HYDE — For the visiting Punxsy Chucks wrestling team, the bus ride to the Clearfield Area Junior-Senior High School took longer than the match did.
After 28 minutes, and no contested matches going the distance, the host Clearfield Bison evened their season dual meet record at 2-2 after making quick work of the Chucks 60-18.
There were eight falls, five by the Bison and three by the Chucks, five forfeits, all by the Chucks, and one “no match”.
And of the eight falls, half were in the first period, while only two bouts on the night even made it in to the fifth minute.
The match “started” at 126 with Bison sophomore Nolan Barr going to 4-3 on the season after his match-opening forfeit.
The Chucks evened the score at 6-6 when Ben Skarbek (4-1) pinned Bison senior Peyton Smay (3-6) at the 4:38 mark of what was a 1-point Skarbek lead when he got the fall.
Karson Kline (6-3) had the quickest fall of the night, only needing 17 seconds to put the Bison back on top.
It didn’t take much longer for Luke Freeland to pick up another Bison pin, this one in 44 seconds.
The most entertaining match of the night was at 152 where Bison Logan Firanski was in search of his first win on the season. Firanki scored the opening takedown and led 3-2 after the first period, but was reversed and pinned in the second period.
Izak Thompson at 160 was also looking for his first win, but was pinned in 1:09 by Punxsy’s Grant Miller, tying the team score at 18-18.
As it turned out, those were the final points that the Chucks would put on the board.
Mark McGonigal (7-3) had the second quickest fall for the Bison when Aiden Wilson lasted 37 seconds.
Bisons Brett Zattoni (7-3) and Hayden Kavolick (7-3) each picked up forfeits at 182 and 195 respectively to up the Bison lead to 36-18.
At 220 Oliver Billotte dominated from the outset in what was supposed to be the feature bout of the night and pinned Garrett Eddy in 2:32.
It took heavyweight Jon Doran a bit longer than Billotte, but he also dominated his match and was up 7-0 early in the third period when he picked up his fall, giving the Bison a 48-18 point lead when the match turned the corner to the three remaining weights.
Unfortunately there were no remaining bouts. Evan Davis, he of the match-winning fall on Tuesday at Huntingdon, picked up a forfeit at 106, as did Derrick Bender at 120. There was no match at 113 pounds, as neither team had anyone weighed in.
The Bison (2-2) are now off until January 3 when they make their annual trek to Meadville for the Tool City Tournament.
The Clearfield Junior High wrestling team upped their season record to 2-1 with a 49-27 win over the junior Chucks,
