Winning wrestlers
Evanoff, Pascazi among Butler program's best

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By John Enrietto
Eagle Sports Editor

BUTLER TWP— Winning is becoming a habit with the Butler wrestling team — and seniors Alex Evanoff and Josh Pascazi are its biggest addicts.
Evanoff, at 145 pounds, and Pascazi, at 152, have combined to win 57 of 64 matches this year and will leave the program among the top four on its all-time victory list.
The Golden Tornado are 21-4 in dual matches this season, putting together the best team record in the program's 17-year history.
"We've had some great groups of wrestlers come through here over the years,"Butler coach Scott Stoner said. "They set some goals that became reachable for these guys.
"I got an e-mail from (1999 graduate)Jason Parker the other day. He left here as our all-time win leader and said 'It looks like I'm going to be fifth now.' I actually feel a little bad for him, but I'm excited about what's been happening with our kids."
Parker had 87 career wins when he graduated from Butler. T.J. McCance is now the program's all-time leader with 103 victories, followed by Joe Davis with 96.
Evanoff has 93 career victories and will likely catch or surpass Davis during the section meet later this month. Pascazi has 84 wins and sits fourth on the all-time list.
"Alex Evanoff has a chance to get his 100th career victory at the WPIALmeet, in front of thousands of people,"Stoner said. "They would announce that accomplishment and the entire throng would applaud for him.
"I want him to envision that moment."
And he does.
"I don't think much about records,"Evanoff said. "I just try to take each match as it comes and try to get a win. But, yeah, I've thought about that.
"If I get there, it would definitely be a good feeling ... a memorable feeling."
Evanoff has a 31-1 record so far this season — two wins shy of tying Ian McLaughlin and Garrett Boarts for Butler's single-season record. Evanoff lost 41 matches in his first three varsity seasons combined.
"Confidence has always been a big issue with me,"Evanoff admitted. "I went through a lot of mental preparation over the summer working on that.
"Getting to the state meet is my ultimate goal, and this year is my last chance. I want to be at peace with myself on the mat, have confidence in my abilities, yet get after it at the same time."
Another issue with Evanoff last year was having iron-deficient blood. He was anemic through much of the season after contracting mononucleosis just before the start of the campaign.
"After a match last year, I was dead, totally drained,"he admitted. "This year, I feel like I can do sprints."
Unalike Evanoff, who began wrestling in third grade, Pascazi didn't get started until seventh grade. He followed in the footsteps of his brother, Aaron Pascazi.
"He's two years older than me and whatever he tried, I usually tried,"Pascazi said. "He's always been a big influence on me."
Despite the relatively late start, Pascazi has developed into one of Butler's most consistent performers. He was 28-8 as a sophomore, 30-7 last year and is 26-6 so far this season.
Pascazi and Evanoff are two of only 11 Tornado wrestlers to win 30 matches in a season. Both are stellar in the classroom as well, with Evanoff carrying a 3.9 grade point average and Pascazi carrying a 3.4.
Pascazi needs about 10 more takedowns to join Boarts as the only Butler wrestlers to amass 200 takedowns in a high school career.
"Takedowns are a big part of wrestling," he said. "They're a big part of what I do because it's important to get the lead in a match and take control early.
"I've gotten stronger and I've gotten faster this year. I know a lot more, too."
Stoner said that to look at Pascazi, "you wouldn't think he's someone who could overpower opponents at his weight class. But he's funky with his hips and he does a great job.
"When Josh is wrestling well, he has such a unique style that he can beat just about anybody,"Stoner added.
Like Evanoff, Pascazi has his eye on getting to the state meet. Butler has never had a wrestler place at the state meet and hasn't been represented in that event since 2000.
Evanoff and Pascazi have been workout partners in practice this season and have benefited from each other.
"It gets pretty intense in the room,"Stoner said. "Guys go at each other hard and tempers can flare, but when we leave the room, this is a team that supports each other.
"Alex, Josh, Jon Sanko and Ken Rosenbauer are the four guys who spark and carry that intensity. These guys have earned what they've gotten and, hopefully, there's a lot more coming."

MAT MASTERS
Here is a breakdown of career won-loss records of Butler senior wrestlers Alex Evanoff and Josh Pascazi:
Alex Evanoff
Year.............................W............L
Freshman.................19............12
Sophomore..............23.............16
Junior........................20.............13
Senior.......................31.............1
Total..........................93.............42
Josh Pascazi
Year.............................W............L
Sophomore...............28............8
Junior.........................30............7
Senior........................26............6
Total..........................84............21