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Devastated after falling a few points short of the gold medal at the PIAA Class 3A state wrestling championships, Curtis Nelson gathered himself and moved on.
On the ride back from Hershey the next day, the Ridley junior allowed himself the first of what have become daily looks at video of a 6-3 loss in the championship final to freshman Landon Sidun of Norwin, the top rated 114-pounder in the nation, according to Flo Wrestling.
While Nelson was formulating a plan for the potential rematch, there was a slight detour. In the middle of asking “where we are going,” he was told he was the VIP in a parade forming at Ridley Township headquarters on MacDade Boulevard and Morton Avenue.
“There were a bunch of people smiling and clapping,” recalled Nelson, who waved to them from a fire truck. “I just really appreciated that. Great people, all waiting for me. I was so glad they had it.”
The community certainly appreciates having Nelson. For the second straight year he is the Daily Times Wrestler of the Year.
From the asthma attack Nelson fought through to reach states to a series of victories over a group of skilled ranked wrestlers in Hershey, the memories are forever for Nelson. It was a remarkable run, Nelson becoming the first Ridley wrestler to compete in a state final, the school’s highest finisher ever and its only two-time state medalist.
Nelson entered states the hard way, as he had to battle back from a defensive pin in his first match at regionals to finish third and qualify for states. After opening states with a win by technical fall over Caiden Harbert of West Allegheny, Nelson made a statement pinning previously undefeated Kaedyn Williams of Manheim Township, who had won 34 straight matches and was a three-time state medalist with a championship medal at 106 pounds. Nelson won by fall in 3:16.
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Ridley’s Curtis Nelson, left, flashes a smile in the waning seconds of a win over Central Dauphin’s Thunder Beard in the 2023 PIAA tournament. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)
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