BUTLER TWP — Cooper Baxter didn't waste any time.

Neither did Caleb Hartung.

Shawndell Zapata, too.

Each Butler wrestler made quick work of his Pine-Richland opponent Wednesday night at the Butler Intermediate School.

All three had first-period pins and picked up key points as the Golden Tornado cruised to a 42-28 win over the Rams.

Freshman Levi Donnel also got a second-period pin for Butler at 113 pounds.

It was a big victory for the Golden Tornado as section-openers go. The winner figured to have an inside track at a playoff spot far down the line.

That inside track belongs to Butler.

“They loaded the front end of the section schedule for us,” said Butler coach Scott Stoner. “Pine has some stud kids and we're not at the weights where I'd like us to be yet. We haven't really solidified our lineup yet. We shuffled some people around.”

Still, Butler turned in some good performances across virtually every weight class and got a huge victory early in the section slate.

The Golden Tornado did have to forfeit at 106, but only suffered one loss by pin.

Butler also received two forfeit victories and the four pins by Donnel, Baxter (182), Hartung (195) and Zapata (220).

Stoner, though, was just as impressed by some of his wrestler's losses.

Jake Pomykata lost by pin over the weekend to Pine-Richland's Zach Shaver.

This time around when the two 220-pounders met, Pomykata dropped a 6-2 decision, but saved three points.

“Toward the end he was still in it,” Stoner said of Pomykata. “He put himself in a situation where the guy, you could see him fading, and he could have maybe rolled him for five. He took a chance at it.”

Nate McMaster was given the task of battling Pine-Richland's Nate Lukez at 152 pounds.

Lukez, who is headed to West Point to wrestle, got the 11-3 major decision and his 100th career win.

But McMaster avoided a pin and nearly got a takedown late that would have erased the major.

“The Lukez kid is tough. I respect him a lot,” Stoner said.

“I saw some growth in those things,” Stoner added. “I was happy about that, even though we lost.”

Pine-Richland coach Caleb Kolb, a Grove City High graduate and standout wrestler in his days with the Eagles, said missing out on those extra points was costly.

“Not the outcome we wanted,” Kolb said. “We had a couple of guys hurt and we gave up some forfeits.”

Lukez, Robert Palmiere (126), Cole Spencer (160) — the quarterback on the Rams' football team and who is headed to wrestle at Penn — were bright spots for Pine-Richland.

“He's one of those guys who comes in and gets the room going,” Kolb said of Lukez. “He stays after practice to work on things. That's good for these younger guys to see.”

Butler is witnessing the beginning of perhaps another wrestling phenom.

Donnel has dominated this season.

He was at it again with a pin in 2:35.

Donnel is now 5-0 with four pins this season. He won the 113-pound weight class at the Chartiers-Houston Tournament over the weekend, pinning the top three seeds despite being unseeded himself.

“He was really phenomenal this weekend,” Stoner said. “He's going to be solid. The one thing I like about Levi is he didn't wrestle last year in junior high for us. He chose to go and wrestle some opens and other club stuff, but he's been nothing but positive and a sponge since he got here. He's done a nice job.”

Butler 42, Pine-Richland 28

(Match started at 138 pounds)

106-Anthony Ferraro (PR) by forfeit; 113-Levi Donnel (B) pinned Shane Simpson 2:35; 120-Nick Schaukowitsch (B) by forfeit; 126-Robert Palmiere (PR) tech fall Eli Everhard 20-5; 132-Kelin Laffey (PR) maj dec. Clayton Dressler 17-3; 138-Dom Vivirito (B) dec. Zach Esswein 5-2; 145-Mickey Kreinbucher (B) by forfeit; 152-Nathan Lukez (PR) maj. Dec. Nate McMaster 11-3; 160-Cole Spencer (PR) pinned Steven Green 1:42; 170-Nate McDonald (B) dec. Jacob Lukez 7-3; 182-Cooper Baxter (B) pinned Dante Cruz :59; 195-Caleb Hartung (B) pinned John Hoffman 1:18; 220-Zach Shaver (PR) dec. Jake Pomykata 6-2; Hwt.-Shawndell Zapata (B) pinned Joey Schneck 1:07