The magic numbers for Berwick Wrestlers over the next few weeks are easy to focus on.

1 - 2 - 3.

The individual postseason is an exciting time where a wrestler gives it everything they've got and leaves everything they have on the mat each and every match.

It's also a time for one of my favorite words - "progression."

The postseason is all about progression - getting to the next level where you start all over again with a brand new slate.  Advancing to each new week in the postseason means a brand new tournament with brand new challenges and brand new opportunities.

1.  It All Starts With Districts

For the first time in school history, Berwick wrestlers will be competing in the District 2 Class AA district championship tournament on Friday and Saturday, February 23 & 24, at Lake Lehman High School.

There will be one difference this year from past years.  The difference this year in District 2 Class AA is that only the top 3 placers qualify for regional competition.  The top 5 placers from District 4 qualify for regional competition.

So the Dawgs will be looking for the all-important 1-2-3 placement at Districts in order to move on to the next level.

2.  NE Class AA Regional Championship Tournament

The 1-2-3 placers from the District 2 Class AA championship tournament will compete at the PIAA NE Class AA Regional championship tournament to be held in Williamsport on Friday and Saturday, March 2 & 3.

Yet again, there will be one difference this year from past years.  With the top 5 placers from District 4 and the top 3 placers from District 2, each bracket at the regional tournament will have 8 wrestlers instead of the 12 wrestlers bracketed at the NE Class AAA regional tournament.  The bracket for the NE Class AA regional championship tournament has no preliminaries and starts with quarterfinal competition.

Regional competition will remain brutal.  While the Dawgs always did AAA battle in Bethlehem, the state's (and national) toughest regional tournament, the drop to Class AA simply means that competition merely shifts to the state's toughest Class AA regional championship tournament.  The fire remains extremely hot and only those wrestlers most physically and mentally focused will succeed in this other hotbed of regional competition.

Moving out of the regional championship tournament remains the same.   The top 3 placers from the NE AA regional championship qualify for the ultimate goal of competing at the PIAA AA State championship tournament.

Once again, the Dawgs will be looking for the all-important 1-2-3 placement at the regional championship tournament.

3.  State Championship Tournament In Hershey

Sweet Hershey - the PIAA AA State Championship Tournament - the ultimate goal for every single high school wrestler.  The state wrestling championship tournament, held at the Giant Center, runs for 3 days from March 8 through March 10.

As stated before, the top 3 placers from the NE AA Regional Championship tournament will get the honored opportunity to compete at the state championship tournament and seek out that highly cherished state medal.  Wrestlers who win 2 matches at states are in the top 8 and will be standing on the podium with a state medal around their neck.  As a brand new tournament, each and every wrestler at the state championship tournament will be gunning for the absolute ultimate prize - to be crowned State Champion.

The mission ahead is simple to focus on.

1-2-3.

1. District Championship - top 1-2-3 move on.
2. Regional Championship - top 1-2-3 move on.
3. State Championship Tournament - going for #1