New Hope Academy's Brandon Murray and Greenwood's Ryan Kerstetter reach for the ball in last year's District 3-A championship game. - (PennLive.com file, 2012)

A lot is at stake tonight as the District 3-A tournament continues with four quarterfinal games, all at the homes of the higher seeds. Winners not only advance to the semifinals but earn PIAA berths as well. Losers? Well, their seasons are over.

CLICK HERE FOR A DISTRICT 3-A TOURNAMENT BRACKET

(8) Lancaster County Christian (CCAC, 17-8) at (1) Greenwood (Tri-Valley, 19-3), 7

* Jim Shipper's Lions hammered Harrisburg Academy 73-53 in the first round; Kent Houser's defending champion Wildcats earned a bye into this round and are preparing for their first postseason game. ... These teams met Dec. 20 in the regular season, with Greenwood trailing into the fourth quarter before pulling out a 41-37 road victory. ... LCC enters on an eight-game winning streak, having claimed its second straight CCAC tournament victory last week. The Lions are led in scoring by PG Jesse King (15.0 ppg). ... The balanced Wildcats won a fifth straight TVL championship and are led by versatile Josh Ferguson (12.6 ppg).

THE PICK: Greenwood by 5

(12) Harrisburg Christian (CCAC, 11-12) at (4) Covenant Christian (CCAC, 14-4), 7

* Dave Shroyer's Knights claimed an opening round upset, reversing two regular-season decision to stun No. 5 Mount Calvary 74-68 in overtime; Greg Lowe's Falcons, hunting their first PIAA playoff berth, received a first-round bye. ... These CCAC West foes split the regular-season series, the Falcons winning 63-54 on Dec. 21, and the Knights securing a 60-58 triumph Jan. 22. ... Harrisburg Christian's Connor Shroyer (24.8 ppg) is among the area's more dynamic scorers and has hit for 20+ in all but two games this season. ... Covenant PG Josiah Lowe (16.3) is one of three brothers on the roster, all sons of the head coach.

THE PICK: Covenant Christian by 4

(6) Bible Baptist (CCAC, 18-7) at New Hope Academy (independent, 16-4), 7

* Lowell Kratzer's Bobcats, with him back on the sideline after missing several weeks with a medical issue, beat Conestoga Christian 62-51 in the first round; Anthony Hall's Mighty Ants, who reached the finals last year, received a first-round bye and haven't played since Feb. 6. ... Bible Baptist, co-champs of the CCAC West, have won five of six, the lone loss coming to Lancaster County Christian in the CCAC tournament title game. ... The Bobcats are led by the Raup brothers, junior Mitch averaging 14.2 ppg, and sophomore Meritt leading with 16.5 ppg. ... New Hope, which crushed all three CCAC foes this season, is led by a freshman, Montrel Morgan, who averages 15.0 ppg.

THE PICK: New Hope Academy by 15

(7) Antietam (Berks, 13-10) at (2) Lebanon Catholic (L-L, 15-7), 7

* Mike Green's Mounts earned this spot by beating High Point Baptist 62-51 in the first round; Scott Clentimack's Beavers, idle since Feb. 5, earned a first-round bye. ... Antietam reached last year's semifinals and pocketed a state berth, while Lebanon Catholic missed the 2012 tournament. ... Andy Wrobel leads the Mounts at 13.4 ppg. ... The Beavers are led by their lone senior, 1,000-point scorer Timmy Orr (17.2 ppg).

THE PICK: Lebanon Catholic by 11

MORROW ON TWITTER: @RageAgainstGMo

Central Dauphin's 160-lb defending state champ Garrett Peppelman - (Sean Simmers, PennLive.com, 2012)

The District 3 individual wrestling tournament is here. The AA 106-pounders will take to the mats at Hersheypark Arena at 10 a.m. with action going until 10 p.m.

If you're not working, make a beeline to Hershey but if you're stuck at work and can't get to Chocolatetown you've come to the right place.

Central Pennsylvania's wrestling maven Clay Durham (don't forget to sign his Olympics wrestling petition) will be chatting all day from the Old Barn.

Joining Clay will be Twitter updates from PennLive.com's Jeremy Elliott, Jim Carlson, Bob Flounders and other esteemed Pennsylvania wrestling analysts.

District 3 individual wrestling tournament links:

• D3 Day 1 wrestling chat
• D3 wrestling tourney preview, profiles and more
• District 3 Class AAA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• District 3 Class AA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• District 3-AA championship predictions
• District 3-AAA championship predictions
• Click here for all 2012-13 wrestling brackets

Schedule:

10 a.m. -- AA round one
11:15 a.m. -- AA quarterfinals
12:45 p.m. -- AA wrestlebacks, round one
3:15 p.m. -- AAA round one
5:45 p.m. -- AAA quarterfinals, AAA wrestlebacks round one
8:30 p.m. --- AAA quarterfinals

Having problems viewing chat on mobile device?

» Click here to view the chat on a mobile device

» For District 3 wrestling stories throughout the day, click here to go to pennlive.com/wrestling

District 3 individual wrestling tournament links:

• D3 Day 1 wrestling chat
• D3 wrestling tourney preview, profiles and more
• District 3 Class AAA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• District 3 Class AA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• District 3-AA championship predictions
• District 3-AAA championship predictions
• Click here for all 2012-13 wrestling brackets

Boiling Springs' Matt Gelber scores two of his career-high 32 points in Tuesday's Round of 16 upset of Steel-High. - (VICKI VELLIOS BRINER, For PennLive.com, 2013)

We're into the District 3-AAA quarterfinals, and that means tonight's winners clinch not only a trip to the semifinals but a ticket to the PIAA tournament. Losers remain alive but have to win their PIAA berth via the consolation bracket.

