Heading into the postseason, expectations around the Catty wrestling program are as high as they ever have been in recent years.

The Rough Riders have a solid lineup from top to bottom, and they expect to have a handful of wrestlers advance deep in the postseason as well as making a mark as a team.

Veteran head coach Joe Russo will hold the bar high. The Roughies finished the dual meet season with an overall 9-1 dual meet record, finished fourth in their own tournament, seventh in the Jim Thorpe tournament, and fourth in the league tournament.

They will bring their contingent to Freedom High School this weekend for the District 11 Class 2A tournament.

“The team goal is to finish in the top five, and palace as many wrestlers as possible,” said Russo. “We’re hoping to have multiple entries in the state tournament.

“Our kids are pretty confident, and they believe they can make an impact.”

The Roughies lineup will be freshman Evan Reed, who is 22-10 at 107; freshman Gavin Hacker, 13-10 at 114; junior Mikhail Hartranft, 27-9 at 121’ senior Brendan Nye, 13-9 at 127; sophomore John Cordon-Pinto, 7-4 at 133; senior Vinnie Limandri, 5-21 at 139; senior Gavin Fehr, 30-4 at 145; sophomore Braden Bartholomew, 5-7 at 152; senior William Bear, 11-19 at 160; senior Trevor Rigits, 7-18 at 172; and junior C.J. Beller at 215.

Beller, who had a 16-14 slate last year and has an overall 47-19 record, is anxious for the postseason.

“I’m feeling very confident going into districts,” said Beller. “I’ve fixed a few things that needed work, and I am still working hard to try and get that first-place medal.”

Fehr, who has a lifetime mark of 102-33 and was third in districts and fourth in regionals last year, also has a strong feeling about the postseason.

“I’m feeling pretty confident going into the weekend,” he said. “I set a goal at the beginning of the year and that goal was to place at states. This is the first step toward that. I’m also setting a goal to make it to the district finals this year.”