Boyertown will have six PAC-10 individual champions back as it tries to defend its team title. But several other teams return a solid core and a couple of second-division teams are ready to make a run this time around.
Throw in four new head coaches - Jared Every (Pope John Paul II), Jared Dubbs (Perkiomen Valley), Alec Bown (Phoenixville), and Sam Walters (Upper Perkiomen) - and all of this should make for an interesting season in what many consider to be the strongest wrestling league in District 1.
Here are five things to watch:
1. Can Boyertown survive a rugged schedule?
The Bears will take part in three major tournaments while trying to win another PAC-10 title.
"This year is a big year for Boyertown wrestling," said coach Pete Ventresca. "We are celebrating our 50th year of wrestling and we are also capable of earning our 600th win as a program.
"This team returns a solid nucleus of talented underclassmen that is bolstered by some seasoned upperclassmen. We are excited to try and better our performance from last year. As a team, we have been working hard in the offseason and we hope this will pay dividends as we battle through a schedule that includes three of the top tournaments in the country - King of the Mountain, Beast of the East and Escape the Rock - a showdown with the No. 3 team in the state last year (Cumberland Valley), and nine dual meets in the toughest league in all of District 1, the PAC-10."
2. Can OJR return to the top?
The Wildcats had won three straight PAC-10 titles, while going undefeated each time, before being dethroned by Boyertown last season. But they bring back three state qualifiers as part of a large senior class.
"We look forward to competing against the talented teams in the PAC-10," said coach Stephen DeRafelo, whose team compiled overall 20-2 records during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. "The other teams in our league are well-coached and the kids are always prepared to compete at a high level. We need to do the right things in practice every day if we hope to be competitive."
3. Is this the year for Pottsgrove?
The Falcons graduated only state qualifier Nico Demetrio (116-43 career record) and return state runner-up Patrick Finn, four underclassmen who won at least 25 matches last season - Ryan Finn, Evan Weneck (two-time Pennsylvania representative to the Greco and Freestyle National Championships in Fargo, N.D.), Chris DeFrancesco, and Kylif Underwood - and two juniors who are expected to be key contributors after missing most of last year with injuries in Ethan McCarrick and Nate Miller.
4. Can Pottstown rebound?
The young Trojans fell to 12-13 overall last year following a 22-9 season.
"Pottstown will still be a young team this year with only one senior projected to be in the starting lineup," said coach Brad Bechtel. "Bryant Wise is a returning state qualifier, along with Logan Pennypacker (fourth place District 1 West) and Mason Pennypacker (district qualifier). We are hopeful we will be competitive in the always tough PAC-10, and try to field a full lineup for every match.
"We have a few experienced freshmen joining the team this year and will be looking to them to be productive all season as well. We're looking forward to Bubba Gephart, Alex Humma and Ray Bumbarger (all returning from injuries last year) getting back into the starting lineup and staying healthy all year."
5. Can PJP field a full lineup?
The Golden Panthers forfeited four or five bouts in every PAC-10 match last season. But they hope to correct that with the help of a large group of freshmen in the school's fifth year of competition.
"We have a lot of freshmen and that will increase our numbers," said first-year coach Jared Every, a Kennedy-Kenrick graduate who was a PJP assistant the past two years. "We should have a much fuller, if not full lineup. We're still a growing program in our infant stages at a newer school."
Contact Dennis Weller: 610-371-5061 or dweller@readingeagle.com.
