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So many things have occurred in District 2 wrestling over the last 35 years. More than a dozen different teams have won a district team title. Hundreds of different wrestlers have won an individual championship. Seventeen different District 2 grapplers have claimed a state title.
				But in that time, one thing has remained unchanged: Tunkhannock is still searching for a District 2 team championship.
				Could this be the year that the longest championship drought from the Wyoming Valley Conference is finally broken?
				We&rsquo;ll have to wait and see, but it certainly looks good for the Tigers, who have not won the team title since 1985.
				Tunkhannock enters the District 2 Class 2A Tournament at Hazleton Area as one of the favorites to claim the team plaque. The Tigers enter with six No. 1 seeds, four returning district champions, six returning district medalists and five seniors. The only team that finished in front of the Tigers last year, Lake-Lehman, has struggled through an injury-plagued season.
				But up-and-coming Lackawanna Trail gave the Tigers a handful in the finals of the District Duals Tournament. And the Lions will not be easy to put away this weekend.
				Tunkhannock returns two-time D2 champions in Dave Evans and Gavin D&rsquo;Amato &#8211; both whom were also state qualifiers last year. Owen Woods and Jeffrey Meader were also champions last year, while Nick Marabell (third), Ethan Munley (fifth), Frankie Scranta (sixth), Matt Rosentel (sixth) all return to the tournament with medals from a season ago.
				Trail is a team loaded with freshmen and took seventh at the tourney last season led by district winner Michael Bluhm winning as a freshman. Senior Cullen Ratchford has three district medals on his resume with his best being third in 2017. Dalton Klinges (third) and Cole Henry (fifth) were medalists last season. The Lions also have five freshmen with at least 26 victories this season.
				RETURNING CHAMPS
				Evans and D&rsquo;Amato highlight the group of past champions with two titles each. In addition to Woods, Meader and Bluhm, Lake-Lehman&rsquo;s Zack Stuart and Nick Zaboski, and Wyoming Area&rsquo;s Connor Wrobleski all won titles last year. Western Wayne&rsquo;s Matt Leslie claimed gold in 2018.
				THAT&rsquo;S A TOUGH WEIGHT
				Owen Woods from Tunkhannock is the top seed at 106 pounds and won district gold last year as a freshman, but it won&rsquo;t be easy for the Tiger to repeat this weekend. He will be tested by a pair of freshmen in Lackawanna Trail&rsquo;s Bluhm and Wyoming Area&rsquo;s Jaden Pepe.
				Pepe is ranked third in the state by PA Power Wrestling and spent a good length of time at the top spot. Woods lost to Pepe by two points and defeated Bluhm earlier this season in the D2 duals final by decision.
				WARRIOR PRIDE
				Pepe will try to repeat the feat accomplished last year by Wyoming Area teammate Connor Wrobleski and claim gold as a freshman.
				Pepe has a 38-1 record this season with his only loss coming to Meadowbrook Christian&rsquo;s Cade Wirnsberger, who is ranked second in the state. Pepe only lost to Wirnsberger 1-0 in a tournament last month.
				Wrobleski is 32-8 this season and has amassed 64 wins so far in his career. He is the No. 1 seed at 170 this weekend, and four of his losses this season have come to district medalists from last year.
				HAWKS NEST
				Hanover Area&rsquo;s Joey Rowley advanced to the state tournament last season alongside former teammate D.J. Erickson, who picked up a state medal. Rowley achieved the state qualification milestone without winning a district title. As a junior last year, Rowley placed third at districts. In his two previous seasons, he was D2 runner-up. He is seeded first in the 120-pound bracket.
				His teammate Cael Davis is also a top seed, picking up the honor at 113. Davis, a junior, will be participating in the district tournament for the first time. He is the younger brother of Jack and Owen, both who have had success wrestling for Wyoming Seminary.
				The Hawkeyes&rsquo; Hunter Karpovich placed second a year ago and is also looking for his first district gold seeded second at 182.
				ROUGH KNIGHTS
				A year ago, Lake-Lehman raced to the team title racking up 203 points and beating Tunkhannock by 35 points. The Black Knights had a medalist in all but two weights last year. But times have changed drastically for the squad.
				Injuries and graduation have hit the team hard playing a huge role in its struggles and just four of those medalists are back this season. In addition to returning champions Zaboski and Stuart, Mason Konigus was runner-up last year, and Josh Bonomo was third in 2019.
				GOING STREAKING
				Lake-Lehman&rsquo;s Zaboski and Stuart are trying to extend the Black Knights&rsquo; consecutive year streak of having a gold medal winner to 20. The last time Lehman did not have at least one district titlist was in 2000 as the team currently has the longest streak in the entire Wyoming Valley Conference.
				The other Class 2A teams from the WVC, Wyoming Area (10 straight years), Tunkhannock (four) and Hanover Area (four) are all attempting to keep their current streaks in tact.
				Up Next
				What: District 2 Wrestling Championships
				When: 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday
				Where: Hazleton Area High School
				At stake: The top four placewinners in Class 3A advance to the Northeast Regional Tournament at Liberty H.S., Bethlehem next weekend. The top three medalists in Class 2A move on to the regional at Williamsport H.S. Next weekend.
				Admission: $7 for adults and $4 for students per day

D2-2A wrestling preview: Tunkhannock gunning for a big weekend