Butler's Baxter moves to 40-0, reaches WPIAL mat semifinals
CANONSBURG — Survival.
That's what Friday was all about for Butler and Seneca Valley wrestlers at the Southwestern Regional Class AAA Wrestling Championships at Canon McMillan High School.
Some did. Others didn't.
Count Cole Baxter among the living.
Butler's 140-pound sophomore kept rolling with a 7-2 decision over Justin Harold of Kiski Area.
Baxter, the No. 1 seed in his weight class and now 40-0 this season, jumped out to a 5-0 lead and cruised the rest of the way in his quarterfinal match.
Baxter is now just two wins shy of a WPIAL title.
"Two more wins," Baxter said. "The hardest two."
Baxter is the only unbeaten wrestler in his weight class and one of only five in the tournament.
With that kind of reputation preceding him, one would think Baxter has a big target on his back.
Well, maybe not, said Butler coach Scott Stoner.
"There are people who have that theory," Stoner said. "Some people outside the sport may say that, and to a degree I agree, but at the same time, when you are 38-, 39-, 40-and-0, there's a reason. You keep wrestling and do what you do best."
Baxter also shook off his unblemished record and the attention it is getting him.
"Even if I wasn't undefeated, I'd probably have a bull's eye on my back," Baxter said.
Baxter was the only one of three local wrestlers still alive for a WPIAL title.
Dillon Weston, Butler's 135-pound sophomore, fell to Andy Candiello of North Allegheny by a 4-1 decision in his quarterfinal match.
Seneca Valley junior Nate Cully dropped a 6-2 decision to Jake Mathews of Penn-Trafford in his quarterfinal tilt.
Both Weston and Cully still have a shot at finishing third Saturday. Only the top three in each weight class advance to the state championships.
"Cully's was a disappointing match," said Seneca Valley coach Tom Tomeo. "It was like a teeter-totter. He took most of the action and most of the aggression, but he lost a couple of scrambles that could have gone either way."
Cully was visibly disappointed after his loss.
Tomeo, though, isn't concerned about Cully's frame of mind heading into Saturday, even though his wrestler faces an uphill climb.Cully has to win four matches to get to the state championships."He's a competitor," Tomeo said. "He was a little frustrated, but champions show themselves after something frustrating happens."Cully and Weston won't be alone in that fate.Butler's Zach Reges (112), Mike Crawford (140) and Derek Hays (152) and Seneca Valley's Grant Evans (119) and Jordan Williams (215) won their first-round consolation matches to stay alive for a third-place finish.Crawford overcame a deficit and injury to stay alive.After two periods, Crawford was down and his right shoulder aching. But he eked out a 5-4 win."Mike has a real bad shoulder, and honestly when we went out there for injury time, Mike looked at me like 'Call it coach,'" Stoner said. "I told him, 'let's go out there and see,' and honestly, that's why you don't stop wrestling until the end."<B>PIAA Southwestern RegionalClass AAAChampionship Bracket135 — </B>Andy Candiello (North Allegheny) d. Dillon Weston (Butler), 4-1<B>140 —</B> Jake Mathews (Penn Trafford) d. Nate Cully (Seneca Valley), 6-2<B>145 — </B>Cole Baxter (Butler) d. Justin Harold (Kiski Area), 7-2<B>Consolation Bracket112</B> — Zach Reges (Butler) maj. d. Colton Schiever (Seneca Valley) 9-1<B>119</B> — Grant Evans (Seneca Valley) d. Austin Wilding (Upper St. Clair), 2-1; Jake Vitolo (Hempfield) d. Eric Tuck (Butler), 1-0<B>140 </B>— Mike Crawford (Butler) d. Chris Milligan (Albert Gallatin) 5-4<B>152</B> — Derek Hays (Butler) d. Josh Ricciuti (Bethel Park), 2-1 (OT)<B>189</B> — Justin Okinski (Avonworth) d. Chris White (Butler), 7-6<B>215</B> — Jordan Williams (Seneca Valley) d. Jordan Zito (Kiski Area), 3-1
