Momentum On The Mats

December 08, 2020 Last Updated: December 08, 2020 08:12 AM High School

Seneca Valley's Hunter Swedish, right, grapples with Butler's Levi Donnel iin a match last season. Swedish and Donnel are among the top returning wrestlers in Butler County this season.

Teams look to build off last year's success

Masks will be worn and few spectators will be permitted in the stands, but the high school wrestling season begins this weekend as scheduled.

And Butler County teams have high hopes on the mat this winter.

Seneca Valley finished second in the WPIAL Class AAA team dual match tournament for the second successive season. The Raiders return another strong lineup this year.“These kids are anxious to get going,” 10th-year coach Kevin Wildrick said. “We believe we have what it takes to make another run at it.”The Raiders return six wrestlers who posted at least 30 wins last year. Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (149 pounds) is a two-time state champion who was 42-5 a year ago. Dylan Chappell (132) is a two-time state runner-up who was 48-5 last season.Chanz Shearer (152) was 37-11, Antonio Amelio (160) 37-18), Hunter Swedish (120) 31-13 and Liam Volk-Klos (189) 30-14 last season.Seneca Valley was 18-4 in dual meets and finished among the top six in the PIAA Dual Championships.“We have a lopt of experienced, tough wrestlers,” Wildrick said. “We don't know what the future holds in terms of (COVID-19) affecting our season, but these kids will appreciate everything we get in.”-

Butler was 18-6 last year and 28th-year coach Scott Stoner is closing in on 400 career dual match wins. He enters this year with 379 victories.Top returnees for the Golden Tornado include Levi Donnel (35-5) at 132, Cooper Baxter (33-8) at 189, Steven Green (30-13) at 160 and Nate McMaster (26-14) at 145. Clayton Dressler (138) and Nick Schaukowitsch (126) both won 22 matches a year ago.“I feel like we can put together a pretty good dual match team,” Stoner said. “There is one fewer weight class this season and that's actually going to help us.“We're in a tough bracket in our season-opening (Mat Madness) tournament in Monroeville and that's going to be a challenge.”Butler will compete against the likes of Seneca Valley, Waynesburg, Burrell and Derry in that event.“We always get better as the season goes on,” Stoner said. “But that is a tough opening weekend.”

- Mars returns a 20-plus win wrestler in Brandon Krul at 126 pounds. Christian Scheller, a senior at 152, is a two-time WPIAL qualifier with more than 50 career wins.“Christian is the best wrestler we have coming back from last year,” Mars coach Bob Jox said. “We have a lot of newcomers to the lineup. This is a young team.”The Planets may possess a surprise package in senior Keith Brubach at 172 pounds. He has not wrestled since his freshman year.“He had some injuries back then and gave up the sport for a while,” Jox said. “Now he's back. He's put in a lot of time at the South Hills Wrestling Academy and has a chance to be very good.”Mars has three freshmen at the higher weights: Enzo Grieco at 189 pounds, Riley Lefcakis at 215 and Aydin Brink at heavyweight.- Knoch has a new coach in Bob Waldron and the Knights are competing in Class AA this season. Waldron is a first-year varsity wrestling coach, but was a state runner-up as a high school wrestler in New Jersey and has an extensive background in physical training.He owns a gym in the Pittsburgh area.“I've always wanted to get back into wrestling and I relish this opportunity at Knoch,” Waldron said. “This is the first year this program will have a full lineup and I believe we'll have a winning season.“I think we have a chance to go undefeated.”Top returnees for the Knights include heavyweight Eli Reese (26-7) and 189-pounder Sam Freyermuth (17-12).- Darin Lyles returns for his second year as coach at North Catholic. The Trojans have 11 wrestlers and will not compete as a team in a section this year.North Catholic's matmen will be eligible to compete in postseason section tournaments as individuals and qualify for the WPIAL meet that way.“I don't think we have anyone who's going to win a section title, but we do have good athletes in this group,” Lyles said. “We can make some noise there.”Dan Ackerman (189) is the lone senior in the group. Daniel Long (215) has been involved in the sport since he was 8.The Trojans have one dual match scheduled — Feb. 3 at Central Catholic.“We move some furniture and roll out the mats in the cafeteria for practice, then put everything back in place when we're done,” Lyles said. “We're just building the program right now.”- Denton Zeronas is back for his second season as coach at Slippery Rock. The Rockets are low on numbers as they have 11 to 13 wrestlers from junior high through varsity.Nick Ayres had a 20-plus win season last year and is at 120 pounds this year. Tony Pilosi was unbeaten as a sophomore a year ago before an injury curtailed his season. He is at 189 pounds.“They're our top two coming back,” Zeronas said. “Justin Pearce could have a strong year at 152 or 160 for us.“Ryan Double (freshman at 106) and Brayden Reich (sophomore at 172) are two of our promising young wrestlers.”Prospective lineups for Butler County teams follow:

