GIBSONIA — Following a loss to Peters Township, during a match where the Indians forfeited three weight classes, Butler junior Seth McCrea had a feeling practice wasn’t going to be easy.

Golden Tornado coach Scott Stoner ran a practice last Saturday that was all business.

McCrea knew he had to be focused.

“Our heavyweight got hurt, so I grinded it out because I knew I’d be starting,” McCrea said. “(Practice was) hard and intense.”

McCrea found the intensity he needed to pin Pine-Richland’s John Folmer in their 285-pound bout, sealing Butler’s 44-28 Section 3B win Wednesday night at Pine-Richland High School.

An injury to Riley Burdine opened a spot in the lineup for McCrea, who didn’t wrestle in the Golden Tornado’s 39-28 loss to the Indians last Friday.

McCrea had an approach in mind for the third period after he and Folmer were scoreless after two periods.

“I was looking for the roll off the whistle,” McCrea said. “I was looking to set it up and I got it.”

That put the Golden Tornado ahead 38-28 with one match remaining.

The win was a much-needed one for Butler (2-1, 2-0) to stay in the playoff race.

Golden Tornado coach Scott Stoner still doesn’t feel they are moving at the right pace.

“We want to have a little more energy in our wrestling and how we go about things,” Stoner said. “We’re still not where I want to be at this point of the year.”

Neither is Pine-Richland (2-5, 0-2).

The Rams were forced to bump nearly everyone up a weight class from 126 on to avoid forfeiting a class.

Pine-Richland had three kids drop out before the season started.

“Because of the football players that didn’t come, we have empty spots we have to fill,” Rams coach Ben Rings said. “Our depth isn’t that great. Our starters are good and we’re continuing to improve, but we have to bump to fill spots or we’re automatically giving six as a forfeit.”

Butler winning the close matches proved to be the difference.

After Butler opened the match with a pin from Isaiah Christy at 113, Pine-Richland won four straight matches to take a 19-6 edge.

Butler’s Scotty Dietrich flipped things at 145 by pinning Vittorio Orsini.

Ahead 8-7 in the second, Dietrich hit a throw to put Orsini on his back in the second period.

It was the first of four straight wins for Butler.

Caleb Baxter (152) used two first-period takedowns and a reversal in the third to beat David Kelly, who tripped up Baxter last season.

“I knew he was a good kid and he beat me last year,” Baxter said. “We were working on it all day yesterday and I knew what he was going to do. Coach (Fred Powell) helped get me ready.”

Hank Finan (160) and Christian Sequete (170) followed with pins to stretch Butler’s lead to 27-22.

Pine-Richland was able to tighten the deficit to 32-28 when Brendan Scheller pinned Saavon Mosby.

Mosby led the match 2-1 after the first period.

“I want to make sure this team understands that every time out should be all the energy you have,” Stoner said. “There are times where the mental aspect isn’t there for us. ... We’re not forcing the issue enough.”

McCrea’s pin was followed by another by Braydon Hoffman (106), giving Butler six on the night.

The Golden Tornado felt they needed a better effort. Last weekend’s practice was a good reminder.

“We had one rough practice,” Baxter said. “I think the kids knew that coach was mad. I felt like at practice we all worked hard that one day.”

Butler 44, Pine-Richland 28

(Match started at 113 pounds)

106-Braydon Hoffman (B) pin Ben Neil, 1:36; 113-Isaiah Christy (B) pin John Berger, 1:36; 120-Alex Salas (P) maj. dec. Jack Codispot, 11-2; 126-Hunter Baxter (P) pin Shane Culp, 1:09; 132-Garrett Burnham (P) pin Sam Dietrich, :51; 138-Ben Salas (P) dec. Justin Stewart, 3-0; 145-Scott Dietrich (B) pin Vitorrio Orsini, 3:55; 152-Caleb Baxter (B) dec. David Kelly, 6-1; 160-Hank Finan (B) pin Matt Wood, :38; 170-Christian Sequete (B) pin Luke Ziegler, 3:31; 182-Nick Geyer (P) dec. Thomas Greaves, 5-0; 195-Justin Johnson (B) tech. fall Alec Ewansik, 16-1; 220-Brendan Scheller (P) pin Saavon Mosby, 2:56; Hwt.-Seth McCrea (B) pin John Folmer, 4:11