Golden Tornado breeze to win

By JOHN ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor

January 03, 2008 Last Updated: January 03, 2008 02:23 PM High School

Butler's Alex Evanoff controls Avonworth's Jared Psensky during their 160-pound match Wednesday. Evanoff remained undefeated with a 13-2 major decision to help the Golden Tornado to a 64-6 victory.

Evanoff and teammates too much for Avonworth

BUTLER TWP— Alex Evanoff and the Butler varsity wrestling team hoped to remain undefeated Wednesday night.

Neither had any problem doing so.

Evanoff, a senior at 160 pounds, improved to 17-0 on the campaign with a 13-2 major decision over Avonworth junior Jared Psensky.

And the Golden Tornado improved to 10-0 overall, taking advantage of seven forfeitures and pasting the Antelopes, 64-6.

Butler also won five of the seven matches contested and moved to 5-0 in section competition.

"I'd like to be sitting in the stands when Butler wrestles North Allegheny,"Avonworth coach Todd Ford said. "They gave it to us pretty good, too, but not like this.

"NA is still the team to beat, but Butler isn't too far behind."

Wednesday's match began with Evanoff's 160-pound bout — and without Butler coach Scott Stoner, who had to sit out Wednesday's dual after receiving two unsportsmanlike conduct calls last week at the Brockway Big Dog Tournament.

Veteran assistant coach Bill Mylan ran the team in Stoner's absence.

"I was kidding Scott, asking him if I could count this match toward my record,"Mylan said. "I won 29 matches in three years as coach at Beth-Center. This would give me 30."

No. 30 came with little resistance. Evanoff set the tone by dominating Psensky, a junior coming in with an 8-3 record and a seventh-place finish at the Southmoreland Holiday Tournament.

Evanoff began this season with a 62-41 record. During the Brockway tournament, he passed Lyneil Mitchell for sixth place on the Tornado's career win list. His 79 wins trail fifth-place Garrett Boarts by three.

"I didn't realize I had done that until somebody told me today,"Evanoff said. "It's nice to be that high on the list.

"My biggest edge this year has been mental. I finally believe in myself. I have confidence in everything I'm doing out on the mat."

Evanoff is Butler's only unbeaten wrestler remaining this season. Cole Baxter, a 130-pound freshman, is 16-1, losing his first match in the finals of the Brockway event. Baxter won by forfeit Wednesday.

Senior 152-pounder Josh Pascazi, who faces Evanoff in the wrestling room each day, improved to 16-1 Wednesday with an injury default win over sophomore Andrew Pachata.

"Josh wrestles with a weird style that you don't see from most opponents,"Evanoff said. "He's helped me out a lot with my defense."

Pascazi was leading his match 12-3 in the third period when Pachata succumbed to repeated leg cramps.

"He didn't drop weight the proper way,"Ford said. "We had to default at 125 because our kid had strained muscles in a shoulder and just couldn't continue.

"We've been having a rough year with injuries."

Conrad Branchen, a junior sporting a 5-1 record, would have been Baxter's opponent, but he's out with a concussion.

Junior Bryan Brown was losing 10-1 to Butler freshman Mike Crawford in their 125-pound match before it was stopped. Crawford improved to 14-3 on the year.

Alex Truman, a first-year wrestler as a junior, won his first varsity match for the Tornado with a 2-0 decision at 215 pounds. He scored a takedown in the second period.

Butler's most exciting victory occurred at 171 pounds when junior Derek Hays (12-3) gave up a match-tying takedown with six seconds left, then scored a reversal from the down position before the final buzzer. Hays won his match, 4-2.

Butler travels to the Fort Cherry Dual Meet Tournament Saturday. The Tornado do not wrestle at home again until Jan. 30, hosting Plum for Senior Night.

Butler 64, Avonworth 6103

pounds: Eric Tuck (B)by forfeit;

112: Jason McCrea (B)by forfeit;

119: David Jaillet (B)by forfeit;

125: Mike Crawford (B)by injury default over Bryan Brown;

130: Cole Baxter (B)by forfeit;

135: Aaron Raible (B)by forfeit;

140: Jon Sanko (B)by forfeit;

145: Ben Kramer (A)dec. Ken Rosenbauer 6-1;

152: Josh Pascazi (B)by injury default over Andrew Pachata;

160: Alex Evanoff (B)dec. Jared Psensky 13-2;

171: Derek Hays (B)dec. Justin Okinski 4-2;