Pleasant Valley’s Juliette Trout, PM East’s Keegan Demerest lead Monroe County contingent into 60-team showdown at Lehighton.

LEHIGHTON — The Coal Cracker Wrestling Tournament returns January 24-25, and four Monroe County programs will test themselves against a 60-team field that includes state champions, nationally ranked competitors, and the reigning PIAA Class 2A powerhouse Faith Christian Academy.

Pleasant Valley, Pocono Mountain East, Pocono Mountain West, and East Stroudsburg South make the trip to Carbon County for what has become one of Pennsylvania’s marquee high school wrestling events — a two-day showcase that will bring more than 1,000 wrestlers and an estimated 5,000 spectators to the Lehighton Area School District.

“If you place in this tournament, you’re a heck of a wrestler,” said Kyle Spotts, Lehighton’s Director of Student Services and Facilities Planning.

Pleasant Valley: Trout Seeks Redemption

Sophomore Juliette Trout headlines the Poconos contingent.

At last year’s Coal Cracker girls tournament, Trout finished second at 112 pounds. She made up for it at the East Penn Conference Championships, where she pinned all three opponents in the first period — needing just two minutes and 36 seconds total to claim the title.

“She’s a pinner,” Pleasant Valley head coach James Weiss said. “If she’s in a match and she’s in control, I expect her to put people on their back.”

Trout captured the Southeast Regional championship last February and competed at the PIAA State Championships in Hershey. This Coal Cracker represents her shot at the title that slipped away last January.

The Bears also bring Isabella Altemose (170 pounds) and Eddie Lauritsen, who won the 123-pound JV championship at last year’s Coal Cracker.

PM East: The Area’s Only Boys State Medalist

Pocono Mountain East enters with Monroe County’s strongest boys résumé.

Senior Keegan Demerest finished second at District XI, second at regionals, and seventh at the PIAA State Championships last season — the area’s only boys state medalist. He earned First Team All-EPC North honors alongside Xander Gonzalez and Cael Harmon.

Head coach Mr. Harmon has built a squad that went 13-8 last season and placed fourth in EPC Division A. The Cardinals will compete in both varsity and JV brackets.

PM West and ES South

Pocono Mountain West brings EPC North All-Stars Tony Bothwell and Noah Noguera. The Panthers also field a competitive girls program — Autumn Kanas won the EPC title at 118 pounds last season.

East Stroudsburg South’s Ivan Laubach and Jovany Pieretti earned EPC North All-Star recognition, anchoring a program building depth in District XI competition.

The Field

Faith Christian Academy, ranked No. 1 nationally and two-time defending PIAA 2A champion, headlines the tournament. Abington Heights’ Brian Heard (172-pound champion, Penn commit) and Wallenpaupack’s Gunnar Myers (160-pound champion) return as defending titlists.

District 2 powers Honesdale, Wallenpaupack, and Lackawanna Trail — a multiple-time Coal Cracker team champion — round out a field stretching from Philadelphia to the New York border.

Tournament Details

The Coal Cracker runs across two Lehighton venues. Wrestlers going 0-2 or 1-2 Friday can compete in Saturday’s JV tournament, which draws nearly 300 competitors. The girls tournament takes place at Jim Thorpe Area High School.

Friday, January 24: First round at 3 p.m. (107-133 at Lehighton HS; 139-285 at Elementary Center)

Saturday, January 25: JV tournament 9 a.m. at Lehighton HS; championship rounds at Elementary Center; girls tournament at Jim Thorpe (9 a.m.)