Seneca Valley's Louis Newell, seen here wrestling against Butler's Colton Spohn in January at 120 pounds, advanced to the 113-pound semifinals at the PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships Friday. Newell was runner-up at the PIAA championships last year at 106 pounds.

A pair of Butler County wrestlers are closing in on a PIAA title.

Seneca Valley's Louis Newell (113 pounds in Class AAA) and Slippery Rock's Mike Doerflinger (138 pounds in Class AA) advanced to the semifinals with wins on Friday at the PIAA Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Newell won a 3-1 decision over Diego Santiago from Easton to punch his ticket to Saturday's semifinals where he will meet Ed Scott of DuBois.

Newell, who finished runner-up last year at the PIAA championships at 106 pounds, is 40-4.

Doerflinger is also semifinal bound after dispatching Alex Caldwell of Ligonier Valley, 4-3.

Doerflinger will face undefeated Max Murin of Central Cambria in the semifinals.

Murin is 39-0 and has won all three of his PIAA matches by pin.

Butler's Caleb Baxter (160) won a consolation bout against Jake Folk of Upper Perkiomen by pin in 1:47, but was eliminated with an 8-3 loss to Luke Nichter of Chambersburg.

[naviga:h3]Boys Basketball[/naviga:h3]

Zach Offi scored 18 points — all on 3-pointers — as Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic pulled away from Bellwood-Antis late for a 68-51 win in the first round of the PIAA 3A playoffs.

The Trojans led 36-30 at the half and 54-45 at the end of the third quarter.

North Catholic will play Shady Side Academy, a 48-47 winner over Fairview, Tuesday at a site and time to be determined in the second round.

[naviga:h3]Girls Basketball[/naviga:h3]

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, the 2015-16 1A state champion, rolled to a 53-38 win over Keystone Oaks in the first round of the 4A playoffs.

The Trojanettes will play Punxsutawney in the second round Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.

Blackhawk 53, Freeport 32 — Kim Mixon, the only senior on the Yellowjackets' roster, scored a game-high 14 points, but Freeport was eliminated from the PIAA 4A playoffs.

The Yellowjackets trailed 36-14 at the half.

Mady Aulbach scored 13 points to pace three double-digit scorers for Blackhawk, the WPIAL runner-up.

Madison Amalia added 12 points and McKenzie Amalia pitched in 11 for the Cougars.