, SR

Key Results

Butler (L 42-30 and W 32-31)

Ft LeBouef (W 43-29)

Canon-McMillan (L 40-24 and L 37-36)

Greater Latrobe (L 45-28)

Connellsville (L 34-27 and W 32-31)

(6-1) Central Mountain

Central Mountain is the District 6 Champion after defeating State College 36-34 in the finals. Central Mountain did not have the most extensive dual schedule. They competed more at big tournaments like Powerade, Escape the Rock, and Ultimate Warrior. Despite that, they went undefeated in duals with a most notable win over Shikellamy 34-27.

Key Wrestlers

133/139 – Luke Simcox, JR (2x state qualifier, 2021 5th Place, 2022 5th Place, Penn Commit)

133/139 – Dalton Perry, SO (2022 state qualifier, 2022 State Champ, Penn State Commit)

145/152 – Griffin Walizer, JR (2022 state qualifier, 2022 8th Place, Lock Haven Commit)

152/160 – Braylen Corter, SR

189/215 – Rocco Serafini, JR

215/285 – Brayden Blackwell, SR

Key Results

Selinsgrove (W 45-18)

Shikellamy (W 34-27)

Bald Eagle Area (W 37-31)

State College (W 36-34)

(3-2) Cumberland Valley

Cumberland Valley is the District 3 runner-up after losing to Central Dauphin in the finals 41-14. This year was a very impressive year for this Cumberland Valley team as they have over 20 dual wins, with 2 wins coming from AA and AAA state qualifiers. They faced, in total 4 teams that qualified for either the AA or AAA state tournament and went 2-3.

Key Wrestlers

107/114 – Phil Montes, SO

127/133 – Alexander Tennis, SR

133/139 – Jake Mithell, SO

152/160 – Gabriel Belga, SR (2021 state qualifier)

160/172/189 – Dayne Miller, JR

189/215 – Anthony Bruscino, JR

Key Results

Huntingdon (W 42-25)

State College (W 40-29)

Chambersburg (L 28-27)

Wilson (W 39-28)

Central Dauphin (L 43-16 and L 41-14)

(4-1) Shikellamy

Shikellamy is the District 4/9 Champions after defeating Williamsport 44-23 in the finals. One of the surprising teams to come out of District 4/9 this year is Shikellamy. A historically great program is now back in the conversation after years of not performing up to standards. Shikellamy beat up on local programs this year and competed very well with quality opponents.

Key Wrestlers

114/121 – Alex Reed, JR

121/127 – Eben Kisner, SO

133/139 – Isaac McGregor, JR

139/145 – Charles Keener, JR

152/160 – Cole Wetzel, SO

160/172 – Connor Wetzel, SO

189 – Brody Rebuck, FR

215/285 – Mason Rebuck, SR

Key Results

State College (W 36-35)

Montgomery (W 39-30)

Central Mountain (L 34-27)

Boiling Springs (L 46-18)

Williamsport (W 51-24 and W 44-23)

(7-2) Waynesburg

Waynesburg is the District 7 runner-up after losing to Canon-McMillan 29-28 in a criteria dual in the finals. Waynesburg was last year’s 3rd Place finisher in the state, taking out Williamsport. This team had another great year and has been consistently great throughout the years. They did have a demanding schedule, as every team in the WPIAL does. They faced Connellsville and Canon-McMillan multiple times this year and impressed on the national stage in tournaments like the Walsh Jesuit Ironman and Powerade.

Key Wrestlers

114 – Ky Szewczyk, JR

145 – Mac Church, SR (3x state qualifier, 2020 3rd Place, 2021 State Champ, 2022 State Champ, and Virginia Tech Commit)

152/160 – Nate Jones, SR

172/189 – Rocco Welsh, SR (3x state qualifier, 2020 2nd Place, 2021 2nd Place, 2022 State Champ, and Ohio State Commit)

172/189 – Roan Tustin, FR

189/215 – Brody Evans, SR (2022 state qualifier and Edinboro Commit)

215/285 – Eli Makel, SR (Edinboro Commit)

Key Results

Quaker Valley (W 45-25)

Ft LeBouef (W 44-24)

Butler (L 40-32)

Connellsville (L 36-33 and W 45-25)

Canon-McMillan (W 30-27 and L 29-28)

(11-1) Bethlehem Catholic

Bethlehem Catholic is the District 11 Champion after defeating Nazareth 33-25 in the finals. Not only was this team the state champion last year, but still the best team in the state this year. Bethlehem Catholic has had a challenging schedule with some of the top programs in AA and AAA, but they took on private school Malvern Prep and won that dual. They are looking to repeat as team state champions again this season.