CLICK HERE FOR THE DISTRICT 3-AAA BRACKET

(1) Susquehanna Twp. (Mid-Penn, 23-2) vs. (9) Northeastern (YAIAA, 17-7), Giant Center, 8

* Vince Rogers' top-seeded Indians slammed Manheim Central 74-36 in the Round of 16; Jon Eyster's Bobcats pulled a minor upset, 54-50 over Greencastle-Antrim. ... Township, led in scoring by forwards Jonas Page (12.9 ppg) and Joe Marshall (11.7), haven't yet played a YAIAA opponent this season; Northeastern split four games against Mid-Penn comp, losing handily to Steel-High (53-32) and Gettysburg (64-41) but beat Shippensburg (47-41) and, of course, Greencastle-Antrim. ... Khalid Nwandu, a 6-2 PG, leads the Bobcats and will play next season at NCAA Division I Mount St. Mary's. ... Northeastern has won nine of its last 10, though the one loss was a 91-32 shellacking vs. York in the YAIAA semifinals.

THE PICK: Susquehanna Twp. by 12

(13) Boiling Springs (Mid-Penn, 16-7) vs. (12) Palmyra (Mid-Penn, 16-7), Carlisle HS, 7:30

* Pat Dieter's Bubblers pulled the upset of the tournament so far, knocking off No. 4 Steel-High 69-64 at the Roller Pit; Pete Conrad's Cougars survived a 66-61 battle with No. 5 Gettysburg. ... Matt Gelber (16.1 ppg) piled up a career-high 32 points for Boiling Springs in the Steel-High victory. ... The Bubblers are 0-2 against Mid-Penn Keystone foes, falling to Mechanicsburg (66-51) and Trinity (73-46). ... The Cougars, led by Adam Newhard's 15.7 ppg, topped both Mid-Penn Colonial foes this season, beating James Buchanan (68-43) and Gettysburg.

THE PICK: Palmyra by 8

(3) Berks Catholic (Berks, 23-3) vs. (6) Bishop McDevitt (Mid-Penn, 17-6), Giant Center, 5

* Snip Esterly's Saints, the defending 3-AAA champs, came alive late to storm past Bermudian Springs 49-32 in the Round of 16; Jeff Hoke's Crusaders held off a late Eastern York rally to win 60-50. ... Berks Catholic, whose only three losses came vs. Mid-Penn foes back in December (Central Dauphin, Trinity, Harrisburg), have rattled off 18 straight wins, including the Berks County championship. ... McDevitt enters on a six-game roll. ... A key battle could be the Saints' 6-9 Nana Foulland (14.2 ppg) vs. the Crusaders' 6-5 Dyllon Hudson-Emory (16.3).

THE PICK: Berks Catholic by 4

(7) Lancaster Catholic (L-L, 17-7) vs. (2) Donegal (L-L, 24-1), Giant Center, 6:30

* Joe Klazas' Crusaders, veterans of the big stage, slipped past Milton Hershey 66-61 last round; Ryan Butt's senior-heavy Indians bounced Lancaster Mennonite 58-38. ... These teams met in a Section III-IV crossover way back on Dec. 14, Donegal cruising to a 64-41 victory. Both went on to win their respective sections. ... The Dietrich twins, Jason (15.2 ppg) and Martin (15.1), lead four Indians who average double figures. ... Omar Lopez (15.0) and Erik Goldbach (13.6) top the Crusaders.

THE PICK: Donegal by 11

MORROW ON TWITTER: @RageAgainstGMo

Just a couple of quick notes from the opening round of the District 3-AA  wrestling tournament Friday morning at Hersheypark Arena ...

**Man, was that quick. The first session lasted just 70 minutes as most of the bouts were lopsided.

**How lopsided? Well, by unofficial count there were 29 falls in 56 bouts.

**And the bonus-point victories didn't stop there. If you weren't pinning (or pinned), chances are you were involved in a bonus-point bout. There were 39 bonus-point results in the opening round.

**I checked with Jeremy Elliott, who heads our wrestling coverage here at Pennlive.com. Elliott told me there are seven returning champs in this year's District 3-AA field, and don't forget about past champion Adam Geiger of Trinity, who is at 195 pounds and won this tournament in 2011.
**Quickest pins? Tough to choose between Colton Dull of Bermudian Springs (160) and Matt Vines (220) of Northern Lebanon. Dull pinned Lancaster Catholic's Tom Redd in :30, and Vines dispatched of Hanover's Brent Krentler in :27.

More updates to follow as the quarterfinal round has finally gotten started. 

District 3 individual wrestling tournament links:

• D3 Day 1 wrestling chat
• D3 wrestling tourney preview, profiles and more
• District 3 Class AAA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• District 3 Class AA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• District 3-AA championship predictions
• District 3-AAA championship predictions
• Click here for all 2012-13 wrestling brackets

