On Friday morning, 208 wrestlers will gather at Spring Grove High School for the start of the District Three/PIAA South Central Region Class 3A Championships. By the end of the event Saturday, the season will be over for 143 of them.
Having earned their trip to Hershey’s Giant Center for the PIAA Championships from March 6-8, the remaining 65 — the top five each in the 13 weight classes — will take a moment to celebrate their success, then prepare for the crucible to come.
Action begins Friday at noon, with wrestling scheduled in the preliminary and quarterfinal rounds, along with two rounds of wrestleback consolations.
Action resumes Saturday at 10 a.m. with semifinals and two more rounds of consolations before the finals and third- and fifth-place matches, which are set for 2:30 p.m.
Here’s a look at each weight class:
Conestoga Valley's Sean Morley reacts after beating Elco's Aleric Raihl in their 107 pound title bout during the Lancaster-Lebanon League boys wrestling championships at Manheim Twp. High School in Neffsville on Saturday Jan. 25, 2025.
107
Returning champion(s): None. Red Land’s Sam Culp (25-6), third at 107 last year, and Central York’s Harris Keares (32-7), sixth at 114, are returning place finishers.
L-L flavor: McCaskey’s Vatui Boi (28-7) is in the top half of the bracket with Culp. Conestoga Valley’s Sean Morley (38-6) and Donegal’s Zane Gardner (32-11) are in the bottom half. Gardner opens against Keares.
The skinny: Palmyra’s Jason Foutz (29-4) and Morley didn’t meet in the district duals. They would in the quarterfinals.
Elco’s Kane Kline takes down Boiling Springs’ Alex Mentzer in their 114 pound bout during the District 3 3A team wrestling consolation match at Central York High School in Springettsbury Twp. on Saturday Feb. 1, 2025.
114
Returning champion(s): Central Dauphin’s Thunder Beard (32-3) won at 107 in 2023 and placed second there in ’24.
L-L flavor: Elco’s Kane Kline (34-7) and Warwick’s Quinn Maclary (21-14) are in Beard’s half of the draw. Penn Manor’s Caden Boland (25-6) and Cocalico’s Chase Breneman (24-14) are in the lower half with Cumberland Valley’s Phil Montes (32-3).
The skinny: Kline and Beard in the semis is certainly possible. For a shot at Montes in the semis, Boland must get through Wilson’s Abramm Schaffer (34-7), fourth in Class 2A at 107 last year for Tulpehocken.
Hempfield's Joey Gallo has his hand raised in victory after beating Palmyra's Nicholas Gordon in their 121 pound finals bout during the District 3 3A boys sectional wrestling tournament at Hempfield High School’s Buchanan Gymnasium in Landisville on Saturday Feb. 15, 2025.
121
Returning champion(s): None. Northeastern’s Elijah Hewitt (33-2) is the returning runner-up. Cedar Cliff’s Kavin Muyleart (20-2) was third at 114.
L-L flavor: Manheim Township’s Malcom Sams (24-14) gets Muyleart to start. Conestoga Valley’s Nick Horton (29-9) and Hempfield freshman Joey Gallo (18-5) are bracketed with Muyleart. Elco’s Zane Trostle (28-9) is in Hewitt’s half of the bracket.
The skinny: Hewitt and Trostle are destined to meet in the semis. Gallo and Muyleart in the semis? Not out of the question.
Garden Spot's Preston Sauder walks away after pinning Warwick's Jacey Martin in their 127 pound preliminary bout during day one action of the Lancaster-Lebanon League boys wrestling championships at Manheim Twp. High School in Neffsville on Friday Jan. 24, 2025.
127
Returning champion(s): Cedar Cliff’s Aiden Herndon (32-4) won at 107 last year.
L-L flavor: Garden Spot’s Preston Sauder (25-16) gets Herndon off the bat. Penn Manor’s Lincoln Yackanech (31-12) is in his half of the bracket. McCaskey’s Desias Rodriguez (30-7) draws Red Lion’s Jackson Orrell (35-5), third at 121 last year, to start. Lebanon’s Erick Rivera Garcia (20-9) draws Boiling Springs’ Luke Magnani (38-9), fourth at 127 a year ago.
