Warwick senior Cody Shoenberger, who recently notched his 100th career win, will take his last shot at a sectional title on Saturday in Class AAA action at Hempfield.
With the completion of the PIAA dual meet championships, we are now ready to get to the real wrestling postseason.
The four-week marathon that is the PIAA individual championships kicks off Saturday and Warwick's Cody Shoenberger, for one, can't wait for it to begin.
"I'm pretty ready," he said earlier this week. "I've been looking forward to it for a while."
Joined by 11 other L-L Class AAA squads, Shoenberger and his Warwick teammates gather to pursue their postseason dreams Saturday morning at Hempfield.
Action begins at 9:30 a.m. with the finals set for 6 p.m. The top three place finishers advance to the District Three/South Central Regional tournament at the Hersheypark Arena, Feb. 24-25.
For Shoenberger (33-6), who recently notched his 100th career win, this weekend represents his last shot at winning a sectional title.
"This has always been a goal of mine. It might be the last time I step on the mat as a participant," he said. "It means a lot. I'm going to give it everything I've got."
Stopped three straight years in the section semifinals, he is the No. 1 seed at 160 pounds this weekend.
Not that that counts for a whole lot with him.
"I can be favored," he said, "but I've got to go out there and wrestle. I have the skill, I just have to go out there and, we'll see."
Elco's Tommy Price (11-3) is seeded second with Donegal's Jordyn Snyder (24-10) slotted third.
Warrior teammates Tom Devenney (27-2), No. 1 at 285, Colin Schnupp (23-15), seeded fourth at (145), and Josh Charles (20-9), third at 106, will ensure that Shoenberger has familiar faces accompanying him as the journey progresses.
Defending team champion Solanco is favored to repeat with Connor Sheehan (106), Ronnie Perry (113), Wink Charles (132), Joe Welk (152), Connor Moran (170) and Thomas Haines (220) all seeded first.
Manheim Township has two No. 1s — Cortlandt Schuyler (29-4) at 120 and Adam Smith (25-4) at 138 — but pulled five second seeds with David Graves (106), Matt Grossmann (113), Scott Lopez (126), Alex Smith (132) and John Shorter (182).
CV's Nate Musser (28-7) is the top seed at 126. Ephrata's Mike Lammer (16-3) is the top seed at 145, Elco's Dylan Hickernell (30-0), one of two remaining unbeaten wrestlers in the league, is No. 1 at 182 with L-S's Jeff Pickel (27-2) the top seed at 195.
At 106, Graves (26-11) has twice snatched victory from Charles (20-8) this season. Sheehan (27-7) has had the upper hand on both.
Grossmann (28-6) was second at 103 last year while Perry (31-7) was third. Perry recently broke a hex Grossmann held on him.
Schuyler (29-4) defeated Ephrata's No. 2 seed Todd Dumas (23-3) for the league title. Solanco's Austin Laws (23-13), looks to better his bronze-medal placement from last year.
It was a big jump for Musser (28-7) from 103 to 126. Will it have an effect? Lopez (21-5), and Central's Ben Metzler (27-9) hope so.
The only time in six career matches that Charles (31-6) lost to Alex Smith (24-4) was last year's 125-pound semifinals.
Penn Manor's Tyler Funk (9-2), third at 130 last year, hopes to make up for time lost this year to injury. Donegal's Terry Tirko (27-3) will be heard from.
Adam Smith (25-4) topped Ephrata's Chad Lammer for the 130-pound title in 2011, but Lammer (12-5), seeded third at 138 behind Smith and Solanco's Kyle Hammond (27-15), turned the tables on the Blue Streak junior at the league tournament. Central's A.J. Votano (24-8), a runner-up at 119, plans to derail any rubber match.
Mike Lammer was third at 145 last year and will be challenged by Schnupp (23-15), Solanco's Isaac Warren (25-15) and Elco's Zach Layser (25-11).
Looking to get back to top of the awards podium after placing second in 2011, Welk (30-5) faces challenges from Central's Ben Wise (24-15), Elco's Zach Bankus (23-8) and CV's J.P. Kramer (23-14).
Moran (32-3) is on a mission to return to the state tournament and nothing this weekend will deter the Golden Mules senior. Battling for second: Elco's Colton Dunkle (23-5), Hempfield's K.J. Pederson (26-12) and Donegal's Barry Sauder (21-7).
No one is touching Hickernell and Shorter (25-10) majored Penn Manor's third-seeded Ryland Overly (12-6) earlier this season.
Second at 189 in 2011, Pickel is scheduled to meet McCaskey's No. 2 seed CaTray Parker (26-8) for the title, if you go by the seeds. Penn Manor's third-seeded Colby Graham (28-10), for one, does not.
There is no one in the county, or the district, who will defeat Solanco's defending state champion Thomas Haines (33-0) this year. Statewide? We'll see.
CV's Brad Erb (27-8) and Hempfield's Joey Goodhart (28-7) renew their rivalry for a spot opposite Haines in the finals.
A medical issue denied Devenney the opportunity to compete at leagues. Central's second-seeded Aaron Lefever (23-6) — the league runner-up to CV's Joe Bragg (22-13) — is in the mix with Solanco's Elijah Groff (21-11) and Ephrata's Danny Matos (22-11). Bragg and Matos meet right out of the chute.
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