DISTRICT 1-AAAA

QUARTERFINALS

Upper Darby at Chester

Ridley at Abington

Coatesville at Lower Merion

Methacton at Great Valley

CONSOLATION QUARTERFINALS

Harriton at Strath Haven

Penn Wood at Norristown

Penncrest at Hatboro-Horsham

Central Bucks South at Souderton

DISTRICT 1-AAA

QUARTERFINALS

Lower Moreland at Pope John Paul II

DISTRICT 1-A

QUARTERFINALS

Plumstead Christian at Church Farm

Friends Select at Phil-Mont Christian

Jenkintown at Delco Christian

Girard College vs. Gospel of Grace Christian at Abington HS

DISTRICT 2-AAA

QUARTERFINALS

Abington Heights vs. Honesdale at Scranton Prep HS

Pittston vs. Scranton Prep at Scranton HS

Crestwood vs. Lake-Lehman at Wyoming Valley West HS

Holy Redeemer vs. GAR Memorial at Pittston HS

DISTRICT 3-AAA

QUARTERFINALS

Susquehanna Twp. vs. Northeastern at Giant Center, Hershey, 8

Boiling Springs vs. Palmyra at Carlisle HS, 7:30

Donegal vs. Lancaster Catholic at Giant Center, Hershey, 6:30

Berks Catholic vs. Bishop McDevitt at Giant Center, Hershey, 5

DISTRICT 3-A

QUARTERFINALS

Lancaster County Christian at Greenwood

Harrisburg Christian at Covenant Christian

Antietam at Lebanon Catholic

Bible Baptist at New Hope Academy

DISTRICT 4-AAA

QUARTERFINALS

Shikellamy vs. Mifflinburg at Milton HS

DISTRICT 4-AA

QUARTERFINALS

Wellsboro vs. Canton at Mansfield Univ, 8

East Juniata vs. Towanda at Montoursville HS, 8

Lewisburg vs. Mount Carmel at Danville HS, 8

DISTRICT 4-A

QUARTERFINALS

Sullivan County vs. Galeton at Mansfield Univ, 6

DISTRICT 5-AA

QUARTERFINALS

Southern Fulton at Tussey Mountain

Windber at Chestnut Ridge

DISTRICT 6-AA

QUARTERFINALS

Bald Eagle Area vs. Marion Center at Hollidaysburg Senior HS

Tyrone vs. Northern Cambria at Central Cambria HS

Penn Cambria vs. Ligonier Valley at Richland HS

Bellwood-Antis vs. Bishop McCort at Hollidaysburg Junior HS

DISTRICT 7-AAA

QUARTERFINALS

Chartiers Valley vs. South Fayette at Canon-McMillan HS

Beaver Area vs. Kittanning at North Allegheny HS

Mars vs. Uniontown at Baldwin HS

Montour vs. Thomas Jefferson at Bethel Park HS

DISTRICT 7-A

QUARTERFINALS

Lincoln Park vs. Wilkinsburg at West Allegheny HS

Union Area vs. Clairton at North Hills HS

Vincentian vs. Monessen at Keystone Oaks HS

North Catholic vs. Our Lady of Sacred Heart at North Hills HS

DISTRICT 9-A

QUARTERFINALS

Clarion at North Clarion

Ridgway at A-C Valley

Cameron County at Smethport

Elk County Catholic at Johnsonburg

DISTRICT 10-AA

QUARTERFINALS

West Middlesex vs. Iroquois at Farrell HS

Saegertown vs. Fairview at General McLane HS

Lakeview vs. Titusville at Farrell HS

Mercyhurst Prep vs. Sharpsville at General McLane HS

DISTRICT 10-A

QUARTERFINALS

VisionQuest vs. Rocky Grove at Oil City HS

Eisenhower vs. Commodore Perry at Oil City HS

DISTRICT 11-AAA

QUARTERFINALS

Pottsville vs. Lehighton at Blue Mountain HS

Blue Mountain vs. Bethlehem Catholic at Martz Hall, Pottsville

Allentown Central Catholic vs. Tamaqua at Northampton HS

Wilson Area vs. Salisbury at Catasauqua HS

DISTRICT 11-A

QUARTERFINALS

Pius X vs. Nativity at Northern Lehigh HS

Lincoln Leadership Academy vs. Salem Christian at Northern Lehigh HS

Mahanoy Area vs. Moravian Academy at Blue Mountain HS

Marian Catholic vs. Shenandoah Valley at Martz Hall, Pottsville

Annville Cleona's Josh Renninger was getting sick of looking across the mat at Lancaster Catholic's Joe Lobeck.

Losing was getting old.

Renninger has faced Lobeck three times this season and come out on the short end on each occasion. But the last one -- a 2-0 decision a week ago at sectionals -- gave the Little Dutchmen 106-pounder some confidence.

That vibe carried over to Friday's quarterfinal round of the District 3-AA Championships at Hersheypark Arena. Renninger not only beat Lobeck, he pinned him in 5:35 to earn a spot in Saturday's semifinals.

"I'm as happy as can be," Renninger, a freshman, said. "I had the mindset I was going to beat him, and I just went out and tried as hard as I could.

"This is huge for my confidence. This is the first time I've beaten him in my life, and it opens up the bottom of the bracket."

Lobeck held a 6-4 advantage and was trying a crab ride in the third period. Renninger leaned back, got his opponents foot and earned a defensive pin.

Renninger faces Upper Dauphin's Coy Campbell, a 4-2 quarterfinal winner over Brandywine Heights' Hunter Gimbor, in Saturday's 9 a.m. semifinal round.

"I had to bounce back," said Renninger of being down in his match. "My confidence was way up. Only getting beat 2-0 last week told me that I could beat him."

