FROM THE PRESS BOX: A CRYSTAL BALL LOOK AHEAD TO THE 2023-24 WRESTLING SEASON (2023-03-20)

It was an incredible wrestling season on the New York side of the border, and a below-average one on the Pa. side.

Tioga sent eight wrestlers to the New York State championships, with seven bringing home medals, while Waverly sent five to Albany. Conversely, Athens saw its streak of sending at least one wrestler to States since 2013 end, and Sayre had just one wrestler at the North Section Championships after starting the season with seven on its roster.

What does the crystal ball say lies in store for Valley wrestling in 2023-24?”

Athens Wildcats: The Wildcats graduate just one starter in Jake Courtney, and return five wrestlers with winning records, as well as four freshman and one sophomore who wrestled at least 15 matches.

Athens also has at least five grapplers coming up from the junior high ranks who could work their into the line-up.

Prediction: Junior Josh Nittinger was just one win away from States, and freshman Cooper Robinson won 28 matches, despite a second half of the season filled with injuries. They are the top two candidates to reach Hershey next year. … The Athens coaching staff doesn’t focus on duals, but the Wildcats should field a young, solid line-up that will compete in 2023-24. Towanda is the team to beat, but Athens should compete with Wyalusing, Canton, and Williamson near the top of the standings.

Sayre Redskins: Next year is the year coach Ralph Warner has been waiting for as the influx of wrestlers from the junior high ranks begins to fill the varsity ranks.

Sayre had five grapplers finish in the top-5 at the NTL junior high championships, so help could indeed be on the way.

Several factors will determine Sayre’s fate. Can it keep the kids in the Sayre School District? In the program? Healthy? And eligible? All four have been factors in where the program currently sits.

Prediction: I can’t even begin to pose a wild guess on this one, but my hope is these kids stay with the program, stay eligible, and turn this program around, and into the program Warner believes it can be.

Tioga Tigers: With only one senior on its roster this year, it appears the Tioga juggernaut has at least one more year of dominance left in the tank.

The Tigers will return eight state qualifiers from a team that won its sixth straight Section IV, Division 2 title, its fourth straight team title at the New York State Division 2 Championships, its fourth consecutive Section IV Duals title, and its second New York State Division 2 Duals title in a row.

What’s scary is coach Kris Harrington another group of talented young grapplers joining the wrestling room next year, as well as a couple upperclassmen who were injured this year and will be back next season.

Prediction: Tioga’s dominance will continue in 2023-24, and they will take nine, 10, or as many as 11 wrestlers to the Division 2 Championships, with juniors Levi Bellis and Trent Browne, and 7th-grader Declan McKee the top candidates to join this year’s contingent. … I can see Ousmane Duncanson and Gianni Silvestri each becoming the first three-time state champs in school history, while Caden Bellis joins the two-time champ club, and Jayden Duncanson wins his first state gold.

Waverly Wolverines: Waverly will graduate two of its five state qualifiers, but they return a lot of young wrestlers who gained a lot of experience this season.

The Wolverines could also get help from the junior high ranks, and even the youth ranks at 102.

Waverly is in good shape numbers-wise, but they will field another very young team next season.

Prediction: The good news is Waverly will compete for a shot at Tioga in the finals of the Section IV Duals. The bad news is Tioga will be even better next year than they were this year. Hopefully, the Wolverines will get proper consideration for a wild card in 2023-24. … As for the individual championships, sophomore Kam Hills, 8th-grader Matthias Welles, and freshman Troy Beeman should make it back to States, and 7th-grader Drayton DeKay could join them. I think junior Josh Courtney has a shot as well.