This year’s Northwestern Lehigh varsity wrestling team will be like most small-school squads in the area in that in won’t have a full line up. The Tigers have 11 wrestlers on the roster for 2022. That roster includes a pair of returning state qualifiers and another district place winner.

“The guys have been working hard,” said first-year head coach Joe Killar. “The numbers aren’t the best but everyone has been performing well and giving effort in practice so I’m happy about that.”

The Tigers’ line up will be strong in the upper weights, where returning state-qualifiers Dalton Clymer (172) and Lucas Miller (189) will anchor the lineup.

Clymer, the younger brother of state champs Scott and Ben Clymer, went 24-12 last season while finishing third at districts and sixth at regionals to qualify for the state tournament.

Miller, a senior, finished fourth in District 11 last season and sixth in the PIAA Southeast Regional to reach the state tournament while going 27-16 as a junior.

Sophomore Noah Schlofer (215) gives the Tigers another returning district place winner in the upper weights. As a freshman Schlofer finished fifth in the district last season at 215.

Freshmen Luke Fugazzotto (160) and Jackson Bailey (172) will also help out in the upper weights. Senior Dartanyon DeLillo (189) will also be in the mix, along with senior Ben Walters (285), a newcomer to the team who is one of three wrestlers who were members of the Tigers’ district championship football team along with Clymer and Miller.

“We’re looking to be quite competitive from 160 through heavyweight,” said Killar.

In the lower weights, the Tigers have two accomplished girls wrestlers in senior Josey Wehr (121/127) and junior Katie Brensinger (145). Both have had a lot of success in girls tournaments and were in the varsity line up last season. They will likely hold their own against some of the boys they grapple with this season.

Freshmen Nate Geiger (133) and Hunter Greenawalt (138) will also help the Tigers in the front half of the line up this season.

Killar takes over the program after Jim Moll stepped down in the offseason. Moll went 113-113 in 13 seasons at the helm.

Killar is a graduate of Saucon Valley High School who went on to wrestle at Harvard University, where he was a two-time All-American. He won two District 11 titles and a PIAA state title in 1996. He finished on the podium in Hershey three times throughout his high school career.

“I’ve been around wrestling for 40 years,” he said. “Helped coach my son for the last five or six. Last year was the junior high coach. I’m excited to get moving and see if we can get some kids improving a little more.”