Here’s what you need to know for the 2023-24 high school wrestling season in the Baltimore area.

Storylines to watch

Can Mount Saint Joseph continue its dominance in the MIAA?

The Gaels have been the best team in the area’s best wrestling conference, winning their second consecutive championship last season and sixth in the past seven years. Mount Saint Joseph had seven individual champions in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament last year, and four of them are back. The most likely contenders to give the Gaels a run for the title are Gilman and Loyola Blakefield, both of whom return conference champions, while Spalding is another young and talented team on the rise. Make no mistake, though; the Gaels are still the team to beat in the Baltimore area.

The MPSSAA has adopted new weight classes for the first time since 2012.

Last year, private school wrestlers wrestled using one set of weight classes, while public school wrestlers used a different, older set. This year, the public schools are switching to the same weights that the private schools used last season, so everything will be the same. The standard weights, which are the ones approved by the National Federation of High Schools, are 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215 and 285 pounds.

Is South Carroll, hit hard by graduation, still the area’s best public school?

The Cavaliers lost four state champions and one state finalist to graduation last year, and replacing them would be a chore for an average program. The Cavaliers motto, though, is “Next Man Up,” and coach Bryan Hamper, who spent nine years as the Cavaliers’ coach before stepping down after the 2016-17 season, is confident he has the wrestlers to do it. South Carroll returns a ton of talent, including one state champion and three more finalists. Hamper says the strength and the weakness of the team is its youth. How fast it develops will show a lot about how far the Cavaliers will go.

Can South River win its third straight title, this time in Class 3A?

The Seahawks have had an incredible run of success lately, winning the Class 4A state dual meet title for the second straight season last year. This year, they will drop to Class 3A, which is historically tougher than 4A and means a whole different group of schools to compete against. This Seahawks team will be much younger and less experienced than recent editions — though they believed the same before last season —and it will be interesting to see how quickly the wrestlers grow into their roles.

What kind of jump can St. Frances make in year two?

The Panthers have made incredible progress since initiating their program just one season ago. The team won the MIAA B Conference title last year behind coach Doug McClain, The Baltimore Sun’s Wrestling Coach of the Year. This year, they jump to the A Conference, the premier wrestling conference in the state. McClain has stated that he has high expectations for his program, and now it will be up to the young Panthers to grow up fast in a top-heavy league.

Wrestlers to watch

Judah Aybar, Loyola Blakefield, senior, 150 pounds

A returning All-Metro first-team selection, Aybar compiled a 46-6 record last season to lead the Dons to a third-place finish in the MIAA Tournament. Already a team captain, his leadership will be important if Loyola Blakefield is to challenge Mount Saint Joseph for the A Conference title. Aybar is committed to Clarion.

RJ Duncan, Old Mill, senior, 285 pounds

Duncan is among only three returning Baltimore-area public school wrestlers who won a state title a year ago. He had three pins and a five-point victory at last year’s Class 4A/3A state tournament to finish his campaign 20-2 and is the favorite to repeat this season.

Sean Garretson, Spalding, junior, 126 pounds

A 120-pounder last season, Garretson returns hungry for an MIAA title after falling in last year’s final to Mount Saint Joseph’s Carter Nogle. Garretson compiled a 39-4 record last year and begins the season as the top-ranked 126-pounder in the state, according to Billy B’s rankings. His maturity and leadership will be crucial for the Cavaliers to do well. He finished seventh at the National Preps Tournament.

JoJo Gigliotti, South Carroll, sophomore, 132 pounds

Gigliotti burst onto the high school scene a year ago, winning the state Class 2A/1A title at 120 pounds as a freshman. His 48-2 record was also one of the best in the area. He already finds himself ranked No. 1 in Billy B’s state rankings and will be leaned upon to score bonus points for a younger Cavaliers team that is aiming to win another state title.

Calvin Kraisser, Centennial, junior, 150 pounds

Kraisser comes from a family of wrestling state champions, and he added to the family haul when he won his second Class 4A/3A title at 138 pounds last year. He enters the season with an unquestioned pedigree and one of the top public school wrestlers in the state as he continues his quest to join brothers Nathan and Jason as four-time state champions.

