The brothers from Bellefonte have been separated by as many as six weight classes throughout their careers and are separated by four amidst their final postseason runs. However, despite the weight discrepancy, they’ve made it work.

“(Jackson)’s actually my practice partner, believe it or not,” said Wyatt Long on the relationship. “He’s much bigger, but I feel like I give him the feel for quickness. I can shoot in on the leg but can’t really finish.”

“Having him alongside me has helped me a lot with staying calm. When I look over at him in the corner, I feel calm. I can stay nice and composed, even if I’m losing the match,” he added.

And as they’ve continuously grown alongside each other, so have the accolades.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte's Jackson Long get his hand raised during a dual against Clearfield at Bellefonte earlier this season.

On Saturday, those upward trajectories culminated in each brother’s first District 6 title, with Wyatt winning at 139 behind two pins and Jackson at 189 behind a pin and decision. Those championships added to their recent exceedance of 100 career wins and numerous other accolades – regular and postseason.

Each brother’s championship was special in its own right, a satisfactory result given their lengthy, obstacle-filled journeys to get there. And the shared aspect of the accomplishment made it all-the-more surreal, as each got to watch as they made their district-title dreams come true.

“It’s pretty cool. Feels good to finally get it done,” said Jackson Long. “I don’t know too many twins that have won districts together, so it’s a pretty unique experience.”

Given how much the two brothers have accomplished throughout their careers with Bellefonte, the milestones felt like a long time coming.

Both have established themselves within program history, with Wyatt ranking No. 5 in career wins with 130 and Jackson right behind at No. 8 with 121. And postseason wise, both medaled in all four district appearances and have at least one regional medal to their name, with Jackson having two in the latter regard.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte's Wyatt Long gets his hand raised during the District 6 Class AAA wrestling championships on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Altoona.

“They’re just really hard workers,” said Bellefonte head coach Mike Maney on the brothers following their titles on Saturday.

“They’re team captains, and we’ve really relied on their leadership. They both have been steady performers for us for four years, so it’s nice to finally see them get over the hump and become district champions.”

With one hump out of the way, the focus now is continuing that trend at regionals.

In last year’s stint, each placed sixth at their respective weights, falling just one win short – even one takedown short – of punching their tickets to Hershey for the first time. That’s the goal for both brothers heading into this weekend’s West Regional, with more down the road if they can breach that barrier.

“My goal heading into regionals is honestly making it out of regionals, placing and qualifying for states because I’ve never been there before,” said Wyatt Long following Saturday’s title. “It’s always been my goal to make it there, and I feel like I can if I have my mind right.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte's Luke Hockenberry, left, high fives Jackson Long, right, before a dual against Clearfield at Bellefonte earlier this season.

“To get on the podium at states is the goal,” said Jackson Long after taking second at King of the Mountain back in December. “This doesn’t prove anything yet.”

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

Coming off a tough conclusion to his sophomore run at districts, Bellefonte junior Luke Hockenberry knew he didn’t want to experience that heartbreak again.

Though he had secured his second career medal at the event, it was the second straight time he hadn’t fallen short of regionals, this time coming just one reversal away. Following that fifth place showing, Hockenberry kicked it up a notch over the offseason, increasing his competition load to be better prepared for those pressurized situations.

“I didn’t want to lose anymore after the season, so I grinded a bit over the summer,” said Hockenberry. “Did a lot of wrestling outside of my school’s room, like individual tournaments and a lot of club stuff.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte's Luke Hockenberry wrestles during a dual against Clearfield earlier this season.

It’s safe to say that hard work has paid off.

Leading up to districts, Hockenberry had already grown more proven, ranking No. 9 in the state behind a 36-7 record after going into his previous postseason unranked. And on Saturday, the Red Raider saw little resistance in building off his previous run, jumping from fifth to first behind a run that featured two pins, with one coming over state-ranked Todd Caris (Central Mountain) in the 215-pound championship bout.

“He’s been consistently getting better this year and has some good wins under his belt,” said Maney when discussing Hockenberry’s progress at districts. “We just want to continue seeing him wrestle with confidence and hopefully, punch his ticket to states next weekend.”

Though the West Regional’s 215-pound bracket is slated to be grueling, featuring the top three wrestlers in the state and six state-ranked wrestlers, Hockenberry looks forward to the challenge. In pursuit of his first state bid, he has a simply stated goal in mind for regionals, hoping to surprise some people in his tournament debut.

“I want to win, upset some people,” said Hockenberry. “I want to win.”