Short and Sweet
BUTLER TWP — Senior Night was short and sweet — and quick.
Butler's varsity wrestling team closed out its home schedule Wednesday night by defeating Bethel Park, 54-27. Only two matches made it into the third period.
The Golden Tornado (18-5) won three bouts by forfeit and secured pins in six others. Four of Butler's pins occurred in the first period as the dual was completed in less than 45 minutes.
“This was all about pin or get pinned,” Butler coach Scott Stoner said. “There didn't seem to be any evenly contested bouts out there.”
An even bout was expected at 220 pounds, where Tornado freshman Shawndell Zapata took on Bethel's Jake Dowell (20-6). Zapata caught Dowell with a power move and quickly pinned his shoulders to the mat with 45 seconds left in the first period.
“That power move surprised our kid,” Bethel Park coach Tim Crawford said. “He couldn't get out of it. I give that Butler kid credit for a great move.”
“Shawndell has a lot of learning to do in certain areas, but he can be explosive at times and that was one of them,” Stoner said.
“That move showed great hips and he finished it. That was a stamp, no question about it.”
Butler sophomore Nate McMaster pinned his opponent in just 10 seconds at 132 pounds. The pair shook hands, McMaster hit an immediate shot and finished it just as quickly.
“Yeah, that one was fun,” McMaster said, grinning. “That's the fastest (pin) I've gotten.”
Stoner was happy to see it.
“He was aggressive and physical,” Stoner said of McMaster. “That's what we want from him.”
Tornado freshman Nick Schaukowitsch pinned his foe in 46 seconds at 106 pounds. Fellow freshman Dominic Vivirito pinned his man in 1:35 at 126 pounds.
Sophomore Steven Green earned a pin at 145. Heavyweight Nate Cornibe concluded the night with an unorthodox pin 14 seconds into the second period.
Cornibe (8-10) laid his back across the shoulders of William Rooney to attain the fall.
“That was a different move,” Crawford said. “The kid just missed getting a pin that way late in the first period, then he hit the same move and finished the second time.”Bethel Park (4-7) — which upset an injury-ridded North Allegheny lineup this season — was missing three starters.“We usually field a full lineup,” Crawford said. “One has a leg injury, one an ankle and the other has the flu.”Standout Tornado freshman Cooper Baxter missed Wednesday's match due to illness as well.Butler honored its seniors before the match. Jack Codispot, the Tornado's 160-pounder and premier senior, is 105-38 in his career, 27-6 this season. He won by forfeit Wednesday.“It was disappointing,” he said of not being able to take the mat for Senior Night. “But I've loved wrestling for this team. This sport has made me a better person, not just a better wrestler.”The Tornado's four other seniors are Guyd Baptiste (7-2 at 106), Pavlog Pawluk (2-3 at 145), Terry Hortert (0-0) at 160, and Bryce Butler (0-1) at 182.Butler does not wrestle again until the section individual tournament Feb. 23 at Fox Chapel.Butler 54, Bethel Park 27(Match started at 106 pounds)106-Byryson Bench (BP) pinned Guyd Baptiste, :46; 113-Nick Schaukowitsch (B) pinned Kevin Collins, :46; 120-Clayton Dressler (B) by forfeit; 126-Dominic Vivirito (B) pinned Sloan Armbruster, 1:35; 132-Nick McMaster (B) pinned Aidan Pushas, :10; 138-Parker Loera (BP) by forfeit; 145-Steven Green (B) pinned Justin Metzmaier, 3:05; 152-Vinnie Riepole (BP) dec. Pavlog Pawluk, 8-0; 160-Jack Codispot (B) by forfeit; 170-Brandon Neff (B) by forfeit; 182-Riley O'Mara (BP) pinned Jake Pomykata, :18; 195-Luke Montgomery (BP) tech. fall (15-0) over Caleb Hartung, 4:19; 220-Shawndell Zapata (B) pinned Jake Dowell, 1:15; Hwt.-Nate Cornibe (B) pinned William Rooney, 2:14
