What's new? What's not? Questions abound ahead of 2023-24 D-10 high school wrestling season

Many wrestling-related questions are answered each December.

Who are the favorites this postseason? What will lineups look like?

How much weight did everyone gain (or lose) in the offseason?

We’ll learn all that and more in the coming weeks. Before wrestlers step on the scales and mats, however, it’s all speculation.

Some things stayed the same through the offseason — District 10 still has five teams in Class 3A and 27 in 2A. The 13 weight classes used by PIAA are the same — 107, 114, 121, 127, 133, 139, 145, 152, 160, 172, 189, 215 and 285 pounds.

Cathedral Prep and McDowell will again aim to fend off their large-school challengers from the south while small-school powers such as Fort LeBoeuf, Reynolds and General McLane again look strong.

The race to March is anything but a sprint, but it must start somewhere. And starting lines across the state all have the same target destination — Hershey and the PIAA tournament.

Wrestlers to Watch: Meet the Erie Times-News' Top 25 District 10 Wrestlers to Watch this winter

What’s new?

Cathedral Prep was D-10’s best large-school program last season, albeit not by much. The Ramblers edged Hickory in the Class 3A team semis before beating McDowell in a tight final, and Prep’s victory over runner-up McDowell in the individual tournament was by a single point.

The top four programs in Class 3A (Prep, McDowell, Hickory and Meadville) finished within 15 points of one another at districts.

So, have Prep’s challengers gained ground? That gap might not be an easy one to close.

“A lot of our kids look a lot better,” said Prep head coach Mike Hahsey, whose program is seeing better participation numbers than in recent years. “I think it’s just because they’re a year older. They’re harder workers, they’re stronger and they’re much more mentally tough than they were last year.”

Hahsey figures his junior class will take a large step forward and he’s encouraged by his underclassmen, which will fill out a full Prep lineup. At McDowell, head coach Josh Knapp has an inexperienced yet dedicated group.

“Our mentality is McDowell vs. the world,” Knapp said. “We’re going to do things our way, work hard and have fun. We want to maximize the potential of the kids in the room.”

McDowell has 30 wrestlers, more than in recent years. Knapp said middleweights could be the lineup’s strength.

Usual suspects

Fort LeBoeuf is again regarded among the state’s best Class 2A teams. That includes both tournament scoring and dual meets, the former in which the Bison won D-10 last year.

Reynolds beat LeBoeuf for the D-10 dual meet crown, but the Bison avenged that loss on their way to the PIAA team final. This Bison group oozes experience and is strongest in the middle and upper weights.

“We have a very seasoned group of wrestlers,” said FLB head coach Shane McChesney. “We’re going to be pretty senior-heavy, so the experience they bring to the beginning of the season — knowing the grind of what has to happen through December and trying to get in shape and mentally get where they need to be — that experience is going to help them.”

Reynolds looks as strong as any Class 2A program not named LeBoeuf. General McLane and Corry are again expected to compete in the small schools while Sharpsville and Grove City each return multiple PIAA qualifiers.

“This is a brand new team and I talk about not relying on what we did last year,” McChesney said. “We have to look forward and set our goals, and setting those goals help our boys stay focused on what we need to do.”

Unorthodox approaches

General McLane wanted to be the first team on the mats this season.

So, on Nov. 17, the first day PIAA permits winter athletic practices, the Lancers practiced at midnight.

“We’re always trying to do something different,” said GM head coach Ryan Cook. “Wrestling doesn’t always get all the glory, so we’re trying to put our team and the hard work of our student-athletes out there as much as possible. We want people to see that wrestling is a really cool sport once you get into it.”

Cook predicts a balanced Lancer lineup with big names at the upper weights and up-and-comers to round out the lighter weights. Instead of attending a tournament opening weekend, GM will host Reynolds for a scrimmage which will be operated like a dual meet.

“I think we have a very talented, hard-nosed group,” Cook said. “We are in a very lucky area because wrestling is important in Edinboro. We work with a strong base within our community.”

Important dates

Regular-season competition opens with tournaments Friday and Saturday, and most teams kick off their dual meet schedule either Dec. 6 or Dec. 13.

D-10 team postseason schedules have not yet been revealed but the district's individual postseason will begin Feb. 17 with its Class 3A tournament at Meadville. On Feb. 23-24, the D-10 Class 2A tournament will be wrestled at Sharon and the Class 3A Northwest regional at Altoona, and Class 2A will return to Sharon March 1-2 for its regional.

The 2024 PIAA tournament will be March 7-9.

Last year's districts: Which wrestlers won at D-10's hybrid District 10 3A, section AA tournaments? Find out here

Last year's state tournament: PIAA wrestling live updates for Saturday: Area wrestlers seek medals on final day

Contact Jeff Uveino at juveino@timesnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter,@realjuveino.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: District 10 high school wrestling: What to expect for 2023-24 season