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Penn Cambria's Trent Hoover made a big leap at the Southwest Regional Tournament last season when he captured the 126-pound title after going 0-2 in the tournament the year before.
Hoover enters this weekend's regional tournament at the Altoona Fieldhouse as the only wrestler from the Mirror coverage area with a regional title under his belt. Another title could possibly propel him toward his first medal at next week's PIAA Championships.
"Nothing is a guarantee by any means," Penn Cambria coach Todd Niebauer said. "There are real, real tough kids coming in. We obviously know (Calan) Bollman is coming in from District 5. The District 7 kids are very, very solid.
"Nobody is going to bow down to him, for sure. So, we've got to be at the top of our game. If we are, I think we're right there. Trent's got an unbelievable skill set. If he finds it in each match, I feel very confident he'll be right there with any kid."
If Hoover reaches the 145-pound finals, he could tangle with Chestnut Ridge's two-time regional champ and four-time District 5 champ Bollman, who won the 145-pound title last season. Hoover has won two battles with Bollman this season, 2-1 and 6-4 in a tiebreaker.
"They've wrestled each other five times in their careers," Niebauer said. "I'd like to see them in the finals this weekend, for sure. They're good competition for each other. They push each other."
Glendale's Zeke Dubler reached the regional finals at 160 last year, but dropped a 1-0 decision to Laurel's returning state champ Grant MacKay.
They're at 160 again, so Dubler (36-3), coming off his second District 6 title and being named the tournament Outstanding Wrestler, could meet up again with the now two-time state champ.
"I'm super excited for that," Dubler said. "Obviously, I can't overlook anyone. I've just got to go out there and wrestle and take it one at a time. But it's definitely exciting just thinking about that. It's a match I've wanted back for awhile.
"Wrestling a guy like that for the first time, it's always nerve-racking. You don't know what to expect with a high-level guy. Now you do, so you can have a good game plan going into it. You know what to expect, and you have to go out and wrestle fearless."
MacKay (39-1) will very likely tangle with Huntingdon's Andrew McMonagle (33-4) in the semifinals. Dubler needed a last-second takedown to beat the Williamsburg junior, 4-3, in the tiebreaker of an epic District 6 final.
The tournament, which is at the Fieldhouse for the first time, begins at 3:30 p.m. today with the pigtail round. A preliminary round will follow. The quarterfinals are scheduled for 7:15 p.m.
Wrestling resumes at 9 a.m. Saturday with the first consolation round. Another consolation round will follow before the 12:30 p.m. semifinals. The championship finals, third-place, fifth-place and seventh-place bouts are set for 5:15.
"In our own backyard for the first time, I'm definitely looking forward to it," Niebauer said. "It's nice to travel 20 minutes down the road. The kids wrestled there two weeks ago, and they know what the building is like. I'm excited for our four kids that have a chance to get to the state tournament."
"We're excited and ready to go," Tyrone coach Quentin Wright said. "I can't wait for it to start."
Hoover and Dubler are part of a 22-man contingent from the Mirror coverage area who will be trying to place in the top six at their weights to qualify for the PIAA Championships.
Northern Bedford's Eion Snider (172) will look to build on his District 5 title. He's one of five Panthers in the tournament. District 5 second-placers Wyatt Clouse (114), Tyler Paris (160) and Brock Beach (285) and third-placer Austin Bartholow (145) are seeking regional medals.
Tyrone's Korry Walls (107), Penn Cambria's Mason Raymond (215) and Glendale freshman Daniel Williams (285) enter the tournament as District 6 runners-up. Walls and teammate Braden Ewing (285, third District 6) and Glendale's Britton Spangle (189, fifth District 6) are returning state qualifiers. Walls, who missed much of the season with a broken hand, had both hands wrapped at districts so opponents wouldn't grab and pull on the hand.
"We got an extra two weeks of wrestling in," Wright said, "so I think he's going to be more prepared for this tournament."
Tyrone also has District 6 third-placers in Lukas Walk (139), Andrew Weaver (160) and Kyle Scott (172). Only Scott is a newcomer to the regional. Walk placed eighth in last year's tournament.
"Our guys know what to expect," Wright said. "They know what they're getting in to. There are no easy ways through the bracket, but I like where our guys are at. I think we're going to have a good time at the tournament."
Joining Hoover are teammates Austin McCloskey (160) and Braedan Oravecz (189), who both were fourth at the district tournament.
Claysburg-Kimmel's Brodie Soler (fifth at 127), Glendale's George Campbell (152), Central Cambria's top-seeded Karter Quick (fourth, 215), Bellwood-Antis' Ethan Norris (fourth, 285) and Central's Ty Biesinger (fifth, 114) will also be wading through deep weights in this rugged tournament.
Campbell just missed qualifying for states last season with a seventh-place finish, while Quick was eighth.
The Southwest Regional is traditionally the deepest Class 2A regional tournament in the state. The top six at every weight from District 6 are joined by the top eight from District 7 and the top three from District 5.
"The Southwest Region might be one of the toughest regions in the state," Dubler said. "There are only six guys (at every weight) who make it out, and whoever does, they're all hammers."