Quakertown and Pennridge enter the winter with different rosters, different expectations and one shared mission — to build something that lasts.
The Panthers are tasked with reinventing a lineup that graduated some of the biggest names in program history, including Collin Gaj, Mason Ziegler and Calvin Lachman, according to MediaNews Group coverage.
The Pennridge Rams, meanwhile, return a young core that weathered a rebuilding season and spent the offseason grinding to flip the script. Both rooms are fueled by youth, leadership and the belief that the next chapter can be just as strong as the last, according to a recent article.
Quakertown’s path back to the top of the Suburban One League will rely on growth from every corner of the lineup. Senior Logan Pfistner and junior David Clayton have stepped into leadership roles, stressing development, discipline and tradition in a room loaded with freshmen and sophomores, according to MediaNews Group.
Head coach Kurt Handel believes the team can cover every weight with health on their side, even with a roster smaller than years past. Returning starters like Pfistner, Clayton and Kyler Roesener offer experience, but the Panthers’ ceiling hinges on how quickly new varsity faces adjust to the grind, per the report.
Across Route 309, Pennridge enters the season with momentum and hunger. Senior Quinn McBride — a three-time state qualifier — headlines a roster that learned its lessons the hard way last year, according to MediaNews Group.
His challenge is less physical than mental, working on confidence and composure in big moments. The Rams return starters who spent last year getting battle-tested, added weight-room strength across the board and benefited from a captain-led offseason that required little prompting from the staff. Coach Brian Kuhns believes this year’s team is older, tougher and capable of pushing deeper into February and beyond, according to the article.
Both programs feature future state-level threats. Quakertown leans heavily on upper weights with Pfistner at 160 and Clayton anchoring 189, while Pennridge boasts a strong middle and upper core led by McBride at 145 and rising junior Sawyer Ermigiotti at 215 — a regional qualifier hungry for more hardware.
Read more on the Quakertown preview here and the Pennridge outlook here.
