The PIAA Dual Championships kickoff Thursday afternoon live on FloWrestling at 2pm EST. This marks the fourth year of full coverage with live streams of all bouts from the Giant Center in Hershey. A new king will be crowned as five-time reigning champions, Reynolds, failed to qualify out of District 10. The past four years Reynolds defeated Southern Columbia in the title bout. Southern Columbia didn’t make it out of District 4, where traditional power Benton won its second ever dual title.

While the top of the podium will be shaken up, the field is littered with familiar teams that are staples of the AA field. Saucon Valley, Burrell, Brookville, and Boiling Springs are perennial contenders that almost always make the yearly journey to the Giant Center. However, the favorite has come on in recent years. 

Notre Dame-Green Pond made its first PIAA Duals appearance in 2019 and has battled Saucon Valley for District 11 supremacy, trading wins back and forth over the past 4 seasons. Notre Dame has had the top-end talent to win the past two individual tournament team championships, but they didn’t have the balance to come out victorious at the dual championships. This is the most balanced the Crusaders have ever been. They have earned the top billing by knocking off Saucon Valley twice this season. 

Top Bracket:

The top half of the bracket is where Notre Dame filled in as the District 11 Champions. They are joined by District 3 Champions, Bishop McDevitt, in the bottom quarter. Both appear to be solid favorites, but you can never count out an always balanced Burrell team.

The top quarter is a prognosticators nightmare. District 4 Champions, Benton, and District 1 Champions, Faith Christian, are similar programs over the past few seasons. State medalists haven’t had the supporting cast to quite get over the hump. Both teams have more depth this season. Faith Christian has four freshmen ranked in the top 10 in the state. This dual will be a great test for them in their first appearance in the Giant Center. Not many extra wrestlers are available on the two rosters, but I will be surprised if there aren’t some moves trying to take advantage of the match-up game. Brookville is the other district champion in the quarter and will be tested right away by Burgettstown. 

I can’t see a matchup that wouldn’t favor Notre Dame in this half. Expect to see the Crusaders on Saturday afternoon battling for a championship.

Bottom Bracket:

Saucon Valley is the favorite on the bottom side with a huge “if.” Saucon Valley has not put their best line-up on the mat all season. They come in with seven wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in the latest FloWrestling AA rankings. Add in an eighth as Ryan Crookham returned to the high school mat on Monday night. Most of you are familiar with Crookham as he won two state titles while at Notre Dame. He is now at Saucon Valley and looking to be a difference maker for the Panthers. Several of these guys have missed time during the season and I’m not going to try to speculate who will toe the line, and how effective they will be. 

District 5 Champion, Chestnut Ridge, is the likely semifinal opponent as they have their expected balanced line-up built around a handful of medal contenders. Expect the Lions to press Saucon Valley if they are anything, but 100%. I would even watch for Quaker Valley in the opening round if the Panthers aren’t able to put out their best line-up. 

I’m not willing to fill my bracket out in permanent ink for the all District 11 final, but I can’t help thinking about a full line-up for Saucon Valley getting a third crack at the Crusaders. This rivalry has blossomed over the past few seasons and has a fiery competitiveness that brings out some especially entertaining matches. Having taken the first two matches by convincing scores Notre Dame just needs to perform to their standard. The onus will be on Saucon Valley to adjust their line-up or flip some results from the first two dual meets.

Prediction:

Notre Dame-Green Pond over Saucon Valley

Top Bracket Teams:

Benton Tigers

District 4 Champions

Coach: BJ Wise

Record: 18-1

Duals Against the Field: 

• Defeated Forest Hills 34-25

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#6 Chase Burke, 11th, 120

#9 Dylan Granahan, 11th, 126

#6 Ethan Kolb, 11th, 132

#2 Nolan Lear, 12th, 172

Faith Christian Academy Lions

District 1 Champions

Coach: Ben Clymer

Record: 14-0

Duals Against the Field:

• No duals against the field

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#3 Gauge Botero, 9th, 113

#8 Chase Hontz, 9th, 126

#10 Max Stein, 9th, 138

#4 Eric Alderfer, 12th, 145

#7 Luke Sugalski, 9th, 160

#3 Leo Muzika, 12th, 285

Brookville Raiders

District 9 Champions

Coach: Dave Klepfer

Record: 19-2

Duals Against the Field:

• Defeated Burrell 40-27

• Lost to Chestnut Ridge 35-25

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#3 Owen Reinsel, 12th, 132

#9 Jackson Zimmerman, 11th, 189

#6 Bryce Rafferty, 12th, 215

Burgettstown Devils

District 7 Third

Coach: Joe Vigliotti

Record: 15-1

Duals Against the Field: 

