ST. MARYS – The Clearfield Bisons got close this time, taking their dual meet with St. Mary’s down to the wire, but the home team won the final bout and hence the match, 36-31.
Beginning at 160, the meet started well for the Flying Dutchmen, as they raced out to a 15-0 lead via two pins and a decision.
Devin Sinclair stemmed the tide for the Bisons at 195, however, with a huge fall in the second period over Cheatle. The pin was Sinclair’s first-ever varsity win.
After giving up a fall at 220, the Bisons won the next two bouts in convincing fashion. Jordan Lancaster wore down his opponent before getting the fall at 3:17. Noah Cline followed with an impressive performance at 106, dominating the entire match before pinning his opponent at 3:58, drawing the Bisons to within three points.
St. Mary’s won the next two bouts – 113 via forfeit and 120 via fall – to take a commanding 33-21 lead.
Again the Bisons battled back, ripping off four consecutive wins to set up the winner-take-all final match.
With Christian Stone out sick, freshman Jon Sponsler earned a gutty 2-0 overtime win at 126 before Dylan Graham won by major decision.
Wyatt Stucke then fought back from 3-0 and 5-4 deficits, hitting a 4-point move late in the third period to break a 5-5 tie.
Nolan Barger capped the Bison win streak with a 4-0 win over Sam Miller, St. Marys’ best wrestler, in a match that he dominated far more than the 4-0 final shows.
Down 33-31, Clearfield sent Kody Mayhew out against Bill Gabor. A flurry of action netted a takedown for the Dutch junior, and Gabor managed to hold Mayhew down for the entire second period as well. In the third Gabor netted an escape and another takedown for a 5-0 lead, but Mayhew reversed Gabor to his back and almost pinned the St. Mary’s wrestler. Gabor fought off his back, however, then earned a reversal of his own, and held on for the 7-4 win.
With the loss Clearfield falls to 2-11 on the season while St. Mary’s improves to 3-4. Clearfield returns to the mat next Tuesday at Curwensville, the match is set to begin at 7PM. You can hear that match and all regular-season dual meets on 93.1FM QYX and online at qyxfm.com.
St. Mary’s 36 Clearfield 31
160 – Feldbauer(S) pinned Beck(C) 3:19 0-6
170 – Cameroni(S) dec. Hepfer(C) 0-9
182 – McLaughlin(S) pinned Timko(C) 5:35 0-15
195 – Sinclair(C) pinned Cheatle(S) 2:45 6-15
220 – Fledderman(S) pinned Billings(C) 2:53 6-21
285 – Lancaster(C) pinned Carnahan(S) 3:17 12-21
106 – Cline(C) pinned Dent(S) 3:58 18-21
113 – McGonnel(S) WBFF 18-27
120 – E. Smith(S) pinned Aveni(C) 3:04 18-33
126 – Sponsler(C) dec. D. Smith (S) 2-0 OT RO 21-33
132 – Graham(C) maj. dec. Coudriet(S) 12-3 25-33
138 – Stucke(C) dec. Yetzer(S) 9-5 28-33
145 – Barger(C) dec. Miller (S) 4-0 31-33
152 – Gabor(S) dec. Mayhew(C) 7-4 31-36
Bison Wrestling Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 12/09&10 | @ Top Hat Tourney | 91 pts. | 11th |
| 12/13 | @ DuBois | 20 – 51 | 0 – 1 |
| 12/15 | BALD EAGLE AREA | 26 – 40 | 0 – 2 |
| 12/21 | @ Punxsutawney | 32 – 43 | 0 – 3 |
| 01/03 | CENTRAL MOUNTAIN | 20 – 54 | 0 – 4 |
| 01/05 | BROOKVILLE | 28 – 40 | 0 – 5 |
| 01/06&07 | @ Tool City Tourney | 78 pts. | 11th |
| 01/10 | @ Bellefonte | 23 – 51 | 0 – 6 |
| 01/12-14 | @ Escape the Rock Tourney | 43 pts. | 28th |
| 01/19 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 19 – 51 | 0 – 7 |
| 01/21 | CLFD BISON DUALS | 6th | |
| vs. Port Allegany | 37 – 36 | 1 – 7 | |
| vs. Montoursville | 44 – 30 | 2 – 7 | |
| vs. Peters Township | 12 – 50 | 2 – 8 | |
| vs. General McLane | 13 – 57 | 2 – 9 | |
| vs. Ridgway | 27 – 48 | 2 – 10 | |
| 01/24 | @ St. Marys | 31 – 36 | 2 – 11 |
| 01/31 | @ Curwensville |