ELLIOTT ON TWITTER: @jelliott1011

DISTRICT 3 BOYS’ BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

CLASS AAAA

PRELIMINARY ROUND

Lampeter-Strasburg 58, Cocalico 48

Hempfield 54, Dallastown 44

Central Dauphin 51, Warwick 38

CD East 78, Lower Dauphin 56

ROUND OF 16

Harrisburg 87, CD East 61

Cumberland Valley 47, South Western 36

Wilson 65, Lampeter-Strasburg 51

Carlisle 52, Exeter 38

McCaskey 81, Central Dauphin 51

Reading 57, Elizabethtown 45

York 74, Hempfield 66

Chambersburg 40, Cedar Crest 37

SATURDAY, FEB. 23

QUARTERFINALS

1 Harrisburg (Mid-Penn, 23-2) vs. 9 Cumberland Valley (Mid-Penn, 14-9) at Giant Center, 1

4 Wilson (Berks, 19-5) vs. 12 Carlisle (Mid-Penn, 13-10) at Lebanon HS, 1

2 McCaskey (L-L, 24-2) vs. 10 Reading (Berks, 14-12) at Giant Center, 11:30 a.m.

3 York (YAIAA, 24-2) vs. 6 Chambersburg (Mid-Penn, 15-8) at Giant Center, 10 a.m.

CLASS AAA

PRELIMINARY ROUND

Lancaster Mennonite 60, Northern Lebanon 57

Manheim Central 60, Wyomissing 48

ROUND OF 16

Susquehanna Twp 74, Manheim Central 36

Northeastern 54, Greencastle-Antrim 50

Boiling Springs 69, Steel-High 64

Palmyra 66, Gettysburg 61

Donegal 58, Lancaster Mennonite 38

Lancaster Catholic 66, Milton Hershey 61

Berks Catholic 49, Bermudian Springs 32

Bishop McDevitt 60, Eastern York 50

FRIDAY, FEB. 22

QUARTERFINALS

1 Susquehanna Twp (Mid-Penn, 23-2) vs. 9 Northeastern (YAIAA, 17-7) at Giant Center, 8

13 Boiling Springs (Mid-Penn, 16-7) vs. 12 Palmyra (Mid-Penn, 16-7) at Carlisle HS, 7:30

2 Donegal (L-L, 24-1) vs. 7 Lancaster Catholic (L-L, 17-7) at Giant Center, 6:30

3 Berks Catholic (Berks, 23-3) vs. 6 Bishop McDevitt (Mid-Penn, 17-6) at Giant Center, 5

MONDAY, FEB. 25

SEMIFINALS

Susquehanna Twp/Northeastern winner vs. Boiling Springs/Palmyra winner at Giant Center, 8

Donegal/Lancaster Catholic winner vs. Berks Catholic/Bishop McDevitt winner at Giant Center, 6:30

CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS

Susquehanna Twp/Northeastern loser vs. Boiling Springs/Palmyra loser at Carlisle HS, 7

Donegal/Lancaster Catholic loser vs. Berks Catholic/Bishop McDevitt loser at Lebanon HS, 8

CLASS AA

FIRST ROUND

Brandywine Heights 48, Annville-Cleona 38 (OT)

Hanover 59, Tulpehocken 39

SATURDAY, FEB. 23

QUARTERFINALS

9 Brandywine Heights (Berks, 8-14) at 1 Trinity (Mid-Penn, 16-6), 7

5 York Catholic (YAIAA, 10-12) at 4 Columbia (L-L, 10-12), 1

7 Hanover (YAIAA, 14-9) at 2 Delone Catholic (YAIAA, 14-9), 1

6 Upper Dauphin (TVL, 16-6) at 3 Camp Hill (Mid-Penn, 13-9), 7

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27

SEMIFINALS

CLASS A

FIRST ROUND

Lancaster County Christian 73, Harrisburg Academy 53

Harrisburg Christian 74, Mount Calvary 68 (OT)

Antietam 62, High Point 51

Bible Baptist 56, Conestoga Christian 41

FRIDAY, FEB. 22

QUARTERFINALS

8 Lancaster County Christian (CCAC, 17-8) at 1 Greenwood (TVL, 19-3), 7

12 Harrisburg Christian (CCAC, 11-12) at 4 Covenant Christian (CCAC, 14-4), 7

7 Antietam (Berks, 13-10) at 2 Lebanon Catholic (L-L, 15-7), 7

6 Bible Baptist (CCAC, 18-7) at 3 New Hope Academy (Ind, 16-4), 7

MONDAY, FEB. 25

SEMIFINALS

Lancaster County Christian/Greenwood winner vs. Harrisburg Christian/Covenant Christian winner at East Pennsboro HS, 7:30

Antietam/Lebanon Catholic winner vs. Bible Baptist/New Hope Academy winner at East Pennsboro HS, 6

DISTRICT 4-AA

FIRST ROUND

Canton 52, Line Mountain 37

Mount Carmel 59, Williamson 49

Bloomsburg 49, Hughesville 45

FRIDAY, FEB. 22

QUARTERFINALS

(1) Wellsboro (21-1) vs. (9) Canton (14-9) at Mansfield U, 7:30

(4) East Juniata (18-4) vs. (5) Towanda (17-5) at Montoursville HS, 8

(2) Lewisburg (21-3) vs. (7) Mount Carmel (14-9) at Danville HS, 8

SATURDAY, FEB. 23

(3) Loyalsock (21-3) vs. (6) Bloomsburg (16-7) at Montoursville HS, 3

DISTRICT 6-AAAA

THURSDAY, FEB. 21

QUARTERFINALS

Hollidaysburg 55, Mifflin County 54

SATURDAY, FEB. 23

SEMIFINALS

(1) State College (15-7) vs. (5) Hollidaysburg (7-16) at Bald Eagle Area HS, 2:30

(2) Central Mountain (15-6) vs. (3) Altoona (11-11) at Bald Eagle Area HS, 5:30

DISTRICT 11-AA

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27

SEMIFINALS

(1) Catasauqua (16-6) vs. (4) Williams Valley (17-6), TBA

(2) Notre Dame-Green Pond (13-10) vs. (3) North Schuylkill (15-7), TBA

Central Dauphin's Zach Elvin earned a district finals berth with a 3-1 win over Central York's Dylan Chatterton. - (Joe Hermitt, jhermitt@pennlive.com)

106 POUNDS

Solanco's Connor Sheehan scored a quick takedown on Palmyra's Evan Bogdan and overwhelmed the Cougars junior in 1:35. In the other semifinal, Central Dauphin's Zach Elvin rode out Central York's Dylan Chatterton in the second period before earning an escape and takedown in the third for a 3-1 win.

113 POUNDS

Defending District champ Tanner Shoap struggled a bit against South Western's Derek Wilson but came away with a 3-0 decision. He will face aggressive Central Dauphin senior Austin Camacci, who hit a five-point move in the first and went on to score a 9-3 decision over Spring Grove's Derek Carlisle. Camacci lost to Carlisle during district team championships.

120 POUNDS

Solanco's Ronnie Perry is still dealing with a shoulder injury, but it didn't stop him from earning a 2-0 decision over Governor Mifflin's Jonah Fisher. Perry will meet Middletown's Zack Ulerick in the finals. Ulerick scored two key back points with seconds left to even his match with Spring Grove's Zack Clingan. In sudden victory, Ulerick got around on Clingan for a takedown and a 7-5 win.