Key Wrestlers

107 – Keanu Dillard, FR

114 – Nathan Desmond, SO (2022 state qualifier and 2022 State Champ)

133/139 – Cael McIntyre, SR (2x state qualifier, 2021 6th Place, American Commit)

133/139 – Marco Frinzi, SO

139 – Kollin Rath, SO (2022 state qualifier and 2022 3rd Place)

145 – Charlie Scanlan, SO

152/160 – Jake Dailey, JR (2022 state qualifier and Army Commit)

160 – Andrew Harman, SR (3x state qualifier, 2021 7th Place, and Air Force Commit)

172 – Luke Thomas, SR (2022 state qualifier)

Key Results

Northampton (W 49-15)

Easton (W 40-8 and W 41-6)

Notre Dame-GP (W 29-23)

Malvern Prep (W 21-18)

Nazareth (W 33-25)

(1-3) Council Rock South

Council Rock South is the District 1 3rd Place finisher after defeating Quakertown 40-21 in the 3rd Place match. Council Rock South has had an excellent season facing some tough competition throughout the year. They lost in the Quarterfinals of the District 1 tournament in upset fashion to Owen J Roberts but rattled off 3 straight wins to earn a spot in the state tournament.

Key Wrestlers

107 – Connor Lenahan, JR

114/121 – Luke Reitter, JR (2022 state qualifier and 2022 8th Place)

121/127 – Pat Woloshyn, FR

133/139 – Ben Brillhart, SO

152/160 – Gavin Cole, SO

160/172 – Bekhruz Sadriddinov, JR (2022 state qualifier and Lehigh Commit)

Key Results

Pennridge (W 33-27)

Spring-Ford (W 54-15)

Quakertown (W 32-26 and 40-21)

Faith Christian (L 57-0)

Easton (L 34-22)

(3-1) Central Dauphin

Central Dauphin is the District 3 Champion defeating Cumberland Valley 41-24 in the finals. Central Dauphin made a run in this tournament last year, making it to Saturday morning. They look like they are capable of doing that again. The only teams they have faced in the state tournament are Chambersburg and Cumberland Valley, with Central Dauphin being 4-0 in those matchups.

Key Wrestlers

107 – Thunder Beard, FR

114 – Luke Hitchcock, FR

121 – CJ Ferree, SO

127 – Liam Flanagan, JR (2022 state qualifier)

133 – Dallas Schorr, SR

139 – Gavin Reynolds, JR

145/152 – Matt Repos, SR (3x state qualifier, 2020 4th Place, 2021 7th Place, 2022 2nd Place’ and Lehigh Commit)

152/160 – Michael Beers, SR (Delaware Valley Commit)

160/172 – Ryan Garvick, SR (2x state qualifier and 2022 2nd Place)

215/285 – Luke Nye, SR

Key Results

State College (W 42-20)

Chambersburg (W 41-23 and W 38-19)

Cumberland Valley (W 43-16 and W 41-14)

(12-1) LaSalle

LaSalle is the District 12 Champion after defeating Northeast High 49-18 in the finals. LaSalle had a great season, including a runner-up finish in the Philadelphia Catholic League Duals.

Key Wrestlers

107/114 – Jackson Hersh, SO

114/121 – Dominic Parenti, SO

133/139 – Noah Ruibal, SO

145/152 – Luke Johnson, SO

145/152 – Matt Wiley, SR

152/160/172 – Cormac Morrissey, JR

285 – Andrew Brennan, JR

Key Results

Berks Catholic (L 58-10)

St Joseph’s Prep (W 45-18)

Conwell-Egan (L 41-30)

Northeast High (W 49-18)

(2-1) Delaware Valley

Delaware Valley is the District 2 Champion after defeating Abington Heights 37-25. Delaware Valley had a great season, with some quality wins sprinkled throughout the year. They avenged a loss to Abington Heights just a week prior. In addition, they get a rematch of an early season dual against Nazareth, where they lost 59-3.

Key Wrestlers

114/121 – Landon Machado, SR (2022 state qualifier)

121/127 – Zach Jacaruso, SR (2x state qualifier, 2021 2nd Place, 2022 State Champ, and George Mason Commit)

133/139 – Dom Moyer, JR

139/145 – Travis Walton, SO

145/152 – Luke Brazanskas, SO

160/172 – AJ Dierksen, SR

172/189 – CJ Walton, SR

285 – Aiden Black, JR (2022 state qualifier)

Key Results

Nazareth (L 59-3)

Wallenpaupack (W 48-21)

Parkland (W 33-30)

Abington Heights (L 32-26 and W 37-25)

(11-2) Nazareth

Nazareth is the District 11 runner-up after losing to Bethlehem Catholic 33-25 in the finals. Nazareth was last year’s state runner-up losing to Bethlehem Catholic in the state finals in a great dual. However, Nazareth is out to a great start this year with some quality wins.

