BUTLER TWP — Before moving to Butler, Josh and Dave Coburn never were involved in wrestling.

Now the twin brothers are seniors — and the heart of one of the Golden Tornado's best high school wrestling teams ever.

Entering Friday's match at Shaler, the duo had a combined record of 13-2. Josh Coburn was 7-0 at 152 pounds and Butler's only unbeaten wrestler.

Not bad for two guys who didn't start wrestling until eighth grade, when their family moved here from Delaware.

"Our older brothers decided to try it at the high school level, so we got into it, too," Dave Coburn said.

Neither of their older brothers stayed in wrestling through their senior year. A bad knee shortened Rob Coburn's career and the sport didn't hold Jesse's interest.

By the time Josh Coburn was a freshman, he was on the varsity team and finished 8-12. Dave Coburn stayed with the junior high team and was 23-6.

"It didn't bother me that Josh went up (to varsity) and I didn't," Dave Coburn said. "I was having fun with the junior high team. I knew all the guys — and I was winning."

In the meantime, his twin brother was not.

"Josh was getting tossed around pretty good," Butler wrestling coach Scott Stoner admitted. "That can be tough on a kid, but he learned what he had to do to succeed at that level.

"We happened to have a spot at Josh's weight class that year. The extra year of varsity has helped him develop. It put David in a catch-up position."

Josh Coburn won 25 matches his junior year. He's set a goal of 35 wins this year — a would-be school record — so he can reach 80 wins for his career.

Ian McLaughlin set Butler's single-season victory record of 33 as a freshman 119-pounder last season.

"If I reach 80 wins, I'll be fourth on the school's career win list," Josh Coburn said. "That's where I want to be."

Because of outside circumstances, Dave Coburn wrestled only part of last season and finished 8-8. He had won 17 matches his sophomore year.

"I'm looking for a 30-win season," he said. "I want to finish strong."

Both wrestlers are vocal leaders of the squad.

"They're both team-oriented guys and they've developed well," Stoner said. "They've put in time in the room, work out on their own, they've been to camps. … I like to think they're products of the program."

Both hope to wrestle in college next year and become state qualifiers this year.

Stoner said their styles are different. Josh Coburn is more powerful and aggressive. Dave Coburn uses more of a defensive approach.

"I put Dave in that position," the coach said. "He's a 171-pound wrestler who I've been using at 189 because it better suited the team early.

"He's giving away 18 to 20 pounds per opponent and I've preached to him not to be too aggressive, not to get caught. The fact he's been winning at 189 is very impressive."

Dave Coburn will wrestle at 171 — the weight he'll compete at in postseason — at this week's Southmoreland Tournament.

"Wrestling up a weight class is going to help me in the long run," Dave Coburn said. "It's making me physically stronger."

Josh Coburn's immediate goal is obvious.

"Stay undefeated for as long as I can," he said. "That's every wrestler's goal. I know I'm going to lose eventually. I'll just deal with it and move on."

"I used to let losses eat at me, stay with me," Dave Coburn admitted. "I've since learned to adapt from them and move forward. You need to be strong mentally in this sport."

Butler rode a seven-match win streak into Friday night. Last-second wins by the Coburn brothers in a recent 37-32 triumph over Port Allegany helped keep that streak alive.

Dave Coburn scored a takedown with five seconds left for a 3-1 victory. Josh Coburn took down his opponent with five seconds left to snap a scoreless tie.

"There's no way I win that match without the support of my team," the 152-pound Coburn said. "Hearing them yelling and screaming for you makes all the difference."

His brother agreed.

"There's been a different feeling in the room all year," he said. "We all want to succeed together.

"Coach Stoner and Coach (Bill) Mylan are tremendous. They've brought us along."

Josh Coburn credits the coaching staff for maintaining their motivation to improve.

"Just look at the history," he said. "Those guys took a team that had been 0-11 and transformed into a program that makes the WPIAL playoffs almost every year."

The Coburn brothers have become a big part of that.

"They'll do anything you ask for the team," Stoner said. "A coach can't ask for anything more."