Key Graduation Losses: Colton Spohn, Nate McDonald, Hunter Neff, Caleb Hartung (Apprentice School, Norfolk, Va.)106-113 pounds: Ana Malovich (freshman), Kelly Schaukowitsch (freshman), 120-Aiden Plopi (soph), 126-Nick Schaukowitsch (soph), 132-Dom Vivirito (junior) or Levi Donnel (soph), 138-Clayton Dressler (senior), 145-Nate McMaster (senior), 152-Cade Savochka (junior), 160-Steven Green (senior), 172-Mickey Kreinbucher (soph), 189-Cooper Baxter (junior), 215-Nolan Mosher (soph), 285-Jake Pomykata (junior) or Greg Schultz (junior)

Key Graduation Losses: Guy DeLeonardis, Kam Grassi, Ernie Zilka106 pounds-None, 113-Matt Frank (soph), 120-Nick Golab (junior), 126-Anthony Nicolazzo (freshman), 132-38-Chris Michaux (junior), 145-Gavin McGowan (junior), 152-Ty Misisitis (senior), 160-Aaron Butler (junior), 172-Kyle Lauster (senior), 189-Sam Freyermuth (senior), 215-Nate Becker (junior), 285-Eli Reese (senior) and Logan Klemm (junior)

Key Graduation Losses: Sean McElhinney (John Carroll), Charles Luedtke106 pounds-None, 113-None, 120-Griffin Frazier (soph), 126-Brandon Krul (soph), 132-Rocco Darocy (soph), 138-Jonathan Grieco (soph), 145-Connor Hartle (freshman), 152-Christian Scheller (junior), 160-Eli Wright (junior) or Davis Luedtke (senior), 172-Keith Brubach (senior), 189-Enzo Grieco (freshman), 215-Riley Lefcakis (freshman), 285-Aydin Brink (freshman)

106-N/A, 113-N/A, 120-N/A, 126-Matt Denninger (soph), 132-N/A, 138-N/A, 145-N/A, 152-Colin Williams (junior), 160-N/A, 172-Patrick Synan (junior), 189-Dan Ackerman (senior), 215-Daniel Long (soph), 285-Justin Smith (soph)

Key Graduation Losses: Patrick Johnson (Millersville), Davin Beahm, Nick Funovits (Washington & Jefferson), Drew Vlasnik (Chicago State), Conor Hayes106 pounds-Connor Smith (freshman), 113-Tyler Chappell (soph), 120-Hunter Swedish (senior), 126-N/A, 132-Dylan Chappell (senior), 138-N/A, 145-Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, 152-Chanz Shearer (senior), 160-Antonio Amelio (senior), 172-N/A, 189-Liam Volk-Klos (junior), 215-N/A, 285-Seneca Harney (senior)

Key Graduation Losses: Vito Piliosi, Mason Borland106 pounds-Ryan Double (freshman), 113-Tommy Foster (soph), 120-Nick Ayres (senior), 126-None, 132-None, 138-Jaidon Stone (junior), 145-None, 152-Justin Pearce (junior), 160-N/A, 172-Brayden Reich (soph), 189-Tony Pilosi (junior), 215-Landon Shaffer (junior), 285-None

Mars wrestler Christian Scheller gets leverage on a Knoch opponent during a match last year. Scheller returns this season with more than 50 career wins.