BETHLEHEM — It’s amazing what a difference a year can make.

For Pleasant Valley senior Even Gillespie, his appearance and demeanor on the wrestling mat is night and day from how he performed at the District 11 3A wrestling tournament a year ago.

The uncertainty that may have questioned him is gone, the muscle he’s packed on has filled out his 218-pound frame, but more importantly his confidence is real.

Gillespie (215) ran through his first two bouts of the tournament at Liberty’s Memorial Gymnasium Friday night, posting falls in both matches in a total time of 1:52.

After taking third at districts last year, Gillespie has his eyes on battling for gold.

“I’m way more confident this year,” said Gillespie. “My quarterfinal match a year ago was close, but this year I ran him right over. I feel like I’m more mature this year, I got way bigger and my goals went from making it out of the district to getting on the state podium.”

Gillespie (30-2) took care of business quickly in his opening bout against Jim Thorpe’s Gaetano Sarnelli, posting a fall in 22 seconds. He followed that up with a quarterfinal fall over Bangor’s Kody Ward in 1:30, walking off the mat with a slight sweat and lungs full of air.

It was a reminder that Gillespie’s senior season might be the best one a Pleasant Valley wrestler has experienced in nearly a decade.

“It would mean a lot to be a district champion and get my name on the wall,” said Gillespie. “I have a lot less nerves than a year ago. It doesn’t matter who I go out against, I feel the same now.”

Gillespie will have a chance to prove that point in Saturday’s semifinals when he takes on Easton’s Alonzo Parker.

Parker (24-9) registered a fall and decision in his two bouts on Friday, as he’s seeded third behind Gillespie.

Top-seeded Connor Smalley (23-8) of Notre Dame-Green Pond will await either wrestler in the finals, as Smalley is the defending champion at 215 and favored to take home the title, but don’t tell that to Gillespie.

Stephen Korte (133) is Jim Thorpe’s best bet to medal at districts, but he ran into one of the tournaments landmines in the quarters, losing by fall to defending state champion Wilmont Kai of Whitehall in 3:00.

Kai is one of two state champs in the 133-pound weight class, as Bethlehem Catholic’s Keanu Dillard is the top-seed in the class and a three-time state champion.

Korte was able to get deep on a single leg three times in the first period, until Kai’s praying mantis figure maneuvered his way around any shot for a takedown, eventually building a 16-3 lead before finally winning by fall.

“I knew going into the match it was going to be tough,” said Korte. “You get to his legs and it’s really hard to take him down. Win or lose, I really don’t feel anything, so I’m just going into the consolations with a fresh focus.”

With this being Korte’s senior season, staying alive for as long as possible is clearly the goal. He took sixth a year ago at districts, falling a spot short of moving onto regionals, but he knows a top-five finish is within his realm, even with two state champs in the weight class.

“I knew there were two studs in this class,” he said, “If I can’t make it to them, there’s still a few spots left to medal.”

Pleasant Valley’s Shawn Radcliffe was the only other Times News area wrestler to advance to the quarterfinals, but he lost to Whitehall’s Kade Pascoe by tech fall, 17-0 in 2:31. Him and Korte will continue their fight towards placing in today’s second round of consolations.

Semifinals are slated to start no later than 10:15 a.m. Consolation finals begin at 3 p.m. and finals are set for 5:15 p.m.