Key Wrestlers

107/114 – Remy Trach, SO

114/121 – Dominic Rizzotto, JR

121/127 – Tahir Parkins, SO (2022 state qualifier)

127/133 – Charlie Bunting, SR (2x state qualifier, 2021 5th Place, 2022 3rd Place, and George Mason Commit)

133/139 – Jack Campbell, FR

139/145 – Jake Doone, SR (2022 state qualifier, 2022 7th Place, Air Force Commit)

145/152 – Cade Campbell, FR

160/172 – Brayden Zuercher, FR

172/189 – Dominic Wheatley, SR (2x state qualifier; 2021 7th Place, and Franklin & Marshall Commit)

189/215 – Sonny Sasso, SR (2x state qualifier, 2021 7th Place, 2022 State Champ, and Virginia Tech Commit)

285 – Sean Kinney, JR (2x state qualifier, 2021 2nd Place, and 2022 State Champ)

Key Results

Easton (W 45-12)

Delaware Valley (W 59-3)

Northampton (W 46-22 and W 57-13)

Wyoming Seminary (L 54-9)

Bethlehem Catholic (L 33-25)

St Joseph’s Prep (W 69-4)

(10-1) Cathedral Prep

Cathedral Prep is the District 10 Champion after defeating Erie McDowell 37-29 in the finals. We saw Cathedral Prep compete against a bunch of out-of-state teams, and they were able to compete very well, including a tight 34-33 loss to St Edwards (OH). Cathedral Prep faced 3 teams qualifying for the AA or AAA state tournament 1-2.

Key Wrestlers

114/121 – Amir Johnson, SO

121/127 – Keagan Oler, SO (2022 state qualifier)

133/139 – Sam Staab, SR

139/145 – Brandon Byrd, SO

152/160 – Bo Martucci, SO

160/172 – Jaden Crockett, SO

172/189 – Owen Shetler, SR

215/285 – Max Spaulding, FR

Key Results

Reynolds (L 41-24)

Connellsville (L 49-16)

Frazier (W 45-30)

Canon-McMillan (L 45-25)

Erie McDowell (W 43-24 and W 37-29)

(1-2) Spring-Ford

Spring-Ford is the District 1 runner-up after losing to Pennridge 36-22 in the finals. Spring-Ford qualified for the state tournament last year but lost before they could make it to Hershey in the pigtail round to Dallastown. However, they get to go to Hershey this year after having an outstanding season.

Key Wrestlers

107/114 – Gus Smith, SO (2022 state qualifier)

114/121 – Cole Smith, SR (2x state qualifier)

127/133 – Quinn Smith, SR (2022 state qualifier)

133/139 – Brennan McGrann, JR

145/152 – Matt Offner, SR

172/189 – Mason Richards, FR

285 – Connor Hudak, SO

Key Results

Council Rock South (L 54-15)

Northeast High (W 58-6)

Saucon Valley (L 48-27)

Pennridge (L 36-22)

(7-1) Canon-McMillan

Canon-McMillan is the District 7 Champion after defeating Waynesburg 29-28 in a criteria dual in the finals. Canon-McMillan has had a great year, especially with a demanding schedule. They faced 4 separate teams that qualified for the AA and AAA state tournament and tough WPIAL opponents along with that.

Key Wrestlers

107/114 – Tanner Mizenko, JR (2022 state qualifier)

107/114/121 – Collier Hartman, FR

114/121 – Brandon Dami, SR (2022 state qualifier)

127/133 – Andrew Binni, JR (2021 state qualifier)

133/139 – Luke Shaffer, SR

139/145 – Josiah Gardner, JR

172/189 – Matt Furman, SR (2022 state qualifier, 2022 4th Place, and Cornell Commit)

189/215 – Gabriel Stafford, SR (2022 state qualifier)

215/285 – Geno Calgaro, JR

Key Results

Hempfield Area (W 40-24 and W 37-36)

Frazier (W 52-24)

Connellsville (W 40-31)

Cathedral Prep (W 45-25)

Waynesburg (L 30-27 and W 29-28)

(3-3) Chambersburg

Chambersburg is the 3rd Place finisher in District 3 after defeating Wilson 33-25. Chambersburg had an outstanding season with nearly 20 dual wins and only 3 losses to 2 very tough teams. This is a team to watch because they can disrupt a bracket.

Key Wrestlers

107/114 – Ben Hoover, FR

114/121 – Zach Sherman, SO

121/127 – Rylan Carter, SR

127 – Luke Mentzer, SR

133 – Ashton Romberger, SO

189/215 – Aiden Hight, JR (2022 state qualifier)

215/285 – Zach Evans, SR (Buffalo Commit)

285 – Avery Kuhns, SR

Key Results

State College (W 37-34)

Saucon Valley (L 42-27)

Central Dauphin (L 41-23 and 38-19)

All results and wrestlers were found on pa-wrestling.com

The 2023 PIAA Team Dual State Championships kick off Thursday in Hershey. Here are my dual-by-dual predictions for the AA tournament.

