Butler wrestlers capture section

Butler wrestlers capture section

HAMPTON TWP — Dakoda Collins isn't exactly accustomed to the leadoff spot.
He basked in it Wednesday night.
Butler's 160-pound junior began the wrestling match at Hampton with a pin 1:20 into his bout — the first of four Butler first-period pins — in a 41-24 victory.
The win lifted the Tornado to 16-2, knocked the Talbots (10-1) from the unbeaten ranks and gave Butler the Section 3-A championship. It also gave the Tornado the opportunity to host the four-team section quadrangular to determine the league champion next Wednesday.
That competition will be held on two mats in the high school gym. Hampton, Section 3-B champion North Allegheny and Hopewell will be coming to town.
“It's another first for our program, another step,” Butler coach Scott Stoner said.
Collins made sure the program took a quick and positive step Wednesday. He improved to 20-3 with 12 pins on the year when he put Ryan Clagett's shoulders to the mat.
“I feel more comfortable having my match occur somewhere in the middle, after we've got some momentum going,” Collins said. “But I didn't mind starting out tonight.
“I do think my pin helped fire the guys up. You start out with a pin and everyone else wants to get one, too.”
“That first match sets the tempo for the night,” Stoner said. “Dakoda went out there and took care of business.”
Other first-period Tornado pins came from Cole Baxter at 189 pounds, Blake Caudill at 112 and Mike Crawford at 152. Baxter (23-1) pinned Jake Hart, who finished fourth in the WPIAL meet as a freshman last year, in 47 seconds.
“Cole got the quick takedown and went right into his pin move,” Stoner said. “That was a big six points for us because the Hart kid is good and we bumped Cole up to take him on.
“We're gonna send our big dog against the other team's best whenever we can, even though he was giving up 18 pounds to him.”
Baxter's pin was his team-leading 16th. Caudill has 12 and Crawford eight.
Hampton coach Joe Bursick said the dual match played out pretty much as he anticipated.
“The Baxter kid is tough and we knew that, but I expected a little more out of Ryan there,” Bursick said. “I saw the 119, 135 and 171 matches as the swing matches tonight. We had to get all of them to win this.”
Instead, the Talbots got none of them.
Butler's Korey Caudill won a 4-2 decision at 119, Zach Collins picked up a major decision (11-3) at 135 and Matt Pribis posted a 7-1 decision at 171.
Crawford's match was the last one of the night. Stoner thought about holding him out since the dual win was clinched earlier. Crawford (21-2) has a dinged shoulder.
“In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have sent him out there because he told me the shoulder was dead after the match,” Stoner said. “But when a kid shows the passion and desire and wants to be part of a big team win, it's hard to say no to him.”

Butler 41, Hampton 24
103 pounds: Cody Houston (B) dec. Reed O'Shaughnessy, 11-1; 112: Blake Caudill (B) pinned Carl Wilkinson, 1:06; 119: Korey Caudill (B) dec. Chris Olszewski, 4-2; 125: Peter Craig (H) dec. Zach Reges, 7-2; 130: Jesse Spohn (B) dec. Zach Kocak, 8-5; 135: Zach Collins (B) dec. Ryan Eckard, 11-3; 140: Kevin Synan (H) dec. Dillon Weston, 8-3; 145: Brian Estep (H) pinned Eric Tuck, 4:00; 152: Mike Crawford (B) pinned Collin Siford, 1:57; 160: Dakoda Collins (B) pinned Ryan Clagett, 1:20; 171: Matt Pribis (B) dec. Mike Link, 7-1; 189: Cole Baxter (B) pinned Jake Hart, :47; 215: Nick Yaroszewski (H) pinned Carlos Sanchez, 2:36; 285: Jordan Shulman (H) pinned Adam Steiner, 2:34.