Louis Newell didn't leave the Super 32 Challenge with the belt given to the champion of the 113-pound weight class at the Greensboro, N.C., tournament.

The Seneca Valley sophomore did pick up a few wins that will serve him well as the high school wrestle season gets under way.

Newell went 2-2 at the highly-regarded tournament, picking up a 5-3 win over Pat McCormick, who won a Class 3A championship for Posquoson (Va.) last season.

“I had to get the right mindset toward it, knowing every kid here is good and you have to put in your best in every match,” Newell said. “Those tougher tournaments get me ready for the season.”

Newell, who will wrestle at 113 pounds in the regular season, had the best season for any Butler County wrestler last season. By placing eighth at 106, Newell became the first Seneca Valley wrestler to medal at states since 2001.

Raiders coach Kevin Wildrick said Newell competing in tougher tournaments will only make him more dangerous.

“I think it opened his eyes to the competition outside of Western Pa.,” Wildrick said. “A lot of the tough kids from here go there, but it lets you know what else is going on around the country as far as weight and how strong kids are. It helped him knock the dust off early in the midst of soccer season.”

A prolonged run by Seneca Valley's soccer team forced Newell to use workouts with his club team, OMP to stay sharp for wrestling.

Having the Super 32 especially helped when the Raiders made a run to the PIAA Class AAA boys soccer championship game.

“I think it's good cross-training and keeps my weight down,” said Newell about playing soccer. “It also keeps me in shape for the beginning of the season.”

Newell, who went 35-8 as a freshman, eked out a number of close wins in postseason matches. Wildrick hopes that adding weight will allow Newell to flip some of those results.

“Sometimes it's going to be an attitude on bottom,” Wildrick said. “Last year, he was undersized at 106 so we strategically avoided some situations where this year we won't have to because he won't have that same size disadvantage.”

Here's a look at what the rest of the county brings back this season:

[naviga:h3]Butler[/naviga:h3]

Coach: Scott Stoner, 23rd year.

Probable lineup: 106-Isaiah Christy, Soph./Braydon Hoffman, Fr; 113-Christy/Hoffman; 120-Jack Codispot, Fr.; 126-Shane Culp, Jr.; 132-Sam Dietrich, Soph.; 138-Scott Dietrich, Jr.; 145-Donovan Malovich, Jr.; 152-Caleb Baxter, Jr.; 160-Hank Finan, Sr.; 170-Christian Sequette, Soph.; 182-Jacob White, Soph./Thomas Greaves, Jr.; 195-Justin Johnson, Sr.; 220-Saavon Mosby, Fr./Riley Burdine, Soph.; 285-Seth McCrea, Jr.

Outlook: Stoner is anxious thinking about the start of the season.

Injuries and other factors have the veteran coach think this Golden Tornado group isn't ready to hit the ground running.

“I just think we have a lot of growth to reach our potential,” Stoner said. “Right now, I'm not real confident we're ready to start our schedule. I think we need to get that first baptism of competition.”

Butler has a number of guys who are battled tested. The Golden Tornado return six WPIAL qualifiers — Scotty Dietrich, Malovich, Sequette, Johnson and McCrea — from last season.

He also has a few freshman — Mosby and Codispot — that have shown potential.

Whether that will be enough to extend Butler's eight-year streak of making the team postseason remains to be seen. Developing a team identity and maintaining their weight has been a struggle.

“Right now, I'm biting my nails a little bit. We have the potential,” Stoner said. “I like to win the first tournament and set the tone. With the lineup the way it is, I don't know we can do that.”

[naviga:h3]Knoch[/naviga:h3]

Coach: Steve Carney, second season.

Probable lineup: 106-Hunter Oskin, Fr.; 113-Bill Hockenberry, Sr.; 120-Caleb Fike, Fr.; 126-open; 132-Mitch Walter, Soph.; 138-Lucas Loughner, Fr.; 145-Max Freyermuth, Jr.; 152-Brandon Yobst, Sr.; 170-Matt Walter, Sr.; 181-open; 195-Dalton Ashton, Sr.; 220-open; 285-Cameron Ashton, Soph.

Outlook: The Knights took a step forward last season by producing their first .500 season in program history last season, finishing 8-8. Making a run at the WPIAL team playoffs will require another giant leap.

Carney hopes a new mentality will help Knoch create headaches for other programs in the sub-section.

