SHARON — Braedon and Bryent Johnson, Teddy Race, Cameron Whisner, and Ethan Finch already know what it takes to get to the PIAA state championships in Hershey.

Starting this afternoon, those five will lead more than two dozen local wrestlers into this year’s Class AA Northwest Regional at Sharon High School with one shared goal: Making it to the Giant Center for a shot at Pennsylvania gold.

Braedon Johnson, the Smethport junior competing for Port Allegany, Race, a senior at Kane, and Whisner, Race’s teammate and an East Forest senior, head into regionals as District 9 champions along with the Johnsonburg duo of Aiden Zimmerman and Cole Casilio. Johnson is seeking a return trip to the regional finals after placing second last year, with Whisner taking third and Race fourth to punch their tickets to Hershey.

Braedon’s older brother Bryent, who won a D-9 title and went to states as a Hubbers sophomore in 2018, just missed out on qualifying again in his first season for the Gators last year. He’s back for one more attempt after placing second at districts, along with other local silver medalists Finch, a Sheffield senior and returning regional finalist, Port Allegany junior Justin Young, Ridgway senior Jake Wickett, and the Johnsonburg quartet of juniors Nolan Shaffer and Dalton Stahli and freshmen Wyatt Shaffer and Kaden Dennis.

Each of the first and second seeds from District 9 received a bye into the quarterfinals, while Port’s Eli Petruzzi, Isaiah Caden, Montgomery Tanner and Derek Kallenborn, Kane’s Alex Bechakas, Isaak Johnson, Dillon Illerbrun, Harley Morris, and Luke Ely, Johnsonburg’s Isaac Zimmerman and Tyler Watts, Coudersport’s Cale Ayers, Oswayo Valley’s Colton Gietler, and Ridgway’s Jacob Kunselman will open with preliminary-round matches after placing third or fourth at districts.

The 41-team tournament is slated to kick off with the prelims at 5:30 p.m., followed immediately by the quarterfinals in each 12-man weight class. The Saturday-morning session begins at 9:15 with the first consolation round, semifinals and more consis. Third- and fifth-place matches will start at 3:30 p.m., with the Parade of Champions and Northwest Region finals slated for 5:15 p.m.

The top four finishers at each weight advance to next weekend’s state championships, scheduled for March 5-7 at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Local wrestlers, with preliminary/quarterfinal opponents:

106: 9-2 Wyatt Shaffer (Johnsonburg, fr, 27-8) bye, then winner of 10-3 Mitchell Headley (Jamestown, sr, 32-10)/10-8 Gabe Messmer (Girard, fr, 18-17)

9-3 Alex Bechakas (Kane, so, 24-8) vs. 10-7 Hunter Geibel (Commodore Perry, fr, 24-11)

113: 9-2 Bryent Johnson (Port Allegany, sr, 21-3) bye, then winner of 10-3 Joe Gabler (Harbor Creek, sr, 34-7) vs. 10-8 Lance Cardman (Girard, fr, 20-18)

9-4 Isaak Johnson (Kane, fr, 19-12) vs. 10-5 Blayke Knauf (Greenville, jr, 27-12)

120: 9-3 Dillon Illerbrun (Kane, jr, 16-9) vs. 10-7 Damion Kinney (Corry Area, so, 28-19)

126: 9-1 Braedon Johnson (Port Allegany, jr, 23-4) bye, then winner of 10-4 Liam Foore (Reynolds, jr, 15-10) vs. 10-6 Carson Filer (Mercer, jr, 31-12)

9-4 Harley Morris (Kane, so, 21-9) vs. 10-5 Zane Grinnell (Commodore Perry, jr, 25-11)

132: 9-2 Nolan Shaffer (Johnsonburg, jr, 31-5) bye, then winner of 10-3 Carter Gill (Hickory, so, 31-6) vs. 10-8 James Leyda (Union City, sr, 21-18)

9-3 Isaiah Caden (Port Allegany, jr, 27-7) vs. 10-7 Willis Morrell (Cochranton, so, 24-18)

138: 9-2 Dalton Stahli (Johnsonburg, jr, 25-9) bye, then winner of 10-3 Ayden Miller (Cambridge Springs, jr, 32-6) vs.10-8 Michael Berger (Mercer, so, 19-17)

9-3 Elijah Petruzzi (Port Allegany, sr, 26-3) vs. 10-7 Collin Clough (Youngsville, jr, 21-17)

9-4 Luke Ely Kane, (fr, 18-10) vs. 10-5 Gannon Jaquay (Eisenhower, so, 30-13)

145: 9-2 Kaden Dennis (Johnsonburg, fr, 27-8) bye, then winner of 10-3 Joel Huck (Fort LeBoeuf, sr, 33-11) vs. 10-8 Nick Dignall (Sharon, jr, 19-16)

9-4 Montgomery Tanner (Port Allegany, sr, 24-10) vs. 10-5 Jonny O’Neil (Conneaut Area, sr, 23-9)

152: 9-1 Aiden Zimmerman (Johnsonburg, fr, 30-6) bye, then winner of 10-4 Mitchell Marfinetz (Girard, sr, 29-10) vs. 10-6 Jared Rogers (Titusville, sr, 26-11)

9-2 Jacob Wickett (Ridgway, sr, 29-7) bye, then winner of 10-3 Jack Rimpa (Fort LeBoeuf, jr, 30-10) vs. 10-8 Andrew Bungar (Hickory, sr, 22-13)

9-4 Colton Gietler (Oswayo Valley, sr, 18-7) vs. 10-5 Stetson Boozer (Cochranton, so, 30-14)

160: 9-1 Cole Casilio (Johnsonburg, jr, 34-3) bye, then winner of 10-4 Aiden Bright (Mercer, jr, 25-12) vs. 10-6 Jordan DeCarmen (Reynolds, jr, 15-8)

170: 9-1 Teddy Race (Kane, sr, 29-2) bye, then winner of 10-4 Jed Goodlin (Jamestown, sr, 30-10) vs. 10-6 Mason Hesselgesser (Mercer, jr, 18-10)

9-3 Isaac Zimmerman (Johnsonburg, jr, 28-10) vs. 10-7 Eli Mosconi (Cambridge Springs, jr, 29-9)

182: 9-1 Cameron Whisner (Kane, sr, 30-0) bye, then winner of 10-4 Matt Petrilla (Corry Area, sr, 34-8) vs. 10-6 Tim Church (Fort LeBoeuf, jr, 28-15)

9-2 Ethan Finch (Sheffield, jr, 27-8) bye, then winner of 10-3 Domanic Leonard (Commodore Perry, sr, 26-11) vs. 10-8 Hunter Cowher (Jamestown, sr, 29-13)

9-4 Tyler Watts (Johnsonburg, sr, 30-5) vs. 10-5 Jackson Carico (Cambridge Springs, so, 28-13)

195: 9-4 Derek Kallenborn (Port Allegany, jr, 19-11) vs. 10-5 Seth Yarger (General McLane, sr, 22-7)

220: 9-2 Justin Young (Port Allegany, jr, 17-5) bye, then winner of 10-3 Evan Miller (Reynolds, sr, 20-6) vs. 10-8 Shawn Proctor (Corry Area, jr, 29-14)

9-3 Cale Ayers (Coudersport, jr, 25-2) vs.10-7 Anthony Gentile (Greenville, so, 26-9)

285: 9-4 Jacob Kunselman (Ridgway, jr, 23-9) vs. 10-5 Gage Sutton (Titusville, sr, 22-13)