It’s been 18 years since Pottsville has qualified for the District 11 Team Tournament.
Schuylkill Haven and Williams Valley have never been there before.
Frequent qualifiers Tri-Valley and Blue Mountain are back in after a one-year absence.
“I think it’s going to be great for our program,’’ Pottsville coach Gary Keener said. “It was one of our goals. ... The kids are working hard.’’
In all, 10 area teams qualified, sharply up from just four a year ago.
No. 3 Blue Mountain (13-0) and No. 11 Pottsville (9-4) represent the Schuylkill League in District 11 Class AAA.
Six area teams qualified in District 11 Class AA: No. 2 Tri-Valley (9-1), No. 3 North Schuylkill (14-1), No. 6 Lehighton (12-4), No. 9 Panther Valley (7-6), No. 10 Schuylkill Haven (8-5) and No. 12 Williams Valley (3-6).
The Vikings got in when Pine Grove (9-8) opted out, District 11
chairman Bob Hartman said Monday.
‘I think the kids are excited about just going there,’’ Schuylkill Haven coach Kevin Sterner said. “Win or lose, they’re excited about the fact that they made it. For Schuylkill Haven, that’s something big.’’
Added Williams Valley coach Jason Chamberlain: “First time in school history. We’re pretty excited.’’
Action begins Thursday at Whitehall, Panther Valley, Blue Mountain and Nazareth. Two rounds will be wrestled, the first round at 6 p.m. and the quarterfinals at 7:30. All quarterfinal teams will advance to Saturday’s championship and consolation brackets at Bethlehem Freedom High School. The top two finishers in each class advance to the PIAA Team Tournament.
Last season, North Schuylkill finished third and Pine Grove took fourth. Tri-Valley, due to lack of depth, won just four dual meets last season.
“We’re excited about it. We can’t wait to compete, especially after not making it last season,’’ Tri-Valley co-head coach Dave Boltz said. “The kids are wrestling well. We had a good Bedford tournament (2nd place), so we’re excited about this weekend.
“A lot of the older kids have been there before, but it’s important for the younger kids to get used to what the postseason will be like before it comes.’’
Pottsville was in a similar situation last season, winning just five dual meets and missing out on the experience.
According to available records, Pottsville qualified for District Duals in 1997 and lost 70-3 to Northampton.
“It’s a process,’’ Keener said. “In pro sports, you see teams that make, then next year another step and another step.
“Get there first to get that experience,’’ he added. “We’ll do our best and see how it goes and improve every year after that.’’
In District 3, Hamburg made the Class AA field as the No. 6 seed. The Hawks (12-5) take on No. 3 Delone Catholic (11-2) in a quarterfinal at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Boiling Springs High School.
Hamburg placed second last season and made a run to the state semifinals before finishing in a tie for fifth.
In District 4 Class AA, Mount Carmel (11-5) qualified as the No. 9 seed and travels to No. 8 Troy (9-4) at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
With the way the Schuylkill League schedule and the District Duals pairings are set up, local teams could see a lot of each other this week.
A few examples:
• Pottsville visits Blue Mountain on Wednesday in a Schuylkill League Division I first-place showdown.
Both teams will be back in the Eagles’ gym on Thursday night for the District 11 Class AAA Team Tournament. Pottsville meets No. 6 Pleasant Valley (16-3) at 6 p.m., with the winner taking on Blue Mountain at 7:30 p.m.
• If the seeds hold, North Schuylkill is projected to meet Tri-Valley in the District Duals Class AA semifinals. Tri-Valley hosts North Schuylkill on Wednesday night in a Schuylkill League Division I clash.
• Before North Schuylkill gets that far, the Spartans could have their hands full in the quarterfinals. No. 11 Wilson (6-10) takes on No. 6 Lehighton (12-4) at 6 p.m. in the first round; the winner gets North Schuylkill.
On Dec. 17 in Fountain Springs, North Schuylkill rallied late to edge Lehighton 34-26 in an intense, Schuylkill League Division I dual meet.
District 11 Class AAA
Team Tournament
Thursday’s schedule
At Nazareth H.S.
First Round
No. 9 Emmaus (15-4) vs. No. 8 Nazareth (10-5), 6 p.m.
No. 10 Northampton (9-6) vs. No. 7 Easton (13-5), 6 p.m.
Quarterfinals
(A) Emmaus-Nazareth winner vs. No. 1 Bethlehem Catholic (6-0), 7:30 p.m.
(D) Northampton-Easton winner vs. No. 2 Freedom (24-0), 7:30 p.m.
At Whitehall H.S.
First Round
No. 12 Whitehall (16-7) vs. No. 5 Bangor (16-2), 6 p.m.
Quarterfinal
(B) Bangor-Whitehall winner vs. No. 4 Parkland (15-4), 7:30 p.m.
At Blue Mountain H.S.
First Round
No. 11 Pottsville (9-4) vs. No. 6 Pleasant Valley (16-3), 6 p.m.
Quarterfinal
(C) Pottsville-Pleasant Valley winner vs. No. 3 Blue Mountain (13-0), 7:30 p.m.
Saturday’s schedule
At Freedom H.S.
First-Round Consolations
Loser A vs. Loser B, 9 a.m.
Loser C vs. Loser D, 9 a.m.
Championship Semifinals
(E) Nazareth-Emmaus-Bethlehem Catholic winner vs. Whitehall-Bangor-Parkland winner, 10:45 a.m.
(F) Pottsville-Pleasant Valley-Blue Mountain winner vs. Northampton-Easton-Freedom winner, 10:45 a.m.
Second-Round Consolations
A-B winner vs. F loser, 12:30 p.m.
C-D winner vs. E loser, 12:30 p.m.
Championship
Winner E vs. Winner F, 5:30 p.m.
