Forty-four wrestling teams are expected to take part in the 27th annual Top of the Rockies Invitational this weekend, including locals Boulder, Erie, Holy Family, Legacy, Monarch and Centaurus.

The tournament is set to start Friday at 11:30 a.m. at Centaurus High School, concluding sometime Saturday evening.

From the host school, Mason Shore leads the way from the area after he placed fourth in the 190-pound weight class at last year’s Top of the Rockies.

Shore will go in red-hot after he won his bracket at the 24-team Arvada West Invitational last weekend. Shore is 25-4 on the season and On The Mat — the state’s official wrestling ranks — currently has the senior at 5A No. 2 in his weight.

Erie, meanwhile, is the highest ranked local team per OTM.

The Tigers are ninth in 5A and have seven wrestlers ranked inside the top 10 of their respective weight class, including Hunter Waneka (150s) and Carson Hageman (190s) at No. 3.

Both Waneka and Hageman won individual titles at the 28-team War Horse Invitational in Littleton on Saturday.

Elsewhere from 5A, Legacy’s Matthew Clifton is second at 132s. He won his bracket at the Arvada West Invite.

Monarch has three top-10 wrestlers in Levi Carlucci (144s) and Antonio Beall and Wyatt Carlucci, who are fifth and seventh at 165s.

Boulder is led by Isaac Wing, who is 13th in 5A 144s. The junior took third at the Golden Eagle Invitational last weekend, behind champ Tobias Pinson of Skyline and runner-up Ryder Evans of Niwot.

In 3A, Holy Family has five wrestlers ranked in the top 10, headlined by Camden Austin (215s) at No. 3. He finished runner-up to 2A No. 1 Tavery Chappell of Wray at the 15-team Valley Viking Invitational on Saturday.

A year ago, Pomona won this invite, followed by Ponderosa, then Pueblo East. All three are expected to return this season.

After their showing at Top of the Rockies, Pomona went on to win its sixth straight 5A title last February. Ponderosa was second. Meanwhile, Pueblo East finished runner-up to 4A champ Mead.