Nashua South's Anthony Fernandez, shown here (top) battling Nashua North's Ben Haight, is the top seed t 132 in Saturday's Division I State Meet at Londonderry. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

Saturday is high school wrestling’s day.

A year ago we enjoyed the team playoff/dual meet format to determine state champions, but this year it’s back to the multi-team Divsion Meets for NHIAA wrestling as the Divsion I (at Londonderry), Division II (at Goffstown) and Division III (at Bow) team and weight class championships will be decided.

It’s a free-for-all in Division II, with locals Bishop Guertin, Hollis Brookline and Merrimack among those fighting it out for the team title while pointing to each other as the favorite.

In Division I, Timberlane, as usual, “is the clear-cut favorite” South coach Adam Langlois said, but he has high hopes for his own team’s good showing.

Campbell hopes to make some noise in Division III.

“Saturday,” Guertin coach Paul Rousseau said, “should be a lot of fun.”

Here’s a look:

DIVISION I

“South is taking its best team to divisions in my 13 years (as Panthers coach),” Langlois said. “I’m hoping for a top three finish this year.”

The Panthers will have 12 wrestling, with all of them seeded and eight in the top six, “and we’re confident we’ll wrestle to our seeds or better. The most wrestlers we’ve qualified for the MOC (Meet of Champions, finish in top six in weight class) during my tenure has been eight and we are hoping to beat that this year.”

South’s Anthony Fernandez is the top seed at 132, while Ryan Salemi (113) and C.J.

Vancelette are seeded second.

Nashua North, which bowed in the dual meet semis to Timberlane last year, is looking at senior Matt Oliver with a good shot at at a title at 106. Toby Brown (220) and Fin Mullaly (152) also have a good shot at a top three finish. Andrew Frye (145) and Kole Ducharme (160) have top six shots while Ben Height (126) and Jesse Allen (heavyweight) will be making their state meet debuts.

DIVISION II

Keep an eye on the Cards, as they have three number one seeds and four No. 2 seeds. The one seeds at John Forcier (126), Will Murphy (160), and James Murphy (182).

Of course Rousseau wants to deflect some pressure, so in his mind the rival Cavaliers are the favorite. “They’re very well-coached, deep in numbers, tough and wrestling great as a team.”

Ah, but HB coach Brian Bumpus says a lot has to fall into place for that to happen.

“We’ll need a lot of younger wrestlers to step up to the challenge and wrestle above their seeds, and we’ll need our No. 1 guys to do what they are supposed to do,” Bumpus said.

Top HB wrestlers will be Caden Bruseo (113), R.J. McAdams (145), Troy Moscatelli (152) and Justin Colby (195).

Merrimack, which lost to BG in the dual meet semis last year after a competitive battle, is also strong, and has been tough all season. The Tomahawks have a tough one in sophomore Mitchell Krupp, who last year wrestled at 132 but has been at 138. Cooper Carlson (152), Brendan Curley (160), Anthony Almonte (113) and Evan Torres (120) have wrestled well for the ‘Hawks all season.

Alvire, Milford and Souhegan aren’t likely team title contenders but will look to load up in the MOC. Ben Kilgore, Evan O’Conell, Noah Kittredge and Danny DeBernardo are among those who have wrestled well for the Spartans this year. Cameron Steed at 152 has been tough for Alvirne.

DIVISION III

Campbell has some talent, beginning with Logan Allaire at 138 and Connor Rakiey at 145.

BOWLING TEAM MEETS SATURDAY

The NHIAA bowling team titles will be decided on Saturday as well at 10 a.m.at Manchester’s Yankee Lanes.

Merrimack is the top local seed at No. 3, followed by Souhegan, led by Wil Jacques, at No. 8. Bishop Guertin snared the last seed at No. 11 and a rebuilding Hollis Brookline team missed out at No. 14.

Merrimack gets a first-round bye, and will roll against the Spaulding-Guertin match.

Goffstown is the top seed.

Souhegan takes on Dover in the first round, the winner to battle No. 1 Goffstown.

CAMPBELL BOYS HOOP IN QUARTERS

While all eyes are on the Division I boys and girls hoop finals on Sunday, the No.4 Cougars (15-3) will host No. 5 White Mountains Regional tonight in the Division III quarterfinals.

The Cougars are red hot, going into tonight’s game riding a nine-game winning streak. White Mountains (15-4) topped a traditional Cougar rival, Conant, 41-36 in the prelims the other night while Campbell beat Belmont 65-52 behind 28 points from Colton Martel and 20 from Brody Mills.

The Cougars and White Mountains did not play during the regular season, but if you want to compare, Campbell took care of Conant twice by 19 and 20 points

A win would land the Cougars in Tuesday’s semifinals at Bedford High School at 8 p.m. against the winner of the quarter between top seed Gilford (16-1). Gilford pasted Newfound 79-35 in early January.