HS Wrestling Notebook: Schuylkill League season set to open
Pottsville's Terrell McFarland celebrates with family and coaches after recording the 100th win over his career Saturday, Dec. 6. (Photo courtesy of Pottsville Athletics)
A busy wrestling week begins Wednesday as the Schuylkill League opens its season with four dual meets.
Weather permitting, of course, and of course the forecast doesn’t look good.
Nevertheless, each division has a headliner.
In Division II, defending champion Pine Grove will go on the road to Mahanoy Area to take on a rapidly improving Golden Bears squad. The Cardinals are coming off a third-place finish in the Darren Klingerman Invitational at Bloomsburg. Pine Grove crowned a champion in Colby Townley and had a runner-up in Aaron Osatchuck. The Bears finished sixth in the same event as Rory Dixon and Kyler Quick won titles and freshman Arturo Reyes earned silver. Should be a good one.
In Division I, Blue Mountain will host Pottsville for bragging rights and an early leg up in the standings. Expect both teams to bring lots of intensity as usual when the Eagles and Crimson Tide clash.
Panther Valley at North Schuylkill and Schuylkill Haven at Williams Valley round out Wednesday’s boys’ league action.
Also Wednesday, North Schuylkill will host Pine Grove in girls’ dual meet. The Cardinals have an established program, while the Spartans are putting a girls’ team on the mat for the first time.
A crowded weekend is ahead as well seven boys’ teams and three girls’ squads will be in action.
At 4:30 p.m. Friday, Blue Mountain will host its annual Gauntlet Wrestling Tournament. Tri-Valley, Allentown Central Catholic, Pleasant Valley, Sugar Valley Rural Charter and William Allen round out the field. Each team will compete in five dual meets.
At the same time in Tamaqua, the Blue Raider Duals for girls will be held. In addition to the hosts, North Schuylkill, Catasauqua, Col-Mon Vo-Tech, Hamburg, Jim Thorpe, Kutztown, Lehighton and Wilson Area are slated to participate.
North Schuylkill and Pottsville will wrestle in two-day individual tournaments. The Spartans will head to the 22-team Carlisle Tournament to battle Southern Columbia, Newport, Bermudian Springs and a host of other District 3 schools. The Crimson Tide will wrestle in the 27-team Penn Manor Tournament, facing the likes of Bethlehem Liberty, Central Bucks South, Governor Mifflin, Lower Dauphin, Norwin, State College and more.
Saturday, Mahanoy Area and Williams Valley will join host Tamaqua for the boys’ version of the Blue Raider Duals. Central Dauphin, Emmaus, Col-Mon Vo-Tech, Berks Catholic, Abington Heights, Hanover Area, Lehighton, Salisbury, Bangor and Berwick are also entered. Each team will wrestle six times.
On the girls’ side, Panther Valley will compete in the 42-team Escape the Rock on Saturday and Sunday at North Penn High School. Bethlehem Liberty, Nazareth, Palisades, Parkland and Southern Lehigh are other District 11 teams in the field.
Century mark
Congratulations go out to Pottsville senior Terrell McFarland, who rolled off six victories at the Case-Flynn Duals to surpass 100 wins for his career. McFarland has started the season 7-0 to raise his career mark to 103-16.
McFarland has his sights set on a big senior season that he hopes ends with a medal in Hershey. If that happens, he has a chance to catch his brother, Parrish McFarland, who holds the Tide’s career wins record at 146-30, set in 2024. Nick Onea (145-44 in 2019) and Luke Gardner (144-28 in 2016) follow on Pottsville’s list.
Next in line for the 100-win club could be Mahanoy Area’s Kyler Quick, who won four bouts at the DKI to get to 98-44.
