Kenn Staub
The D9 2A District Tournament returns to the renovated Tippin Gymnasium at Clarion University after a few years away.
The first session begins at 9:30 AM, with the second session commencing at 3:45 PM. Individual tickets are needed for each session. The second session will feature the 2022 Hall of Fame induction, followed by a Parade of Champions and the championship and consolation finals (two mats).
The top four wrestlers in each weight class will advance to next week’s North West Regional tournament at Sharon High School (March 4 and 5). What follows is a preview looking at those wrestlers who have garnered the top five seeds in each bracket. It is not intended to be any type of prediction.
(Note: PA Power Wrestling [PAPW] state and regional [Districts 9 and 10] rankings are as of Feb. 24.)
*when this was written Clarion University required masks to enter its buildings
106 Pounds:
1. Elijah Brosius, Fr. (26-4) – Cranberry
2. Damien Brady, Jr. (24-7) – Curwensville
3. Logan Powell, Fr. (25-2) – Clarion
4. Ian Oshea, Fr. (17-8) – Port Allegany
5. Kayin Bard, Fr. (17-8) – Kane
*(nine-person bracket)
Notes: This is the first year at the varsity level for each of the top five seeds. Brosius is ranked 12th in the state and third regionally. Brady is ranked seventh in the region and Powell eighth.
113 Pounds:
1. Weston Pisarchick, So. (28-2) – Brockway
2. Jake Carfley, Sr. (20-5) – Curwensville
3. Mike Stanley, Sr. (15-12) – Cranberry
4. Dan Evans, So. (22-9) – Redbank Valley
5. Kai Stauffer, Sr. (19-11) – Port Allegany
*(seven-person bracket)
Notes: Pisarchick had an attention-grabbing first varsity season last year, winning districts at 106 pounds to qualify for regionals. He is ranked seventh in the state poll and second in the region. Carfley is the elder statesman of the top seeds. He won districts at this weight a season ago, earning his second consecutive bid to the regional tournament. Despite having wrestled most of the year at 120 pounds, Carfley enters this event as the region’s sixth-ranked 113-pounder. Though not seeded in the top five, Brookville junior Jared Popson is 10th in the state and third regionally at this weight.
120 Pounds:
1. Cole Householder, Fr. (29-8) – Brookville
2. Colton Ross, Fr. (13-9) – Brockway
3. Cole Bish, Jr. (22-6) – Redbank Valley
4. Wyatt Daisely, Jr. (10-10) – Coudersport
5. Shelby Lobdell, Fr. (9-6) – Sheffield
*(six-person bracket)
Notes: Householder, wrestling in his first district tournament, enters the event ranked 15th in Pennsylvania and second in the NW Region. Ross is the region’s eighth-ranked 120-pounder. Cole Bish qualified for regionals in 2021 as a 113-pounder after finishing third at districts.
126 Pounds:
1. Mark Palmer, Sr. (25-7) – Brockway
2. Ridge Cook, Sr. (21-5) – Redbank Valley
3. Chase Weimer, Sr. (24-9) – Port Allegany
4. Conner Reszkowski, Fr. (22-8) – Cranberry
5. Logan Oakes, Sr. (21-9) – Brookville
*(eight-person bracket)
Notes: Palmer, who wrestled at this weight last season, is a two-time district runner-up (2021 and 2020) and three-time regional qualifier (2021, 2020, and 2019). In 2019 he advanced to the state tournament. He wrestled most of the season at 132 pounds, though he has attained of 20th in the state and second in the region with his cut to this lower weight class. Like Palmer, Cook also qualified for regionals the past three seasons, doing so in 2021 as a 120-pounder He has never finished higher than third at districts (2021 and 2020). He is ranked sixth regionally. Weimer, ranked eighth in the NW region, was district runner-up last season at 120 pounds. Reszkowski is regionally ranked seventh.
132 Pound:
1. Owen Reinsel, Sr. (35-2) – Brookville
2. Nik Fegert, Jr. (20-9) – Curwensville
3. Parker Pisarchick, Fr. (25-8) – Brockway
4. Danny DeLong, Fr. (13-12) – Cranberry
5. Bryce Taylor, Sr. (5-2) – Sheffield
*(ten-person bracket)
Notes: Reinsel is a three-time district champion, regional runner-up, and state qualifier. In 2021, when he wrestled at 120 pounds, and in 2020, he finished on the fourth step of the podium. He is ranked second in the state and first in the region. Fegert placed third at districts last season as a 126-pounder, earning his first regional bid. Though h spent most of the season as a 138-pounder, he has acquired a regional ranking of fifth at this weight. Pisarchick is making his district tournament debut, doing so as the sixth-ranked 132-pounder regionally.
