The District 11 Classes 2A and 3A wrestling team tournaments are set to take place on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at Freedom’s Joseph J. McIntyre Gymnasium. The pairings for the events will be announced on Friday, following numerous rescheduled matches due to adverse weather conditions earlier this week.
The Class 2A field is finalized, showcasing a competitive lineup featuring the defending champion Saucon Valley and the returning runner-up Northwestern Lehigh. Other strong contenders include Tri-Valley and North Schuylkill, the latter having recently claimed the team title at the Schuylkill League tournament. Lehighton rounds out the top five teams expected to perform well. The anticipated seeds for the tournament position Pine Grove, Mahanoy Area, and Pen Argyl as sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.
In contrast, the Class 3A field remains fluid, with potential changes depending on the outcomes of several matches scheduled later this week. Nazareth, Emmaus, Bethlehem Catholic, Northampton, Easton, and Whitehall have already secured spots in the tournament. Liberty has solidified its position after an impressive 5-0 performance at the Quakertown Duals, making them a likely participant. The race for the final berth is tight, with Notre Dame-Green Pond currently ahead of Stroudsburg. The Crusaders are favored to defeat Pen Argyl in the upcoming Colonial League finale, while Stroudsburg must win three matches this week against Pleasant Valley and two others to keep their hopes alive.
As for the District 1 3A team tournament, it will resume on the same day at Upper Dublin. Early matches begin at 08:30 and include match-ups such as No. 1 Boyertown vs. No. 8 Owen J. Roberts, and No. 2 Council Rock South against No. 7 Quakertown. Semifinals and consolation matches will follow at 10:00, with finals scheduled for 13:00. The top four teams will advance to the PIAA team tournament.
The Faith Christian team will face Bristol for the District 1 2A title, with only the champion progressing to the next round.
In the latest Lehigh Valley area rankings, there is one new entry, with Saturday’s tournaments expected to further shake up the standings. All remaining unbeaten teams have been eliminated, following a narrow defeat of Faith Christian by Delbarton in last week’s dual meet in New Jersey, where 14 weight classes were contested. Meanwhile, Easton triumphed over their rivals, Phillipsburg, marking a significant victory in the Stateliners’ new gym.
In terms of tournament preparation, Saucon Valley achieved a 4-1 record at the Quakertown Duals, losing only to Liberty in the final. The host team, Quakertown, finished with a 3-2 record. Upper Perkiomen secured third place in the team race behind Boyertown and Spring-Ford at the 12-team PAC Championships, boasting one champion among four finalists and ten medalists.
Current Lehigh Valley area rankings as of Tuesday are as follows:
1. Faith Christian (15-1; 1) – Lost at Delbarton, won team title at Coal Cracker with four champions, two runners-up, and three other medalists; set to compete Saturday at District 1 Class 2A final vs. Bristol.
2. Nazareth (10-1; 2) – Victorious against East Stroudsburg South and Freedom; matches this week include Tuesday vs. Pleasant Valley and Wednesday vs. Southern Lehigh and East Stroudsburg North.
3. Emmaus (14-1; 3) – Defeated Liberty, Parkland, and Pennridge; scheduled for a match against Pocono Mountain East on Wednesday and competing Saturday at District 11 Class 3A team tournament.
4. Bethlehem Catholic (9-1; 4) – Wins over East Stroudsburg North and Whitehall; competing Saturday at District 11 Class 3A team tournament.
5. Notre Dame-Green Pond (7-2; 5) – Beat Allen; match against Pen Argyl on Tuesday and competing Saturday at District 11 Class 3A team tournament.
6. Northampton (13-2; 6) – Victorious against Pocono Mountain West and West Scranton; match against Allen on Wednesday followed by Saturday’s District 11 Class 3A team tournament.
7. Easton (11-3; 7) – Beat Allen and Phillipsburg; scheduled to face Dieruff on Wednesday and compete Saturday at District 11 Class 3A team tournament.
8. Pennridge (15-3; 8) – Wins against North Penn and Council Rock North, lost to Emmaus; facing Central Bucks East on Wednesday and competing Saturday at District 1 Class 3A team tournament vs. North Penn.
9. Whitehall (11-2; 9) – Beat Pocono Mountain East but lost to Bethlehem Catholic; matches scheduled against Pocono Mountain West on Wednesday and Stroudsburg on Thursday, followed by Saturday’s District 11 Class 3A team tournament.
10. Liberty (12-5; NR) – Achieved victories against Saucon Valley, Delaware Valley, Delaware Military Academy, Quakertown, and West Scranton to win the Quakertown Duals; competing Wednesday at Freedom and Saturday at District 11 Class 3A team tournament.
Dropping out of the top ten rankings is Parkland (9-6), which lost to Emmaus after beating Pleasant Valley; they have a match against East Stroudsburg South on Wednesday.
Honorable mentions include teams such as Bangor, Dieruff, Lehighton, Northwestern Lehigh, Pen Argyl, Quakertown, Saucon Valley, Stroudsburg, and Upper Perkiomen.
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at [email protected] for further inquiries.