• Defeated Corry 47-12

• Lost to Quaker Valley 36-35

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#4 Parker Sentipal, 10th, 106

#5 Gaven Suica, 10th, 126

#8 Joey Sentipal, 11th, 132

Notre Dame-Green Pond Crusaders

District 11 Champions

Coach: Matt Veres

Record: 11-3

Duals Against the Field: 

• Defeated Saucon Valley 35-15

• Defeated Saucon Valley 50-5

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#3 Ayden Smith, 10th, 106

#5 Adam Schweitzer, 12th, 120

#2 Brandan Chletsos, 12th, 132

#3 Evan Maag, 12th, 145

#3 Holden Garcia, 11th, 160

Corry Area Beavers

District 10 Third

Coach: Travis Proper

Record: 14-3

Duals Against the Field: 

• Lost to Burgettstown 47-12

• Lost to Hickory

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#7 Hayden Linkerhof, 12th, 215

Bishop McDevitt

District 3 Champions

Coach: Mike Nauman

Record: 11-0

Duals Against the Field: 

• Defeated Boiling Springs 37-26

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#6 Jake Gilfoil, 11th, 145

#4 Andrew Christie, 11th, 152

#2 Bryce Enders, 12th, 215

#1 Riley Robell, 11th, 285

Burrell

District 7 Runner-up

Coach: Josh Shields

Record: 11-5

Duals Against the Field: 

• Lost to Brookville 40-27

• Lost to Chestnut Ridge 52-19

• Lost to Quaker Valley 30-28

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#4 Cooper Hornack, 10th, 120

Bottom Bracket:

Quaker Valley Quakers

District 7 Champions

Coach: Mike Heinl

Record: 17-3

Duals Against the Field: 

• Defeated Burgettstown 36-35

• Defeated Burrell 30-28

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#7 Jack Kazalas, 10th, 113

#2 Patrick Cutchember, 12th, 189

Saucon Valley Panthers

District 11 Runner-up

Coach: Chad Shirk

Record: 20-2

Duals Against the Field: 

• Lost to Notre Dame-Green Pond 35-15

• Defeated Boiling Springs 46-21

• Lost to Notre Dame Green Pond 50-5

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#5 Cole Hubert, 9th, 106

#9 Aiden Grogg, 9th, 113

#8 Cael Markle, 12th, 145

#7 Christopher Arciuolo, 12th, 152

#9 Liam Scrivanich, 11th, 160

#3 Jacob Jones, 11th, 172

#2 Dante Mahaffey, 12th, 285

Forest Hills Rangers

District 6 Champions

Coach: Jake Strayer

Record: 14-3

Duals Against the Field: 

• Lost to Chestnut Ridge 55-15

• Lost to Benton 34-25

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#10 Noah Teeter, 12th, 145

#1 Jackson Arrington, 12th, 152

Boiling Springs Bubblers

District 3 Runner-up

Coach: Trevor Byers

Record: 17-2

Duals Against the Field: 

• Lost to Saucon Valley 46-21

• Defeated West Perry 43-23

• Defeated West Perry 31-25

• Lost to Bishop McDevitt 37-26

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#10 Raif Barber, 12th, 113

#6 Kobin Karper, 12th, 138

#2 Michael Duggan, 11th, 152

Lackawanna Trail Lions

District 2 Champions

Coach: Keith Youtz

Record: 10-0

Duals Against the Field: 

• No duals against the field

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#5 Robbie Scneider, 11th, 160

Chestnut Ridge Lions

District 5 Champions

Coach: Josh Deputy

Record: 16-0

Duals Against the Field: 

• Defeated Forest Hills 55-15

• Defeated Burrell 52-19

• Defeated Brookville 35-25

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#8 Easton Mull, 9th, 106

#7 Ross Dull, 12th, 120

#5 Calan Bollman, 11th, 132

#6 Luke Moore, 12th, 160

Hickory Hornets

District 10 Champions

Coach: Nick Clepper

Record: 12-2

Duals Against the Field: 

• Defeated Corry Area 36-25

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#1 Louie Gill, 10th, 106

#2 Connor Saylor, 11th, 138

#5 Carter Gill, 12th, 145

West Perry Mustangs

District 3 Third

Coach: Craig May

Record: 19-5

Duals Against the Field: 

• Lost to Boiling Springs 43-23

• Lost to Boiling Springs 31-25

State Ranked Wrestlers:

#6 Deven Jackson, 12th, 113

#3 Brad Morrison, 12th, 215

*Team links take you to their OPC page on Trackwrestling. Full Rosters are available on the team page.

Past Results