3rd-Place Match
A-B-F winner vs. C-D-E winner, 5:30 p.m.
True 2nd-Place Match
3rd-place team wrestles 2nd-place team if the two did not meet in semifinals, 7:30 p.m.
NOTE: Top two teams in each classification advance to PIAA Team Championships.
District 11 Class AA
Team Tournament
Thursday’s schedule
At Whitehall H.S.
First Round
No. 9 Panther Valley (7-6) vs. No. 8 Palisades (13-11), 6 p.m.
Quarterfinal
(A) Panther Valley-Palisades winner vs. No. 1 Saucon Valley (16-2), 7:30 p.m.
At Panther Valley H.S.
First Round
No. 12 Williams Valley (3-6) vs. No. 5 NW Lehigh (12-5), 6 p.m.
No. 10 Schuylkill Haven (8-5) vs. No. 7 Notre Dame-Green Pond (13-7), 6 p.m.
Quarterfinals
(B) Williams Valley-NW Lehigh winner vs. No. 4 Northern Lehigh (17-2), 7:30 p.m.
(D) Schuylkill Haven-NDGP winner vs. No. 2 Tri-Valley (9-1), 7:30 p.m.
At Blue Mountain H.S.
First Round
No. 11 Wilson (6-10) vs. No. 6 Lehighton (12-4), 6 p.m.
Quarterfinal
(C) Wilson-Lehighton winner vs. No. 3 North Schuylkill (14-1), 7:30 p.m.
Saturday’s schedule
At Freedom H.S.
First-Round Consolations
Loser A vs. Loser B, 9 a.m.
Loser C vs. Loser D, 9 a.m.
Championship Semifinals
(E) Panther Valley-Palisades-Saucon Valley winner vs. NW Lehigh-Williams Valley-Northern Lehigh winner, 10:45 a.m.
(F) Wilson-Lehighton-North Schuylkill winner vs. Schuylkill Haven-NDGP-Tri-Valley winner, 10:45 a.m.
Second-Round Consolations
A-B winner vs. F loser, 12:30 p.m.
C-D winner vs. E loser, 12:30 p.m.
Championship
Winner E vs. Winner F, 5:30 p.m.
3rd-Place Match
A-B-F winner vs. C-D-E winner, 5:30 p.m.
True 2nd-Place Match
3rd-place team wrestles 2nd-place team if the two did not meet in semifinals, 7:30 p.m.
District 3 Class AA
Team Tournament
Wednesday’s schedule
At Bermudian Springs H.S.
Quarterfinals
No. 8 Annville-Cleona (10-6) vs. No. 1 Bermudian Springs (19-1), 6 p.m.
No. 5 Newport (13-3) vs. No. 4 Northern Lebanon (10-1), 6 p.m.
Semifinal
Annville-Bermudian Springs winner vs. Newport-Northern Lebanon winner, 7:30 p.m.
At Boiling Springs H.S.
No. 6 Hamburg (12-5) vs. No. 3 Delone Catholic (11-2), 6 p.m.
No. 7 Biglerville (9-8) vs. No. 2 Boiling Springs (11-3), 6 p.m.
Semifinal
Hamburg-Delone Catholic winner vs. Biglerville-Boiling Springs winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday’s schedule
At Spartan Center
Milton Hershey H.S.
Championship
Semifinal winners, 10:30 a.m.
3rd-Place Match
Semifinal losers, 10:30 a.m.
True 2nd-Place Match
3rd-place team wrestles 2nd-place team if the two did not meet in semifinals, 3:30 p.m.
NOTE: Top two teams in each classification advance to PIAA Team Championships.
District 4 Class AA
Team Tournament
Today’s schedule
Pigtail
No. 17 Bloomsburg (9-8) at No. 16 Towanda (13-10), 7 p.m.
Wednesday’s schedule
First Round
Bloomsburg-Towanda winner at No. 1 Wyalusing (19-0), 7 p.m.
No. 9 Mount Carmel (11-5) at No. 8 Troy (9-4), 7 p.m.
No. 13 Warrior Run (13-7) at No. 4 Southern Columbia (11-2), 7 p.m.
No. 12 Danville (14-7) at No. 5 Muncy (15-3), 7 p.m.
No. 14 Mifflinburg (8-5) at No. 3 Montoursville (18-1), 7 p.m.
No. 11 Midd-West (15-7) at No. 6 Benton (10-2), 7 p.m.
No. 10 Milton (13-6) at No. 7 Athens (12-3), 7 p.m.
No. 15 Lewisburg (12-9) vs. No. 2 Line Mountain (16-0), 7 p.m.
NOTE: Winners advance to Milton on Saturday, Jan. 31, for quarterfinals, semifinals, championship and third-place match. Times are to be determined. ... Top three Class AA teams qualify for PIAA Team Championships. ... In Class AAA, Shikellamy (11-7) will meet Jersey Shore (15-1) on Saturday at Milton for the championship.
District 11 AAA
1. Bethlehem Catholic (6-0)
2. Freedom (24-0)
3. Blue Mountain (13-0)
4. Parkland (15-4)
5. Bangor (16-2)
6. Pleasant Valley (16-3)
7. Easton (13-5)
8. Nazareth (10-5)
9. Emmaus (15-4)
10. Northampton (9-6)
11. Pottsville (9-4)
12. Whitehall (16-7)
District 11 AA
1. Saucon Valley (16-2)
2. Tri-Valley (9-1)
3. North Schuylkill (14-1)
4. Northern Lehigh (17-2)
5. NW Lehigh (12-5)
6. Lehighton (12-4)
7. Notre Dame-GP (13-7)
8. Palisades (13-11)
9. Panther Valley (7-6)
10. Schuylkill Haven (8-5)
11. Wilson (6-10)
12. Williams Valley (3-6)