Drew HeadleeWrestling fans can expect to see some early season surprises from true freshman Joey Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) as he battles for a starting position at 149 pounds. An NCAA qualifier last year, Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) will face Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) at 157 pounds. While Kocher will likely redshirt for the season, it should still be a tough match.
At 165, redshirt senior Justin Nestor (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) is favored after three berths to the NCAA Championships. Redshirt junior Francis Iorfido (Johnsonburg, Pa/Johnsonburg) returns to dual meet action this year and will battle Nick Padezan (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford) for the starting position.
With Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) a probable redshirt for the coming year, it will be interesting to see how Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa/Canon-McMillan) steps up to the challenge at 184 pounds. Also look for Mike Heist (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) to make a push for the starting position. At 197 pounds, Lou Thomas (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg), a returning starter from last season, is the early favorite. There will not be a match at 285 pounds due to Zach Sheaffer's (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) knee injury.
The Panthers are currently ranked in the top-25 of four of the nation's premier polls. The team has six returning NCAA qualifiers, two veteran EWL conference champions and an NCAA All-American. With that much talent, it's sure to be an exciting starting line up. The Panthers will officially start their season with an away dual meet on Tuesday, November 15 with a 7:30 p.m. against EWL rival Bloomsburg.
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