Sonnie Blanco likes to watch Jack Viti employ his unorthodox wrestling style. What the Washington & Jefferson coach would like to see Viti do more of is lead the dance.

When Viti is in situations he feels comfortable, he employs a funky style that befuddles his opponents. Viti, a 2025 Fox Chapel graduate, showed some of his potential when he capped his freshman season by winning the 184-pound Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship at Hiram (Ohio) College.

“It’s amazing to see how much he is growing as a wrestler,” Blanco said. “I knew I had something in Jack when I was recruiting him, I just had to find a way to get it out of him. He does a lot of unique stuff on the mat you can’t teach.”

Viti, who was 17-13 this season, admitted he is more comfortable when he looks to counter his opponent.

“I’m more of a defensive wrestler,” Viti said. “I let my opponent shoot and try to take them down.”

Viti wrestled most of the season at 197 pounds. He was asked to drop down to 184 about a month before the PAC Tournament.

Vitali Daniels, a Bentworth graduate, had suffered an injury that left a hole in the lineup. Viti made weight, but had some tough matches.

At the John Summa Invitational in Berea, Ohio, a week before the PAC championships, Viti went 1-2 and lost his first match via tech fall.

“It was not fun,” Viti said. “I felt drained. I wrestled badly at my first competition at 184.”

Blanco believed that Viti would find his way in the new weight class quickly. Viti already was light for someone who wrestled 197.

Blanco was impressed that when he cut the weight, Viti was able to follow the descent plan and didn’t shoot back up.

“If you asked Jack to go to heavyweight, he would do it for the team,” Blanco said. “That was our best chance to put him in the right position to score the highest points for us as a team. He was dedicated. He did it right as far as making sure he cut down.”

Viti finished his high school career with a record of 59-41. He qualified for WPIALs at 189 pounds during his senior season when he finished with a career-best 26-14 record.

At the PAC Tournament, Viti was seeded second. He won by major decision in the quarterfinals before having a tough match in the semifinals. He had a 10-9 lead against Saint Vincent’s Nathan Barkley before securing a pin at the 4:47 mark. In the final, Viti upset top-seeded Zach Ward of Thiel, 11-0.

Viti believes he has made large strides over the past year. Winning a PAC title was a way to validate his progress.

“It’s definitely important to me,” Viti said. “It shows how I improved from high school. I’m looking to improve more and keep this going for the rest of my career.”