I reviewed every matchup and jotted down projected lineups for each team. Then I scored each matchup that I came up with. I want everyone to understand that I did not account for forfeits or possible injuries. If I knew that a wrestler would not be in the lineup, I took them out, but scores reflect every match being wrestled without forfeits. I will end these predictions with an explanation of each matchup, but first, let me run through my initial thoughts.

The District 11 teams looked less impressive than I thought going into this. Now, that does not mean they are terrible. It just means they have vulnerabilities that teams can exploit. Notre Dame-GP has one of the most arduous paths to the finals, and Faith Christian can knock them off. Saucon Valley is different from the team they were last year, and it showed in the Pigtail matchup. That dual opened my eyes to the holes in the lineup that Burgettstown can exploit. That is why Burgettstown can take out Saucon Valley to advance to the Semi-Finals.

Berks Catholic is a team that no one is talking about but should. The lineup is stacked from top to bottom, and I believe the best lineup in the AA tournament. They can win this whole thing, and that is my prediction. Faith Christian and Notre Dame-GP will have a tough road to the Semi-Finals, and I think Berks Catholic will not make it easier.

Faith Christian and Notre Dame-GP will meet twice in this tournament, and Faith Christian will win both matchups. We could see the change in who is dominant and who is not, like we saw last year. Southern Columbia and Reynolds dominated the AA division for years, and it gave way to Notre Dame-GP and Saucon Valley to dominate the previous season. However, short-lived Faith Christian can take over as the most dominant team in the state, starting with a good showing here. Although I did not pick them to win this year, they still have an excellent chance of winning. The experience in the Berks Catholic lineup appeals to me more than the youth of Faith Christian; next year, that will be a different story.

Alright, now let me briefly break down my predictions.

Round of 16

Burgettstown defeats Honesdale 36-18

Burgettstown wins 9/13 matches with 4 bonus point wins. Honesdale picks up 4 wins including 2 bonus point wins.

Saucon Valley defeats United 28-21

Saucon Valley wins 8/13 matches with 2 bonus point wins. United picks up 5 wins with 3 coming with bonus points.

Chestnut Ridge defeats West Perry 29-27

Tight dual with Chestnut Ridge winning 7/13 matches with 4 bonus point wins. West Perry wins 6 matches with 4 wins including bonus points.

Warrior Run defeats Ft LeBouef 26-23

Another tight dual with Warrior Run taking 7/13 matches and 3 wins with bonus points. Ft LeBoeuf wins 6 matches and has 3 wins by bonus points.

Berks Catholic defeats Canton 35-16

Berks Catholic wins 8/13 matches with 5 wins coming with bonus points. Canton wins 5 matches but only 1 includes bonus points.

Brookville defeats Burrell 27-25

Real tight dual that comes down to the end. Brookville wins 7/13 matches with 4 wins including bonus points. Burrell wins 6 matches with 3 bonus point wins.

Notre Dame-GP defeats Huntingdon 29-21

Notre Dame-GP wins 7/13 matches but takes 4 win with bonus points. Huntingdon wins 6 matches with 3 wins including bonus points.

Faith Christian defeats Reynolds 37-16

Faith Christian wins 8/13 matches with 5 wins including bonus points. Reynolds wins 5 matches with only 1 win including bonus points.

Consolation Round 1

United defeats Honesdale 31-20

United wins 7/13 matches with 5 wins coming with bonus points. Honesdale wins 6 matches but only wins 2 with bonus points.

West Perry defeats Ft LeBouef 28-26

West Perry wins 7/13 matches with 3 wins including bonus points. Ft LeBouef wins 6 matches with 4 coming with bonus points.

Burrell defeats Canton 30-24

Burrell wins 7/13 matches with 5 wins including bonus points. Canton wins 6 matches with 2 wins including bonus points.

Huntingdon deafets Reynolds 33-19

Huntingdon wins 7/13 matches with 5 wins including bonus points. Reynolds wins 6 matches but only 1 win includes bonus points.

Quarterfinals

Burgettstown defeats Saucon Valley 28-25

Burgettstown wins 7/13 matches with 5 wins coming with bonus points. Saucon Valley wins 6 matches with 3 wins including bonus points. Burgettstown has an impressive lineup that has the ability to beat anyone in the state. It will be a tight dual that comes down to the final matchup depending on the starting weight.

Warrior Run defeats Chestnut Ridge 28-24

Warrior Run wins 7/13 matches with 3 wins including bonus points. Chestnut Ridge wins 6 matches and takes 3 wins with bonus points. Warrior Run just has too much talent in the middle of the lineup that includes the three Milheim brothers. That will lead them past a very good Chestnut Ridge team.

Berks Catholic defeats Brookville 36-15

Berks Catholic wins 8/13 matches with 6 wins coming by bonus points. Brookville wins 5 matches all by regular decision. This is the match that will open some eyes to Berks Catholic. Brookville has looked very good this year and according to the rankings, way better than Berks Catholic. I think Berks Catholic will put their name out there with a statement win.

