CENTRE COUNTY — The 2025-26 boys wrestling season began for State College, Bellefonte and Penns Valley this week. Bald Eagle Area and Philipsburg-Osceola will start their seasons next week.
The P-O girls team hosts Bellefonte and Clearfield next week.
There are a lot of talented wrestlers returning for Centre County teams. Some promising newcomers have moved up from the junior high level to join them. Here’s a look at those wrestlers and teams:
BALD EAGLE AREA
While state runner-up Caleb Close has graduated and moved on to American University, senior Caden Judice and juniors Tanner Guenot and Dawson Lomison are among the Eagles returning.
Judice, a Lock Haven University commit, went 39-9 last season while finishing second at 133 at the District 6 Class 2A Tournament and the Southwest Regional before reaching the semifinals of the PIAA Championships and taking fourth place.
Guenot tore through the first two steps of the postseason, capturing his second District 6 title and getting named the Outstanding Wrestler of the 2A tournament after a technical fall over Penns Valley’s Conner Myers.
If the Southwest Regional had an OW award, Guenot would have been a good candidate after beating Chestnut Ridge’s two-time state runner-up Dominic Deputy, 3-2, in the finals.
Guenot (47-10) then suffered a scary injury in the consolation quarterfinals in Hershey. He had to injury default after he landed hard on the mat at the 4:50 mark while wrestling Hickory’s Elijah Scriven. Medical officials tended to him for several minutes before he was taken off the mat on a gurney and transported to a hospital.
The next day, though, the two-time state medalist was able to be on the medals stand as an eighth-placer.
Lomison, who was 41-15, finished third at 139 at the district tournament and third at the regional to qualify for Hershey, where he went 1-2.
The Eagles went 10-5 in dual meets.
BELLEFONTE
Bellefonte went 12-5 last year and has a returning 152-pound state eighth-placer in Ezra Swisher.
Swisher, a senior this season who’s committed to the University of Pennsylvania, was a District 6 Class 3A runner-up and fifth-placer at the West Regional.
The Red Raiders also have regional sixth-placers back in seniors Wyatt Long (35-13) and Jackson Long (39-13) and sophomore Andrew Gall (30-15).
PENNS VALLEY
Penns Valley went 14-4 last season, finishing second to state powerhouse Bishop McCort in the District 6 Duals and District 6 Tournament.
The Rams return Class 2A state third-placer Max Dinges, state qualifier Erik Carlile and Southwest Regional eighth-placers Myers and Brayden Lisowski.
Dinges finished second at the District 6 Tournament at 114 as a freshman and won a Southwest Regional title. Dinges went 47-4 in his first year at the high school level.
Carlile, a junior this season, won a district title and a regional title at 127 before going 1-2 in Hershey.
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA
Philipsburg-Osceola, which went 13-9 last season, returns a three-time state qualifier in senior Caleb Hummel.
Hummel, who has committed to Bloomsburg University, finished third at 114 in the District 6 Tournament and sixth at the Southwest Regional to qualify for his third state tournament. He’ll be looking for his first state medal this season.
Junior Averi Gable, who went fourth at 127 at the district tournament and eighth at the regional, is back this season.
STATE COLLEGE
State College’s two-time state champion Asher Cunningham has moved on to the Penn State roster, but State sixth-placer James Whitbred returns for second-year coach Jason Nickal.
Whitbred, a junior who also has committed to Penn State, captured his second District 6 Class 3A title and placed second at the West Regional.
Senior Nick Berrena went 13-19 last season, but he caught fire in the postseason, placing third at the district tournament at 133 and fifth at the regional to qualify for the state tournament.
Sophomore Kael Davis returns after going 20-10 and winning a District 6 title at 114 and placing sixth at the regional.
The Little Lions, who went 5-4 in dual meets, have some talented freshmen on the roster.
Teag Sanderson is ranked fourth on the top incoming freshman list by PA Power Wrestling, while Noah Williams is No. 31 on that list.
GIRLS
BALD EAGLE AREA
Bald Eagle Area’s District 5-6-9 Tournament champion and two-time state qualifier Grace Crestani has graduated.
The Lady Eagles (4-3 in dual meets) have a Central Regional qualifier returning in senior Lily Spicer, who was fourth at the district tournament.
BELLEFONTE
The Bellefonte girls team, which began as a school-sanctioned team last year, has a returning district fourth-placer back in sophomore Ella Johnsonbaugh.
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA
P-O Charli Hunt dominated her way into the state tournament as a sophomore, taking an undefeated record and a district and regional title at 136 pounds into Hershey.
Hunt finished seventh at the state tournament, posting a 33-2 record with 19 technical falls. Hunt is searching for a better placing in Hershey this season.
The Lady Mounties also have junior Veda Kephart (23-10, district third-placer) and sophomore Kendyl Meersand (22-12), district fourth-placer) among the returners.
STATE COLLEGE
State College will depend on girls who will be wrestling at the high school level for the first time and some who got their first taste of wrestling last season.
SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF DEC. 1
DEC. 4
Bellefonte at Huntingdon
State College at Central Dauphin
DEC. 6
Penns Valley in Babbit Duals at River Valley
