Two former NCAA Division I wrestling champions will make a return trip to North Allegheny High School on Saturday, but Tigers coach Jamie Kyriazis and his squad will not be in attendance.

Clarion University will face Northwestern University in a dual meet on Saturday at noon. The match features two North Allegheny alumni who have captured NCAA titles.

Teague Moore, a three-time WPIAL and one-time PIAA champion while attending North Allegheny, is in his third season as head coach at Clarion. He was a three-time All-American and one-time champion at Oklahoma State University.

"I've wanted more Big Ten Conference opponents on our schedule," Moore said. "This year we have Northwestern and Indiana. The match with Northwestern is great because it gives Jake Herbert a chance to wrestle at home during his senior year."

Herbert is a 2003 North Allegheny alumnus who won three WPIAL titles and one PIAA title during his career with the Tigers. Since moving on to Northwestern, Herbert has become a three-time NCAA Division I All-American and claimed the 184-pound title in 2007.

"I'm pretty excited about wrestling at North Allegheny again," Herbert said. "It's the first time I've had a college match in Western Pennsylvania. The closest I've come is a match at Cleveland State."

Northwestern will wrestle two matches, at different sites, this weekend. The Wildcats will face Pitt tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House. The match with Clarion is Saturday at noon.

"I don't get home very often," said Herbert, who has spent one month at home during the last year. "I have a ton of family and friends coming. It will be the last time they can see me wrestle live."

Those friends and family will also most likely have a chance to see Herbert if they travel to St. Louis for the NCAA Division I Tournament, which will take place March 19-21.

"I thought it would be a great idea to have Jake wrestle at home during his senior year," said Kyriazis, who was Herbert's high school coach. "I talked it over with both coaches and the only date they could find was Dec. 20.

"Unfortunately, we are entered in the Franklin Regional Duals that day. I tried to pull out of the tournament, but Franklin Regional doesn't have a team to replace us. It's a real disappointment. I know the kids would have enjoyed seeing Jake. Maybe somebody will tape it for me."

Herbert enters the match with a 10-0 record and has pinned seven of his opponents. He is ranked No. 1 in the country at 184 pounds. His 125 career victories rank third in school history.

"My return to college wrestling has gone smoothly," said Herbert, who took off last season to train for the Olympics. "It's a lot harder to go from folkstyle to freestyle. Switching back to folkstyle is much easier.

"I really enjoyed my year away from college wrestling. I did a lot of traveling. I trained in the Ukraine, Belarus, Canada, and at the Olympic Training Center. I didn't reach my goal of qualifying for the Olympics, but I did benefit from all the training."

Clarion has a doubleheader scheduled on Saturday. The Golden Eagles face Northwestern at noon, then travel back to Clarion for a 7 p.m. match with Pitt-Johnstown. Herbert will face Clarion's Clint Podish, a Waynesburg Central High School graduate.

"We've also scheduled a clinic, which will take place before the Northwestern match," said Moore. "The clinic will be from 10 until 11:30 [a.m.]. It's open to anybody who buys a $6 ticket for the match."

North Allegheny's wrestling squad may not be in attendance, but one of the Tigers has accepted a scholarship offer from Moore. Senior Joe Waltko, a three-time WPIAL runner-up, has signed with Clarion.

"We're really excited to have Joe coming to Clarion," Moore said. "If he can put it together at the right time, Joe has a legitimate shot of winning an NCAA title. He has a chance to start for us right away at either 133 or 141."