The skinny: Herndon vs. the semifinal winner of Orrell-Tyler Detwiler (26-3) of Palmyra.
Elizabethtown's Francis Burke takes down Central Dauphin's Luke Hitchcock in their 133 pound finals bout during the District 3 3A boys sectional wrestling tournament at Hempfield High School’s Buchanan Gymnasium in Landisville on Saturday Feb. 15, 2025.
133
Returning champion(s): None. West Perry’s Jackson Rush (32-2) was third at 127 in ’24 when the Mustangs were in Class 2A.
L-L flavor: Hempfield’s Zymir McCain-Murray (26-10), Elizabethtown’s Francis Burke (34-4) and Conestoga Valley’s Caden Yanarella (38-3) are bracketed with Rush. Elco’s Ashton Kriss (38-8) is in the lower half with Central Dauphin’s Luke Hitchcock (29-5).
The skinny: Yanarella is equipped to come out of the upper half of the draw and meet Hitchcock in the final. That would be a rematch of their classic battle in the Neil Turner Holiday Classic final, won by Hitchcock 16-13 in sudden victory.
Manheim Central's Barrett Keiffer pins Donegal's Leeland Baughman in their 139 pound title bout during the Lancaster-Lebanon League boys wrestling championships at Manheim Twp. High School in Neffsville on Saturday Jan. 25, 2025.
139
Returning champion(s): Gettysburg’s Myles Grossman (35-3) won at 121. Central Dauphin’s CJ Ferree (34-2) was third at 133.
L-L flavor: Donegal’s Leelan Baughman (31-12) is in Ferree’s half of the bracket. Manheim Central’s Barrett Keiffer (33-4) and Cocalico’s Blake Shenk (31-11) are bracketed with Grossman.
The skinny: A Ferree-Grossman final isn’t a lock, but it’s pretty close.
Ephrata’s Brody Musser takes control of Manheim Twp.’s Joseal Torres in their 145 pound bout during an L-L League section one boys wrestling match at Ephrata Middle School on Wednesday Jan. 22, 2025.
145
Returning champion(s): None. Wilson’s McKaden Speece (36-4) was second at 127.
L-L flavor: E-town’s Luka Spayd (22-14) starts with Speece. Hempfield’s Deshawn Jones (24-8) is on track to face Speece in the semis. McCaskey’s Avery Vogelbacher (20-8), Ephrata’s Brody Musser (27-7), Conestoga Valley’s Tanner Kane (37-7) and Donegal’s Quinn Weymers (27-13) sit in the lower half. Vogelbacher and Musser, Kane and Weymers meet in the preliminary round.
The skinny: Speece comes from the top, Kane from the bottom with an eye on reversing a 7-3 sectionals loss to Speece.
Ephrata's Noah Tlumach reacts after beating Elizabethtown's Kai Laszakovits in their 152 pound title bout during the Lancaster-Lebanon League boys wrestling championships at Manheim Twp. High School in Neffsville on Saturday Jan. 25, 2025.
152
Returning champion(s): None.
L-L flavor: Warwick’s Noah Maclary (24-12), Elco’s Mitchell Frederick (16-10) and Manheim Township’s Zach Landis (19-6) are in the top half of the bracket. Ephrata’s Noah Tlumach (26-4), McCaskey’s Jessiah Jimenez (25-7) and Cocalico’s Connor Messner (23-15) sit in the bottom half.
The skinny: Tlumach appears to be the guy from the bottom half. The top half? Central York’s Nathan Replogle (39-6) is the top seed. Will he make that stand up?
Elco’s Klint Miller takes down Boiling Springs’ Ian Longenberger in their 160 pound bout during the District 3 3A team wrestling consolation match at Central York High School in Springettsbury Twp. on Saturday Feb. 1, 2025.
