Hollis Brookline's Caden Bruseo hopes to be smiling Saturday during the Division II Championships like he was after recordinghis 100th career pin earlier this season. (Courtesy photo by Dora Lomme)

The dual meets, tri-meets, quad meets and tournaments are over.

Now all that effort is not being channeled to Saturday’s NHIAA Wrestling Division Championships, the sport’s biggest weekend annually.

While the area will no doubt have a few weight class individual Division champions, will there be an overall state team champion? The last time was two years ago when Hollis Brookline captured the Division II title. Bishop Guertin has been the runnerup the last three seasons after winning it all in 2020 and then a dual meet title in 2021.

Division II, which this year will be held at Goffstown, will once again be the best spot for a local team title. While the Cards or Alvirne aren’t on many’s list of favorites, watch out for them as they’ll be factors. Right now it looks like Souhegan, Hollis Brookline, and Milford will be legit contenders. Host Goffstown should be as well.

Division I, which locally only has Nashua North and South, will be at Lonodnderry. Campbell has a couple of individuals who should be strong in Division III at ConVal.

How does a team win? “To win, you have to win underneath,” Cards coach Paul Rousseau said after last year’s meet, and it holds true every year. “You’re always going to have your kids in the finals, but you need the other kids to come up.”

“For us, it’s going to be all about kids wrestling above their seeds,” HB coach Brian Bumpus said. “We need our guys that are seeded lower to come through with third and fourth place finishes.”

Here’s a look, beginning with Division II and the the main seeds for each local school to give you an idea of who has what:

SOUHEGAN – The Sabers’ lone top seed is Jack Kaler at 126. Ben Smiley is seeded second at 138 as is Noah Daily at 165 and Gabe Holt at 215,with Cole Brandt third at 144. Kyle Sukcharoephon is fourth at 106 while Chase Knuckles is fifth at 150, as is Liam Fisher at 190 and Darwin Brown-Waters at 175; Landon Carson is ranks sixth at 132 and Alex Sarfde seventh at 157.

MILFORD – The Spartans have a lot of mid-seeds that if just a few move up would create a ton of points. Their highest are Nate Post No. 3 at 190 and Elijah Wales the same at 215.

Joshua Enright is ranked fourth at 113, Cam Stickney is fourth at 138 as is Noah Kittredge at 165; Kane Davis at 120, Tanner Herbert (144), Jace Wilhelmi (157) and Brandon Leeman (285) are all ranked fifth; Kiernan Lordan (126), Philip Wright (150), Jack Clancy (175) all ranked sixth.

HOLLIS BROOKLINE – The Cavs have three top seeds:Victor Lomme at 106, Caden Bruseo at 138, Jacob Critchfield at 157,

Daniel Frixione is a second seed at 150, Scout Crea is third seed at 120 as is Jacob Velez at 175; Daniel Hallas is fourth at 190, Hunter Knight No. 5 at 126 as is Marty Burns at 165

Will Crawford is seeded eighth at 132; if lower seeds like him can move up it gives teams a chance.

BISHOP GUERTIN – The Cards, who Rousseau said back in December wouldn’t be a good dual meet team but much better in tourneys have plenty of seeds including two top seeds: at 132 in James Algeo and Bishop Kearns at heavyweight. Austin Steinruck is ranked third at 126; Jack Foster third at 150; Wesley Steinruck is No. 5 at 106; Dom Stamp No. 5 at 138, Lucas Wilson No. 7 at 113; Finn Murphy is seventh at 144.

ALVIRNE – Watch out as the Broncos have the most No. 1 seeds of anyone in the area: Kyler Cox at 106, Shayne Mackey at 165, Quintin Tetreault at 190, and Shawn Boudreau at 215.

Timmy Malley is seeded second at 113; Joey Lydon third at 157; Ayden Douglass is sixth at 138; Andrw Vertigans seventh at 285 and Aaron Cummings eighth at 144.

MERRIMACK – Owen Sayball is the ‘Hawks’ highest seed, No. 2 a 126 while Connor Sayball is No. 4 at 132. Carter Anderson is seventh at 175 as is Cooper Seltsam-Wilps at 215

DIVISION I

There’s not likely a team state title with either Nashua North or South, but individual state champions are possible.

Nashua South goes in with two top seeds: Connor Whitman at 165 and Ben Byrne No. 1 at 150. South’s Johnny McDevitt is seventh at 138. South’s Marlon Gomez is ninth at 126.

Nashua North’s Gavin Page is ranked fourth at 132 North’s Owen Gagnon is seeded fifth at 120; Hayden Durocher is sixth at 126. At 138, North’s Caleb Smith is seeded sixth and North’s Ruben DeJesus is the seventh seed at 190 and Julian Pallandi ninth at 144.

“Owen at 120, then Hayden Durocher is a name a lot of people are sleeping on, I feel like,” Titans coach Sebastian Arroyo said. “Definitely Gavin Page at 132 will make some noise, and Caleb Smith is a returning MOC qualifier at 138, Julian at 144 … And Ruben DeJesus at 190 is a beast.”

“We’re expecting Benny should be a state champ, Connor should be a state champ, and some of those other guys should all definitely place,” South coach Anthony Spero said.

DIVISION III

Campbell’s main threat is Logan Allaire, the No.1 seed at 175. Cougars’ Sage Anctil is the second seed at 150.