Some make it look easy and qualify all four years of their careers.

For others, they may go all four years and never get the chance to make it. Montgomery’s Carden Wagner was in a situation where that was close to happening.

Wagner lost a tough 5-2 TB2 decision in the 127-pound championship semifinals to Warrior Run standout Chase Wirnsberger on Saturday and found himself in the consolation semifinals. It meant win, and you’re heading to states. Lose, and your season ends at the Magic Dome at regionals.

Wagner chose the former.

DAVE KENNEDY/ Sun-Gazette Montgomery’s Carden Wagner competes at the District 4 championships against Gage Swank of Muncy at 127 pounds. Wagner, a senior, finally qualified for the state tournament for the first time in his career with a third-place finish at regionals this past weekend.

The Red Raider beat Williamson’s Hunter Simonds in the consolations by fall in 3:53. And, for the first time in Wagner’s accomplished career, he was heading to the state tournament.

“I mean it means a lot,” Montgomery’s Carden Wagner said about qualifying. “Just finishing it off like this and the rest of my team wrestling really well and having a lot of us make it to states is really nice.”

Wagner’s set for a first-round matchup against District 7’s Cameron Baker of Burrell, a Southwest Regional runner-up who is 41-4.

Wagner’s qualification was a highlight for the Red Raiders at the Northeast Class AA Regional tournament as Montgomery saw five wrestlers reach the first- or third-place finals and all qualified for the PIAA Class AA championships.

It was among the most area qualifiers from one school. Montoursville and Warrior Run each had four make it to states.

Brandt Harer (145 pounds) was the only Red Raider to wrestle for gold. Wagner (127), Liam Seeley (121) and Gabe Oberheim (114) were all bronze medalists and Trace Furman (152) took fourth.

Despite having a ton of success over the last four years — Wagner’s a 100-plus win wrestler and has made it to regionals three times — he’s never been to Hershey. Now, as a senior, he finally has the opportunity to wrestle at the Giant Center among the state’s best.

“Being a senior and just finally getting the chance to go wrestle at Hershey? It just feels really good,” Wagner said with a smile.

Wagner is excited for the opportunity that he has now at Hershey.

“I know there’s going to be some tough competition so I just wanna go out there with a good mind set, wrestle basic and stick to basics and just try to have fun,” Wagner said.

Wagner is 42-11 this year and his wins and winning percentage (.792) are the highest he’s ever had in a single year.

This year was also the first year that Wagner has experienced postseason gold after winning the Central Sectional title and District 4 championship.

“I had some really good partners and I think they really pushed me to my limits in the practice room and really prepared me well for this postseason,” Wagner said.

Wagner also felt that he’s more than improved from the first dual match of the season to where he is currently heading into states. Wagner entered this past weekend’s postseason tournament ranked No. 12 in Pennsylvania at 127 pounds.

“This postseason I wrestled I think really, really well. I had a close match there with a really tough kid (in the consolation final vs. Blue Ridge’s Brice Woodruff), bounced back and finished off for third place,” Wagner said. “I’ve been practicing really hard and doing really well with dieting and it just really paid off. I think this is just the best I’ve wrestled all of high school.”

Seeley took third after earning a 10-1 major decision over Carmen Walt of Berwick at 121, Oberheim earned a 10-3 major against Hanover’s Chase Smith at 114 and Trace Furman lost a close contest by decision 4-2 to Lewisburg’s Landen Wagner.

Seeley will wrestle Penns Valley’s Max Dingest in the first round. Dingest, a sophomore, is 43-4 and was a Southwest Class AA Regional runner-up.

Oberheim has a first-round matchup against Brookville freshman Cody Householder (39-5), a Northwest Class AA Regional runner-up.

At 152, Furman will compete in a pig-tail match against McGuffey senior Victor Bonus (44-10), a Southwest Class AA Regional sixth-place finisiher.

At 145, Harer is the top seed in the bracket at 54-0 and will wrestle either Derry freshman William McNeal (42-17) or Reynolds senior Greyden Gustas (40-10).