138 Pounds:
1. Brayden Kunselman, Jr. (32-6) – Brookville
2. Harley Morris, Sr. (26-5) – Kane
3. Dane Wenner, Fr. (27-6) – Cranberry
4. Ryder Kuklinskie, So. (20-8) – Curwensville
5. Owen Deutschlander, So. (16-11) – Coudersport
*(eight-person bracket)
Notes: Injured last season, Kunselman qualified for states in 2020 after winning districts and placing third at regionals. He is ranked 12th statewide and third regionally. Morris has qualified for regionals the past three seasons, doing so at 138 pounds last year. He was a district runner-up in 2019 and 2021 and finished fourth in 2020. He’ll enter this year’s district tournament 19th on the state poll and fifth in the region. Wenner is ranked eighth regionally. Kuklinskie was the 132-pound district runner-up last season. He is moving up a weight after wrestling much of the dual meet season at 132 pounds.
145 Pounds:
1. Reece Bechakas, So. (22-7) – Kane
2. Rayce Milliard, Jr. (8-7) – Johnsonburg
3. Brecken Cieleski, Jr. (20-10) – Brookville
4. Zach Shaffer, Sr. (15-12) – Curwensville
5. Dylan Bash, So. (16-11) – Brockway
*(ten-person bracket)
Notes: Bechakas is ranked fifth in the NW Region. Cieleski has a regional ranking of eighth. Shaffer finished third in the 132-pound weight class at districts last season.
152 Pound:
1. Caleb Furgeson, Sr. (23-4) – Port Allegany
2. Logan Aughenbaugh, So. (19-6) – Curwensville
3. Landon Mead, Sr. (22-10) – Sheffield
4. Tyler Merritt, Sr. (21-5) – Ridgway
5. Devyn Fleeger, So. (20-13) – Cranberry
Notes: Furgeson is ranked 23rd in the state and fifth in the NW Region. Aughenbaugh qualified for regionals last year after placing third at districts in the 145-pound class. Like Aughenbaugh, Mead was also a regional qualifier after a third-place finish at districts, though he competed at 160 pounds. Merritt enters the tournament ranked 25th in the state and sixth regionally.
160 Pounds:
1. Aiden Zimmerman, Jr. (18-9) – Johnsonburg
2. Luke Ely, Jr. (22-7) – Kane
3. Coyha Brown, Jr. (8-7) – Brookville
4. Breckin Rex, Sr. (17-9) – Clarion
5. John Wright, Fr. (15-13) – Coudersport
Notes: Zimmerman was a state qualifier in 2020, having finished first at districts and second at regionals. He is ranked 20th in Pennsylvania and second regionally. Right behind Zimmerman in the state and regionals polls is Ely, ranked 21st and third, respectively. A state qualifier at 152 pounds last year, Ely was third at districts and second at regionals. Ely was also a regional qualifier in 2020.
172 Pounds:
1. Easton Belfiore, Fr. (21-11) – Brookville
2. Kaden Dennis, Jr. (18-8) – Johnsonburg
3. Caleb Edmnds, Sr. (18-8) – Clarion
4. Addison Plants, Jr. (17-8) – Kane
5. Chase Irwin, Jr. (18-12) – Curwensville
Notes: Belfiore will make his district debut as the 24th ranked 172-pounder in the state and fourth in the region. Dennis is a two-time regional qualifier (2021 and 2020), making the trip to Sharon last year at 152 pounds. He was district runner-up each of the past two seasons.
189 Pounds:
1. Jackson Zimmerman, Jr. (18-3) – Brookville
2. Seth Stewart, Jr. (27-6) – Brockway
3. Alex Shaffer, So. (14-9) – Curwensville
4. Juuso Young, Fr. (18-9) – Port Allegany
5. Cameron Larkin, So. (9-6) – Johnsonburg
Notes: Zimmerman advanced to regionals in 2021 after a runner-up district tournament finish at 172 pounds. He is ranked 12th statewide and fourth regionally. Stewart was also a regional qualifier a year ago, though he placed third as a 189-pounder at districts. He enters this year’s event 22nd in the state and fifth in the region.
215 Pounds:
1. Bryce Rafferty, Sr. (30-4) – Brookville
2. Miska Young, So. (24-7) – Port Allegany
3. Brayden McFetridge, Jr. (15-5) – Cranberry
4. Gavyn Ayers, So. (22-5) – Coudersport
5. Logan Edmonds, Jr. (15-8) – Clarion
Notes: Rafferty, ranked fifth in the state and sixth regionally, was the district champion at this weight last year. McFetridge is moving up a weight, having spent the bulk of the season competing as a 189-pounder.
285 Pounds:
1. Gavin Thompson, Jr. (28-3) – Brockway
2. Danah Campbell, Sr. (23-5) – Sheffield
3. Cooper Rossman, Jr. (15-8) – Coudersport
4. Walker Willey, So. (11-9) – Cranberry
5. Porter Kahle, Sr. (8-8) – Brookville
Notes: Thompson finished third at districts in 2020. He is ranked 10th statewide and first regionally. Campbell is ranked fifth in the NW Region. Though not garnering a top-five seed, Clarion sophomore Josh Beal is regionally ranked in the eighth spot.
