Each put together successful regular seasons, defeating tough opponents and upping their state ranking along the way, with Kunes peaking at No. 5 in the 127-pound weight class and Swisher making it to No. 7 at 152. And each got knocked down a peg once postseason began, suffering tough District 6 title losses before scraping into states with fifth place showings at regionals, as they fell to No. 7 and 10 respectively.

That brought into question which version of the wrestlers we’d get come time for the PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships. Would we see the progress they’d shown fully realized with deeper runs in their second stints? Or would they suffer the same fate as last season?

By the end of Day One, those questions would already be answered.

The pair kicked things off with wins in their preliminary matchups, notching their first career state victories to keep their runs alive heading into Friday. And come tournament end, they’d gone on to make it all the way to the blood round, with Swisher going the extra mile and landing on the podium in eighth.

Aiden Kunes of Central Mountain takes a shot on Noah Fenner of Easton during the PIAA Wrestling Championships in Hershey. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Though they may have held higher aspirations, particularly Kunes who fell one win short of medaling, the runs could serve as steppingstones as they look to continuing building upward heading into next season. Having broken the mold that is picking up a win at states, each holds at least one more crack at it, now with that barrier broken.

Throughout the tournament, Swisher showed an affinity for working out of all three starts and keeping mistakes down to a minimum, with the only three points he surrendered through his three wins coming in the form of a first-period takedown.

Following that takedown, he’d rack up nine straight points to advance past Ivan Bonilla (Freedom) before a hard-fought decision loss to second-seeded Gavin Campbell (Quakertown) sent him to consolations heading into Day Two. There, he’d pick up where he left off against Bonilla, not allowing a single point through two straight victories to clinch his medal.

In 2024, his biggest struggles at the event came in the form of starts and regaining momentum late. Both losses featured a first-period takedown the other way and while the matches stayed within reach from there, Swisher couldn’t land a takedown to turn the tide.

In 2025, the Bellefonte junior showed progress in both scenarios.

Ezra Swisher, Bellefonte takes a shot on Nathan Replogle, Central York during the PIAA Wrestling Championships in Hershey. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

When faced with a 3-0 deficit out the gate, Swisher responded seamlessly, getting out of Bonilla’s grip out of bottom before immediately landing a lead-taking takedown and never relinquishing control from there.

In his next two victories, the Red Raider not only never trailed, but never surrendered a single point, defeating Red Lion’s Wylan Damon by 6-0 decision and carrying that momentum into a 4-0 decision over Central York’s Nathan Replogle. He was the tone-setter and that paid dividends down the stretch.

Against Damon, he scored points out of top and bottom, almost landing a pin out of top in the second and posting a match-sealing reversal out of bottom in the third. And with a 1-0 lead late against Replogle, Swisher didn’t grow complacent or timid despite his lead, getting behind Replogle amidst a standing grapple and bringing him down for a medal-clinching takedown.

Even with back-to-back losses to close out his run, defeats that came against fourth-place finisher Chris Dennis (Central Bucks West) and second-seeded Gavin Campbell (Quakertown), the junior checked a box he’s been waiting to check since the beginning of the season. In pursuit of rivaling his brother Jude’s success, who finished as a three-time medalist, Swisher felt that’d be the first step to getting there.

“The big thing this year is, a state medal,” Swisher said on his goals for the season at December’s King of the Mountain tournament in Mill Hall. “I’m a little behind, my brother got three and I can only get two, so got to get it done this year. Then, hopefully, a championship next year, something my brother never did.”

Aiden Kunes of Central Mountain wins his match against Noah Fenner of Easton during the PIAA Wrestling Championships in Hershey. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

For Kunes, his conclusion was disappointing, as he fell one win short of finding himself on the podium come Saturday night. But he managed to traverse deep into Day 2 despite having to adapt his game a bit due to knee discomfort, pulling off multiple tough wins in the process.

Both victories featured sound defensive play, as he surrendered zero points against two top 15 opponents in Easton’s Noah Fenner and Red Lion’s Jackson Orrell in 3-0 and 2-0 decisions respectively. His offense wasn’t as explosive as earlier in the season, but he was able to tap into other strengths to get the job done.

It was tough considering the work he had put in through the months following his previous exit, but head coach Biff Walizer believes he’ll look back on this run fondly in the coming months, as he continues to work to better himself. With two seasons left to improve, big things are expected of the Central Mountain sophomore.

“He’s going to be able to look back on this eventually and learn and grow from it, come back stronger next year,” said Walizer on Kunes following his elimination on Friday night. “Looking back on it, he had a great season, dealt with some nagging injuries towards the end and never complained about it.”

The pair heads into the 2025-26 season with room to grow but further proof they can do so, each building on their state tournament debuts and previous win rates while displaying growth on and off the mat. If that trajectory continues, watch out.