Faith Christian defeats Notre Dame-GP 24-22

Faith Christian wins 7/13 matches with 3 wins by bonus points. Notre Dame-GP wins 6 matches with only 2 wins coming with bonus points. The matchup we would have liked to see in the Finals is happening in the Quarterfinals and it will be a good one. Faith Christian just has a deeper lineup than Notre Dame-GP has and matches up well weight-by-weight.

Consolation Round 2

Notre Dame-GP defeats United 31-20

Notre Dame-GP wins 7/13 matches with 4 wins including bonus points. United wins 6 matches with only 2 wins including bonus points.

West Perry defeats Brookville 35-19

West Perry wins 8/13 matches with 5 wins including bonus points. Brookville wins 5 matches with only 2 wins including bonus points.

Chestnut Ridge defeats Burrell 31-26

Chestnut Ridge wins 7/13 matches with 5 wins including bonus points. Burrell wins 6 matches with 4 wins including bonus points.

Saucon Valley defeats Huntingdon 31-26

Saucon Valley wins 6/13 matches but rides 5 wins by bonus points to victory. Huntingdon wins 7 matches with 3 wins by bonus points.

Semi-Finals

Burgettstown defeats Warrior Run 29-21

Burgettstown wins 8/13 matches with only 2 wins by bonus points. Warrior Run wins 5 matches with only 2 wins by bonus points. Burgettstown matches up very well against Warrior Run and counters some of the strengths of their lineup. They will ride lower weight wins to take the dual and advance to the state finals.

Berks Catholic defeats Faith Christian 26-16

Berks Catholic wins 8/13 matches with only 2 wins including bonus points. Faith Christian wins 5 matches but only 1 win comes with bonus points. Berks Catholic counters every great weight that Faith Christian has and steals some wins they maybe should not win. It will be difficult for Faith Christian to rebound after an emotional win over Notre Dame-GP earlier in the day.

Consolation Round 3

Notre Dame-GP defeats West Perry 32-22

Notre Dame-GP wins 7/13 matches with 5 wins including bonus points. West Perry wins 6 matches but only 2 wins include bonus points.

Saucon Valley defeats Chestnut Ridge 29-23

Saucon Valley wins 7/13 matches with 4 wins including bonus points. Chestnut Ridge wins 6 matches with 3 wins including bonus points.

Consolation Semi-Finals

Notre Dame-GP defeats Warrior Run 32-20

Notre Dame-GP wins 7/13 matches with 5 wins with bonus points. Warrior Run wins 6 matches but only wins 2 matches with bonus points. Notre Dame-GP will go on a run in the consolation bracket and will take out Warrior Run in the Consi-Semis. The important thing about beating Warrior Run is being able to beat one of the Milheim brothers and Notre Dame-GP will have an opportunity to take one here.

Faith Christian defeats Saucon Valley 26-24

Faith Christian wins 7/13 matches with 3 wins including bonus points. Saucon Valley wins 6 matches with 4 wins coming with bonus points. Faith Christian gets to do the whole District 11 tour in the consolations starting with Saucon Valley before getting to wrestle Notre Dame-GP for third. Faith Christian will pick up some key wins before getting to Saucon Valley’s best wrestlers which will help them win.

Third Place

Faith Christian defeats Notre Dame-GP 27-20

Faith Christian wins 8/13 matches with 3 wins including bonus points. Notre Dame-GP will win 5 matches with 3 wins by bonus points. Faith Christian gets another big win in this tournament by defeating Notre Dame-GP the second time for third. I think Faith Christian can flip a couple matches that they lost in the Quarterfinals to get the victory.

Finals

Berks Catholic defeats Burgettstown 29-19

Berks Catholic wins 7/13 matches with 4 wins coming with bonus points. Burgettstown wins 6 matches with only 1 win by bonus points. Berks Catholic just has too much talent for Burgettstown to keep up with and that is the difference. I do not think people realize how deep of a lineup Berks Catholic has and they are my favorite to win the state championship.

The 2023 PIAA Team Dual State Championships kick off Thursday in Hershey. But first, let’s introduce you to the teams that will be gunning for a state title this weekend. To find the brackets for this years state tournament visit my bracket hub.

(7-1) Burgettstown

Burgettstown is the District 7 champion, with a 31-24 win over Burrell in the finals. Burgettstown has had a great season, going undefeated up to this point. Their roster is loaded with great individual talent between the Sentipal brothers and other great talent sprinkled throughout. This team will look for a better finish this time after qualifying for the state tournament last year.

