The weather outside is usually frightful this time of the year, but the action inside downtown Wheeling’s WesBanco Arena Thursday through Saturday should be delightful as the 65th annual Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Ron Mauck Wrestling Tournament sets up shop for three days.

Parkersburg South is once again cast in the role as favorites (the Patriots have won six of the seven tournaments since joining the bi-conference in 2010), and why not? It is loaded for bear with five No. 1 seeds and three second seeds.

Two of the Wood County Patriots are nationally ranked in their respective weight classes. They are senior Josh Humphreys (152) and sophomore Braxton Amos (220), who at 31-0 is one of six undefeated wrestlers entered. Both have claimed impressive victories at the Ironman and POWERade events.

The Patriots also return two-time defending champion Luke Martin (138) and Zane Hinzman (160).

As far as the team races go, University High of Morgantown, Beaver Local, Wheeling Park and John Marshall could all push Parkersburg South for both the overall and Class 5A crowns. Steubenville is pretty much a lock in Class 4A, while 3A is a logjam between defending titlist Martins Ferry, Crestview, Barnesville, Magnolia and Bellaire. In 1A/2A, a new champion is assured as Shadyside’s numbers have dropped off dramatically. Madonna is loaded, but Caldwell and Bridgeport could make some noise.

Individually, this might rank up there as one of the best championship finals (if everything goes as expected) in quite some time.

Steubenville’s Jashon Hubbard, an Ohio State University recruit, is looking to join an elite group of 4-time winners. He would become the 10th individual to do and make Big Red the first school to have two on the coveted list, joining former workout partner Tariq Wilson who turned the trick from 2013-16 and is currently competing at North Carolina State.

However, Hubbard is the No. 2 seed for the first time in the tournament behind the aforementioned Humphreys. His titles have come at 106, 132 and 145. He is also a three-time Division II state placer.

Martins Ferry senior Dalton Hoover is seeking his third consecutive 195-pound championship. The undefeated top seed (10-0) could face Meadowbrook senior Jud Ramage (23-0), who has finished third last year at 195, second at 182 as a sophomore and third as a freshman when he nipped Hoover, 1-0. Hoover is a Division III state runnerup and third-place finisher. Ramage was fifth in D-II last year in Columbus.

Wheeling Park senior John Nash (160) is also looking for a three-peat as he won at 160 a year ago and 152 two winters ago. He could matchup with Hinzman, who won at 152 last year.

At 132, Oak Glen’s Peyton Hall (29-2) took last year’s tournament by storm when he decisively defeated defending champion Greg Quinn of Shadyside at 120 to earn the prestigious Bierkortte Award as the event’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. He also won a West Virginia state championship, as did Weir’s Caleb Rea (21-4) who is the No. 2 seed at this weight. Half of Rea’s setbacks have come at the hands of Hall.

Martin could be going for a third title had not he lost to Hubbard in the 106-pound finals as a freshman. He could face Madonna’s Alec Cook, a defending champion at 132 as the No. 4 seed. Cook is also a West Virginia Class 1A/2A state runnerup.

At 170, Wheeling Park senior Kaleb Simpkins and Bridgeport junior Tino Kusic both placed third last year and are looking to take that next step. Simpkins was at the same weight, while Kusic competed at 160.

Action begins Thursday at 6 p.m. with the Olympic-style opening ceremonies. Wrestling starts 30 minutes later.