The District 11 Classes 2A and 3A team wrestling tournaments will take place on Saturday at Freedom’s Joseph J. McIntyre Gymnasium. The pairings for the matches are expected to be announced on Friday, although some contests have been rescheduled due to weather disruptions earlier this week.
The Class 2A field is confirmed, featuring defending champion Saucon Valley, runner-up Northwestern Lehigh, Tri-Valley, and North Schuylkill, who recently captured the Schuylkill League tournament title. The top five teams are rounded out by Lehighton. Pine Grove, Mahanoy Area, and Pen Argyl are likely to be seeded sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.
In the Class 3A division, the standings remain fluid as results from several matches this week could alter the rankings. Nazareth, Emmaus, Bethlehem Catholic, Northampton, Easton, and Whitehall are all confirmed to compete. Liberty appears to be a strong candidate for qualification after securing a 5-0 record at the Quakertown Duals last Saturday. The final spot for the eight berths is a tight race, with Notre Dame-Green Pond currently favored over Stroudsburg. The Crusaders are expected to defeat Pen Argyl in the upcoming Colonial League finale, while Stroudsburg must win all remaining matches against Pleasant Valley, Allen, and Whitehall to remain in contention.
In the District 1 3A team tournament, also scheduled for Saturday at Upper Dublin, quarterfinal matches will commence at 08:30. The matchups include No. 1 Boyertown against No. 8 Owen J. Roberts, No. 2 Council Rock South facing No. 7 Quakertown, No. 3 Central Bucks East against No. 6 Garnet Valley, and No. 4 Pennridge versus No. 12 North Penn. Semifinals and consolation rounds will follow at 10:00, with the finals set for 13:00. The top four teams from this tournament will advance to the PIAA team competition.
Only the champion of the District 1 2A title match between Faith Christian and Bristol will progress. The latest Lehigh Valley area rankings have introduced a new team, with Saturday’s tournaments likely to shake things up further. All remaining unbeaten teams have been eliminated after Delbarton narrowly defeated Faith Christian last week.
Easton found success by defeating rival Phillipsburg for the first time in the Stateliners’ new gym. Saucon Valley finished with a 4-1 record at the Quakertown Duals, their only loss coming against Liberty in the finals. Host Quakertown concluded with a 3-2 record. Upper Perkiomen secured third place at the PAC Championships, finishing behind Boyertown and Spring-Ford, with one champion among four finalists.
As the District 11 tournaments approach, the current top ten teams in the Lehigh Valley area are as follows:
1. **Faith Christian (15-1; last week: 1)**: Suffered a loss at Delbarton but secured the team title at the Coal Cracker tournament with four champions, two runners-up, and three other medalists. Competing Saturday at the District 1 Class 2A final against Bristol.
2. **Nazareth (10-1; last week: 2)**: Achieved victories over East Stroudsburg South and Freedom. Scheduled to face Pleasant Valley on Tuesday, followed by Southern Lehigh and East Stroudsburg North, and will participate in the District 11 Class 3A team tournament on Saturday.
3. **Emmaus (14-1; last week: 3)**: Recorded wins against Liberty, Parkland, and Pennridge. Scheduled to face Pocono Mountain East on Wednesday and will compete at the District 11 Class 3A team tournament on Saturday.
4. **Bethlehem Catholic (9-1; last week: 4)**: Secured wins against East Stroudsburg North and Whitehall. Competing in the District 11 Class 3A team tournament on Saturday.
5. **Notre Dame-Green Pond (7-2; last week: 5)**: Defeated Allen and faces Pen Argyl on Tuesday. Participating in the District 11 Class 3A team tournament on Saturday.
6. **Northampton (13-2; last week: 6)**: Recent victories over Pocono Mountain West and West Scranton. Competing against Allen on Wednesday, followed by the District 11 Class 3A team tournament on Saturday.
7. **Easton (11-3; last week: 7)**: Triumphed over Allen and Phillipsburg. Scheduled to face Dieruff on Wednesday and will compete at the District 11 Class 3A team tournament on Saturday.
8. **Pennridge (15-3; last week: 8)**: Secured wins against North Penn and Council Rock North but lost to Emmaus. Scheduled to face Central Bucks East on Wednesday and will compete in the District 1 Class 3A team tournament against North Penn.
9. **Whitehall (11-2; last week: 9)**: Defeated Pocono Mountain East but lost to Bethlehem Catholic. Scheduled to face Pocono Mountain West on Wednesday, Stroudsburg on Thursday, and will compete in the District 11 Class 3A team tournament on Saturday.
10. **Liberty (12-5; NR)**: Achieved victories over Saucon Valley, Delaware Valley, Delaware Military Academy, Quakertown, and West Scranton to win the Quakertown Duals. Competing at Freedom on Wednesday and at the District 11 Class 3A team tournament on Saturday.
Dropping out from the rankings is Parkland (9-6), which beat Pleasant Valley but lost to Emmaus. They are scheduled to face East Stroudsburg South on Wednesday.
Honorable mentions include Bangor (11-11), Dieruff (7-5), Lehighton (13-4), Northwestern Lehigh (10-3), Pen Argyl (6-4), Quakertown (12-7), Saucon Valley (12-3), Stroudsburg (11-4), and Upper Perkiomen (9-2).
For further updates and insights, senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at [email protected].
