Mike Crawford has left his legacy in Butler wrestling in more ways than one.

The Golden Tornado senior leaves the program as a three-time section champion. Fellow senior Cole Baxter is the only other Butler wrestler who can make that claim.

Crawford also has 118 career wins, one of only four Tornado wrestlers to record at least 100 victories. Only Baxter (156) has more.

Yet Crawford will be remembered by Butler coach Scott Stoner more for his final match — a 1-0 loss — than for any of his wins.

“I can't believe he even went out there,” Stoner said. “But that's Mike. He's as gutsy a kid as I've ever coached.

“No matter what I or anyone else was going to say to him, he wasn't going to let his high school career end without being on that mat.”

Crawford suffered a 1-0 loss to Erik Rayman of Norwin in the second round of the 145-pound consolations at the WPIAL meet last weekend.

In his quarterfinal match the night before, he suffered a knee injury and had to default to Greensburg Salem's Zach Voytek.

He already was wrestling with two bad shoulders. Crawford was denied a chance to repeat as a section champion his sophomore year by suffering a shoulder injury that required two offseason surgeries.

Without that injury, he likely would be Butler's lone four-time section champion.

“Injuries come with the sport. You never know when one might occur,” Crawford said. “I was never hurt until my sophomore year.

“Now it seems like I've never been healthy.”

Riddled by shoulder and knee injuries the past three seasons, Crawford still won section titles at 119, 140 and 145 pounds.

But the ailments denied him a chance to reach the state tournament.

“I feel a little empty because of that,” Crawford said, fighting back tears. “I feel like I was robbed of something.”

Stoner believes he was.

“If he stays healthy, Mike's probably right there with Cole, right around those same career numbers,” Stoner said.

Stoner compared Crawford's career to that of T.J. McCance, a Butler graduate who stands third on the Tornado career win list with 103 despite several injuries.

“Those two guys just gutted it out. They overcame so much,” the coach said. “To see a kid so determined to succeed and overcome everything like Mike Crawford did — I get emotional thinking about it because you don't see many kids like him anymore.”

Crawford couldn't hide his emotions when discussing the last few matches of his career.

“I had to completely alter my style. With that knee not holding up, I couldn't be aggressive, I wasn't as quick or sturdy. ... I couldn't wrestle the way I wanted to wrestle,” he said, his voice trailing off.

Then again, his career isn't over.

Crawford is exploring continuing in the sport at a Division II school.

“I love it too much to give it up, he admitted.

Here is Mike Crawford’s wrestling record at Butler High:<B>Season W L</B>2007-08 32 92008-09 29 112009-10 30 52010-11 27 6<B>Totals 118 31</B>