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By Todd Irwin
sports@altoonamirror.com
Glendale's Zeke Dubler and Suds Dubler and Penn Cambria's Trent Hoover all had to settle for second place in last year's District 6 Class 2A Tournament.
This year, they're all looking to take one more step up on the medals stand at the Altoona Fieldhouse.
The Dubler brothers and Hoover are No. 1 seeds for this year's district tournament. Junior Zeke Dubler and senior Suds Dubler are top seeds at 160 and 172, respectively, while Hoover, a sophomore, is a top seed at 126.
"I expect Hoover to compete, as I do the entire team," Penn Cambria coach Todd Niebauer said. "We have been tested throughout the year, and I expect us to be ready."
Tyrone's Korry Walls (106) and Ashton Sipes (132) are also No. 1 seeds. Walls finished third in last year's tournament.
"I have the same expectations for every day," Tyrone coach Quentin Wright said. "Go out there and win the next match. If he does that, Korry should win the tournament. Sipes is wrestling really well right now. Our whole team is wrestling really well."
The 23-team District 6 Class 2A Tournament begins at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Fieldhouse. The second session of the day begins at 5 p.m. A quarterfinal round is scheduled for the evening session.
Wrestling resumes at 10:30 a.m. Saturday with a consolation round. The semifinals will follow. The consolation semifinals and seventh-place bouts are included in that session. The championship finals, third-place and fifth-place bouts follow the 4:45 p.m. Hall of Fame induction.
Niebauer, who is in his 20th year at Penn Cambria with a 183-141 record, will be among those being inducted into the District 6 Hall of Fame.
The top six wrestlers at each weight class qualify for the Southwest Regional Tournament, which is slated this year for March 4-5 at Peters Township High School.
Many star wrestlers and coaches look forward to the postseason every season. This year is no different.
"Hey, let's get started," said Wright, whose team has been off since falling to Corry, 36-29, in a PIAA Duals preliminary match on Feb. 7. "We want to get rolling. This is the most exciting time of the year for wrestling.
"We took a little time off after not making it to Hershey. We've been resting and getting ready for this weekend."
"We are thrilled to be competing at a normal district tournament," Niebauer said. "We definitely have a goal to get as many as possible out (to the regional tournament). I know in my head what we are capable of. We will see what we can do."
Zeke Dubler dropped a 3-1 decision to Westmont Hilltop's Hudson Holbay in the 152-pound finals last season, while Suds Dubler was pinned in 1:47 by Penns Valley's eventual state runner-up Malachi Duvall in the finals at 172.
Suds will be going for his second title. He won a title as a freshman, but has finished second the last two years.
Hoover knocked off Mount Union's second-seeded Bryce Beatty, 3-1, in the semifinals at 113 last season. He was in a scoreless bout with Bald Eagle Area's returning district champ Coen Bainey when Bainey pinned him at the 3:09 mark.
Central Cambria's Ethan Kubat (189) and Karter Quick (285) are second seeds, as is Glendale's Britton Spangle (215).
Tyrone's Andrew Weaver (160) and Braden Ewing (285), Central's Tyler Biesinger (113), Glendale's George Campbell (132) and Penn Cambria's Austin Wagner (189) are all seeded third.
Tyrone's Reese Wood placed third at 145 last season, but he's the sixth seed at the weight this season.
Biesinger and fourth-seeded teammate Jaxon Matthews (132), Kubat and Wagner all placed fourth last season, but only the top three advanced to the regional tournament. Matthews was a runner-up at 106 two years ago.
Ridge eyes No. 11
Chestnut Ridge, which has eight No. 1 seeds, is a heavy favorite to win its 11th straight District 5 team title.
The District 5 Tournament begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at UPJ. The consolation finals are set for 4 p.m. The District 5 Hall of Fame inductions are set for 4:30. The championship finals will follow at 5. The top three wrestlers at every weight qualify for the regional tournament.
Northern Bedford doesn't have a No. 1 or 2 seed, but the Panthers have four No. 3 seeds in Reyan Imler (132), Eion Snider (160), Aaron Bowers (172) and Derek Beach (285).
Imler and Snider placed third last season, while Beach was fourth, but only the top two advanced.