Austin Lewis, Mount Saint Joseph, senior, 190 pounds

Often overlooked because of the other great wrestlers on his team, Lewis came into his own last year when he compiled a 39-10 record and won the 175-pound MIAA and MIS titles. He is one of the most dynamic upperweights in the state and is the heavy favorite to repeat his postseason feats this season.

Carter Nogle, Mount Saint Joseph, senior, 138 pounds

A returning second-team All-Metro performer, Nogle compiled a 41-7 record en route to the MIAA and MIS titles and a fourth-place finish at Beast of the East at 120 pounds. The Gaels appear to be loaded again this year, but Nogle, an Air Force commit, will be a key cog for the team again if they are to retain their A Conference championship for another season.

Noah Onkst, McDonogh, senior, 215 pounds

Onkst was a bright spot for the Eagles last year, going 23-12 and winning the MIAA title at 195 pounds before placing second at the MIS Tournament on his way to All-Metro first-team honors. Also a standout linebacker on the gridiron, he enters the season as the state’s top 215-pounder.

Emmitt Sherlock, Gilman, junior, 165 pounds

An All-Metro second-team pick last season, Sherlock compiled a 36-6 record and won the MIAA and MIS titles at 138 pounds. He was also sixth at the National Preps Tournament. Sherlock is committed to Virginia.

Tyson Sherlock, Gilman, senior, 144 pounds

He had a great season last year, going 35-4 at 132 pounds and winning the MIAA and Maryland Independent Schools championships. He also earned a third-place finish at the National Preps Tournament, the highest finish there by a local returning wrestler. Sherlock is committed to Davidson.

Preseason Top 15 poll

1. Mount Saint Joseph

Coach: Harry Barnabae

Last season: 9-0, No. 1 ranking

Postseason: MIAA Tournament champion, Maryland Independent Schools Tournament champion

2. Gilman

Coach: Bryn Holmes

Last season: 12-5, No. 3

Postseason: Second at MIAA Tournament, Fifth at MIS Tournament

3. Archbishop Spalding

Coach: Mike Laidley

Last season: 19-10, unranked

Postseason: Fifth at MIAA Tournament, eighth at MIS Tournament

4. Loyola Blakefield

Coach: Steve Truitt

Last season: 17-5, No. 4

Postseason: Third at MIAA Tournament, seventh at MIS Tournament

5. South Carroll

Coach: Bryan Hamper

Last season: 33-1, No. 2

Postseason: Carroll County Tournament champion, Class 1A state champion

6. St. Frances

Coach: Doug McClain

Last season: 18-0, No. 5

Postseason: MIAA B Conference champion, fourth at MIS Tournament

7. South River

Coach: John Klessinger

Last season: 37-6, No. 6

Postseason: Fourth at Anne Arundel County Tournament, Class 4A state champion

8. Crofton

Coach: Jason West

Last season: 24-11, not ranked

Postseason: Fifth at Anne Arundel County Tournament, Class 3A South Region semifinalist

9. Manchester Valley

Coach: David Dodson

Last season: 39-4, No. 8

Postseason: Second at Carroll County Tournament, Class 2A West Region semifinalist

10. Chesapeake-AA

Coach: Randy Curtin

Last season: 31-8, No. 9

Postseason: Second at Anne Arundel County Tournament, Class 3A South Region finalist

11. Sparrows Point

Coach: Mike Whisner

Last season: 34-4, No. 7

Postseason: Baltimore County Tournament champion, Class 2A state runner-up

12. C. Milton Wright

Coach: John Thornton

Last season: 14-10, not ranked

Postseason: Third at UCBAC Tournament, Class 2A East Region semifinalist

13. Old Mill

Coach: Jim Grim

Last season: 25-8, not ranked

Postseason: Third at Anne Arundel County Tournament, Class 4A East Region quarterfinalist

14. Hammond

Coach: Greg Saumenig

Last season: 29-5, No. 13

Postseason: Howard County Tournament champion, Class 2A West Regional semifinalist

15. Harford Tech

Coach: Ja’Juan Burrell

Last season: 29-5, not ranked

Postseason: Fifth at UCBAC Tournament, Class 1A state semifinalist

Others considered: Bel Air (33-9), Broadneck (30-4), Calvert Hall (6-3), Glenelg (11-4), Oakland Mills (11-3)