106 Pounds

#4 Kyle Waterman (Council Rock South) vs. #9 Dante Frinzi (Bethlehem Catholic)

Returning State Medalist Kyle Waterman will have a tough draw to start the State Tournament with rookie Dante Frinzi. Neither wrestler had the regional tournament they wanted as they each took second. The last time they met was in the PIAA State Dual Team Tournament with Waterman winning the match (2-0). Frinzi is long and will need to control the action from his feet if he wants a chance at winning. 

 

120 Pounds

#3 Cameron Enriquez (Stroudsburg) vs. #6 Cole Wilson (Northeastern)

This is just nasty! The 120 pound bracket is full of studs and two of them will meet in the first round. Both wrestlers are PIAA State Medalists from a season ago at different weights. Both lost to formidable opponents in the Regional finals. Enriquez was a POWERade runner-up this season after taking out State Champion Ryan Sullivan (Shaler) whereas Cole Wilson has plowed through all his opponents, picking up 23 total falls this season.

 

#9 Killian Delaney (West Chester Henderson) vs. #13 Christian Fisher (Mifflin County)

This is a re-match of the 2018 PIAA State Tournament quarterfinals in which Delaney won (4-2) over Fisher. Delaney, of course, would go on to make the State Finals at 113 pounds, while Fisher would earn his second straight PIAA State Medal , finishing in eighth place. Fisher could be banged up as he defaulted in the Northwest Regional finals against Lane Aikey but if he is healthy it should be a good bout.

 

138 Pounds

#2 Jeff Boyd (McDowell) vs. #7 Ty Linsenbigler (Hempfield Area)

Last year Jeff Boyd shocked fans when he came into the GIANT Center and captured the 132 pound Championship title over Colton Camacho. Now in his senior year Boyd, a West Virginia recruit, has been on and off with injuries that have plagued him. He forfeited in the Northwest Regional finals to Ed Scott thus giving him a tough draw to start. He will take on #7 Ty Linsenbigler who could send shockwaves if he picks up a win. Linsenbigler is a terror on his feet and has good mat awareness. Don’t be surprised to see the State Champ Boyd go down.

 

160 Pounds

#19 Patrick O’Neill (North Penn) vs. #21 Ethan Baney (South Western)

They may not be ranked very high but these two are meeting in the preliminary round and both were State Medalists last year. O’Niell took 7th while Baney was 8th at 152 pounds. In that match O’Neil pinned Baney in the first period. So why watch? Because the winner feeds into Southwest Regional Champion Jack Blumer who DNP last year in the same weight.

 

170 Pounds

#8 Nick Delp (Kiski Area) vs. #9 Dillon Keane (Bradford)

Bradford senior Dillon Keane has quietly put together an undefeated season that lands him in his first PIAA State Tournament. He was a runner-up at The Surge by PA Power Wrestling in November to Jack Blumer but has been impressive this season winning the Northwest Regional title with ease. He will take on junior and returning PIAA State Qualifier Nick Delp who had a set-back last weekend against Jon Hoover (North Allegheny) in the semifinals. This should be fun.

#3 Luke Nichter (Chambersburg) vs. #8 Angel Garcia (Mariana Bracetti)

Escape The Rock Finals rematch in the first round of States? I’ll take it! Luke Nichter was getting beat by Garcia for most of the match in the 170 pound ETR finals but he stormed back late in the third period to pick up the win. Garcia has to feel good about the match-up considering he took third in the Northeast Regional despite going in ranked #1. We’ll see if Nichter can make adjustments in this one to ensure he doesn’t have to mount a late comeback this time around.

 

182 Pounds

#5 Chase Mielnik (Downingtown West) vs. #8 Steven Newell (Dallas)

Mielnik is making his first appearance in Hershey while Newell is in his second trip to the GIANT Center. Newell had a set-back in the Regional finals to Dominic Falcone (Easton) but will look to rebound with a solid win over Mielnik. 182 pounds is not the deepest of weights but a top ten match-up in the first round nonetheless. 

 

195 Pounds

#4 Ethan Seeley (Great Valley) vs. #6 Donovon Ball (Cedar Cliff)

A HUGE match here at 195 pounds between two seniors. Fun fact, both these wrestlers come in with 118 career wins. Seeley is in his first trip to Hershey whereas Ball was fifth here last year. Seeley had an impressive win over Jacob Miller in Districts but fell in a re-match a week later at Regionals. Ball, a Penn State recruit, got beat by Northern’s Kyle Swartz two weeks in a row and is rewarding with this first round challenge. 

 

285 Pounds

#4 Raymond Christas (Dallastown) vs. #6 Nathaniel Hoaglund (Mount Lebanon)

Two Top Ten heavyweights go at it in the first round. Both wrestlers are making their first trip to Hershey as they were Regional runner-ups. Hoaglund is going to UPenn and Christas was undefeated going into the post-season and his only two defeats this year are to Michael Wolfgram. Both wrestlers are eyeing spots on the podium.