The District 11 team wrestling tournament gets underway this Saturday at Freedom and Bethlehem Catholic once again enter as the favorite to come away with the 3A crown.

The Hawks have won four straight district titles, but will face a stiffer road this time around with Notre Dame Green Pond making their first appearance in the 3A after winning the last four 2A crowns.

The 3A schedule has quarterfinals starting at 11 a.m. and semifinals resuming at 3 p.m. In 2A, quarters are set for 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. semifinals with finals in both classes sharing the center stage at 7 p.m.

The top eight teams from each class qualify for the tournament with Nazareth (11-0) appearing to lead the charge as the top-seed in 3A this weekend. The final seeding for teams will become official on Thursday, but following the Blue Eagles would have Becahi (10-0) coming in as the second seed, Northampton (13-2) in third, Notre Dame (10-1) in fourth, Easton (6-2) coming in fifth, Emmaus (11-3) in sixth, Whitehall (14-4) in seventh and Parkland (10-5) rounding things out in eighth. Freedom (10-6) looks like they will finish just short of qualifying, but things can always change since there are dual meets this week that will factor into the final district power rankings.

If results hold, Becahi would see Whitehall in the first round, but the most intriguing matchup would be a potential Notre Dame-Easton showdown as an opener. Northampton and Emmaus would also be the first showdown of the season between both schools if they meet in the quarters.

If Easton can push through the quarters, it would set up a rematch against Nazareth in the semifinals after the Blue Eagles won on criteria against the Rovers early in the season. Becahi would then face the winner of Northampton and Emmaus, two teams they defeated by wide margins to start the season.

A potential final between postseason rivals Nazareth and Becahi seems to be the logical destination.

In 2A, Saucon Valley (14-1) is the clear top-seed and favorite to win the crown. Coming into the week North Schuylkill (10-2) was second, Palmerton (10-2) was third, Northwestern came in (12-6) fourth, Pine Grove (13-5) was fifth, Tri-Valley (11-5) was sixth, Pen Argyl (8-4) was seventh and Lehighton (11-6) seems to be a lock to grab the eighth and final spot.

Saucon is the only team that seems destined to be in the finals. North Schuylkill lost to Pine Grove and Lehighton this season and Northwestern knocked off Palmerton earlier in the year. The Tigers would be probably be in the driver seat to reach the finals if they weren’t the fourth seed. That means a potential meeting with Saucon in the semifinals after the Panthers already defeated them this year 59-11 on January 15.