Butler wrestlers net win vs. Mars
ADAMS TWP — Butler’s wrestling team has battled injuries and inexperience all season long. For at least one night, the Golden Tornado were able to pass their frustrations in competition off to their opponent.
Taking an 18-0 lead due to three Mars forfeits to begin the match, Butler went on to earn five pins in a 59-15 victory Thursday against the host Planets.
“We’ve been getting beat up and needed this,” said Butler coach Scott Stoner. “We have some holes in our lineup, but I am seeing progress out of kids who are not seasoned veterans.”
One of them is Lucas Zanaglio, a sophomore who faced Mars’ 215-pounder Gus Aubrecht.
The latter held a 4-2 lead after two periods and allowed just an escape in the third to earn a 4-3 victory.
“Lucas kept it close against a kid with 17 wins,” said Stoner. “That was encouraging for him.”
Aubrecht, a senior, was an unknown coming into the season.
“He hadn’t wrestled since the youth level, but I kept bugging him about coming out,” said Mars coach Ben Rings. “He’s always in good position and starting to turn the corner.”
Another bout that Stoner and Rings both spoke positively of came at 145 pounds. Mars’ Liam Hein led Butler’s Kase Chopp for most of the encounter, but Chopp earned a takedown to tie the score at 4-4 with 30 seconds left in the third period, then pinned Hein with just six seconds remaining.
“Kase has been wrestling really well and we moved him up a weight class to face a really tough kid from Mars,” Stoner said. “When you have a kid competing at a high level, you want to challenge him as much as you can.”
Hein, a junior, has a bright future, according to Rings.
“Liam is getting to the point where he realizes he can hang with really good wrestlers, even potential state-placers,” he said.
Also earning pins for Butler (3-7, 1-3) were Leo Iarrapino (139 pounds), Dawson Davis (172), Braylon May (189) and Diamond Cantera (285).
Mars (1-9, 0-4) received pins from Paxton Hartle (127) and Joseph Zottola (160).
Butler competes at the Clearfield Duals on Saturday while Mars travels to North Allegheny on Wednesday.
Butler 59, Mars 15
Match started at 107 pounds
107: Nick Savannah (B) won by forfeit; 114: Sullivan Stutz (B) won by forfeit; 121: Santino Sloboda (B) won by forfeit; 127: Paxton Hartle (M) pinned Ira Stiefel, 2:58; 133: Eaden Scheller (B) won by forfeit; 139: Leo Iarrapino (B) pinned Brandon Frantz, 2:58; 145: Kase Chopp (B) pinned Liam Hein, 5:54; 152: Gavin Rush (B) by technical fall over Andy Diaz, 16-0; 160: Joseph Zottola (M) pinned Devin Loy, :22; 172: Dawson Davis (B) pinned Cooper Courson, 4:28; 189: Braylon May (B) pinned Ethan Wolf, 1:15; 215: Gus Aubrecht (M) dec. Lucas Zanaglio, 4-3; 285: Diamond Cantera (B) pinned Jonnie Maestra
