HYDE — The Clearfield Area High School wrestling team enters the
2006-2007 season with plenty of optimism from head coach Jeff Aveni.
Aveni and the Bisons enter a season where they do not have a state
placewinner on the roster, but boast a wealth of talent with 28
experienced wrestlers. Despite the lack of wrestlers boasting awards,
the Bisons return a core of talent that has Aveni and his coaching
staff excited about the upcoming season.
\”It\’s different,\” Aveni said of entering the season without any
highly-touted state wrestlers. \”This team reminds me of my first year,
really. The first year I coached there were no returning state
qualifiers on the team and only a couple kids had decent records, and
we had a big group of sophomores that year that had some ability. We
are the exact same team. The only thing is I think we are even younger
this year.\”
The Bisons return experienced wrestlers in Holden Lowe and will be
bolstered by Doug Gisewhite, Shawn Owen and Andrew Spicer.
\”We have some experience back, but we really have a lot of coaching
to do in the fact that these guys need to get better all year long.\”
With the depth and talent the Bisons return this season, Aveni
feels the Bisons can only get better.
\”I look at this team as a team that can improve a lot as the season
goes on.\”
The Bisons open the season Friday at the Top Hat Tournament – one
that will pose a tough test.
\”I really don\’t know what to expect this weekend,\” Aveni said. \”Top
Hat is a tough tournament for a young team that mostly our guys
haven\’t experienced anything like that.\”
Lowe, who will wrestle at 103 pounds, is expected to be one of the
Bisons\’ top performers.
\”The upper classmen that should be looking to exceed what they did
last year – Holden Lowe,\” Aveni said. \”He is still a tenth grader, but
he really came on at the end of last year and had a good summer of
wrestling. He even did well this fall. I look for him to have a pretty
good season.\”
Two kids Aveni is looking at to have a turnaround season are Richie
Queen and Anthony Moore.
\”Rich Queen beat some real good kids last year,\” Aveni said.
\”Anthony Moore we thought was one of our better kids. He wrestled
tough last year. He lost 12 matches by a point. Turn that around and
he won 25 matches last year. A lot of the kids that beat him have
graduated, and I think he has improved. His attitude is better, and he
has more confidence in himself.\”
Owen is another wrestler Aveni feels could do some damage this year.
\”Owen was a freshman last year that wrestled 215 and heavyweight,\”
Aveni said. \”We\’re excited to see him take the mat this year. I think
he is going to open some eyes this year.
This Bisons feature seven sophomores in the lineup, and Andrew
Spicer and Jeff Smallwood could be dominant.
\”We had some real tight wrestle-offs,\” Aveni said. \”Spicer at 112
– he\’s tough. He\’s a scrappy sophomore. He\’s a hard-worker, he\’s
learning and he already has a lot of ability and can do some things
that are tough to teach. Smallwood, who was one of our best
ninth-graders last year, will be at 125 at the beginning of the
season. Jeff is a tough kid. He\’s hard-nosed. I expect him to be a
battler on the mat.\”
Among the newcomers looking to make names for themselves are Isiah
Morgan and Nick Redden.
\”They were starters on the football team, so they are good
athletes,\” Aveni said. \”They are young wrestlers working harder to get
better. Andre Buck is up there. Any of those guys could have their
moments – that\’s for sure.\”
Clearfield expects to face some tough competition this season with
a schedule that includes Bellefonte, Bald Eagle Area,
Philipsburg-Osceola, DuBois and St. Marys.
\”As a dual meet team, we have the potential to be very dangerous,\”
Aveni said. \”If we can progress and improve as I expect us to – I
think by the end of January we can be a pretty good dual meet team. We
need to get some experience under our belts, we need to take some
licks and learn from out mistakes. Unlike the last couple of years
where there were seven, eight, nine guys where we thought these guys
could win tonight and that would win the match for us.
\”There are 14 guys out there and any of them can win at any time. I
really believe we have the potential to have fourteen .500 wrestlers
this year. If you can put together a lineup like that where you are
balanced and tough to move against – every match you have to have a
good kid there to beat them. I think we are going to get stronger as
the year goes on. I think we are a decent dual meet team, right now.\”
ROSTER
Seniors
Denny Coyle (112), Cody Billotte (12), Anthony Moore (135), Doug
Gisewhite (152), Jeff Knepp (125), Jacob Riglin (215),
Juniors
Anthony Schultz (130), Ryan Voland (130), Andrew Haney (135),
Richie Queen (140), Kasey Casher (145), Lee Zalno (160), Ryan Lenhart
(160),
Sophomores
Holden Lowe (103), Andrew Spicer (112), Jeff Smallwood (125), Josh
Barrett (130), Shawn Hall (140), Mike Boyce (145), Sam Maines (152),
Justin Barbieri (171), Nick Redden (215), Mike Hill (215), Sean Owen
(275), Robert Foust (275).
Freshmen
Andre Buck (215),