Knoch girls wrestling celebrates two more firsts with home bout vs Butler, Makayla Pethtel’s pin
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Mark and Tiffany Greiner cheer during a boys wrestling match between Knoch and Taylor Allerdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Owen Layhew defeated Taylor Allderdice’s Zach Schmitt in a 145-pound bout in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Derrick Glover defeats Taylor Allderdice’s Luke Peralta by pin in a 160-pound bout in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Keegan Orris defeats Taylor Allderdice’s Javen Woods by a 22-7 tech-fall in a 133-pound bout in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s girls coach Logan Downes (middle) coaches from the side in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Makayla Pethtel pins Butler’s Mylee Toner in a 155-pound bout in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Braylee Ireland, left, and head coach Logan Downes, right, congratulate Carma Forty, middle on her win against Butler’s Anastasia Manchester 7-6 in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch boys hosted Taylor Allderdice in a boys wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch girls hosted Butler in a girls wrestling match on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
JEFFERSON TWP — As a brand new program, Knoch girls wrestling is checking off a number of firsts this season.
Monday night, it was the first home match and, thanks to Makayla Pethtel, the team’s first victory on its home mat.
Pethtel evened her record at 5-5 with a first-round pin of Butler’s Mylee Toner at 155 pounds. All of her wins this season have come by fall.
“I’ve been wrestling for seven years and still have to work on my technique, but I give it my best every time I go out there,” said Pethtel, a sophomore. “Being a member of the team has been great because there’s a lot of support.”
Knoch has just five wrestlers and dropped a 36-15 decision to the Golden Tornado, but head coach Logan Downes said the group, albeit small, is building a strong foundation for the future.
“These girls come in every day with a positive attitude, and they’re a joy to coach,” Downes said. “They are honest with themselves. We talk about things they need to improve on and things I need to do better when dealing with them. It’s an open line of communication, and that’s important.”
Downes said there are currently three Knoch girls wrestling in junior high, two of them eighth-graders who will be on the varsity team next year. The elementary level includes several more.
“As we get closer to spring and even into the summer, we’re going to have some tryout nights,” Downes said. “It will be good to get a lot of girls all in one place to see if wrestling is something they’d be interested in.
“We’d like to have a full varsity team, that’s the goal, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
Also winning for the Knights (0-2) was Carma Forty with a decision at 142.
Earning pins for Butler (1-3) were Brin Zehmisch (118) and Kaitlynn Plopi (148).
Having seen his season end in the WPIAL tournament the last two years, Knoch junior Owen Layhew is focusing on the little things in hopes of an extended postseason.
He moved his record this season to 13-4 with a major decision against Allderdice’s Zach Schmitt.
“All of my losses this season have been close (by decision),” Layhew said. “I’m working on details like positioning, mat awareness and urgency. I want to get to regionals this year and maybe further.”
Layhew’s career record now stands at 59-28. Knoch coach Josh Orris believes his ceiling is high.
“I think he has what it takes to medal at WPIALs,” he said. “We’re trying to get him to wrestle more smoothly, cut out the wasted movement and get him to have a sense of urgency for an entire match.”
Knoch (3-2) received pins from Tanner Crowe (139), Brayden McGowan (152), Derrick Glover (160) and Wyatt Foster (215).
Girls
Butler 36, Knoch 15
100: No bout; 106: Lillianna Burgardt (B) won by forfeit; 112: No bout; 118: Brin Zehmisch (B) pinned Isabella Ross, 1:25; 124: Braylee Ireland (K) won by forfeit; 130: No bout; 136: No bout; 142: Carma Forty (K) dec. Anastasia Manchester, 7-6; 148: Kaitlynn Plopi (B) pinned Jillian King, 1:18; 155: Makayla Pethtel (K) pinned Mylee Toner, :57; 170: Kaylen Soose (B) won by forfeit; 190: Olivia Hageman (B) won by forfeit; 235: Monica Osborne (B) won by forfeit
Boys
Knoch 43, Taylor Allderdice 28
107: Xander Henteleff (TA) pinned Noah Nelson, 3:01; 114: Caden Hassler (K) major dec. Raymond Bonowicz, 26-14; 121: Jakari King (TA) pinned Emmett Carbungco, :42; 127: Jarrett Crowe (K) won by forfeit; 133: Keegan Orris (K) tech. fall over Javon Woods, 22-7; 139: Tanner Crowe (K) pinned Noah Peralta, 2:48; 145: Owen Layhew (K) major dec. Zach Schmitt, 15-3; 152: Brayden McGowan (K) pinned Jamel McCrea, 4:46; 160: Derrick Glover (K) pinned Luke Peralta, 5:23; 172: Tom Paternoster (TA) pinned Angelo Natili, :44; 189: Jackson Wolfe (TA) won by forfeit; 215: Wyatt Foster (K) pinned Facundo Lazarte, :52; 285: Jhamir Rainey (TA) major dec. Lucas Rouleau, 12-1