Key Wrestlers

114/121 – Parker Sentipal, JR (2x state qualifier and 2022 5th Place)

127 – Dylan Slovick, JR

133 – Gaven Suica, JR (2x state qualifier and 2022 8th Place)

139/145 – Joey Sentipal, SR (3x state qualifier and Lock Haven Commit)

145/152 – Logan Noyes, FR

145/152/160 – Eric Kovach, JR

160/172 – Rudy Brown, JR (2022 state qualifier)

172/189 – Jacob Noyes, SR

285 – Joey Baronick, JR (2022 state qualifier)

Key Results

Burrell (W 31-24)

Frazier (W 49-24)

(2-1) Honesdale

Honesdale is the District 2 champion defeating Lackawanna Trail 42-26 in the finals. Honesdale is a solid team that had a great run in the district tournament with a win over the 2 seed Berwick and defeating Lackawanna Trail, who they lost to in the regular season. This is not a roster with many state-level guys, but they come together well as a team with limited holes in the lineup.

Key Wrestlers

114/121 – Justin Scanlon, FR

121/127 – Josh Young, SR

139/145 – TJ Martin, SR

145/152 – Joey Giannetti, JR

152/160 – Mason Avery, SO

160/172 – Bennett Fritz, SR

189/215 – Paul Renner, SR

285 – Aaron Phillips, SR

Key Results

St Joseph’s Prep (W 70-6)

Berwick (W 45-18)

Lackawanna Trail (L 30-27 an W 42-16)

(6-1) United

United is the District 6 champion defeating Huntingdon 33-30 in the finals. United had a great season with an undefeated record coming into this weekend. Coming in as the 4 seed in the District 6 tournament, they defeated top-seeded Penns Valley and the 2-seeded Huntingdon on their way to a district title. This is an excellent lineup with some up-and-coming young guys. Jacob Sombronski is a familiar name in the lineup.

Key Wrestlers

107 – Jacob Sombronski, JR (2022 state qualifier)

114/121 – Josef Garshnick, FR

121/127 – Gideon Bracken, SO (2022 state qualifier)

127/133 – Colton Henning, SO

139/145 – Noah Pisarik, SO

152 – Caden McCully, JR

172/189 – Zachary Travis, JR

172/189 – Dylan Stephens, SO

215 – Sawyer McGinnis, SO

Key Results

Penns Valley (W 32-27)

Huntingdon (W 33-30)

(11-2) Saucon Valley

Saucon Valley is the District 11 runner-up after losing to Notre Dame-GP 49-15 in the finals. Saucon Valley won the 2022 PIAA Team Dual State Championship last year with an upset win over Notre Dame-GP. They have had a similar season this year, with some great wrestlers sprinkled into the lineup. They hope to repeat last year’s result.

Key Wrestlers

121/127 – Aiden Grogg, SO (2022 state qualifier)

121/127 – Cole Hubert, SO (2022 state qualifier and 2022 4th Place)

139/145 – Jackson Albert, SO

152/160 – Liam Scrivanich, SR (2x state qualifier)

189 – Jacob Jones, SR (3x state qualifier, 2021 4th Place, and 2022 2nd Place)

215 – Tyler Pfizenmayer, SR (2x state qualifier)

Key Results

Wilson (W 53-24)

Spring-Ford (W 48-27)

Notre Dame-GP (L 40-20 and L 49-15)

Bishop McDevitt (W 41-34)

(5-1) Chestnut Ridge

Chestnut Ridge is the District 5 Champion after defeating Somerset 62-12 in the finals. Chestnut Ridge has been the king of District 5 wrestling, and that continues into this year. Despite a difficult out-of-district schedule, they only had 2 losses to teams that are in this tournament and 2 wins over teams in this tournament.

Key Wrestlers

107 – Dominic Deputy, FR

114 – Easton Mull, SO (2022 state qualifier)

121/127 – Brock Holderbaum, SR (2022 state qualifier)

127/133 – Kobi Burkett, SR (2022 state qualifier)

145/152 – Calan Bollman, SR (3x state qualifier, 2020 2nd Place, and 2022 5th Place)

152/160 – Samuel Albright, SR

172/189 – Alex Crist, JR

215 – Nick Presnell, SR

Key Results

Brookville (L 34-33)

Reynolds (W 36-31)

Ft LeBoeuf (L 35-24)

Burrell (W 37-24)

(3-2) West Perry

West Perry is the District 3 runner-up after losing to Berks Catholic 31-25 in the finals. West Perry had a great run in last year’s state tournament, making it all the way to the consolation round 3 after losing to Chestnut Ridge in the Quarterfinals. West Perry has a deep lineup that could cause havoc throughout the bracket as they look to improve on last year’s performance.

