Senior Ryan Haas has been wrestling since the third grade, but he took a two-year break during his sophomore and junior seasons.

Two years removed from the sport and a jump in eight weight classes later, Haas is in the midst of another successful season.

Following a forfeit victory in a match against Catatsauqua on Wednesday night, Haas’ record is 13-7 on the season.

“I was behind Caleb Clymer,” Haas said. “Him and I are good buds. We played football together. So, I knew what weight he was going at and that I wouldn’t have a spot. I took a year off, lifted and got better for this year.”

Clymer, who won states last year, suited up at the same weight Haas would have in both his sophomore and junior seasons. The Tigers also had state qualifier Jackson Bernhard at 152, one weight class below Clymer.

Instead of coming out for the team, Haas focused on lifting and getting stronger. That has made the jump up to 160 pounds that much easier.

“It’s a lot different because the last time I wrestled I was only at 113 pounds,” Haas said. “And now I’m wrestling at 160. I have a lot more muscle and I’m wrestling bigger and better guys. It’s interesting. I like it a lot more.”

Haas is hoping this season ends with a run at districts and a spot in regionals come the postseason.

“I know we have a lot of good kids at 160 [in District 11], but it would be really cool to make it out of districts,” Haas said. “Place there at districts, and then just wrestle my best at regionals. I know it’s going to be really tough there.”

“It’s good to have him back on the team,” said Tiger head coach Jim Moll said. “He’s wrestled his whole life and is an athletic kid. Wrestling is a little bit like riding a bike. You might have a little bit of rust to shake off, but at this point in the season he’s done that and wrestled well.”

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STALLING … The rankings will return next week. Expect significant changes up and down the pecking order, with wrestlers dropping weight ahead of the postseason. There will also be some head-to-head matchups to sift through, which we’ll dive into.

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HOW MANY? … Panther Valley’s annual Coal Cracker Tournament has seen steady growth in recent years. And this season’s event is no different. After fielding 32 teams a year ago, a staggering 38 schools will participate in the two-day event this Friday and Saturday. Times News area squads competing include Jim Thorpe, Northern Lehigh, Northwestern, Palmerton, Tamaqua and the host Panthers. The Tigers had two champs a year ago in Caleb Clymer and Matt Peters, while the Olympians’ John Newhall also captured gold. All have graduated, but several standouts that stood on the podium a year ago return, and there’s no question they will be looking to improve their standing. The following area wrestlers are back after placing a year ago: Jim Thorpe – Ethan Mordaunt (seventh, 195) and William Schwartz (eighth, 106); Northern Lehigh – Preston Bauer (sixth, 120) and Dominic Bandle (eighth, 220); Northwestern – Jake Dellicker (fifth, 106), Harrison Bernhard (seventh, 126) and Ryan Haverkamp (eighth, 170); Palmerton – Lucas Christman (fifth, 145) and Matt Lalik, (eighth, 138); Tamaqua - Bronson Strouse (third, 220) and Aaron Coccio (eighth, 120).

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(ANOTHER) LOOK AT THE STANDINGS ... We’re another week closer to the District 11 team tournament (Jan. 31 and Feb. 1), so let’s take a look at how area teams stack up. Invitations will be issued to the top-12 teams in Class 2A and 3A based on the Power Rating system. Lehighton continues to lead the way in 2A with a 9-3 mark and sits fifth, while Jim Thorpe (5-4) remains seventh. Tamaqua (8-7) is still eighth, while Northwestern (6-5) moves from 11th to 10th, and Palmerton (3-6) holds steady in 12th. Northern Lehigh (2-10) is 17th, and Panther Valley (0-13) 21st. In Class 3A, Pleasant Valley (7-10) is holding steady in 16th. Per the district website, only competition with PIAA teams up to and including Saturday, Jan. 26 will count in seeding.

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CLOSING IN ... Lehighton’s Chris Whiteman has enjoyed a stellar season. Coming off his second straight Schuylkill League title this past weekend, the senior is nearing yet another milestone. Whiteman is getting closer to 100 wins, currently sitting at 92. In addition to Whiteman, Tamaqua’s Bronson Strouse has 82 career wins, while Palmerton’s Lucas Christman sits at 77. Both stand a chance to get it this postseason.