D6-AAA Boys - Team & Individuals Breakdown
- Preseason Rankings: Team | Individual
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 1
- State Qualifying Spots For Individuals: 5
- 2019 Individual Champion: Brady Bigger - 15:59
- 2019 Team Champions: State College Area - 21 points
Individuals Breakdown
There is quite a bit of talent in District 6 in Class AAA this season. The defending champion Brady Bigger from State College is back, looking for a repeat district crown. Meanwhile, Brayden Harris of Mifflin County, the district champion from 2018, is also back for his senior season. Then added into the mix this season is Williamsport Area's J. Henry Lyon, the District 2 Class AAA champ last year, has moved over to this "region" with his team.
So let's break it down. Bigger had a strong season last year that saw him go 15:59 to win the district crown before placing 20th at states to earn a spot on the podium. Harris had a great sophomore season in 2018 when he won the district and then went on to place fourth at the state meet. But last year, he battled an injury, though he still managed to take third in the district and 35th at states. A healthy Harris will be very dangerous this fall. Then there's Lyon, who clocked a 15:35 to open up last fall, and placed seventh at the state meet.
There's a lot of firepower up front in D6-AAA and this we can expect these three to push each other ahead of the state meet a week after the district meet. It's going to be interesting.
There's some good talent after those three to keep an eye on. The State College duo of Bennett Norton and Sean Adams went 4-5 in the district last year. Both will be right up near the front again this season.
Hollidaysburg Area has a pair of impressive juniors back this year in Ben Love and Chris Love, who were sixth and seventh in the district last year, respectively. Williamsport's Ethan Holcomb was tenth in District 2 as a freshman last year, and he'll be one to watch this fall.
Team Preview
State College Area won its eighth straight District 6 team title last fall, and the Little Lions should be able to make it nine-in-a-row this year. SC scored just 21 points last year to take a district. A week later, it placed ninth in the state in AAA.
While Ben St. Pierre (second in the district; 34th in the state) has graduated, SC returns a strong core with Bigger, Norton, and Adams, along with Charles Endres. The Little Lions have a habit of retooling well, and this team should take the district again this season and make another good run towards a high finish at Hershey.
Williamsport Area will aim to keep it close. The Millionaires were second last year in District 2 Class AAA, just two points off the district champs from Hazleton Area. But Williamsport will compete with D6 this season in a "region" (Williamsport is actually from District 4, but it is only one of two AAA schools in D4, so W'Port, along with Shikellamy, are the only non-D6 teams that will compete with the D6 teams). It loses one senior from last year's team, but has a solid group back with Lyon, possibly the individual district favorite, and the up-and-comer Holcomb.
Hollidaysburg Area, with its good top two of the Loves, will also look to be a factor. Altoona Area and Mifflin County should also be in the top three hunt in the team standings.