The confidence carried over for Northwestern Lehigh on Friday.

One week after capturing the District 11 Class 2A team title at the individual championships, the Tigers advanced four wrestlers to the semifinals on the opening day of the PIAA Class 2A Southeast Regional Wrestling Tournament at Warwick High School.

With five state qualifiers per weight class advancing to Hershey, Northwestern positioned itself well heading into Saturday’s pivotal rounds. The Tigers sit fourth in the team standings with 48 points behind Faith Christian Academy (101), Bishop McDevitt (98.5) and Trinity (66.5).

Three of Northwestern’s semifinalists are coming off district gold medals — and wrestled like it.

At 160 pounds, District 11 champion Nolan Koehler recorded back-to-back 15-0 technical falls, defeating Newport’s Braxtan Kerr in 3:32 and Biglerville’s Mason Bishop in 2:12.

At 172, fellow district titlist Vinnie Fugazzotto pinned Tulpehocken’s Mason Frederick in 57 seconds and Lower Moreland’s Brody Berman in 56 seconds.

Older brother Luke Fugazzotto, also a district champion, needed just 51 seconds to pin Bishop McDevitt’s Ryan Lengal and followed with a 28-second fall over Pope John Paul II’s James McCauley at 189.

At 152, Chase Sukanick joined them in the semifinals after grinding out a 1-0 decision over Newport’s Lane Wright and pinning Archbishop Carroll’s William Wood in 3:55.

Mahanoy Area’s Rory Dixon — fresh off his own District 11 title — rolled through Friday with technical falls of 19-4 and 20-3 to set up a semifinal berth opposite Sukanick’s bracket counterpart.

Saturday’s semifinal round will feature marquee matchups.

Sukanick will face Faith Christian Academy junior Joe Bachmann, a two-time defending state champion. Dixon will square off with Pequea Valley’s Cole Byler, who is 31-3 this season and placed seventh at regionals a year ago.

Koehler meets Berks Catholic’s Layden Acevedo (33-6), who finished fifth at regionals last season.

At 172, Vinnie Fugazzotto will battle Bishop McDevitt’s Hans Gilfoil (31-9).

Luke Fugazzotto draws Biglerville’s Gavin Boyd, a 43-1 wrestler this season who previously competed at prep power Mercersburg Academy.

In total, 14 area wrestlers will return Saturday — either in championship or consolation matches — keeping state hopes alive across multiple weight classes. The top five finishers in each weight class advance to the PIAA Championships at the Giant Center next week.

Northwestern’s district championship momentum has clearly followed it to the regional stage. Now comes the toughest step yet — navigating a semifinal round loaded with returning medalists, state champions and nationally seasoned competitors.

Action resumes Saturday with second round consolations at 9:30 a.m. Semifinals will take place at 11 a.m., with the Parade of Champions set for 3:50 p.m. followed by the championship and consolation finals at 4 p.m.

TEAM STANDINGS

(After Day 1, Top-5)

1. Faith Christian Academy — 101, 2. Bishop McDevitt — 98.5, 3. Trinity — 66.5, 4. Northwestern Lehigh — 48, 5. Conwell-Egan Catholic — 37.5.

TIMES NEWS AREA RESULTS

First Round

114 — Rylan Reitz (Tamaqua) pinned Channing Hickok (Delone Catholic), 3:39; Hunter Webster (Conwell-Egan Catholic) tech. fall Ryder Croizier (Lehighton), 21-1, 2:20

127 — Jax Fuhrman (Delone Catholic) pinned Connor Messinger (Palmerton), 3:31; Jordan Manyette (Trinity) pinned Weston Killar (Northwestern), 2:43; Jack Lucykanish (Lehighton) tech. fall Connor Cozzo (Lower Moreland), 17-2, 1:56

139 — Lukas Croizier (Lehighton) tech. fall Cristian Marquez (Biglerville), 16-1, 2:46

145 — Trent Croll (Northwestern) pinned Connor Dugan (Lehighton), 0:53

152 — Easton Comp (Bishop McDevitt) tech. fall Evan Wentz (Lehighton), 17-0, 5:27; Chase Sukanick (Northwestern) dec. Lane Wright (Newport), 1-0; Rory Dixon (Mahanoy Area) tech. fall Christopher Dugan (Biglerville), 19-4, 2:58

160 — Dillon Anthony (Palmerton) pinned Jalen Langford (Lenfest), 0:24; Nolan Koehler (Northwestern) tech. fall Braxtan Kerr (Newport), 15-0, 3:32

172 — Vinnie Fugazzotto (Northwestern) pinned Mason Frederick (Tulpehocken), 0:57

189 — Luke Fugazzotto (Northwestern) pinned Ryan Lengal (Bishop McDevitt), 0:51

215 — Cael Weidemoyer (Faith Christian) pinned Asher Traylor (Lehighton), 0:28

285 — Jack Heckman (Tulpehocken) dec. Marc Macias (Lehighton), 4-1 SV

Quarterfinals

114 — Izaya Schickley (Halifax) tech. fall Rylan Reitz (Tamaqua), 16-1, 2:25

127 — Zane Crouse (Bishop McDevitt) tech. fall Jack Lucykanish (Lehighton), 15-0, 1:10

139 — Camden Baum (Bishop McDevitt) tech. fall Lukas Croizier (Lehighton), 17-2, 1:05

145 — Greyson Music (Bishop McDevitt) pinned Trent Croll (Northwestern), 1:51

152 — Chase Sukanick (Northwestern) pinned William Wood (Archbishop Carroll), 3:55; Rory Dixon (Mahanoy Area) tech. fall Eric Horger (Conwell-Egan Catholic), 20-3, 1:28

160 — Nicky Negron (Bishop McDevitt) tech. fall Dillon Anthony (Palmerton), 21-6, 1:59; Nolan Koehler (Northwestern) tech. fall Mason Bishop (Biglerville), 15-0, 2:12

172 — Vinnie Fugazzotto (Northwestern) pinned Brody Berman (Lower Moreland), 0:56

189 — Luke Fugazzotto (Northwestern) pinned James McCauley (Pope John Paul II), 0:28

Consolations — First Round

114 — Cason Vazquez (Bristol) tech. fall Ryder Croizier (Lehighton), 19-3, 2:16

127 — Colt Clelan (Big Spring) dec. Connor Messinger (Palmerton), 3-2; Weston Killar (Northwestern) pinned Robert Steele (Littlestown), 2:51

145 — Connor Dugan (Lehighton) major dec. Josiah Hippensteel (Big Spring), 15-7

152 — Evan Wentz (Lehighton) pinned Jordan Tocci-Wachter (Salisbury), 1:48

215 — Asher Traylor (Lehighton) dec. Mason Mentzer (Biglerville), 4-1 SV

285 — Marc Macias (Lehighton) dec. Ethan Miller (Bishop McDevitt), 2-1 SV