The North Penn-Liberty Mounties and the Williamson Warriors will each send two wrestlers to States.

For Liberty, brothers Brayden Pequignot (127 pounds), a senior, and sophomore Bryce Pequignot (114 pounds) each make their second appearance in Hershey after both qualified a season ago. 

Bryce dropped his first two matches as a freshman 107-pounder at States last season while Brayden earned a win on the State’s biggest stage but was eliminated with a pair of losses. 

Williamson sends junior Luke Sottolano (285 pounds) and freshman Zander Wilson (107 pounds) to Hershey .. the Warriors’ first representatives at States since 2022 when senior duo Kade Sottolano, now wrestling at Division 1 Edinboro, and Mikey Sipps, who wrestles and plays football at d3 Lycoming, both qualified and Kade brought home a 4th-place medal.

Brayden Pequignot (30-11) will see the first action at States for our Tioga County contingent, having placed 4th at Regionals and set to wrestle a pigtail match where he’ll face Marion Center junior Griffin Tinsman (29-14), the 6th-place finisher in the Southwest Regional. 

The two have not faced each other but do have a recent, common opponent in Sullivan County senior Colton Wade, who is also in the 127-pound bracket as the NE Regional runner-up. Pequignot fell 7-1 to Wade at last week’s regional, while Wade has beaten Tinsman twice this season, 8-0 and 4-0.

Other notable wrestlers in the 127-pound bracket include NE Regional champ Bradley Wagner from Mifflinburg, 3rd-place finisher David Kennedy from Montoursville and No. 2 seed Logan Stewart from Reynolds (37-5), who placed 4th last season at States and Pequignot would face with a win in his pigtail bout.

After suffering his first and lone loss of the season last week, Wilson’s (42-1) first match at States will be against Union City junior Van Ward (33-10), the runner-up from the Northwest Regional. 

The two have not met, but have a pair of recent, common opponents .. Wilson beat St. Francis (NY) freshman Tanner Cantrabone 6-1 earlier in the season while Ward is 1-1 against him .. both beat Jamestown (NY) junior Zachary Little this year, Wilson earning a 16-0 tech fall and Ward winning 8-0.

With a win in his first bout, Wilson will likely face Bishop McCort freshman Keegan Bassett (42-5), the Southwest champ and younger brother of recent Iowa commit Bo Bassett. 

Bryce Pequignot (36-5) earned the top spot in the 114 pound bracket with a dominating postseason, collecting sectional, district and regional titles. The sophomore hasn’t lost since mid-January when he fell to Athens’ Zaine Campbell, who would likely be making a run at AAA States if not for an injury ending his season early. 

Pequignot will face the winner of a pigtail match between Clearfield freshman Bo Aveni (32-13), who Bryce beat 2-0 at the Mid-Winter Mayhem, and Phillipsburg-Osceola junior Caleb Hummel (38-10).

Other notable wrestlers in the 114-pound bracket include NE runner-up CJ Caines from Hanover, 3rd-place finisher Chase Wirnsberger from Warrior Run and 4th-place finisher Lyle Vermilya from Canton, each of whom Pequignot has beaten this year, Bishop McCort freshman Eli Herring, the SW runner-up who topped Pequignot at the Mid-Winter Mayhem, and Conwell Egan sophomore Thomas Boyce, who handed Pequignot his first loss at States last season on a quick pin-call.

Sottolano (39-9) placed 3rd at Regionals, coming off a 3rd-place finish at Districts and a runner-up performance at Sectionals. He’ll have a first round bout against West Greene junior Colin Whyte (45-5), the SW Region runner-up. 

With a win, Sottolano would likely face NW champ Gavin Hannah (42-2) in the quarterfinals. Other wrestlers in the 285-pond bracket that Sottolano has faced include Regional champ Mason Higley from Towanda (lost 5-0, lost 11-0), runner-up Landon Morehart from Montoursville (lost 7-1) and 4th-place finisher Reed Palmer from Troy (pinned in 4:24). 

Wrestling is set to begin at 9 a.m. Thursday morning, with pigtail and first round bouts up first. First round consolations are set to begin at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The AA quarterfinals and second round consolations will take place Friday morning at 8 a.m., with third round consolations beginning at 10:30 a.m., semis starting at 7 p.m. and forth round consis starting at 9 p.m. 

On Saturday, the AA fifth round consolations begin at 9:30 a.m., the medal bouts at 11:30 a.m. and the championship finals are scheduled for 4 p.m.

Tickets for each session can be purchased HERE.

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