CANONSBURG — 0-2?

Butler junior 189-pound wrestler Cooper Baxter wasn't happy with the way his season got started.

But he kept it all in perspective.

“I wrestled two of the best in the WPIAL,” Baxter said. “They showed me I had a lot of work to do.”

Baxter's first match of the season was a loss by technical fall to Mt. Lebanon's Mac Stout. Baxter was pinned by Hampton's Justin Hart in his second bout of the year.

Hart went on to win the WPIAL championship at 189 pounds Saturday. Stout, the overwhelming favorite to do so, had his season ended recently by an elbow injury.

“Cooper knew the quality of his first opponents,” Butler coach Scott Stoner said. “He was never discouraged. Not at all.

“He's used to facing pressure through sports.”

Besides sporting an 85-21 career record in wrestling, Baxter played quarterback and middle linebacker in football, plays shortstop and pitches for the Golden Tornado baseball team.

And after losing those first two matches this year, he never lost again.

Until Saturday.

But he never lost focus.

Baxter began the WPIAL Tournament with a 10-4 decision of Greater Latrobe's Corey Boerio. It marked his 20th consecutive victory.

He then faced No. 2 seed Brayden Solar-Roscosky (30-4) of Kiski Area in the semifinals and took a 4-2 lead into the third period. Solar-Roscosky took him down to knot the match in that final frame.

Baxter nearly escaped his opponent's grasp in the waning seconds of regulation, which would have given him a 5-4 victory and a trip to the WPIAL Finals. Instead, he wound up dropping a 6-4 decision in overtime.

He was running away from Solar-Roskosky in those closing seconds, the latter desperately hanging on to his waist.

“Just ran out of mat,” Baxter said. “I was about to break free.”

Instead, the two went out of bounds with four seconds left and went into overtime.

“Mat awareness is a big part of wrestling,” Stoner said. “Cooper didn't have enough room and his opponent used that.”

One more loss Saturday and Baxter's season was over. And he had to face two familiar opponents.

He wrestled Seneca Valley's Liam Volk-Klos for the fourth time this season — third time in postseason — in the second round of consolations and scored an 11-3 decision. He then had a rematch with Boerio, this time winning by a 7-2 count to extend his season to this Saturday's West Regional in Altoona.

“I'll probably get a bad seed there and will face a big challenge early, but I'm looking forward to seeing how I stack up out there,” Baxter said. “I'm going to have fun and see what happens.”

Stoner lauded Baxter's focus in his final two matches.

“You lose in the semifinals and your chance of winning it is gone,” the coach said. “Now you drop into the consolation bracket where guys have been winning, building steam, trying to extend their year.

“That can be a tough combination.”

Baxter wasn't having it.

“I knew I had to be ready,” he admitted. “Those guys were going to be hungry. Everyone always wants to take your spot.

“You can't take anything for granted.”

Baxter wants to compete in college. He just isn't sure in what sport.

Nor is he worried about it.

“Football, wrestling, baseball, I love all three sports equally,” he said. “Whatever the college I go to wants me to do, I'll do.

“I just want the competition at the next level. That's what I'm looking forward to most.”