160
Returning champion(s): None. Hershey’s Christian Burd (31-3) is the top seed.
L-L flavor: Elco’s Klint Miller (34-7), fifth at 152 last year, is the second seed, bracketed with Donegal’s Caidyn Leaf (26-9) and Manheim Central’s AJ Hondru (29-11). Conestoga Valley’s Teagan Ruble (30-4), Ephrata’s Dustin Hoover (27-6) and Warwick’s Gabe Sanchez (24-8) are in the top half with Burd. Ruble finished fourth at 145 last year.
The skinny: Burd and Miller in the final? Book it. Unless Ruble derails Burd.
Ephrata's Quincy Myer takes down Manheim Twp.'s Leighton Underwood in their 172 pound title bout during the Lancaster-Lebanon League boys wrestling championships at Manheim Twp. High School in Neffsville on Saturday Jan. 25, 2025.
172
Returning champion(s): None. West Perry’s Tucker Seidel (34-2) was second in Class 2A at 189.
L-L flavor: Ephrata’s Quincy Myer (28-3) and Manheim Township’s Leighton Underwood (28-10) are in the bracket’s upper half. Cocalico’s Dane Bollinger (27-15), Manheim Central’s Brayden Linder (13-12) and Donegal’s Brady Allessie (26-12) are in the bottom half.
The skinny: Conrad Weiser’s Davis Keppley (35-5) also competed in Class 2A last year, placing sixth at 152. Look for the semifinal winner between Keppley and Spring Grove’s Chase Amspacher (30-6) to face Seidel.
Conestoga Valley's Abdoul Akala reacts after beating Manheim Central's Noah Templin in their 189 pound title bout during the Lancaster-Lebanon League boys wrestling championships at Manheim Twp. High School in Neffsville on Saturday Jan. 25, 2025.
189
Returning champion(s): Wilson’s Blaise Eidle (38-5), champion at 172, and West Perry’s Tyler Morrison (33-1), Class 2A champion at 160.
L-L flavor: Warwick’s Owen Hursh (25-10), CV’s Abdoul Akala (36-4), Cocalico’s Gabe Lesher (21-17) and Manheim Central’s Noah Templin (34-5) populate the Morrison half of the draw. Ephrata’s Kaleb Sweigart (24-9) and Donegal’s Sergio Garcia (28-10) are bracketed with Eidle.
The skinny: Morrison and Eidle for the gold. Look for Akala and Templin to qualify for states through the bronze-medal match.
Manheim Central's Brodie Daugherty pins Donegal's Daniel Viselli in their 215 pound finals bout during the District 3 3A boys sectional wrestling tournament at Hempfield High School’s Buchanan Gymnasium in Landisville on Saturday Feb. 15, 2025.
215
Returning champion(s): Manheim Central’s Brodie Daugherty placed third at 189. He’s the top seed.
L-L flavor: Daugherty and Elco’s Kyle Miller (34-7) are in the top half. Donegal’s Daniel Viselli (27-10) and Township’s Joseph Cruz (22-9) are in the bottom.
The skinny: Daugherty has a quarterfinal test in West Perry’s Quade Boden (21-6), the 2A runner-up at 215 last year. Pass that test and it’s smooth sailing to the final and a matchup with Carlisle’s Brayden Jumper (28-2).
Conestoga valley's Tal Stoltzfus battles Northern Lebanon's Hayden Adams in their 285 pound title bout during the Lancaster-Lebanon League boys wrestling championships at Manheim Twp. High School in Neffsville on Saturday Jan. 25, 2025.
285
Returning champion(s): None.
L-L flavor: Penn Manor’s Jacob Nesmith (25-13) is in the top half of the bracket. Donegal’s Owen Winters (27-11) and CV’s Tal Stoltzfus (37-3) are in the bottom.
The skinny: Stoltzfus, who placed sixth last year, is focused on the making the final. Chambersburg’s Frank Barrientos (35-7) moves well for a big man and could emerge from the top half to meet Stoltzfus.