Key Wrestlers

121/127 – Jackson Rush, SO (2022 state qualifier)

133/139 – Blain Puchalsky, JR (2022 state qualifier)

139/145 – Tyler Morrison, SO

145/152 – Tucker Seidel, SO

152/160/172 – Nolen Zeigler, SR (2021 state qualifier and 2021 8th Place)

172/189 – Justice Hockenberry-Folk, SR (2x state qualifier)

189/215 – Quade Boden, SO

285 – Anthony D’Angelo, SR

Key Results

Bald Eagle Area (L 37-28)

Biglerville (W 50-12)

Berks Catholic (L 31-25)

(4-1) Warrior Run

Warrior Run is the District 4 Champion after defeating Canton 32-30 in the finals. Warrior Run has a mix of both young and experienced wrestlers in the lineup. The team is led by the three Milheim brothers, that are all very talented, with the rest of the lineup looking very solid, especially in the middleweights.

Key Wrestlers

127 – Tyler Ulrich, FR

133 – Samuel Hall, SO

139 – Reagan Milheim, FR

145 – Kaden Milheim, SR (2022 state qualifier, 2022 3rd Place, and American Commit)

152/160 – Cameron Milheim, SO (2022 state qualifier and 2022 7th Place)

160/172 – Isaiah Betz, SO

172/189 – Cole Shupp, JR

189/215 – Connor Parker, JR

Key Results

Benton (L 31-27)

Montgomery (W 36-30 and W 36-24)

Montoursville (W 31-20)

Canton (W 32-30)

(10-2) Ft LeBouef

Ft LeBouef is the District 10 runner-up after losing to Reynolds 38-28 in the finals. No team had a more demanding schedule than Ft LeBouef with the high quality of teams on their schedule. They faced 7 teams who qualified for the AA and AAA state championships and went 4-4 in those duals.

Key Wrestlers

107/114 – Brady Bowers, FR

121/127 – Jake Bennett, JR (2021 state qualifier)

133/139 – JoJo Przybycien, JR (2x state qualifier, 2021 6th Place, and 2022 4th Place)

139/145 – Jackson Bowers, JR

172 – Conner McChesney, JR (2022 state qualifier)

189 – Kyle Myers, SR

215/285 – Danny Church, SR (2021 state qualifier)

Key Results

Waynesburg (L 44-24)

Quaker Valley (W 45-22)

Hempfield Area (L 43-29)

Burrell (W 36-19)

Brookville (W 33-25)

Chestnut Ridge (W 35-24)

Reynolds (L 37-22 and L 38-28)

Frazier (W 45-24)

(3-1) Berks Catholic

Berks Catholic is the District 3 Champion after defeating West Perry 31-25 in the finals. This is one of the best lineups in the state, with almost 0 holes in the lineup. This was a massive breakout year for this team after a disappointing end to last year’s dual season with 2 losses in the District 3 tournament. This year was about as impressive as you could get, with an undefeated record and blowing out the vast majority of their opponents.

Key Wrestlers

107 – Christopher Smith, JR

114/121 – Brayden Hartranft, SO (2022 state qualifier)

121/127 – Gunnar Maciejewski, FR

127/133 – Noah Rosa, SR

127/133 – Marvin Armistead, JR (2022 state qualifier)

145/152 – John Maurer, SR

152/160 – Carmine Lenzi, SO (2022 state qualifier)

172 – Gabe Davis, JR (2022 state qualifier)

189 – Timothy Saylor, JR

215 – Brody Kline, JR (2x state qualifier)

285 – Owen Reber, JR

Key Results

LaSalle (W 58-10)

Montoursville (W 43-18)

Bishop McDevitt (W 37-25)

West Perry (W 31-25)

(4-2) Canton

Canton is the District 4 runner-up after losing to Warrior Run 32-30 in the finals but defeating Montoursville 32-31 in the true 2nd match. Canton has repeated as a team state qualifier, with last year being knocked out in the pigtails to eventual state champion Saucon Valley. This team has had a great year overall, with multiple big wins on the year.  

Key Wrestlers

107/114 – Lyle Vermilya, SO

121 – Cohen Landis, JR

133 – Holden Ward, SO

139/145/152 – Hayden Ward, SR (2x state qualifier)

145/152/160 – Hudson Ward, JR

189/215 – Riley Parker, SR (2022 state qualifier and 2022 6th Place)

215/285 – Michael Davis, JR

Key Results

Montoursville (L 35-32 and W 32-31)

Benton (W 32-31)

Warrior Run (L 32-30)

(9-1) Brookville

Brookville is the District 9 Champion after defeating Clearfield 33-26 in the finals. Another team that had a demanding schedule and came out pretty well. They went up against 4 teams that qualified for the AA tournament going 3-1 against them. There are some holes in the lineup, but there is still a good amount of talent in this lineup. They are on one of the most challenging sides of the bracket, so it will be interesting to see where this team goes.

