However, cut to March of 2026, and Muncy freshman Chase Boozer had put District 4 and the entire state of Pennsylvania on notice. He didn’t quite match Johnson’s two-loss, PIAA runner-up finish as a freshman, but he certainly came close, kicking off Muncy’s next era of wrestling on a high note by taking fourth in his PIAA debut.

Making top four was his goal entering his freshman campaign, though that goal evolved as he overcame more obstacles throughout an exceptional regular season. Ultimately, he was proud but unsatisfied by the end result, hoping to use what he learned from his first crack at the Giant Center to become Muncy’s next state champion in the run back.

“I know I can compete with the top guys in the state, so my goal for this season was top four and I accomplished that. But there’s a lot of work of work that needs to be done and a lot of things I can improve on,” said Boozer following his fourth-place finish.

“I think every wrestler’s goal is to be a state champion,” said Muncy head coach Patrick Sparks when discussing Boozer’s run. “But for him to come out here as a freshman at 139 pounds and have the run that he had is pretty spectacular.”

Chase Boozer of Muncy is taken down by Camden Baum of Bishop McDevitt during their semi final match during the PIAA State Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

It certainly is.

Even his losses – a 4-3 decision to eventual champ Camden Baum and 1-0 decision against Bishop McCort senior Owen McMullen – can be seen as positives, close calls against two esteemed wrestlers looking to close their careers on a high note.

He gave Baum – a then-two-time finalist ranked No. 5 in the country – his closest loss of his title run, coming one take down short of carrying Muncy’s finalist streak forward. And upon dropping to consolations, he didn’t let the defeat affect his wrestling, going on to avenge a prior loss in the process.

With the match less than a minute away from overtime, tied at 0-0, Boozer began making headway on turning Bentworth’s Drake McClure for back points after over a minute of fighting for it. Just 12 seconds before the third period wrapped up, he got his opponent’s shoulder on the mat for two crucial back points, going on to beat McClure by 2-1 decision.

Even with the match coming between two losses, it stood out to Boozer when it was all said and done. McClure had previously beaten the freshman at Ultimate Warrior six weeks prior, adding to the meaning of the win.

Chase Boozer of Muncy takes a shot on Tanner Hamilton of Grove City during the PIAA State Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“Lost him earlier in the year so coming back and beating him by a point is pretty cool,” said Boozer. “On top, I’ve done really well. I’ve turned a bunch of kids on top this year, and that’s kind of been my strong suit.”

Moving forward, the focus is to build around those strong suits as he prepares to up his placement as a sophomore, hoping to improve on his feet and on shot setups. Through his freshman campaign, Boozer finished with a 45-5 record, 27 pins, District 4 and Northeast Regional titles and now, a PIAA medal.

“Come back next season and try to do better,” said Boozer on his mentality moving forward. “It’s cool to leave here with a fourth-place medal. I just want to thank all my wrestling partners and everyone that’s gotten me this far.”

“He never complains about anything and is one of the hardest workers we have in our room,” said Sparks on Boozer. “He’ll continue to work hard.”

It’s the same mentality for other returners that medaled this season.

Montoursville’s Hayden Harvey earned his first medal as a junior, taking fourth at 189. And Montoursville’s Branden Eisenhour and Montgomery’s Gage Oberheim took home hardware as underclassmen, Eisenhour placing fifth at 107 as a sophomore and Oberheim taking sixth at 114 as a freshman.

“I’ve always been told there’s room for improvement, but when you come here, you really find it out,” said Eisenhour. “I lost 5-0 and 6-3. There’s so much room for improvement there. It makes me want to keep working.”

“My goal is to win the whole thing because I know Gage [Wentzel] will be winning the whole thing this year. Can’t let him one-up me,” said Harvey, prior to Wentzel securing state gold. “Gonna miss Gage, but we’ve got to let go of some things. I’m 100 percent ready for my senior year.”

With so much promise set to return after securing hardware, there’s plenty to be excited about moving forward. As two area state champions close out their high school careers, the question is, who will be next.