Tornado can't halt slide

By JOHN ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor

January 18, 2007 Last Updated: January 18, 2007 12:32 PM High School

Foxes hand Butler wrestlers 4th loss in a row

BUTLER TWP— One need not read the scoreboard. Just read Scott Stoner's face.

Butler's wrestling coach repeatedly leaned back and folded his arms behind his head in frustration while watching his Golden Tornado drop a 51-25 decision to Fox Chapel Wednesday night.

The loss was Butler's fourth in a row, dropping the team to 5-8 overall, 3-5 in section competition. The Tornado finished 18-6 in dual matches a year ago.

"Usually, I can sit here and watch a match unfold on the mat and I can see what move our kids are going to execute next,"Stoner said. "Anymore, I have no idea what I'm going to see or what's going to happen next.

"I try to stay optimistic, but there comes a time when you have to tell the team you're not getting it done mentally."

Butler's Ryan Bock was pinned with three seconds left in the first period of his 171-pound match. Teammate Jason Emrick was involved in a 3-all tie before being taken down and pinned with less than 30 seconds left in his 189-pound bout.

Marino Quercio trailed by a point early in the third period of his 215-pound match. Rather than release his opponent immediately to go for a match-tying takedown, Quercio rode him on the mat for more than a minute before doing so. He wound up losing the match, 4-3.

"Even our junior varsity wrestler makes four illegal moves in a period and a half and gets disqualified,"Stoner said. "That kind of stuff is embarrassing, but it's where we're at right now."

Fox Chapel (7-1) clinched a berth in the WPIALteam championships for the fourth time in five years. The Foxes have won 71 of 90 dual matches over the past four seasons.

Earning pins for Fox Chapel were Carson Brooks at 103 pounds, Justin Mahon at 140, Brian Letters at 160, Aaron Barker at 171 and Jason Schmidt at 189. Letters is 18-3 and has a school-record 133 career victories.

"We're a young team that is steadily improving in all phases, from the neutral position, on top and on the bottom,"27th-year head coach Ron Frank said. "I like where we're headed."

Fox Chapel has only four seniors in its lineup. Butler only has one: 160-pounder Lee Will (8-10).

Butler did have some bright spots. Josh Pascazi improved to 15-4 by recording his second pin of the campaign. He put Nick Letters' shoulders to the mat in just 1:33.

"That surprised me,"Frank admitted. "Nick is only a sophomore, but he's one of the best young wrestlers in our program."

Tornado heavyweight Mark Moses (4-6) scored his second pin of the year, stopping senior Eric Stumpf in 1:02. Butler 112-pounder Dave Jaillet pinned Michael Dunn just as the buzzer sounded to end the first period.

Aaron Raible (10-9) won by major decision at 130 and Alex Evanoff (13-7) won by decision at 145.

Rob Runyan (16-3) is no longer with the team and 125-pounder Ian McLaughlin (14-1) remains sidelined indefinitely with an injury.

"All we can do tomorrow is get back in the room and keep pounding the basics,"Stoner said.

Fox Chapel 51, Butler 25103 — Carson Brooks (FC)pinned Justin Victor in 2:15;

112 — Dave Jaillet (B)pinned Michael Dunn in 2:00;

119 — Joe Johnson (FC)by forfeit;

125 — Yaneo Chanb (FC)by forfeit;

130 — Aaron Raible (B)dec. Nick Paradise 9-0

135 — Tommy Caldwell (FC)by forfeit;

140 — Justin Mahon (FC)pinned Derek Hays in 3:00;

145 — Alex Evanoff (B)dec. Ben McManus 7-4;

152 — Josh Pascazi (B)pinned Nick Letters in 1:33;