DuBois Wrestlers Shock Bison; Win Inaugural Pete Morelli Travel Trophy 39-33

HYDE — Despite an 18-point lead at one point, the Clearfield Bison wrestling team wasn’t able to hold off an upset-minded DuBois Beaver squad, which won five of the last six contested matches to come away with the 39-33 victory.

Prior to the match, it was announced that the two long-time District 9 rivals would compete annually for the Pete Morelli Travel Trophy. Morelli, who was involved in DuBois wrestling for over 30 years, was in a fatal accident just less than a month ago.

Perhaps it was poetic justice that the Beavers would honor their fallen coach with the come-from-behind victory.

DuBois jumped out to an early six-point lead at 120 when Seth Braid pinned Thayne Morgan in the third period, despite a tight 5-3 score at the time of the fall. Down 5-0, and after fighting off his back most of the first period and earning his own three-point nearfall early in the final period, Morgan couldn’t fight it off a second time and was pinned at the 5:05 mark of the match.

After disappointing performances at the season-opening Tom Best Memorial Tourney (formerly the Top Hat), both Josiah McClarren and Logan Gilbert notched hard-fought victories to knot the score at six.

At 138, Noah Cline got the momentum fully swung in Clearfield’s favor with a pin in 2:28.

With freshman standout Luke McGonigal on the injury list, Logan Puit was inserted into the lineup at 145, where he received a forfeit.

Tallin Norris then moved up to take McGonigal’s spot at 152 and was up 10-1 when he picked up a fall right before the end of the second period to extend the lead to 24-6.

The only Bisons to post wins over the final eight weight classes were 195 pounder Travis Ogden, who received a forfeit, and 285 pounder Nate Lash, whose third period takedown gave him a 3-1 win.

The Beavers were able to knot the score at 33 when the dual meet turned the corner and they picked up a forfeit at 106.

At 113, DuBois’ Donny Wentz opened up a tight 4-2 match in the second period into a 7-2 lead aided by three penalty points due to technical violations by the game, but inexperienced Bison wrestler. Throwing caution to the wind at that point, Clearfield’s Matt Ryan was caught on his back, ending the dual meet at the 4:19 mark of the third period.

The Bison will look to even their record when they travel to Wingate Thursday night to take on Bald Eagle Area.