WEST LAWN - Welcome to the Madness.

March is often linked to chaos in the sporting world, though that drama is typically reserved for a certain college basketball tournament later this month.But wrestling can provide its own brand of excitement.Friday marked the penultimate stop on the road to Hershey, as wrestlers descended on Wilson West Lawn High School for the Southeast Regional Tournament. And by all accounts, the opening night of the Class 2A event delivered - in more ways than one.The seven Times News area wrestlers that advanced to Saturday's semifinals did so in both measured and spectacular fashion.Northwestern's Baily Wehr executed his gameplan in the 120-pound bracket, pinning Elco's Alex Puglio in 3:44 in the first round. The senior moved into the semifinals - and clinched his first trip to the PIAA Championships - with an 8-0 major decision against Trinity's Caleb Bentley."Setting the tone like that, getting a pin and a major going into the semifinals, and being already clinched a spot for states, is pretty nice," said Wehr, who will face undefeated Bronson Garber of Upper Dauphin in the semis. "That just pumps you up a little, and then you can go out there and wrestle whoever you have."Coming into this tournament, I just wanted to go out to states. I just wanted to focus on getting out to states. That was the only goal for this tournament. But since I already clinched my spot, I just want to place as high as I can now."Wehr will be joined in Hershey by teammate Caleb Clymer, who secured his spot with a 9-4 decision against Pequea Valley's Daniel Wanner in the 152-pound quarterfinal bracket after a first-round bye.Despite the win, Clymer wasn't exactly pleased with his performance."I felt a little crappy. No, I felt really crappy," said Clymer. "Wrestling the first match of a tournament is always a little bit rough for me. I gotta get that first match out of me."I didn't get to warmup like I wanted to ... but I was still able to pull off the win. It maybe wasn't' how I wanted to; I didn't get to my shots, and I was just overall sloppy on top. I got the first match out of me, though, and I just have to stay humble, keep my head down and keep going."Tamaqua's Tanner McHugh, who, like Clymer earned a first-round bye after winning a District 11 title last week, found himself in a tight quarterfinal bout against Bishop McDevitt's (3) Bodee Tolbert.Tolbert held an early 1-0 lead before McHugh knotted the score and won it with a takedown late in the third period."I knew going in he would be pretty tough," McHugh said of Tolbert. "I knew he had an all right record (30-12), but Bishop McDevitt, they were at like four of the best tournaments in the state, and some of those obviously have some pretty good kids, so I knew he was going to be tough."He wrestled a lot of kids in this bracket tough. I just had to go out there and get the win. I knew it would be hard but I got it."And about that late scramble?"This sport's just turned into a lot of funk," commented McHugh. "And last year, and years before, I wasn't too good at it. And he got in there, and I knew that he didn't get the takedown so I knew it was anybody's takedown still."I just did what I did, stayed calm, stayed focused and got the takedown. I know getting to this point (in the season there might be a lot of those matches. I just like to stay cool. I don't like to get my breathing up too high. I just stay calm, and I know that until it says zero on the clock in overtime or regulation, it's still wrestling."McHugh, who earned at state medal a year ago, credits the rigors of the three-day event at the Giant Center for helping him prepare for such close matches in the postseason."Going into some matches, I knew they would be tough, and I would think to myself, 'No one cares about my state medal, but I know I'm a state medalist and I'm going to go out there and act like I'm a state medalist,'" said McHugh. "And I think this year I've definitely proven myself."Panther Valley's Hunter Kennedy has long wanted to reach the state tournament.After coming up short last season, the junior made the dream a reality Friday night.Kennedy opened the tournament with a 6-2 decision against Boiling Springs' Nick Kostyak. The junior advanced to the semis with a 7-4 decision against Bermudian Springs Darren Beall."It's the most excited I've been because I'm going to Hershey," said an ecstatic Kennedy. "It means a lot. The hard work that I've put in all season … my goal was to get to states, and I did it tonight."And he earned it."I came out thinking, I have to go offense to beat this kid," Kennedy said. "We went through the first period, and I thought OK, it's going good so far, and I took him down."Toward the end of the match, I was taking over, and I shot again, took him down and won it. Coach (Tim Robb) told me to push the action, and you'll win."Northern Lehigh's Ryan Farber (160) and Jason Schaffer (285), along with Palmerton's Jared Mooney (182) also advanced to the semifinals.NOT DONE YET … The following Times News area wrestlers are still alive in the consolation bracket: Jim Thorpe's Ethan Mordaunt (195); Lehighton's Lucas Sangiuliano (106) and Dylan Schock (160); Northern Lehigh's Seth Fronheiser (126) and Ezra Neff (132); Northwestern's Colin Rex (132) and Jackson Bernhard (145); Panther Valley's Tanner Kennedy (152); and Tamaqua's Bronson Strouse (220).SEE YOU SOON … Action will resume today at 9:30 a.m. with the second round of consolation matches, which will be followed by the semifinals and third round consolations at 11 a.m. The Parade of Champions is scheduled for 4:40 p.m. and will be followed by the first, third and fifth place matches, which are scheduled to take place from 5 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Doors open for spectators at 9 a.m.