NTL WRESTLING: DAVIDSON LEADS THREE WILDCATS TO PODIUM AT RUGGED COAL CRACKER INVITE (January 24, 2026)

Valley Sports Report
LEHIGHTON, Pa. — Junior Connor Davidson led three Athens wrestlers to the podium here Saturday at the rugged 57-team Coal Cracker Invite at Lehighton High School.

Davidson was 3-1 Saturday to place fifth in the 174-pound bracket and 6-2 on the weekend.

Davidson opened Saturday with a pin of Faith Christian's Anthony Herzog in 3:49 in the blood round, then scored a 17-1 technical fall of Allentown Central's Alexander Tripoli in the consolation quarterfinals.

In the consolation semifinals, Davidson dropped a 20-10 major decision to Oxford's Blake Hostetler.

In the fifth-place match, Davidson dominated in a 14-1 major decision over Hanover Area's Greg Vassallo.

VanDyke was 2-2 Saturday to finish sixth in the 109-pound bracket, and 6-3 on the weekend.

VanDyke started Saturday with a hard-fought, 8-7, win over Hanover's Nate Clime in the blood round, then scored a takedown midway through the third period to pull out an 8-5 win — his sixth straight — over James Dwyer of St. Joe's Prep in the consolation quarterfinals.

VanDyke dropped a 7-1 decision to Grove's Ben Kamertz in the consolation semis, then lost via fall in the final seconds of the second period to Boiling Springs' Wyatt Diner, who also beat VanDyke in the opening round Friday.

Campbell was 2-1 Saturday to finish seventh in the 129-pound bracket, 5-2 on the weekend.

Campbell opened Saturday with a win by injury default against Anthony Colantuono of St. Joe's Prep in the blood round, but lost via fall to Northwestern Lehigh's Weston Killar in the consolation quarterfinals.

In the seventh-place match, Campbell scored a 6-0 win over Faith Christian's Nathan Yoder.

Junior Brendan Cooke lost his only match Saturday to finish 4-2 on the weekend in the 191-pound bracket.

Senior Ryan Howard lost his only match Saturday and was 4-2 in the 162-pound weight class.

Athens now awaits word on the District 4, Class 3A Duals Championships.

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