126 POUNDS

Since Dustin Rook has returned to the Big Spring lineup, he has been on a mission. The Bulldogs senior pinned Susquehanna Twp.'s Owen Watkins in 3:09 to earn a finals date with Manheim Twp.'s Courtlandt Schuyler. Rook is ranked fifth in the state, while Schuyler is one spot behind in sixth.

132 POUNDS

Cumberland Valley's patrick Duggan and Middletown's Bryce Killian will renew acquaintences in the finals. Duggan downed Garden Spot's Nick Cook 9-3, and Killian built a sizeable lead against Manheim Twp.'s Alex Smith and finished off a 10-6 decision. Duggan beat Killian 6-2 during district team championships.

138 POUNDS

Tyson Dippery's pursuit of a state title is on track after his 4:58 tech fall over Manheim Central's Ben Metzler. The Rams senior will meet Big Spring's Chad Wickard in the finals. Wickard erased a 3-0 lead by Cedar Cliff's Max Good and scored two back points at the buzzer for a 5-3 win. 

145 POUNDS

Cedar Cliff's Christopher Vassar continues to be the class of the weight, blasting by Manheim Twp.'s Adam Smith via a 5:10 tech fall. Smith was ranked sixth in the state. Spring Grove's Mason Bentzel will be Vassar's opponent after he beat Solanco's Kyle Hammond 1-0.

152 POUNDS

T.C. Warner earned his 100th win in his Cumberland Valley career with a 1:17 fall over CD East's Cevon Nguyen. Warner has spent 2:09 on the mat in three matches. Chambersburg's Garett Hammond made a first-period takedown and back points stand up for a 7-2 decision over Central Dauphin's Austin Rose.

160 POUNDS

The match is set. Kennard-Dale's Chance Marsteller logged four takedowns before pinning Wilson's Andy Francos in 1:53. Central Dauphin's Garrett Peppelman put in a workmanlike 8-0 major over Mechanicsburg's Mitchell Ramsey, who entered the bout with a 32-4 mark.

170 POUNDS

Central Dauphin's Colton Peppelman gave the Rams five finalists with a tech fall over Penn Manor's mac Evarts. Peppelman will square off against Mechanicsburg's Joey Krulock in the finals. Krulock, ranked fifth in the state, bounced Garden Spot's Ben Swarr -- he is ranked third -- 7-5.

182 POUNDS

Dallastown's Cooper Deller lived up to his lofty state ranking -- he is ninth -- by decking Manheim Twp.'s John Shorter 6-0. Governor Mifflin's Marcus Johnson will be Deller's opponent after going to overtime and scoring a 6:20 fall over Big Spring's Danny Hockensmith.

195 POUNDS

Big Spring's Tommy Rayhart is one of the best stories of the tournament after majoring Eastern York's Alex Cooley -- ranked fifth in the state -- 11-2. Rayhart, ranked 18th in the state, is only a sophomore. Governor Mifflin's Jan Johnson downed Lampeter-Strasburg's Jeff Pickel 2-1 in overtime.

220 POUNDS

This weight belongs to Solanco's Thomas Haines, and he warmed up for his finals bout with a 4:08 tech fall over Mechanicsburg's Lucas Chestnut. Carlisle's Hasan Alic continued his district run with an impressive 9-8 decision over South Western's Aram Moffitt on a late takedown.

285 POUNDS

Hempfield's Joey Goodhart carved out a spot in the finals with a 5-2 decision over South Western's Devon Ackerman. He will meet Solanco's Bo Spiller, who slipped by Warwick's Tom Devenney 5-4. Goodhart and Spiller are ranked fifth and seventh in the state.

ELLIOTT ON TWITTER: @jelliott1011

District 3 individual wrestling tournament links:

• D3 Day 1 wrestling chat
• D3 tournament news, analysis, commentary and profiles
• District 3 Class AAA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• District 3 Class AA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• Click here for all 2012-13 wrestling brackets

Ladies and Gentlemen, your District 3-AA finalists ...

106 -- Fr. Tyshawn White (18-4) Bishop McDevitt vs. So. Coy Campbell (25-11) Upper Dauphin…Comment: Two youngsters trying to make names for themselves in a state where the perception is most of the best wrestlers at this weight are out west.

113 -- So. Korbin Myers (38-1) Boiling Springs vs. Sr. Alec Torres (27-1) Wyomissing…Comment: Myers, a returning state champ, is the man to beat in the state. Solid favorite against Torres.

120 -- So. Josh Giorgio (32-5) Schuylkill Valley vs. So. Grant Bond (35-5) Boiling Springs…Comment: Should be a tight one as both wrestlers registered low-scoring wins in semis.

126 -- Sr. Ryan Diehl (33-3) Trinity vs. So. Kyle Shoop (34-6) Boiling Springs…Comment: Deep water here for Shoop against the returning state champ. 

132 -- Jr. Ian Brown (32-2) Hanover vs. So. Jeffrey Inman (38-2) Annville-Cleona…Comment: Brown is a two-time state place-winner who is comfortable on the big stage. Solid showing for Inman to date.

138 -- Jr. Austin Jackson (29-10) Bermudian Springs vs. Jr. Tyler Shafer (22-6)…Comment: A pairing of two wrestlers who took the long road to finals. Jackson finished fifth in the Section I tournament, Shafer took fourth.

145 -- So. Briton Shelton (37-6) Bermudian Springs vs. So. Tyler Kauffman (24-13) Boiling Springs…Comment: A Section I rematch and Shelton, who won last week, owns a 2-1 edge over the Bubbler.

152 -- Sr. Robbie Moretz (36-0) Halifax vs. John Vaughn (33-11) Boiling Springs…Comment: Two returning state qualifiers and, by the way, not a love of ranking love statewide for Moretz, who has 110 career wins.

