Need to know more about the teams that have made it to Giant Center for today's start of the PIAA Team Wrestling Championships, PennLive has you covered.
Below is a brief overview of each team in the top half of a loaded Class AAA bracket. Teams are in order of first-round match-ups.
Cumberland Valley (16-1)
Mascot: Eagles. Coach: Dave Heckard. PIAA Team Championship appearance: Ninth.
How did they get here: Defeated six-time District 3 champion Central Dauphin 39-24 to win their seventh district title.
Wrestlers to watch: Will Kaldes (106), Alex Wolfe (132), Patrick Duggan (138), Felix Belga (145), TC Warner (152).
Skinny: The Eagles enter the tournament as the No. 3 team in the state according to papowerwrestling.com, and they have earned it. Heckard's crew has a three-point win over Nazareth, two double-digit scores over Central Dauphin and pushed Boyertown to the brink before losing 28-25. The Eagles do damage in the middle, sometimes bumping Wolfe, Duggan, Belga and Warner up a spot to get better match-ups. If the Eagles can get by North Allegheny in first round, they are in line to place.
North Allegheny (13-1)
Mascot: Tigers. Coach: Jamie Kyriazis. PIAA Team Championship appearance: Third.
How did they get here: Lost in District 7 semifinals to Franklin Regional 49-25 before beating Canon-McMillan 29-28 for third. Beat Taylor Allderdice 72-6 in state preliminary round.
Wrestlers to watch: Luke Landefeld (113), Scott Stossel (120), Domenic Forys (126), Jake Hinkson (132), Clay Byerly (182), Zach Smith (195).
Skinny: There is no question where the power in state team wrestling lies. The Tigers are ranked sixth in the state but ran into Franklin Regional in the D-7 semifinals. Look out for the bottom of this order, as points can come in droves from this bunch. If the Tigers can garner valuable bonus points down below and Jesse Rodgers (138) returns from a knee injury, they might be able to upend Cumberland Valley in the first round and have a clear shot at the semifinals.
Central Mountain (13-0)
Mascot: Wildcats. Coach: Doug Buckwalter. PIAA Team Championship appearance: Sixth.
How did they get here: The top-seeded Wildcats beat Mifflin County 26-25 in the District 6 championship.
Wrestlers to watch: Demetri Probst (145), Chad Reese (160), Gavin Caprio (170), Cameron Porter (220).
Skinny: This year's team doesn't have the bonus-point punch of past squads, but it brings some depth and a spotless 13-0 mark to Giant Center. The big guns of this lineup — Probst, Reese, Caprio and Porter — have combined for 82 wins, but how far this team goes depends on how well the lighter weights can save points. The Wildcats face stacked Parkland in Thursday's first round and will need every point to advance.
Parkland (18-2)
Mascot: Trojans. Coach: Ryan Nunamaker. PIAA Team Championship appearance: Fourth.
How did they get here: Lost to Nazareth in District 11 championship on criteria and beat Liberty 36-22 for true second spot. Downed Garnet Valley 35-20 in pig-tail round.
Wrestlers to watch: Jacob Lizak (113), Ethan Lizak (120), Josh Ortman (152), Nezar Haddad (195), Omar Haddad (220).
Skinny: Pesky Nazareth. If not for the Blue Eagles, the Trojans, ranked fifth in the state, would not only be undefeated, they would be District 11 champs. This is a balanced attack that has studs in the lower, middle and upper weights, making the Trojans a tough out. Look for Nunamaker's crew to blow by Central Mountain and be a thorn in the side of Cumberland Valley or North Allegheny.
Jersey Shore (13-2)
Mascot: Bulldogs. Coach: Shawn Weaver. PIAA Team Championship appearance: Fourth.
How did they get here: Beat Shikellamy 39-28 in the District 4 championship.
Wrestlers to watch: Zondory Hunter (106), Colton Killion (152), Dominic Loffredo (182).
Skinny: The Bulldogs don't have one wrestler on the roster standing in the state rankings, according to papowerwrestling.com. Still, Weaver returns 16 wrestlers from last year's state qualifying team and is coming off a third District 4 title. The problem for the Bulldogs is that they face District 7 runner-up Greater Latrobe in Thursday's first round. Ouch.
Greater Latrobe (12-2)
Mascot: Wildcats. Coach: Tad Harbert. PIAA Team Championship appearance: Second.
How did they get here: Beat Canon-McMillan 42-20 to make the District 7 finals. Lost to Franklin Regional 42-19.
Wrestlers to watch: Ethan McCoy (113), Luke Pletcher (120), Ethan Smith (145), Jake Shaffer (152), Dom Scalise (160), Zach Zavatsky (182).
Skinny: We like this team...a lot. The foursome of Pletcher, Shaffer, Scalise and Zavatsky are a combined 99-7 this year and anchor a deep lineup that boasts 10 wrestlers with 15 or more wins. The Wildcats, another District 7 power, are on a collision course with Boyertown in a heavyweight quarterfinal tilt. Get past the Bears, and the Wildcats have a good shot at making the finals.
Boyertown (21-0)
Mascot: Bears. Coach: Pete Ventresca. PIAA Team Championship appearance: Sixth.
How did they get here: Was the No. 1 seed in District 1 and beat Spring-Ford in the championship match 31-21.
Wrestlers to watch: Jakob Campbell (106), Lucas Miller (126), Ed Kriczky (138), Gregg Harvey (160), Cody Richmond (170), Mike Fretz (182), Jordan Wertz (195), Jordan Wood (220).
Skinny: The Bears have decimated most of their schedule and are ranked No. 2 in the state. Impressive wins over Cumberland Valley (28-25) and fellow District 1 entry Spring-Ford make Ventresca's squad a contender in the upper half of the bracket. With nine wrestlers over 20 wins — Kriczky and Wertz are over 30 — the Bears have the strength and balance to get past Greater Latrobe and contend for a spot in the finals.
Wyoming Valley West (17-4)
Mascot: Spartans. Coach: Drew Feldman.PIAA Team Championship appearance: Three.
How did they get here: Beat Pittston 43-29 in the District 2 championship.
Wrestlers to watch: Travis Roper (132), Nathan Cheek (145), Cody Cordes (160).
Skinny: The last time the Spartans qualified for a trip to Hershey in the state duals was 2001. Feldman's team is led by the trio of Roper, Cheek and Cordes, who boast a combined record of 85-8, along with five other wrestlers with 15 or more wins. We liked the Spartans chances to possibly steal a first round win until we found out they would face Boyertown.