HUNTINGDON — In a see-saw battle that had four lead changes, the Huntingdon Bearcats repeated as Mountain League wrestling champions with a 6-0 league record after their 38-36 narrow victory over the visiting Bison.
With Huntingdon’s top wrestler out (170 pound state runner-up Jordan Oliver), and the Bison riding the momentum of their recent Ultimate Warrior team title and big win over rival Philipsburg-Osceola in the Take Down Cancer match, signs pointed to the Bison being able to knock off the now 15-1 Bearcats.
However, the Bearcats had just enough firepower to hold off the Bison, now 12-3 overall and 5-1 as runner-up in the Mountain League.
The short version of the scoring went like this: Huntingdon led 15-0 after three bouts, Clearfield took the lead at 24-21 after nine bouts, Huntingdon re-took the lead at 33-30 after 12 bouts, Clearfield re-took the lead 36-33 after 13 bouts, but it was Huntingdon winning after the 14th and final bout, 38-36.
The match started at 138 pounds where Bearcat Tyler Scott (15-7) put the home team on the scoreboard first following a 7-2 decision over Logan Gilbert (16-13).
Then two team-leading 23-bout winners took to the mat for Huntingdon and each made it to 24 wins. Seth Baney (24-4) pinned Tallin Norris (14-16) in 4:24 at 145 and Jon Wagner (24-2) pinned Zane Morgan (16-16) in 3:18 at 152.
Clearfield finally got on the scoreboard when 160 pounder Hunter Wright (9-6) got a first period fall over Joe Bailey (3-8) to make it 15-6 for the team score.
However, Huntingdon answered right back when Drew Simpson (13-3) pinned Steven Sawyer (0-2) in 3:34 at 170 pounds.
Next up were Clearfield’s three 20+ boutwinners on the season. And they did not disappoint.
At 180, Luke McGonigal (26-2) had no problem with Alex Mykut (1-3) and pinned him in 1:21.
Travis Ogden (25-1) then matched up with Logan Fisher (20-6) at 195. Ogden wasn’t able to earn any bonus points, as he’s accustomed to, but did win 9-3 to inch the Bison closer at 21-15.
One of the Bison’s hottest wrestlers down the back stretch, Nate Lash (21-10) drew the Bison closer with a hard fought win at 220 with a ride out win in overtime, 6-3, over Landon Fisher (14-10).
Bumping up to heavyweight and facing a much larger opponent was Hunter Bumbarger of the Bison. Bumbarger gave up the opening takedown to Huntingdon’s Brady Shope (6-13), but took a 3-2 lead in to the second period. There, Bumbarger (11-8) reversed off of the bottom and pinned Shope to give the Bison their first lead of the night at 24-21.
Cole Smay (7-5) kept the Bison momentum rolling at 106 with their fifth win in a row, by making short work of Bearcat Hunter Rhone (3-17) and adding to the lead, which now stood at 30-21.
Bumping up in weight class, however, did not help the next two Bison as both Matt Ryan, up to 113 from 106, and Jude Pallo, up to 120 from 113 were pinned, giving Huntingdon the lead back at 33-30.
Ryan (19-11) lasted 3:52 against Jacob Wagner (16-7), while Pallo (15-13) only managed to last  1:07 against Izac Benson (19-7).
At 126, Hunter Blake (15-9) gave the Bison the lead back at 36-30 when, only leading 2-0 at the time, he decked Warren Shope (6-14) at the 3:25 mark.
With the match, and league title, on the line the bout came down to the final two wrestlers.
Clearfield sent out Josiah McClarren (18-11), while Huntingdon had a buzzsaw in Colin Glorioso (22-4) as their hammer. Glorioso, already a two-time state placewinner and owner of 140 career wins, tech falled McClarren 15-0 in 5:38 to send the home team on to victory.
The Bison will only have a day to recover from the tough loss, as they head to the District 9 Team Wrestling Championships on Saturday at DuBois Area High School. They will face DuBois, a team the Bison beat 51-20 back on December 22, in the semifinals at 11:00 a.m. The winner will face the number one seed St. Marys Flying Dutch in the finals at 3:00 p.m. for the right to advance to the PIAA State Team Wrestling Championships in Hershey.
Bout by Bout Results:
138 Â Tyler Scott, H decisioned Logan Gilbert, C Â 7-2 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0 – 3
145 Â Seth Baney, H pinned Tallin Norris, C Â 4:24 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0 – 9
152 Â Jon Wagner, H pinned Zane Morgan, C Â 3:18 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0 – 15
160 Â Hunter Wright, C pinned Joe Bailey, H Â 1:28 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 6 – 15
170 Â Drew Simpson, H pinned Steven Sawyer, C Â 3:34 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 6 – 21
182 Â Luke McGonigal, C pinned Alex Mykut, H Â 1:21 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12 – 21
195 Â Travis Ogden, C Â decisioned Logan Fisher, H Â 9-3 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 15 – 21
220  Nate Lash, C decisioned Landon Fisher, H  6-3 ot        18 – 21
285 Â Hunter Bumbarger, C pinned Brady Shope, H Â 2:23 Â Â Â Â Â Â 24 – 21
106 Â Cole Smay, C pinned Hunter Rhone, H Â :32 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30 – 21
113 Â Jacob Wagner, H pinned Matt Ryan, C Â 3:52 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30 – 27
120 Â Izac Benson, H pinned Jude Pallo, CÂ 1:07Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30 – 33
126 Â Hunter Blake, C pinned Warren Shope, H Â 3:25 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 36 – 33
132  Colin Glorioso, H  tech falled Josiah McClarren  15-0 5:38  36 – 38
Bison Scoreboard:
Date Opponent Score Record
12/04 & 05 Top Hat Tourney @ Williamsport 150.5 pts 4th Place
12/08 BALD EAGLE AREA 46 – 26 1 – 0
12/15 @ Central 54 – 18 2 – 0
12/17 @ Punxsutawney 69 – 9 3 – 0
12/22 @ DuBois 51 – 20 4 – 0
01/05 PENNS VALLEY 58 – 20 5 – 0
01/08 & 09 Tool City Tourney @ Meadville 162.5 pts 2nd place
01/12 @ Huntingdon ppd. 5 – 0
01/14 @ St. Marys 15 – 49 5 – 1
01/19 BELLEFONTE 45 – 24 6 – 1
01/23 CLEARFIELD BISON DUALS
01/23 vs. Port Allegany 57 – 16 7 – 1
01/23 vs. James M. Coughlin 63 – 15 8 – 1
01/23 vs. General McLane 46 – 21 9 – 1
01/23 vs. Curwensville 64 – 15 10 – 1
01/23 vs. Montoursville 13 – 57 10 – 2
01/26 TYRONE 75 – 6 11 – 2
01/29 & 30 @ West Branch Tourney 185 pts. 1st place
02/02 @ Philipsburg-Osceola 51 – 23 12 – 2
02/04 @ Huntingdon 36 – 38 12 – 3
02/06 District 9 Team Duals @ DuBois HS
02/06 vs. DuBois
02/26 & 27 District 9 Champs @ Clfd HS
03/04 & 05 Northwest Regionals @ Altoona
03/10-03/12 PIAA States @ Hershey