160 -- Sr. Quinn Frassetta (33-3) Camp Hill vs. So. Colton Dull (40-3) Bermudian Springs…Comment: Nice runs by both competitors to get this far. Frassetta got revenge on talented Biglerville's Tyler Lieberum with his 4-3 semifinal win.

170 -- Sr. Pete Renda (34-0) Brandywine Heights vs. Jr. Tristan Sponseller (41-1) Bermudian Springs…Comment: Wait, is this a district final or a state final? Renda is a three-time state place-winner, Sponseller is coming off a third-place showing in last year's PIAA tourney.

182 -- Sr. Adam Mackie (33-0) Brandywine Heights vs. Jr. Stephen Loiseau (37-1) Lancaster Catholic…Comment: Another intriguing final and a matchup of returning state qualifiers, with Mackie earning sixth at states last year.

195 -- Sr. Adam Geiger (24-2) Trinity vs. Sr. Brock Linebaugh (36-5) Bermudian Springs…Comment: No denying the talent of Geiger, who will play football at Penn State. Bigger tests await the Shamrock.

220: Sr. Joey Kaufman (35-0) Halifax vs. Sr. Calvin Barrick (25-9) Boiling Springs…Comment: Kaufman, a returning state qualifier, is the class of this field.

285: Sr. Trevor Stover (33-2) Biglerville vs. Sr. Ben Wertz (23-7) Wyomissing…Comment: Stover, sixth at states a year ago, has won his first two bouts here in a combined 1:25.

District 3 individual wrestling tournament links:

• D3 Day 1 wrestling chat
• D3 tournament news, analysis, commentary and profiles
• District 3 Class AAA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• District 3 Class AA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• Click here for all 2012-13 wrestling brackets

Schedule:

9 a.m. -- AA semifinals; wrestlebacks, round three
10:15 a.m. -- AAA semifinals; wrestlebacks, round three
11:45 a.m. -- AA wrestlebacks; semifinals
12:25 p.m. -- AAA wrestlebacks; semifinals
1:15 p.m. -- AA 3rd and 5th place
2:00 p.m. -- AAA 3rd and 5th place
6:00 p.m. -- AAA and AA finals

Zack Ulerick is one of two Middletown wrestlers to qualify for the District 3-AAA finals. - (Joe Hermitt, jhermitt@pennlive.com)

Wrestlers from 15 schools comprise Saturday night's 28 District 3-AAA finalists and Middletown has a pair of entrants.

Junior Zack Ulerick at 120 pounds battled back from a 5-2 deficit against Zach Clingan of Spring Grove in the morning semifinal round to win 7-5 in overtime.

Ulerick picked up a stall point in the third period and then tilted Clingan for a nearfall at the buzzer for a 5-5 tie and a chance in overtime. Ulerick just missed the five-count for a three-point nearfall for a last-second win.

It was all Ulerick in overtime as he took the first shot, backed out and then hit a nifty little slide-by for the winning takedown.

"On that match I thought we had to beat the ref and (Clingan),'' Middletown coach Mike Nauman said. "He wasn't calling what he needed to call.

"But I tell Ulerick to wrestle smart all year, we need to wrestle smart to get where we want to be, and we're starting to get to that point.

"I was real happy with him,'' Nauman said about Ulerick, who will face Solanco's Ronnie Perry in the finals.

Nauman said Ulerick and Perry haven't wrestled since they were freshmen, Perry winning that particular match to knock Ulerick out of the D-3 tournament.

The Blue Raiders' other finalist is senior Bryce Killian, a 10-6 winner over Alex Smith of Manheim Twp. at 132. Killian had a comfortable lead until Smith mounted a bit of a comeback in the third period.

"Killian wrestled smith and he's got that non-stop motor,'' Nauman said.
"But we have two kids in finals and I'm happy.''

District 3 individual wrestling tournament links:

• D3 Day 1 wrestling chat
• D3 tournament news, analysis, commentary and profiles
• District 3 Class AAA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• District 3 Class AA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• Click here for all 2012-13 wrestling brackets

Boiling Springs 220-pounder Calvin Barrick reacts after pinning Schuylkill Valley's Dante Giorgio. - (Joe Hermitt, jhermitt@pennlive.com)

Calvin Barrick flexed in excitment after the referees hand pounded the mat on the Hersheypark Arena floor.

It was another Boiling Springs semifinal victory.

Trailing 4-1 to Schuylkill Valley's Dante Giorgio, Barrick locked in a second-period cradle for a fall in 2:45. The victory gave the Bubblers six finalists in the District 3-AA Championships.

"I'm pretty happy with six," Boiling Springs head coach Rod Wright said. "We did well. It seemed like we faced a lot of Wyomissing kids, and they were tough.

"We were talking before the semifinals, and I thought the minimum we would get is six. It would have been nice to make up half the weight classes, but I'm still happy."

Korbin Myers (113) started the run with 3-0 victory over Bermudian Springs' Dalton Becker. Grant Bond was next up at 120, and he dispatched Bishop McDevitt's Terrence White 6-3.

The Bubblers made it three-for-three at 126, when Kyle Shoop majored Wyomissing's Jaquan Gordon 11-3. Other finalists are Tyler Kauffman (145), John Vaughn (152) and, of course, Barrick.

"Those sophomores are tough kids," Wright said. "Then you have Murphy, Taylor and Barrick doing a good job.

"Our team gets fired up for the team stuff, but this is 'me' time. The guys want to get as far as they can for next week at regionals, so we will see how we match up in the finals."

ELLIOTT ON TWITTER: @jelliott1011

District 3 individual wrestling tournament links:

• D3 Day 1 wrestling chat
• D3 tournament news, analysis, commentary and profiles
• District 3 Class AAA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• District 3 Class AA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• Click here for all 2012-13 wrestling brackets

Kellen Williams, shown last season, scored 20 points in Chambersburg's 72-47 loss to York in the District 3-AAAA quarterfinals. - (The Patriot-News file, 2012)

Even though his York Bearcats had just won in convincing fashion several minutes earlier, Tavon Parker stood comfortably in Giant Center's spacious hallways and offered his take on a decisive 72-47 victory.

