Butler wrestlers drop title bout

By John Enrietto Eagle Sports Editor

January 26, 2012 Last Updated: January 26, 2012 01:46 PM High School

Butler's Korey Caudill takes control of Hampton's Joe Lehman in their 120-pound match Wednesday night at North Allegheny. Caudill eventually pinned his man, but the Golden Tornado dropped the Section 3 team title match to the Talbots, 36-27.

WEXFORD — North Allegheny's reign is over. Butler's frustration moves on.

The Golden Tornado wrestling team suffered a 36-27 loss to Hampton in the Section 3 team championship match Wednesday night at North Allegheny High School. The Talbots ended NA's approximate 15-year hold on the section title by defeating the Tigers, 30-29, in the semifinals earlier in the evening.

Hampton (13-1) then avenged a one-point (32-31) loss at Butler last week to claim the program's first-ever section crown — and deny the Tornado theirs.

“Sweet revenge,” Hampton coach Joe Bursick said. “We made a couple of corrections, changed the lineup a little bit and the guys got it done. I'm proud of them.”

The Talbots' win over North Allegheny was their first-ever win against the Tigers as well.

“They came out of that match with a lot of emotional energy and carried that momentum into our match,” Butler coach Scott Stoner said.

“We had the deck stacked against us emotiionally and they have a great, well-balanced lineup. Kudos to Hampton, they wrestled for it and got it. Still, we beat them before and set a bar the other night. I expected the same performance tonight and we didn't get that.”

The Tornado (13-3) produced such a performance in their semifinal bout with Hopewell, registering eight pins in defeating the Vikings (13-6), 49-23.

Butler also got impressive wins from Korey Caudill, who decsioned 30-win wrestler Filippo Crivelli at 120 pounds, and Jeremiah Bortmas (5-10) at 145 pounds, who stunned Chris Workman (15-14) with a pin with 45 seconds left in their match.

“Those were two wins I expected to get,” Hopewell coach Jason Martsolf said. “I know Butler is good, but I didn't think we'd get beat this badly.”

The Tornado fell behind Hampton 18-0 in the title dual, surrendering pins in the three highest weight classes. Decisions by Connor Foust and Nick Sutton, along with pins from Blake and Korey Caudill, tied the match at 18.

“Nick went out and took immediate control of a kid (Peter Craig) who beat him last week,” Stoner said. “He took him down right away and decided he wasn't losing.

“I felt good at that point. Then ... we just didn't wrestle. We didn't execute and put it away.”

The Talbots won the next five matches — four against Butler wrestlers with stellar records — to clinch the victory. Colin Siford's 6-4 decision of Will Bortmas at 160 pounds gave Hampton a 36-18 advantage with two matches remaining.

Ryan Hannon won by decision at 170 and Zach Weaver got a pin at 182, but the points came too late.

“We're pretty good at the middle weights, too,” Bursick said. “That's where the match was won. We stepped up our game against some real quality kids.

“That was a hostile environment (at Butler) when we lost last week. Our kids didn't back down from it, but I thought their kids fed off that energy. Tonight, we were riding that wave.”

Butler will try to rebound in the WPIAL team champioships next week. The Tornado will likely be in action Tuesday.

“You can't wrestle with fear or lack of confidence,” Stoner said. “I saw that in some of our kids tonight. We looked timid at times and you can't have that in this sport.”

North Allegheny finished third in the section, defeating Hopewell, 41-27.

SemifinalButler 49, Hopewell 23(match started at 182 pounds)106

pounds: Travis Sonson (H) dec. Connor Foust, 5-0;

113: Blake Caudill (B) pinned Dustin Winkle, 2:54;

120: Korey Caudill (B) dec. Filippo Crivelli, 4-3;

126: Nick Sutton (B) pinned Jonah Raymond, 1:20;

132: Zach Reges (B) pinned Hayden Hennen, 4:43;

138: Jesse Spohn (B) dec. Dan Santia, 10-2;

145: Jeremiah Bortmas (B) pinned Chris Workman, 5:15;

152: Dakoda Collins (B) pinned Nick Guzma, 2:38;

160: Marco Crivelli (H) tech. fall (16-0) over Will Bortmas, 3:30;

170: Damon Drositis (H) dec. Zach Raible, 11-5;