Key Wrestlers

114/121 – Jared Popson, JR

127/133 – Cole Householder, SO (2021 state qualifier and 2021 7th Place)

133/139/145 – Brecken Cieleski, SR

160 – Coyha Brown, SR

189/215 – Gavin Hannah, SO

189/215 – Jackson Zimmerman, SR (2022 state qualifier and Mercyhurst Commit)

Key Results

Chestnut Ridge (W 34-33)

Ft LeBoeuf (L 33-25)

Burrell (W 31-25)

Reynolds (W 30-29)

Clearfield (W 33-26)

(7-2) Burrell

Burrell is the District 7 runner-up after losing to Burgettstown 31-24 in the finals. Another team with a demanding schedule, as most schedules in the WPIAL are, Burrell came out looking pretty good. However, facing 6 teams that qualified for the state tournament, Burrell went 2-4 in those matchups.

Key Wrestlers

107 – Cameron Baker, FR

114/121 – Julian Bertucci, FR

121/127/133 – Calio Zanella, SO

127/133 – Cooper Hornack, JR (2x state qualifier, 2021 2nd Place and 4th Place)

139/145 – Niko Ferra, SR (2022 state qualifier)

160 – Nico Zanella, JR

172 – Isaac Lacinski, SO

189 – Cameron Martin, SR

215 – Luke Boylan, SO

Key Results

Ft LeBoeuf (L 36-19)

Reynolds (W 31-24)

Brookville (L 31-25)

Chestnut Ridge (L 37-24)

Quaker Valley (W 41-30)

Burgettstown (L 31-24)

(11-1) Notre Dame-GP

Notre Dame-GP is the District 11 champion after defeating Saucon Valley 49-15 in the finals. Last year, this team placed 2nd at the team dual tournament falling to Saucon Valley in the state finals. This year they look to improve on that result and have had a great season. Their only loss was to Bethlehem Catholic in a tight 29-23 dual in December.

Key Wrestlers

107 – Ayden Smith, JR (2x state qualifier, 2021 4th Place, and 2022 3rd Place)

139/145 – Bryson Vaughn, SR (2022 state qualifier)

145/152 – Vince Bouzakis, JR

172 – Holden Garcia, SR (3x state qualifier, 2021 6th Place, 2022 state champ, Princeton Commit)

215 – Jared Blobe, SR (2022 state qualifier)

285 – Aiden Compton, SR (2x state qualifier and Cornell Commit)

Key Results

Bethlehem Catholic (L 29-23)

Saucon Valley (W 40-20 and W 49-15)

(6-2) Huntingdon

Huntingdon is the District 6 runner-up after losing to United 33-30 in the finals. This team might have some losses on the schedule, but it is to quality opponents. Huntingdon has a very good lineup with limited holes throughout.

Key Wrestlers

114 – Alex Gladfelter, JR

121/127 – Ryan Yocum, SR

133 – Landon Dunsmore, SR

139 – Eric Mykut, SO

145 – Grady Clark, FR

152 – Devin Grubb, SR

160/172 – Andrew McMonagle, JR (2021 state qualifier)

285 – Gunner Singleton, SR (2022 state qualifier)

Key Results

Penns Valley (L 34-24)

Cumberland Valley (L 42-25)

Clearfield (L 39-24)

United (L 33-30)

Quaker Valley (W 34-26)

(10-1) Reynolds

Reynolds is the District 10 Champion after defeating Ft LeBoeuf 38-28 in the finals. On a yearly basis, Reynolds makes the trip to Hershey for the team dual tournament. After missing the tournament last year, Reynolds is back. Reynolds has faced 5 schools in the AA /AAA state tournament and went 3-3.

Key Wrestlers

107 – Angelo Lomonte, SO

133/139 – Chase Bell, JR (2X state qualifier)

139/145 – Tina Gentile, SR

160 – Vito Gentile, SO (2022 state qualifier)

172/189 – Jalen Wagner, SR (2x state qualifier)

189/215 – Brayden McCloskey, SR

Key Results

Erie Cathedral Prep (W 41-24)

Chestnut Ridge (L 36-31)

Burrell (L 31-24)

Brookville (L 30-29)

Ft LeBoeuf (W 37-22 and W 38-28)

(1-1) Faith Christian

Faith Christian is the District 1 Champions after defeating Bristol 72-0. They were one of the most hyped teams in the state after an excellent performance last year in the state tournament. Faith Christian also has one of the best lineups in the state, with most of the talent being Freshman and Sophomores.

Key Wrestlers

107 – Kole Davidheiser, FR

121 – Gauge Botero, SO (2022 state qualifier and 2022 3rd Place)

133/139 – Mason Wagner, FR

139/145 – Chase Hontz, SO (2022 state qualifier)

145/152 – Max Stein, SO (2022 state qualifier and 2022 6th Place)

152/160 – Cael Weidemoyer, FR

160/172 – Luke Sugalski, SO (2022 state qualifier)

172/189 – Adam Waters, FR

189/215 – Jason Singer, FR

215/285 – Mark Effendian, FR

Key Result

St Peter’s Prep (NJ) (L 32-20)

Christian Brothers Academy (NJ) (W 28-21)

Council Rock South (W 57-0)

All results and wrestlers were found on pa-wrestling.com