Sawyer Leppla takes over Cambridge wrestling program

It is a minor miracle that new Cambridge High School wrestling coach Sawyer Leppla even became a wrestler.

After all, his father, Tim Leppla has been coaching basketball for the Bobcats for the better part of his 30-plus year teaching career. His older brother, Taylor, and younger brother Conner, both were solid basketball players for the Bobcats.

But somehow, wrestling got a hold of Sawyer and still has not let go 20-some years later.

“I was an energetic kid growing up,” Leppla said. “We were sitting in our living room when I was four, and my parents were like, ‘hey, do you want to try out wrestling?’ and I said ‘sure.’

“My uncle, who is my mom’s (Leslie) brother, wrestled,” Leppla continued. “I tried it out and just kind of fell in love.”

Wrestling has a way of getting a grip on people. There are strong family ties – both blood and bond - that run through the sport.

“Wrestling is like a lifestyle and once you’re in, you’re in,” Leppla said.

For instance, John Coleman, who is currently in charge of the youth wrestling program in Cambridge, is the son of Leppla’s youth coach when he was coming up through the ranks. Also, Leppla replaces a former college teammate, Kollin Clark, as the head coach in Cambridge.

“Kollin was actually in my wedding,” Leppla said. “I was a year ahead of him at Wheeling, but I remember watching him in high school and I actually told my college that I liked his style. So we have always clicked. I am excited to pick up where he left off.”

Leppla is hoping to maintain that strong wrestling connection at Cambridge.

“I always thought the plan was to come back to Cambridge and take over, but now that it is a reality, it is pretty awesome,” Leppla said. “I always thought about taking over when Tank (former wrestling coach Tom Moore) was reading to hang it up.

“I have kind of a drive to give back,” Leppla said. “When I started, people gave energy to me and I’m just trying to give it back.”

Leppla, a 2013 graduate, was a four-time district qualifier, three-time sectional champion, a district champion, a two-time State qualifier, and a state placer (5th) when he wrestled for Tank at Cambridge.

He then became one of the first recruits to join the Wheeling University wrestling team that was established in 2013. As a Cardinal, Leppla was a four-year starter, named the outstanding wrestler his freshen year, was a national qualifier in 2016, and was an integral part of the 2016-2017 team that won the Super Region I championship and earned a runner-up finish at the National Duals.

Unfortunately, a year later, Leppla had his senior season derailed by a broken ankle. He attempted to get a medical redshirt but was denied because he had wrestled too many matches prior to his injury.

“I tried, but because of how the tournament (where he broke his ankle) aligned, it was technically the first tournament in the second semester,” Leppla explained. “If you wrestle in both semesters, it counts as a season. But I tried.”

It is that kind of determination and toughness that Leppla wants to bring to the Bobcat wrestling room.

“I wasn’t always the most technical wrestler,” Leppla admitted, “The one thing I pride myself on, was that every time I stepped on the mat, it was going to be a fight.”

He hopes to instill that attitude into all the Bobcat wrestlers.

“Most of our wrestlers didn’t start when they were four,” Leppla pointed out. “So, if we can develop that mentality that every time we get on the mat, the opponent is going to have to work to beat us, that goes a long way.

“We will pride ourselves on making every match a six-minute dog fight,” Leppla continued. “If we buy into that mindset, we will be successful.”

With that “bulldog” mentality, it should be easy to reach the team goals.

“We would like to build off of last year,” Leppla said. “Obviously, Caden Kenworthy had an awesome, awesome, senior year. He was our highest state placer since 2009. We want to build off that and get multiple guys to the state tournament.

“Every year we want to improve on the previous year,” Leppla continued. “Last year, we had four district qualifiers, our goal is to match that and even have a couple more.”

Leppla is also hoping to grow the program in numbers and is already excited about the large number of quality wrestlers that competed at the seventh and eighth grade level last year.

“Our eighth-grade class that is moving to the high school is pretty good and our seventh-grade class will be really good in a couple years,” Leppla said.

Leppla praised the youth program as well and wants to see more kids try it.

“There are about 12 to 15 kids that really take it seriously,” Leppla said. “They are very young, but you can see the potential.”

The youth program practices three to four times per week during the season. They practice after the varsity team on the same mats.

“It’s kind of cool, my oldest nephew, Landon, who is going to be seven, started wrestling last year,” Leppla added. “So, I’m looking forward to helping out with him and the youth program.”

Leppla has already assembled a fine coaching staff that includes Reyse Wallbrown and Paul Rose at the high school level and Jordan Ball and Logan Ball at the Middle School.

“Cambridge has a staff that is hard to find anywhere else,” Leppla said. “Three coaches wrestled in college -- Wallbrown, Rose, and me -- and two having coached in college -- Wallbrown and myself. It gives an experience that is hard to replicate.”

Prior to returning to the area, Leppla spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach wrestling coach at Lake Erie College where he was the upper weights coach and did some recruiting. While at Lake Erie, Leppla earned his MBA, and then decided to move back to Cambridge and remain close to his family.

Leppla works fulltime for Frito Lay in Canton as a logistic supervisor and lives with his wife Kelsi, who he met at college and married in August of 2021.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Sawyer Leppla takes over Cambridge wrestling program