Now, as a senior, Packer is not only putting on an outstanding final campaign himself, but his teammates are making the run just as memorable. Packer wasn’t alone this time in advancing out of districts.

Packer was one of five Jersey Shore wrestlers to advance to the regional tournament next week in Class AAA at Altoona. Two reached the the first-place finals and three won consolation bouts to get to the third-place finals.

“To me, knowing that freshman year I was the only one going to regionals, I feel like we’re building up that Jersey Shore culture we used to have back in the 1980s,” Packer said.

For Packer, it was even nicer on Saturday when he won a district title for the first time in his career. He was all smiles as he stood on top of the podium with a gold medal, and he won his first-ever district title inside his own gym as well.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Slate Sechrist wrestles at 215 pounds during the District 4-9 Class AAA tournament finals on Saturday at Jersey Shore.

“Going through all four years of high school to not have one yet, it’s a big deal to me,” Packer said with his gold medal dangling from his neck. “Last year I came up with second place, first place this year it feels so rewarding.”

Was it a little redemption for him from last year?

“I would say so,” Packer said with a laugh.

In addition to Packer advancing with a district win at 189 pounds, the Bulldogs’ Tyler Bauder (172) was also a district champion. In the third-place bouts, Jersey Shore’s Slate Sechrist (215) took third and Mason Winter (121) and Owen Vandruff (285) were fourth-place finishers as all advanced.

Packer opened the tournament after receiving a bye at 189 with a 1 minute, 51-second pin over Shikellamy’s Brody Rebuck. In the final, Packer recorded a second-period fall against Selinsgrove’s Tucker Teats, a 25-win wrestler, in 3:33 to win his first title.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Owen Vandruff wrestles at 285 pounds during the District 4-9 Class AAA tournament finals on Saturday at Jersey Shore.

“They’re both great wrestlers. I can’t take anything away from them,” Packer said. “It just goes into the training I’ve put in all offseason and going into this postseason.”

In the second period, Packer managed to cradle Teats and get him down for the pin to secure his district title.

The two wins gave Packer his 28th and 29th for the year, and Packer didn’t allow either opponent to score many points, if any, against the Bulldog controlled the match throughout.

Bauder was Jersey Shore’s only other district champion on Saturday evening. Bauder reached his 30th win of the year after he pinned Williamsport’s Jackson Raker in the semifinals in 2:51 in the second period and then won via injury default against Punxsutawney’s Grant Miller in the final.

“We come here, work every day and it’s nice to have five kids that want to wrestle and be here and it’s just another day, another wrestling tournament,” Bauder said of five Bulldogs reaching regionals. “Just kind of give it your all.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Hadyn Packer wrestles at 189 pounds during the District 4-9 Class AAA tournament finals on Saturday at Jersey Shore.

Bauder got out fast in his matches offensively.

“My strongest part of the game is being on top. That’s what I’ve been doing since I was a kid,” Bauder said. “I like to get the first takedown. I just let them up and take them down again.”

Slate Sechrist took third for Jersey Shore when he outlasted Selinsgrove’s Steven Miller in a tough bout at 215 pounds. It was in that match where Sechrist recorded a 3-2 decision victory, holding off Miller to secure the victory.

The Bulldogs’ other two regional finalists came when Winter took fourth after Punxsutawney’s Jordan Rutan pinned him in 3:50 at 121 and Vandruff came up just shy at 285 in the third-place bout against Selinsgrove’s Jack Peters, 4-0.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Hadyn Packer wrestles at 189 pounds during the District 4-9 Class AAA tournament finals on Saturday at Jersey Shore.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Tyler Bauder wrestles at 172 pounds during the District 4-9 Class AAA tournament finals on Saturday at Jersey Shore.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Tyler Bauder wrestles at 172 pounds during the District 4-9 Class AAA tournament finals on Saturday at Jersey Shore.