Easy win. No problems. Right?

Well, there were plenty of positives, no doubt.

Yet the 6-2 senior with the area code range, a cerebral player who thoroughly critiques himself and his team's play win, lose or draw, found areas where he could improve before the Bearcats lace them up the next time.

Several of them, actually.

And this from a kid who had just scored 31 points.

Parker picked up 22 of those 31 in the opening half -- nine in the opening 2:37 as Troy Sowers' Bearcats (25-2) exploded to a 13-0 advantage that never was in jeopardy -- as York cruised into Tuesday's District 3-AAAA semis.

While none of the other York players reached double figures in the scoring column in Saturday's quarterfinal-round rout, Ohsajid Beard grabbed 11 boards and Jahaire Wilson yanked down 10 more for the YAIAA champs.

York's latest W -- the Bearcats have won 19 in a row -- put Sowers' outfit into the 3-AAAA semis for the fifth straight season and set up a return engagement with the same McCaskey side that handed them their last loss.

FOR A BOXSCORE, CLICK HERE

Kellen Williams tossed in 20 points for Chambersburg (15-9), which had its reign as District 3-AAAA champ brought to an abrupt end.

Just two minutes or so in.

Unleashing some nasty full-court pressure from the opening tip, York immediately put the Trojans under severe duress, turning Beau Gantz's club over and scoring quickly following those mistakes.

Chambersburg finished with 28 turnovers, 21 before the break.

"We always bring it defensively," Sowers said. "We start out with our full-court man. We prepare in practice, with our conditioning, to be able to play that way for 32 minutes. That's been the recipe the last few years and we're not gonna change what we do. We definitely like to force the opponent to play 94 feet.

"Defensively when they're playing us and then offensively when we make them work just to get the ball down the floor."

Let's just say everything worked.

Parker buried two treys in the opening 13-point salvo, capping the early run with an easy finish at the tin. Moments later -- after Williams finally knocked the Trojans' zero off the scoreboard -- 3-ball No. 3 was in the book.

Eventually, two more followed.

FOR AN UPDATED DISTRICT 3-AAAA BRACKET, CLICK HERE

So did a Bearcats victory.

Yet despite York's resounding success on Giant Center's large, oft-unforgiving stage, Parker wasn't totally pleased. Missed too many free throws (4-for-9) and didn't play well enough defensively against the talented Williams.

"I think I played pretty well, but I missed too many foul shots," said Parker, who opened the 3-AAAA tournament by bagging 32 points.

"I hate missing foul shots," Parker added. "Besides that, I think I played pretty well. I was open and my teammates found me. And when I wasn't open, I found my teammates and they were able to score."

Parker did the same thing three days earlier, following York's 74-66 victory over Hempfield in Wednesday's 3-AAAA round of 16, talking about how the Bearcats could learn something from each and every performance.

Saturday was the same.

"There was a lot of things," Parker said. "On defense I let Kellen score 20 points. That's too many for a game.

"I missed a couple of open shots that I should have hit, especially mid-range shots," Parker added. "It always makes me laugh when I make the tougher shots and miss the open ones."

Just part of his daily self-critique.

"As a basketball player, you always want to learn and win," Parker said. "Sometimes you learn more from your losses, but it's OK to learn from wins as well. And when we played against Hempfield, we were up 20 in the third quarter and they made a run.

"We were in a similar situation here, we were up 21 at halftime and we just wanted to not get on a run and not make it a game. We wanted 20 to go up to 30 so we could keep things loose."

No problem.

And while York tucked away yet another victory, one that propelled the Bearcats into the Tuesday's 3-AAAA semis, they also landed in the PIAA Class AAAA's 32-team playoff bracket.

Not a bad day.

Gantz, disappointed by his club's lack of intensity throughout the 32-minute exercise, wants the Trojans to forget about Saturday's loss and start thinking about Tuesday's 3-AAAA consolation semifinals.

And what not to do.

Williams was a bright spot for Chambersburg -- probably the only one -- but the Trojans need much more than that to return to states.

Parker was even brighter for the Bearcats.

"We were gonna try and make somebody else beat us," Gantz said. "I don't know why, but we let him get loose for three 3s early in the game.

"Put us in a hole. Team like that, you can't let them put you in a hole."

Not one that deep.

MICHAEL BULLOCK: mbullock@pennlive.com

BULLOCK ON TWITTER: @thebullp_n

McCaskey's Devonne Pinkard pumped in a game-high 22 points in the Tornado's 89-66 romp over Reading on Saturday. - (JEFF REINHART | PennLive.com)

HERSHEY - Devonne Pinkard paced a balanced attack with 22 points, and McCaskey blew past Reading 89-66 in a District 3-AAAA boys' basketball quarterfinal Saturday afternoon in the Giant Center.

The Red Tornado, which improved to 25-2 overall and won its 25th game in a row, jumped out to a 26-10 after the first quarter and never looked back.

McCaskey will take on York - a 72-47 winnver Chambersburg - in a semfinal game on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. back in the Giant Center.

Aaron Swinton chipped in with 18 points, Sha-Ki Staten and Keyon Cowan added 14 points apiece and Diante Cherry had 10 points for McCaskey, which had several crowd-pleasing slam dunks - including one in the second half by Cherry, who slammed down his first career prep dunk.

Gilberto Benz-Puente scored 20 points to pace Reading.

Extended story, plus video, coming up later Saturday.

REINHART ON TWITTER: @JeffReinhartPN

Central Dauphin's Garrett Peppelman enters tonight's district final against Chance Marsteller with a 43-0 mark. - (Mark Pynes, mpynes@pennlive.com)

There's not a wrestling fan in Pennsylvania, and quite likely nationally as well, who hasn't heard of Chance Marsteller or the Brothers Peppelman.

