The PIAA AAA Dual Championships have been highlighted by streaks of dominance since the inception in 1999. Bald Eagle Area, District 6, won the inaugural title before District 11 took control for five years. Easton won four of those titles, and there is the, “What could have been?” as they finished second three years in a row after their title run. 

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Central Dauphin, representing District 3, closed out the first decade of the century with four titles in a row. This shift to central Pennsylvania was a bit shocking as the Lehigh Valley and WPIAL had traditionally been home to the best teams in the state on the AAA level.

Canon-McMillan and Franklin Regional restored order for the WPIAL as they both went back-to-back starting in 2012.

Bethlehem Catholic had a program resurgence and ran off four straight titles at the AA level beginning in 2011. They moved to AAA in 2015 and took home the AAA  title in 2016. The Golden Hawks have reached the last four finals, only getting knocked off by District 11 rival, Nazareth, in 2017.

This year sets up to be a District 7 vs District 11 battle throughout the bracket with a little flavor from District 10 and District 3 sprinkled in. 

Nazareth has defeated Bethlehem Catholic twice and comes in as a solid favorite in the top bracket. The only blemish on Nazareth’s record is a 35-30 loss to National Prep power McDonough. The biggest threat to Nazareth on the top side is expected to be District 7 runner-up Seneca Valley. Both Nazareth and Seneca Valley defeated Canon-McMillan during the season. Nazareth has a clear advantage when comparing common opponents, but the matchup game could tighten things up. 

The top quarter in the bottom bracket is the potential matchup that intrigues me most in the AAA bracket. District champions Waynesburg and Erie Cathedral Prep are expected to square off in that quarterfinal. Like the Nazareth and Seneca Valley they share Canon-McMillan as a common opponent. Waynesburg snuck by on criteria in their section and Erie Prep downed the Big Macs by seven in the Virginia Duals semis. I like the matchups for Waynesburg here, with one particular match that could help swing it in the Ramblers favor. At 106lbs Mac Church defeated Jacob Van Dee 3-1 at Powerade. If Erie Prep is able to flip that result it could swing the entire dual in their favor. 

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Bethlehem Catholic appears to be favored in the bottom quarter, but you should know by now that Canon-McMillan has faced almost every major player in the field outside of the Golden Hawks and come up just short in them all. The Big Macs would need to swing a few matches, but are certainly battle-tested and worthy opponents. 

The Big Macs will wrestle in my favorite round-of-16 match Thursday evening. Gettysburg is 21-0 on the season and has solid wrestlers from top to bottom. They also have nationally ranked Dylan Reinert at 170lbs. There is an element of unknown in this dual that should make it exciting to watch.

Can District 11 continue their run of dominance with Nazareth and Bethlehem Catholic or will Waynesburg step up for the WPIAL?

Full schedule and tournament information can be found in the event hub.

*All rosters and records were pulled from the OPC. Note that most weight classes listed are a class or two above where the wrestlers are competing. The original weight class the wrestler was eligible for at time of certifications is what is listed in the OPC.

AAA Top Bracket Rosters:

AAA Bottom Bracket Rosters:

AAA Matches Involving Teams In The Field:

AAA Championship History: