HERSHEY – Ridgway’s Nikko Leitzel earned a PIAA Class AA
wrestling championship Saturday at the Giant Center.

The 130-pound Leitzel improved his record to a perfect 40-0 with
a 5-4 final round victory over West Branch’s Donny Clark.

Trailing 5-4, Clark seemed oblivious to the pleas from the crowd
and his coaches to attack. When the match ended and the referee
raised the hand of Leitzel, Clark was dumbfounded, yelling “What?”
as he looked at the scoreboard.

Later, Clark said he believed he was leading the entire match.
He mistakenly thought only he had earned points in the first period
on what had been scored an early takedown by Leitzel and an
immediate reversal by Clark.

“I never thought they gave him two points in the beginning,”
Clark said. “I never looked at the clock. I’m usually really good
at keeping the score in my head.”

Coach Gary Gerber of Ridgway complimented his champion.

“Nikko was spectacular the whole tournament,” Gerber said. “He
was an intelligent wrestler who knew what to do at what time with
his opponents. It was a spectacular performance.”

Leitzel went 4-0 on the weekend, starting off with a 6-2 victory
over Moshannon Valley’s Ryan Jacoby.

Leitzel went on to score a 9-3 win over Tony Lascari (North
Star), followed by a 4-1 victory over Shane Welsh (Burrell).

Ridgway’s last state champion before Leitzel was Greg Puncheon
(152-pound senior) who garnered his title back in 2000.

“Puncheon was a senior when he did it; Nikko is only a junior,”
Gerber pointed out.

Also for Ridgway, Colby Pisani took sixth place in the 135-pound
division.

Competing in the Class AA division, Port Allegany’s Nick Nichols
(119) and Cody Anderson (152) both finished fifth.

Nichols (3-2 in the tournament), who lost in the semifinals on
Friday, pinned Andrew Arnold of Northern Lehigh in a time of 3:48
in Saturday’s consolation finals. Nichols’ season record ended at
45-9.

Anderson won an 11-5 decision over David Priest of Wyomissing.
He lost his quarterfinal match before winning three straight.
Anderson finished his season at 47-7.

Oswayo Valley’s Zeke Drake (160) was seventh overall. Drake, who
lost his quarterfinal match, won an 8-5 decision over Northern
Lehigh’s Frank Hefferman.

On the weekend, Drake was 3-2, finishing the season 42-4
overall.

Leading Kane, Cameron Moran was fifth at 112.