Sloboda style
BUTLER TWP — Santino Sloboda does not present an imposing figure on the wrestling mat.
All he does is win.
“Santino doesn’t look the part, but he plays the part,” Butler High School wrestling coach Scott Stoner said. “I’m looking forward to getting him up here at the high school level next year.
“At the same time, he will probably be my biggest challenge as a coach.”
That’s because Santino not only wins — undefeated at 29-0 this season, 21-0 last year before losing in the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling state finals — he does so in unorthodox fashion.
“He does things that other wrestlers just don’t do,” Butler Junior High coach Donnie Geibel said of the 94-pound wrestler. “As flexible as he is, Santino has his own style. We teach base-line defense to our kids and he goes way beyond that.
“He can take an opponent down three or four times with a single leg move. Santino has a wide range of moves on the mat.”
During Butler’s last junior high dual match, Santino took down his opponent 11 times to win a 23-9 decision. He received the Outstanding Wrestler Award at the 27-team North Allegheny Invitational after pinning all five of his opponents.
Santino will be joining Butler teammates Diamond Cantera, Nick Savannah and Leo Iarrapino in competing at the PJW Championships Friday and Saturday in Johnstown. He has won seven consecutive PJW Area 7 titles, more than anyone in Butler wrestling history.
“I believe Cole Baxter (eventual WPIAL champion who wrestled at Kent State University) may have won six Area 7 titles,” Geibel said. “When it comes to the state tournament, Santino has improved his finish pretty much every year.”
After placing eighth twice at the PJW Championships, Santino has placed seventh, fifth and third before finishing runner-up the past two years.
“This has to be my year to win it,” he said.
A wrestler since age 5, he said he thrives on the competition.
“Wrestling in Pennsylvania is as strong as anywhere,” Santino said. “You’re always running into good competition. I love the challenge of that and I want to get better.
“My goal is to win a state championship in high school, become a Division 1 college wrestler and be one one of the best to come out of Butler.”
As for his biggest strength on the mat, Santino smiled and said: “I wrestle with a lot of funk. Defense is my best trait. I’m good with my legs and I feel like I can finish.”
Santino’s only loss the past two years was a two-point setback at the hands of Bethlehem’s Keanu Dillard in last season’s PJW final. Dillard is in a different division now, so Santino will not have an opportunity to avenge that defeat.
He doesn’t care.
“All I want to do is improve,” Santino said. “When I get to high school next year, I’ll be working with coaches Stoner and (Fred) Powell every day. That is definitely going to help me. Those guys, Coach Geibel ... the coaching here is as good as anywhere.
Stoner can’t wait to work with Santino on a daily basis.
“I saw him wrestle this kid in a tournament, Santino did some sort of hand-slide thing and made the kid look silly ... the crowd just erupted,” Stoner said. “I can’t even describe some of the things he does. I hope to teach him some things, yet let him be himself on the mat at the same time.
“Flow is a big thing in wrestling and Santino never stops moving on the mat. I have a good relationship with him now and it’s only going to get better.”
