The area’s best wrestlers will be back on the mat this season, and all three area schools will return at least one New York State Public High School Athletic Association qualifier.

The Valley Central Vikings will return two Section 9 Division I champions in Luke Satriano and Nicholas Weeden. Satriano went on to finish fourth at the state tournament. Weeden went to states but did not place.

With Satriano and Weeden returning, the Vikings are looking to have at least one section champion for the two straight years for the first time since 2008, and also are looking to have two place winners at the state tournament.

The Vikings also return Richie Degon, Aundre Rick, Brayden Davies and Hugh Sonner. They’ll be joined by Mekhi Joseph, Ryan Calfe, Edward Vass, Jr., and Michael Giannoni.

The Vikings have also made changes to the program under second-year coach Bob Leonard that have kept the kids wrestling all year long.

It’s an effort that he is hopeful will move the program back toward prominence like it was in the 2000s.

“Let’s face the facts,” Leonard said. “The more you wrestle, the better you are going to be. We have more guys we are hoping can step it up and get it done for VC this year. We just want to be more competitive and hungrier than we’ve been in the past couple of years.”

The Wallkill Panthers put one wrestler in the state tournament last year. Rocco Futia wrestled back to finish a true second to qualify, and finished at the state tournament with a 2-2 record.

He will also be searching for his 100th victory this season.

HIs younger brother, Marco is currently ranked 12th in New York State.

The Panthers will also return George Thomas, who took third at sectionals, and Viktor Banda and Marco Martini, who both scored fourth-place finishes.

New to the team this year will be Julian Aviles, Bryce Buchalter, Thomas Caufaglione, Andrew Vantine, Jake Vantine and Chris Foley.

Fifth-year coach Anthony Ng said the Panthers have been working hard with an eye toward making a run at the league title. The Panthers are currently ranked second in Section 9 to start the season.

The Panthers are also looking to send additional wrestlers to states.

“You can do amazing things with a group that has fully bought in, and that is precisely what we have,” Ng said. “We are proud of our team and the effort they have given so far in the season.”

The Pine Bush Bushmen, who finished 6-6, welcome a new coach in Patrick Sause, who has been in the program for eight years but is entering his first as head coach.

The Bushmen will return Brayden Pennell, who was a state qualifier at 189 pounds last year. He’s also 22 wins from his 100th career victory.

The Bushmen also will return Brooke Tarshis, who was a girls’ Section 9 champion last year. Logan Pennell and James Duffy also were section place-finishers last year.

They’ll be joined by Gabriel McNally and Daniel Trojahn, both who won JV sectionals last year.