By ERIC KNOPSNYDER
HERSHEY — Richland coach Tom Smith told John Rizzo before the finals of the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships to go into a phonebooth and put the “S” on his chest.
Rizzo certainly looked like Superman in making history on Saturday.
The 6-foot, 245-pounder beat Ridgway’s Joe Chittester 3-2 in the 285-pound finals to become the first sophomore to win the PIAA’s heaviest weight class in the event’s 72-year-history.
“This is a wrestling state,” Smith said.
“To come in here as a sophomore and do what he did against this caliber of competition is amazing to me.”
It was amazing for Rizzo, too.
“When I first heard that, I was really, really excited,” Rizzo said of finding out about the historical significance of his accomplishment. “That means a lot to me.”
Rizzo looked more like Clark Kent at the beginning of the finals match.
He didn't take a shot through the first two periods and trailed 1-0 entering the third.
“He was a little tight coming in,” Smith said. “We forget sometimes that he’s
16 years old. He’s a sophomore. We understand that. We thought we might have that, but once he loosened up and started to open up a little bit, we thought he had a chance to win it.”
That’s exactly what happened. Rizzo escaped to tie the match at 1 and then took his first shot 14 seconds into the third. He only needed one more.
A short throw-by led to a quick snatch single-leg by Rizzo, and he took Chittester down on the edge of the mat.
“I just saw his leg coming and did my steps to get the takedown,” Rizzo said.
“That was a key point in the match.”
Chittester escaped to get within a point a few seconds later, but never really threatened again. He tried a bearhug in the closing seconds, but Rizzo fought it off to become Richland’s third state champion and first since Chad Sichak won in 2002.
“It feels great,” Rizzo said. “I met my goal. The whole season, every day waking up, I wanted to win states.”
Smith, who is in his second year as Richland’s coach, said the victory is important for a number of reasons.
“What an accomplishment for Johnny Rizzo,” Smith said. “What an accomplishment for my assistants (Bill Bassett and Robert Sakmar).
“They’ve done a tremendous job. I’m so proud of our program right now. This is going to do a lot for our program. I just couldn't be prouder of this group of guys, and I couldn’t be prouder of Johnny Rizzo.”
Smith even credited an unlikely contributor – Westmont Hilltop heavyweight Josh Duplin. Smith said that Duplin and other local 285-pounders such as Forest Hills’ Bob Oshaben and Central Cambria’s Shane Morris played a role in Rizzo’s success.
“The heavyweights in our region are really good, and to prepare and come through that gauntlet of heavyweight wrestlers has made Johnny a better wrestler to get him to where he is,” Smith said.
Rizzo finishes the season
41-1, but the one loss – in the Southwest Regional finals to Beth-Center’s Jeff Tarley last week – might have been the most important match he had prior to the state tournament.
“I was undefeated, so that kind of got it off my back,” Rizzo said. “I was really focused coming in here.”
Smith agreed.
“I hate to say that a loss is a good thing,” Smith said. “I’m not a guy that believes in that.
“We always want to win here, but sometimes it gives you a different perspective. A motivated Johnny Rizzo is a scary Johnny Rizzo.”
Some might even say a super Johnny Rizzo.
