HELLERTOWN - The strength of Northwestern’s line up resides at the upper weights.

But Wednesday evening at Saucon Valley High School, the hosts built a big enough lead to withstand a late barrage as the Panthers earned the Colonial League B Division title with a 41-26 win the Tigers.

“They have hammers up top,” said Saucon Valley head coach Chad Shirk. “We knew we were running through a buzz saw. The guys in the lower weights did their job tonight.”

The Panthers (9-2 overall, 6-0 Colonial League) built a 20-0 lead with two pins, a technical fall and a major decision in the first four bouts from 107-127.

Adam Griffith (133) got Northwestern’s first win when he pinned Mason Wenhold in the second period. But Saucon Valley won the next two bouts to pull away 29-6.

The Panthers all but sealed the win when Ashton Beckowski (152) came back from an 11-1 first-period deficit to pin Braydon Uricchio in the second period and give his team a 35-6 lead with five bouts left.

“The lower weights, from 107 through 139, they’re wrestling hard, we just didn’t match up very well against them,” said Tiger head coach Joe Killar. “Knew it was going to be tough when we lost the toss. Even after we lost the toss we had a chance. After 133, Adam (Griffith) had a good win and we didn’t give up too much bonus. Going into 152, we still had a chance.”

The Tigers’ Chase Sukanick (160) beat Taylor Rohn by technical fall, and Nolan Koehler (172) won an 11-3 major decision over Noah Torres to make it 35-14.

Northwestern’s Vinnie Fugazzotto (189) and Luke Fugazzotto (215) both recorded quick pins before Saucon Valley took the final match.

The match was a rematch of last year’s District 11 title tilt, which the Panthers won 59-12. They could meet again in a few weeks in this year’s District 11 duals.

“I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion what’s going to happen at districts,” said Killar, a graduate of Saucon Valley. “Hopefully we see them at districts. I don’t know how they seed districts, if we’ll be on the same side of the bracket. But hopefully we see them again and get a different result.”

LIKELY REMATCH...Saucon Valley will pull into second place in the District 11 Class 2A rankings with the win. North Schuylkill holds a slim lead over the Panthers for the top spot with the Tigers (9-3 overall; 4-1 Colonial League) third. Those three teams will be the top three seeds for district duals, which are slated for Jan. 31. If Saucon Valley can overtake the Spartans for the top spot, a district final rematch could be in the cards.

TROPHIES ALREADY... It might be early January, but the Colonial League’s Division B title was settled with the Panthers’ win and they were awarded a trophy for the division title after the match. Notre Dame (Green Pond) leads Division A.

Sacuon Vy. 41, Northwestern 26

107 - Dominic D’Ambola (SV) major dec. Logan Heeps, 12-0; 114 - Gavin Chunko (SV) tech. fall Mackenzie Case, 15-0 (2:53); 121 - Gabe Baer (SV) pinned Luke Breidinger in 2:46; 127 - Carter Chunko (SV) tech. fall Weston Killar, 16-0 (2:33); 133 - Adam Griffith (NW) pinned Mason Wenhold in 3:17; 139 - Zachary Rygiel (SV) dec. Noah Griffith, 4-0; 145 - Matthew Santoro (SV) pinned Liam Scanlon in :32; 152 - Ashton Beckowski (S) pinned Braydon Uricchio in 3:32; 160 - Chase Sukanick (NW) major dec. Taylor Rohn, 16-4; 172 - Nolan Koehler (NW) major dec. Noah Torres, 11-3; 189 - Vinnie Fugazzotto (NW) pinned Ryan Peters in 1:14; 215 - Luke Fugazzotto (NW pinned Liam Stoneback in :42; 285 - Ezekiel Deily (SV) pinned Ian Zettlemoyer in :56.