“Last year we achieved our goal to turn things around,” Carney said. “We had our first non-losing season and we're hoping to extend that by making the WPIAL tournament this year.”

[naviga:h3]Mars[/naviga:h3]

Coach: Jason Wilk, second season.

Probable lineup: 106-Noah Hunkele, Soph.; 113-Alex Hornfeck, Soph.; 120-Joey Scanlon, Jr./Jesse Chen, Jr.; 126-Nolan Wicker, Soph.; 132-Aidan Lashinsky, Soph.; 138-Travis Schriver, Fr.; 145-Garrett Reinke, Fr.; 152-Cullen Barnes, Fr.; 160-Noah Wright, Jr.; 170-Justin Petrilena, Jr.; 182-Ryan Barnes, Sr.; 195-Nick Schriver, Jr.; 220-Jeffrey DeSantes, Soph.; 285-open.

Outlook: The Planets return two WPIAL qualifiers — Alex Hornfeck and Noah Wright — that will look to bump up and move on.

Mars also has a lot of inexperience, with eight wrestlers in the lineup who are either freshmen or sophomores.

“We're definitely growing, which is a positive,” Wilk said. “All the freshmen are back from last year and had a good offseason. We've been having them doing weight training three days a week and do extra workouts at the Pitt wrestling club and so forth.”

One freshman Wilk is particularly excited about is Garrett Reinke, who was a state qualifier in eighth grade.

“He's a good athlete who is strong and very coachable,” Wilk said. “

[naviga:h3]Seneca Valley[/naviga:h3]

Coach: Kevin Wildrick, fifth season.

Probable lineup: 106-Jason Geyer; 113-Louis Newell, Soph.; 120-Open; 126-Ben Lynch, Sr.; 132-Alex Lynch, Sr.; 138-Nick Montalbano, Fr.; 145-Alex Fischer, Jr.; 152-Ty Gross, Soph.; 160-Gavin Funovits, Jr.; 170-Zac Cowell, Jr; 182-Dustin Monoit, Jr.; 195-Lucas Chieppor, Jr.; 220-Gabe Miller, Soph; 285-Dante Santelli, Jr.

Outlook: Seneca Valley lost a close match with Butler that kept the Raiders out of the WPIAL Class AAA postseason.

Newell, a returning state medalist, along with the Lynch twins give the Raiders a solid rotation at the bottom of the lineup.

Seneca Valley will also bring in an athletic first-year wrestler. The Raiders convinced Gabe Miller to come out for the team after several years off.

“I think it's going to be competitive in our subsection and in our section overall,” Wildrick said. “We have a good young team and it's a matter of using those young wrestlers and getting them mature quick enough this year that they are ready for those section matches.”

[naviga:h3]Slippery Rock[/naviga:h3]

Coach: Bob Becker, eighth season.

Probable lineup: 126-Aaron Henriquez, Jr.; 132-Mike Doerflinger, Soph.; 160-Dalton Hilliard, Sr.; 195-Shane Slater, Sr.

Outlook: The Rockets have a number of wrestlers returning in center of the lineup. Slippery Rock will still have a lot of holes to fill in the lower and upper weights.

“We've been making great improvements every year since I've been here,” Becker said. “I'm really looking forward to them battling and working hard to understand what it takes to handle every situation.”

[naviga:h3]Summit Academy[/naviga:h3]

Coach: John McCloud, 19th season.

Probable lineup: 106-Tim White, Fr.; 113-Junior Figueroa, Soph.; 120-Michael Schrecengost; 126-Ernie Tuner, Fr.; 132-Victor Villatoro, Soph.; 138-Donovan Trickey, Fr.; 145-Jimmy Wells, Fr.; 152-JeVonne Crawford, Fr.; 160-Rob Dilullo, Jr; 170-Miguel Perez, Jr.; 182-Jabril Allen, Soph.; 195-Tyler Stein, Jr.; 220-Jalen Martin, Jr.; 285-Barrington Perry, Sr.

Outlook: McCloud's team will be short on experience this year, but if the Knights can stay healthy, Summit Academy may be able to fill all 14 weights for the first time during his 19 year tenure.

“It's going to be a work in progress,” McCloud said. “I don't have anyone I would boast about. It's a new crop of kids and it's about teaching them how to wrestle.”