Boys Preview - PIAA District 10 Championships
Class A
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 2
Cochranton will be the heavy favorites for the title. One of the top 1A squads in the state, Cochranton is deep, led by Jac Cokley and Noah Bernarding. Those two will also be the favorites for the individual title. It could be a big Saturday for Cochranton.
A host of individuals will be looking to challenge those Cochranton frontrunners. Reynolds' Troy Hart, West Middlesex's Luke Mantzell, Saegertown's Gabe DeYoung, and Cochranton's Stephen Clulow are among the contenders in this field.
West Middlesex will be the team to beat for the second states spot. WM has looked strong at a number of meets this fall, and look to be in the driver's seat for Saturday. Commodore Perry, Cambridge Springs, and Union City are also worth watching for here.
Class AA
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 2
The state's best AA district is set to go on Saturday. The race for the two team state spots should be heated. A top two finish on Saturday would likely mean a top five finish at the state meet next week.
The favorites are Grove City Area, the team winners from September's PIAA Foundation. We haven't really seen a full GCA squad in one race this season, so with all their horses on the line Saturday at Buhl Park, it will be hard to stop this squad.
General McLane, North East, Harbor Creek, and Meadville Area are among the teams that will look to challenge Grove City. General McLane has some good depth this season, while North East, led by the individual favorite, could surprise here.
Individually, it will be a battle for the top spot. North East's Josh Lewis has run to an incredible six wins this fall alone and is hungry to go out and defend his district title. His best challenge will come from Grove City's Jonah Powell, who raced him well and took second to Lewis at Foundation. Expect a very close one.
Ryan Starvaggi of Harbor Creek will be ready to roll, too. The senior has earned four wins this season and can't be counted out in this field. He should put himself in the mix for the win. His teammate Aiden Weber hasn't been far behind Starvaggi all season long. Expect him to race well, too.
The General McLane trio of Nate Price, Dylan Throop, and Erik Andrzejewski should mix it up with the frontrunners and compete for high finishes, and even the win on the right day. Meadville's Patrick Stevens, Hickory's Cole Frazier, and North East's Zane Courtwright will also be up there, competing for lowsticks. Grove City's Tobias Jones and Joseph Somora should be strong racers for the team favorites.