He's now at 197 wins and counting.

Butler wrestling coach Scott Stoner soon will reach the 200 mark in dual-meet victories with the Golden Tornado.

This is Stoner's 17th year leading the program he took over when Butler wrestling was a mere 2-year-old infant.

Fittingly, the coach's milestone victory likely will occur this season, the year in which Butler has its deepest wrestling team with potential like none before it.

Nobody recognizes that potential more than Stoner.

Despite his team continually overwhelming opponents on the scoreboard, Stoner continues to be critical of various wrestlers' on-mat performances.

When a wrestler gets caught standing around, Stoner points it out. When one doesn't recognize a move at the right time, Stoner points it out. When another backs off when he should be aggressive, Stoner points it out.

That's not a coach being a perfectionist. That's a coach trying to realize potential.

Butler wrestling has produced 12 individual Section 3 champions under Stoner. The Golden Tornado have had nine wrestlers place in the WPIAL Tournament over the years.

Butler has never won the Section 3 team championship, nor has it ever defeated North Allegheny in a dual match and sports an 0-18 record against the Tigers.

The teams could clash for the Section 3 team crown during Wednesday's quadrangular at North Allegheny. If Butler defeats North Hills and NA handles Fox Chapel earlier in the evening, the match is on.

This could be the year for the Tornado to reach the top of the mountain.

Butler was pretty good last year when one considers:

• The Tornado were 23-6 in dual meets.

• The team qualified a program-record 12 wrestlers for the WPIAL meet.

• The team had 12 starters post a winning record, with seven winning 20 matches or more and three wining 30 or more.

• Cole Baxter became Butler's first WPIAL wrestling champion and state qualifier.

Butler took an 11-0 record into Friday night's dual meet at Franklin Regional. The team already has 11 wrestlers with at least 11 victories so far this season.

Only two — Mike Scialabba at 189 pounds and Chris White at 215 — are seniors.

Baxter is closing in on the program's individual win record of 103. He has 96 wins and is only a junior.

Despite Stoner's success, he flies somewhat under the radar at Butler. He has the longest tenure of any active head coach and his teams post winning dual-match records far more often than not.

This is a guy who overcame the odds as a wrestler himself, who became a starter at Slippery Rock University through hard work and intensity.

Stoner coaches the same way he wrestled. Nobody works harder at promoting his team or his sport.

He rides his wrestlers because he believes in them.

Butler wrestling appears primed to reach a new level of success in its history.

It couldn't happen to a more deserving guy.