But never have those two names been in the same bracket as they will be Saturday night in the District 3 Class AAA 160-pound final.

Marsteller vs. Garrett Peppelman: The No. 1-ranked wrestler in the country against the No. 5-ranked 160-pounder.

The highly anticipated match materialized after Saturday morning's semifinal round when Peppelman won an 8-0 major decision over Mitchell Ramsey of Mechanicsburg and Marsteller toyed with Andy Francos of Wilson before pinning him in 1:53.

The match will be won from the neutral position as both wrestlers prefer to work the bulk of their offense from their feet.

Marsteller in each of his three matches thus far in this tournament has warmed up by recording a few takedown before getting serious and hitting deep fireman's carry (barrel rolls) takedowns that put his foes on their back. None of them got off.

Peppelman's approach is similar. He's quick, he often times strikes with a low single-leg and either converts that or switches to a double-leg to complete the tackle.

Marsteller appears to be a little more powerful, is certainly more stocky but is equally quick and smooth. He has international experience and reached the semifinals of the FILA Cadet World Championships last year in Baku, Azerbaijan, before defaulting because of a dislocated elbow, the second such injury he's endured.

Thus, the stage is set for tonight's clash, and Peppelman is ready.

"He (Marsteller) has a lot of good things,'' Peppelman said. "He has a lot of dumps, a lot of high crotch, a lot of underhooks. He's a fantastic wrestler.

"I'm excited,'' Peppelman said. "There's no stress. No nerves. Just go out there, have fun. May the best man win.''

A refreshing approach, for sure.

There's little doubt the match is a big deal. And no matter how good it might be, the added bonus for wrestling fans is that could happen again in two weeks in the PIAA state finals.

Matchups such as this can do wonders for the sport as well.

"I think it's great for the sport,'' said Central Dauphin coach Jeff Sweigard. "Two state champions, two kids who are ranked nationally. I think it's nothing but good for the sport, especially in our area.''

Peppelman, Sweigard said, is usually the guy at the top of the bracket who others are going after. "Now the tables are turned a little bit and he has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

"That's how we look at it because he (Marsteller) is obviously top dog. That's kind of how we have to approach it.''

That's how Garrett's brother, Walter, a senior two-time All-American wrestler at Harvard, is advising his brother as well.

"Go out there, enjoy the moment, have fun and take it to him,'' Walter said earlier this week. "Don't worry about the result. It's about having his best performance today.

"And we believe if he wrestles his hardest, if he does everything he's been trained to do, he really can't lose because it's just a matter of going out there and performing your best.''

The excitement is in the opportunity, Walter said.

"He's excited about the opportunity to wrestle the best guy in the country and that's what Chance Marsteller is, the best guy in the country, probably in any weight class,'' Walter said.

"A true competitor is going to take that opportunity and that's the way that Garrett's looking at it.

"It's a challenge and it's something that he's excited about and he's ready for.''

Cedar Cliff senior Julia Jagannath finished third at the District 3-AAA Girls' Diving Championships. - (The Patriot-News File, 2012)

Cedar Cliff senior Julia Jagannath came into Saturay morning's District 3-AAA Girls' Diving Championships at Governor Mifflin Intermediate School with the target on her back.

The defending 3-AAA champ, however, didn't need to look far to know who would be chasing after her coveted gold medal.

Close friends and club teammates Rachel McCormick of Central Dauphin and Rebecca Gross of Northeastern were just as anxious to lay claim as the district's best.

And for nine of the 11 round Saturday, Jagannath fended off the challenges from Gross and McCormick. But in the 10th round, Gross raised her level just enough to squeeze to the top of the field and unseat Jagannath as the new District 3-AAA champion.

McCormick, who was edged out by Jagannath just a short time ago at the Mid-Penn Conference meet, grabbed the silver medal, while Jagannath settled for the bronze.

All three girls, along with Dover's Morgan Stambaugh, Dallastown's Lizzie Rothrock, Hempfield Brianna DiGillio and Central Dauphin's Becca Beachler earned berths in the upcoming PIAA Class AAA Championships at Bucknell University.

Gross' final total was 391.85, McCormick finished with a 384.70, while Jagannath's total was 384.55.

Jagannath held a seven-point lead over Gross and an eight-point advantage over McCormick after the first dive of the finals (ninth round). But Gross pulled off a nice forward, 1 1/2 with a twist to take over the lead.

She increased that advantage with a back 1 1/2 pike on her final dive, while McCormick was solid with her back somersault with 1 1/2 twists, which garnered her a second straight 3-AAA silver.

FOLLOW ON TWITTER: @JohnnyTusc

Big Spring's wrestling team missed qualifying for the District 3-AAA Team Championships, but Dave Cox's squad is making up for it this weekend at the Hersheypark Arena.

The Bulldogs have already placed three wrestlers in the finals. Dustin Rook (126), Chad Wickard (138) and sophomore Tommy Rayhart (195) will be looking for titles at 6 p.m. Satuday night.

What is more impressive is the grit the Bulldogs have shown in the consolation rounds.

Greg Warner was forced to go from 126 to 145 in the postseason because he lost to Rook in a challenge match. He's made the transition look easy and qualified for the state tournament with a 3-2 decision over Solanco's Kyle Hammond to qualify for states.

Cody Seibert scored the biggest win of the day in his 170 consi semifinal, when he pinned Garden Spot's Ben Swarr in 2:41. He has also qualified for the state tournament.

Both Warner and Seibert will be wrestling for third-place during the Saturday afternoon place matches.

ELLIOTT ON TWITTER: @jelliott1011

District 3 individual wrestling tournament links:

• D3 Day 1 wrestling chat
• D3 tournament news, analysis, commentary and profiles
• District 3 Class AAA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• District 3 Class AA: Winners brackets | Wrestleback brackets
• Click here for all 2012-13 wrestling brackets