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