Fifty-nine area youth wrestlers, including 32 champions, will compete in the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling Championships this weekend at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre.
The tournament begins at 9 a.m. Friday for the 8 and under wrestlers, 9:30 for the 9-10 wrestlers, 10:10 for the 11-12 guys and 11 for the 13-14 guys. The finals are 5:30 p.m. Saturday for the 8-and-under, 6:30 for 9-10 group, 7:30 for 11-12 group and 8:30 for the 13-14 wrestlers.
Bedford has six Area 2 champions in the 13-14 group going in Jabel Warren (82), returning state champion Ryan Easter (92), Garrett Thomas (97), Toby Brett (124), Tanner Williams (140) and Josiah Koontz (157).
Also going as champs are Northern Bedford's Drew Gartland (132) and Eric Grace (212), Philipsburg-Osceola's Chris Thompson (77), Tussey Mountain's Scott Weimert (102), Northern Cambria's Gus Yahner (112), Cambria Heights' Brad Thomas (117), Chestnut Ridge's Tyler Dibert (167).
Thompson finished third at 65 at states in the 11-12 age group last season, while Yahner was fourth at 95.
Going as runners-up are Northern Bedford's Mason Replogle (97), Northern Cambria's Nolan Paronish (102), Central Cambria's Brad Taylor (107), Penn Cambria's Michael Eckenrode (112), Ridge's Bradie Bollman (167), Altoona's Mante Barnes (187) and Hollidaysburg's Matthew Barton (250).
In the 11-12 age group, Altoona's Cole Manley (70), D.J. Hollingshead (100), PC's Nolan Link (65), Bedford's Jonathan Gabriel (75), Huntingdon's Jacob Oliver (95), Central's Nick Hoenstine (115), Cambria Heights' Dennis Link (125), NBC's Mason Guyer (135), Claysburg-Kimmel's Tyler Elder (145) and Conner Buttry (160) are going as Area 2 champs.
Manley was second at 65 in the 10-and-under group last season. Guyer finished fourth at 150 in the 11-12 group last season, while Oliver was fifth at 85.
Central Cambria's Ian Ostrowski (75) and Tommy Opdenhoff (90), Heights' Biggie Gill (95) and Levi Niebauer (100), Huntingdon's Collin Glorioso (80), Portage's Caleb Kephart (105), PC's Jacob Driskel (135), C-K's Matthew Walter (145) and NBC's Chase Ott (200) are area runners-up.
In the 9-10 group, Ridge's Jared McGill (70) and Justin McCoy (75), Bedford's Kaden Cassidy (60), Central's Alex Hoenstine (85) and Moshannon Valley's Larry Brown (95) are going as champs.
Central's Elijah Benton (70) and Brock Biddle (2-2), Heights' Bryce Campbell (65), Huntingdon's Tyler Scott (75), Ridge's Morgan Dermer (85) and JV's Jared Smith (105) were area runners-up.
Ridge's Kai Burkett (45), Altoona's Kube Harr (65), Bellwood-Antis' T.J. Wyland (70) and C-K's Joshua Zembower (110) won area 8-and-under titles. PC's Chase Proudfit (65) and Derek Brown (110), Heights' Tyler Kirkpatrick (60), Glendale's Isaac Krause (70) and Bedford's Jeremy Fleegle (80) are going as runners-up.
