FOX CHAPEL — Seneca Valley produced four section champions and advanced 10 wrestlers to the WPIAL Championships during Saturday's Section 3-AAA tournament at Fox Chapel High School.

“To tell the truth, we expected to do more,” SV coach Kevin Wildrick said.

That's where the Raiders' wrestling program is right now.

Wildrick had hopes of advancing his entire lineup to this weekend's WPIAL meet at Canon-McMillan. Two of his guys just missed: Nick Funovits dropped a 3-2 decision to Pine-Richland's Miguel Jackson in the 220-pound fifth-place match and Conor Hayeswas reversed and pinned by Butler's Rob Hays in the closing seconds of their fifth-place match at 160.

“Things didn't go our way in those matches,” Wildrick said. “But, yeah, I'm pretty happy about things overall.”

Wildrick was named Section 3 Coach of the Year and former Raider head coach Joe Montalbano was named the section's Assistant Coach of the Year as Wildrick's right-hand man.

“Joe is an encyclopedia on technique,” Wildrick said. “He knows every position for every situation. I've tapped into that resource many times.”

“The last time I was coach of the year was the last time Seneca Valley won the section, back in 2001,” Montalbano said. “Now we're reaping the benefits of extending our youth program into Cranberry nine years ago.

“Our youth numbers just shot up ... We had 45 youth wrestlers before and we went up over 100 after we did that.”

Montalbano said the youth wrestling numbers in the Seneca Valley district are around 85 today.

“And those kids are being inspired by this current varsity team,” he said.

They should be.

Eight of the Raiders' 10 WPIAL qualifiers have 30 or more wins this season. Freshman Alejandro Herrera leads the way with 39 at 106 pounds. Fellow section champions Louis Newell and Tyler Gross are 35-3 at 120, 35-6 at 170, respectively.

Dylan Chappell is 34-11 at 113, Nick Montalbano 33-11 at 145. Section champion Drew Vlasnik is 30-11 at 138, Jason Geyer 30-13 at 126 and Antonio Amelio 30-15 at 132.

The Raiders' other WPIAL qualifiers are John Siwiak (28-10) at 195 pounds and Kevin Meeder (17-10) at heavyweight.

Newell has 150 career wins and has already shattered Mark Barron's previous school record of 125.

“And Alejandro is going to hit 40 wins as a freshman,” Wildrick said, smiling. “So Louis may not have the record long. That's what records are for — to raise the bar.”

Gross secured his 100th career win in Saturday's section semifinal round.

“Hitting a hundred has been my goal since I was a freshman,” he said. “I saw the names of our 100-win wrestlers on the wall and I wanted mine to be up there someday.”

Vlasnik qualified for the WPIAL tourney as a freshman last year, but broke his ankle in the section meet and could not compete.

“To come back this year and win the section means a lot,” Vlasnik said. “I can't wait to get down there (Canon-McMillan) and take my shot at getting through to states.”

Herrera credits the SV wrestling room with getting him where he's at now.

“I go up against great wrestlers every day,” he said. “Dylan Chappell, Louis Newell, Antonio Amelio ... Those guys are fantastic.”

Newell grinned when asked what the SV practice room is like at the lighter weights.

“It gets pretty lively in there,” he said.