Senior send-off
BUTLER TWP — Senior Night was not to be spoiled. Butler’s seniors saw to that.
The Golden Tornado wrestling team trailed Bethel Park, 25-12, with six matches remaining in Butler’s home finale — and the last time the Tornado seniors would ever be wrestling in the Intermediate High School gym.
Sparked by its seniors, Butler rallied for a 42-31 victory. The Tornado finished the dual match season at 21-2 while Bethel Park slipped to 12-6.
“We weren’t gonna lose,” senior 172-pounder Matt Zinkhann said. “We haven’t lost to any team we felt was beneath us (talent-wise). There was no way we were going to start tonight.”
Dawson Davis, a junior, got the Tornado rally started with a pin just 1:09 into his match at 152 pounds. Senior Levi Donnel then improved to 30-3 on the year with a forfeit win at 160. He is 110-16 in his career.
Zinkhann pinned the Black Hawks’ A.J. Tomaino at 2:27 at 172, giving Butler the lead it never lost. Zinkhann broke a scoreless tie by taking Tomaino down in the final 10 seconds of the first period, then pinning him early in the second.
Fellow senior Mickey Kreinbucher followed with a pin just 1:31 into his 189-pound match, giving Butler a 36-25 advantage. Bethel scored a pin at 215, but the Black Hawks forfeited the final match of the night at heavyweight.
Butler honored seniors Garrett Walsh, Aiden Plopi, Donnel, Zinkhann, Kreinbucher, Landon Christie, Ethan Babay and statistician Bailee Kauffman prior to the dual.
“When you have a heavy senior-laden class, you expect to have a big season and we have,” Butler coach Scott Stoner said. “We came as close as you can get to qualifying for the state (team) tournament. We barely lost to Hempfield, then Hempfield won a match at states, came close in two others ... I mean, our team was right there.
“We had some guys rise to the occasion tonight.”
Santino Sloboda stayed undefeated at 107 pounds for the Tornado, scoring a first-period pin. Kase Chopp also won by first-period fall for Butler at 139 pounds, as did Davis at 152.
“Dawson should be at 145. He gives up some weight at 152, but he’s tall and lanky and has been coming on,” Stoner said.
Zinkhann improved to 26-9 on the season while Kreinbucher moved to 25-6. Christiie, who lost at 215, is 20-11 on the year. Babay is 23-7 on the season after entering his senior season with 11 career varsity wins.
“We’re always confident going into a match,” Zinkhann said. “All I can do is the best I can and that’s what I’m planning (for the upcoming individual section tournament).
Bethel Park coach Tyler Nauman said he felt the “swing matches” of the night were at 139 and 152 pounds.
“We lost the matches I thought we’d lose, won the matches I thought we’d win,” he said. “I felt like we had to win at 139 and 152 because those were up for grabs. We got crushed in both, pinned early in both ... That was a big difference tonight.”
Stoner lauded the loyalty of Walsh and Plopi, two seniors who have stayed with the program despite rarely getting varsity time on the mat.
“They know our lineup, know the situation, knew they’d hardly get on the mat for varsity, if at all,” the coach said. “But they’ve stayed with it, worked hard in the room. They should feel a part of this because they are a part of this.”
Butler is idle until the individual section tourney, slated for Feb. 25 at North Allegheny.
“Our section combines with another, so we’ll have teams like Kiski and Plum in there with the teams we normally face,.” Stoner aaid. “Section titles won’t come easily. They’ll definitely be earned.”
Butler 42, Bethel Park 31
(match started at 107 pounds)
107-Santino Sloboda (B) pinned Jonah Steadman, 1:17; 114-Jaden Palumbo (BP) dec. Ana Malovich, 14-2; 121-Aiden Bench (BP) pinned Kelly Schaukowitsch, 2:42; 127-Aden Scott (BP) pinned Garrett walsh, 3:06; 133-Mason Kernon (BP) tech. fall over Gavin Ruish, 3:00 (26-11); 139-Kase Chopp (B) pinned Ethan Higgins, 1:18; 145-Maksim Miller (BP) dec. Legend Wilkinson, 9-0; 152-Dawson Davis (B) pinned Dheyaa Damyan, 1:09; 160-Levi Donnel (B) by forfeit; 172-Matt Zinkhann (B) pinned A.J. Tomaino, 2:27; 189-Mickey Kreinbucher (B) pinned Hunter Geolz, 1:31; 215-Landon Hartman (BP) pinned Landon Christie, 5:48; HWT-Ethan Babay (B) by forfeit
