Hershey, Pa. is the Mecca to PIAA high school wrestlers. Elderton's Todd Cessna will be making his yearly pilgrimage to Hershey's Giant Center this weekend as the PIAA wrestling tournament gets underway. Cessna, who owns western Pennsylvania's all-time wins mark with 128, will be making his third trip to Hershey, the first Bobcat wrestler to do so. In his first two trips, the senior 160-pound grappler has finished eighth in 2003 and third last year. All wins aside, Cessna wants to bring home the gold. "It is an accomplishment," he said of breaking Derry Area's Mike Mays' win total. "Just about every wrestler wants the gold. The highest goal of a wrestler is to win the gold. If I go through the tournament and wrestle without any mistakes, I will be up there." Cessna has been practicing with Kittanning's Josh Serene, who finished third at the Southwest Regional tournament over the weekend. Serene is making his first trip to Hershey and is the first Wildcat since Adam Brochetti in 2002. "You have the top 16 kids in the state," Kittanning head coach Ken Bussard said. "They are all going to be good." Serene took a new approach to this season and the dividends are paying off. "I didn't expect myself there," he said. "I am not as intense as I used to. I had fun this year. I am like a kid in a candy store." And fun has him a date with Hollidayburg's Brad Shaw (33-4). "I feel he has a good chance at placing," Cessna said of Serene. "I have a real good shot at placing this year. I just have a little work to do." Cessna's first match in Hershey is Wyalusing's Jason Crawford (37-7). He finished third at the Northeast Regionals. But Cessna's worst enemy this postseason has been Southside Beaver's Corey Checkan (39-3). Cessna lost to Checkan in the finals of the WPIAL tournament two weeks ago and again last weekend at the Southwest Regional tournament. "I haven't beaten him," Cessna said. "He does that same move to me. A dump. It is like a fireman's carry." "He can go out there win states," Serene said of Cessna. "He avoids the dump and beats Checkan. The state tournament is interesting. Upsets can happen. It is full of upsets." If Cessna was to meet Checkan for a third time this season, it would in the finals. Bussard believes that Serene is full of confidence following last weekend. As a No. 7 seed, he defeated the second seed before finishing third. "To me, he looks prepared," Bussard said. "Now it isn't a physical thing, it is more mental now. Once you reach a certain point, it is how mentally tough you stay." Not only has Serene been working out with Cessna, Brochetti has given out some pointers on his trips home from college. Kiski Area enters two into the PIAA-AAA bracket. Tyler Oravec (46-4) will battle Cedar Cliff's Brian Ortenzio (28-7) in the opening round at 130 while Quentin Tarszewski (39-7), who will be making his first trip to Hershey, has Quakertown's Kevin Orr (31-10).

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