The Parkland High School boys wrestling team enters the 2025-26 season with a few familiar faces on the roster

The Trojans’ lone regional qualifier from last winter returns. District 11 3A fifth-place finisher Jorge Moya is back and expected to produce similar results this year. Now a senior, Moya went 31-14 in 2024-25 and is expected to wrestle at 160 pounds.

“We only have one wrestler returning who made regionals, but a bunch of guys with high expectations,” said sixth-year Trojan head coach Eddie Keichel said. “I would say that we are pretty well balanced throughout the lineup. I don’t know that there is an area of our lineup that I would identify as weak.”

Sophomore Donato Ciampittiello placed sixth at districts and was an alternate for regionals. He went 16-18 last winter and will be wrestling at 172 pounds.

Keichel and Parkland will have some voids to fill, however. The Trojans will be without one of their leaders from a year ago as Leo Kern has since graduated after a 25-win season.

But there’s plenty of returning talent that Keichel believes could catapult the Trojans to higher heights in 2025-26.

Sophomore Braden Todora (114) and Junior Matthew Velez (133) each won 25 matches last winter and return as key staples in the lower weight classes for Keichel. Junior Luis Moya went 19-4 and is expected to wrestle at 107 pounds, adding another strong wrestler early in the lineup.

Rounding out the Trojans’ other returnees are: junior Chase Kruk (6-8 last year; expected weight class 121 pounds), junior Jared Santilli (19-14; 139 or 145 pounds), junior CJ Toth (17-13; 189 pounds), senior Max Pugach (17-14; 215 pounds) and junior Myles Lysek (2-2; 285 pounds).

“We return an experienced team ready to make the jump to the next level,” Keichel said. “Team and individual goals and expectations are high this season. We expect to qualify and contend at team districts, and make a push to qualify for states. Individually we expect to have multiple wrestlers representing Parkland in Hershey this year come March.”

As is the case most years, teams will expect a few newcomers to slide into key weight classes. That will be no different for Keichel and the Trojans this winter, as three former junior high medalists are expected to have a big impact at the varsity level.

Sophomore Jayden Santiago (District 11 junior high champion) and sophomore Jason Brubacher (District 11 junior high medalist) are both expected to see time at the 189-pound weight class. Freshman Tycen Norman, a two-time district junior high medalist figures to be in the mix at 139 and 145 pounds, while junior Ricardo Rivera will be a key puzzle piece at 127.

“There will be a couple newcomers to the lineup, but they are experienced newcomers,” Keichel said. “An area that needs growth, which I think has already occurred, is our belief in ourselves. This team is bought into the fact that we are contenders in District 11 and we belong among the top teams of the Lehigh Valley.”