126128977_web1_TTL011520Haz-DallasBB_1

H.S. sports: PIAA pushing on with winter sports, games can begin on Friday

126129571_web1_126129571-2bd1fb7ee4c942ad983f8d3315eb10ae

Big Ten audible: Ohio State eligible to play for title

The PIAA Board of Directors voted unanimously on Wednesday to accept the recommendation from the wrestling steering committee to reduce the number of qualifiers for both the team and individual state championships.
				The steering committee met on Nov. 23 to come up with a format to shorten the numbers of qualifiers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It follows similar reductions used in the fall sports championships. The steering committee consists of a representative from 11 of the PIAA&rsquo;s 12 districts as well as its wrestling rules interpreter and a representative from the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association.
				Here are the changes to the state tournaments:
				CLASS 2A INDIVIDUAL
				District 2, as with all other districts, will conduct a tournament to determine the top-three wrestlers to send to the Northeast Regional. The number of District 2 qualifiers remains unchanged. District 4, which is the other district in the Northeast Regional, will also continue to get five spots.
				Instead of the top-three wrestlers at the Northeast Regional in each weight class advancing directly to the PIAA Championships, they will instead go to the East Super Regional along with five wrestlers in each weight division from the Southeast Regional. The Southeast Regional will have wrestlers from Districts 1, 3, 11 and 12.
				The top-four wrestlers in each weight class in the East Super Regional and West Super Regional will form an eight-wrestler bracket in the PIAA Championships.
				The tentative dates are: districts, Feb. 20; Northeast Regional, Feb. 27; East Super Regional, March 6; and PIAA Championships, March 13.
				CLASS 3A INDIVIDUAL
				District 2 will be allowed to conduct its tournament, but instead of sending four wrestlers per weight class to the Northeast Regional it will send only the district champion and runner-up.
				Each Northeast Regional weight class will have just eight wrestlers instead of 14. District 11 and District 12 are also in the Northeast Regional. Each will send three wrestlers per weight class instead of five.
				The top-four finishers at the Northeast Regional in each weight class will advance to the East Super Regional where they will face the top-four finishers in each weight class from the Southeast Regional. The Southeast Regional consists of District 1, which has 61 schools participating in wrestling.
				The top-four wrestlers in each weight class in the East Super Regional and West Super Regional will form an eight-wrestler bracket in the PIAA Championships.
				The tentative dates are: districts, Feb. 20; Northeast Regional, Feb. 27; East Super Regional, March 6; and PIAA Championships, March 13.
				TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
				Instead of 20 teams qualifying in both Class 2A and 3A, only district champions will advance to create two 12-team brackets.
				In Class 2A, the District 2 champion will host either the District 1 or District 12 champion in the first round. In Class 3A, the District 2 champion will host the District 12 champion. All first-round matches are currently scheduled for Feb. 8.
				The quarterfinals in both classifications are scheduled for Feb. 10 at the site of the team listed at the top of the bracket. Should either District 2 team win in the first round, it will be on the road for the quarterfinals.
				The four semifinals in each class would then hold a one-day tournament to decide the champions. Class 2A would wrestle Feb. 12, with the semifinals at 4 p.m. and the championship and consolation matches at 7 p.m. Class 3A would wrestle Feb. 13, with the semifinals at 10 a.m. and the finals at 1 p.m. Those will be held at Hersheypark Arena.
				As with the individual championships, the dates are subject to change.

PIAA approves changes to individual and state wrestling championships