By virtue of his preliminary round win on Wednesday, Pascack Valley wrestler Matt Beyer advanced to Friday’s Region 2 quarterfinals at Bergen County Community College.

The top three finishers in each weight class advance to the NJSIAA Individual Wrestling Championships at Boardwalk Hall, which start March 4.

Beyer, a freshman 132-pounder, and sophomore 120-pounder Nolan Shields advanced to the Region 2 tourney by virtue of their third-place finishes at the District 8 Wrestling Tournament at River Dell High School on Feb. 19 and 20. Shields was eliminated from the Region tournament with his loss on Wednesday.

Beyer, the No. 5 seed, defeated Kyle Shaffer from Mahwah, 10-0. Shields lost to Tommy Chiellini of Don Bosco Prep by pin. After Friday’s quarterfinals, the Region 2 Tournament will conclude Saturday with the semifinals, wrestlebacks, and finals.

Beyer will face River Dell’s Dakota Jones, a rather familiar foe, in the quarterrfinals. Beyer and Jones faced off against each other in a dual match on Jan. 8, and Dakota beat Beyer, 6-2. They missed each other in the Districts 8 tournament, where Beyer lost in the semifinals and Jones was able to win in the other semifinal. Jones lost in the final to the wrestler that Beyer lost to in the semis, Sam Schneider, the No. 1 seed from Emerson.

Schneider looms as the semifinal opponent for Friday’s Beyer-Jones winner.

Shields lost to Don Bosco freshman Tommy Chiellini in just 37 seconds. Chiellini is another familiar face, as he is from River Vale and wrestled on the same team as a lot of the PV wrestlers (including Beyer) that are freshman, sophomores, and juniors currently throughout his wrestling career in middle school. Chiellini goes on to face the No. 2 seed from Dumont High School, Ian Tolotti.

Beyer now is the lone representative of the Indians still left competing. If he should lose, he will have the opportunity to battle back for third place in the wrestlebacks.