CANONSBURG — Alejandro Herrera and Louis Newell have plenty in common these days.

Both are standout wrestlers at light weight classes for Seneca Valley.

Both are headed to the PIAA Tournament Thursday as WPIAL runner-ups.

Both narrowly missed winning WPIAL championships against outstanding competition Saturday night at Canon-McMillan High School.

Herrera, 42-8 as a freshman at 106 pounds, dropped a 1-0 decision to unbeaten Kurtis Phipps (36-0) of Norwin in the WPIAL finals. Newell, 38-4 as a senior at 120, dropped a 4-3 decision to Logan Macri (37-2) of Canon-McMillan in the finals.

Mars senior Alex Hornfeck placed third at 145 pounds and will be joining the Seneca Valley pair and Butler's Christian Sequete at the PIAA Tournament this week.

“Those were tough ones,” Seneca Valley coach Kevin Wildrick admitted of his matmen's losses. “But that's how it is down here. This is a tough, tough tournament and the championship matches are usually close like that.”

Herrera gave up his match's only point midway through the second period. He was penalized a point for a dangerous move as he slammed Phipps to the mat while trying to maintain control from the top position.

“It was the right call,” Herrera said. “I didn't want to lose control of him and give up the escape ... I got too aggressive there.”

Wildrick said the rulebook states a penalty point is issued when a wrestler sends his opponent to the mat when he's got him in the air, above the shoulders.

The coach had no problem with the call, either.

“He (the official) almost called it moments earlier when (Herrera) sent him to the mat hard from up there,” Wildrick said. “The second time, he had to call it.

“The shame of it is, that winding up as the only point in the match. But it is what it is.”

Herrera said that Phipps — who he's known since they were on Team Pa. together as elementary school wrestlers — told him he “hated to win that way.

“But maybe we'll meet again in the state meet. I'd love another shot at him,” Herrera added.

Newell feels the same way about Macri. That duo has combined for 302 wins in varsity wrestling.

Newell scored an early takedown of Macri, but allowed an escape and was taken down himself with five seconds left in the opening period. Macri scored an escape point in the middle period and took a 4-2 lead into the third.

Newell escaped with a minute left in the match, trailing 4-3. He barely missed a would-be title-winning takedown in the closing seconds.

“He had him in position. He just ran out of real estate,” Wildrick said.

The wrestlers rolled off the mat just as Newell was preparing to finish off the takedown.

“Yeah, just ran out of room there,” Newell said. “It's tough having to take a guy down in that situation. That final minute, I had to go, go, go, try to force a stalling point.

“He (Macri) got a warning with about 20 seconds left, but that was it. He's a smart wrestler and knew how to avoid the stalling call. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to avenge this loss at states.”

Hornfeck (34-3) dropped a 4-0 decision in the 145-pound semifinals. but rebounded to pin Waynesburg's Colby Morris in 4:44 of their fourth-round consolation match.

Hornfeck then decisioned Nick Acuna of Moon 5-0 in the consolation finals. He scored a reverse and earned back points in the third period after the match was scoreless through four minutes.

“Alex has grown up as a wrestler,” Mars coach Jason Wilk said. “In past years, adversity would get to him. This year, he responded to it.

“I think he's got an excellent chance to medal at states. He put together an outstanding (WPIAL) tournament.”

Hornfeck said he was much more relaxed entering the consolation final.

“I knew I was going to states,” he said. “I was nervous going into that last consolation because I had to win. From that point, I just relaxed and wrestled.”