HERSHEY – The Clearfield Bison wrestling team continued their outstanding 2021-22 season on the first day of the PIAA AAA State Wrestling Championships inside of the Giant Center.
The Bison will send four wrestlers to Friday’s 2:15 PM quarterfinals, the most since the state team champion 1986 Bisons. They will also send one wrestler on to round two of the wrestlebacks, something even the 1986 team didn’t accomplish.
Freshman 126 pounder Brady Collins (35-4) picked up the first win for the Bison with a 10-4 decision over Joshua Hilliard (33-7) of Manheim Township. Collins notched the opening takedown about 30 seconds into the match and turned Hilliard for three nearfall points, almost pinning the senior, for a 5-0 first period lead. Hilliard chose neutral for the second period, and did manage to secure a takedown with just two seconds remaining in the period to be within reach at 5-2 going into the final period. Taking bottom to start the final period, Collins was turned for two points, narrowing the gap to 5-4. Collins did escape to a 2-point lead with a minute remaining in the bout. With 30 seconds left Collins’ 4-point move sealed the 10-4 victory, the first for a Bison freshman at states since Christian Stone in 2010.
Collins will face Ethan Lebin (31-7), a junior from Hempfield who is the Southwest Region champ. Lebin edged Gunnar Myers (42-3), a sophomore from Wallenpaupack, 3-1 in his first match.
Next up for the Bison was senior Mark McGonigal at 172 pounds. McGonigal (30-9), making his third trip to Hershey and seeking his first medal, got off to a great start in meeting that goal of making the podium Saturday night. McGonigal scored the opening takedown against Abington Heights sophomore Caleb Marzolino (32-3) just 20 seconds into the opening period. Marzolino escaped just 20 seconds later and the two wrestlers finished the period on their feet, with McGonigal up 2-1. McGonigal chose bottom to start the second and almost immediately reversed Marzolino, upping the score to 4-1. Thirty seconds later McGonigal ended the match with a fall.
Dom D’Agostino (41-2), a senior from Interboro, will be McGonigal’s quarterfinal opponent. D’Agostino, who placed sixth in the state at 152 pounds last year, defeated Belle Vernon’s Logan Hoffman (36-7) by an 11-6 count.
189 pound sophomore Carter Chamberlain (29-8) kept the first round Bison momentum going with a 9-3 win over Aiden Hight (31-7) of Chambersburg. Chamberlain needed just 17 seconds to get out to a 2-0 lead, but Hight escaped just a few seconds later to cut the lead in half. Chamberlain notched his second takedown of the period with over a minute remaining and almost rode Hight out, giving up an escape with just three seconds remaining, for a 4-2 lead going into the second period. Chamberlain almost rode out Hight again in the second period, the lone point being a Hight escape with just under 30 seconds remaining. Chamberlain blew open a tight 4-3 match with five third period points. Chamberlain chose bottom, but was given the neutral position by Hight to make it 5-3. The strategy backfired as the Bison got a takedown and two nearfall points within the next 30 seconds and then rode Hight out for the 9-3 win.
Undefeated junior Sonny Sasso (43-0) from Nazareth is looming in the quarterfinals for Chamberlain. Sasso placed seventh at 152 pounds a year ago.
And 285 pound senior Oliver Billotte (30-3) closed out the first round with four out of five wins for the Bison with a 7-0 shutout of Central Dauphin senior Ben Stewart (31-9). Billotte was in control from the outset, scoring the opening takedown just 16 seconds into the match, and that’s how the first period ended, with Billotte up 2-0. Then Billotte immediately reversed to start the second period to go up 4-0. Billotte was awarded a stall point at the mid-point of the period and took a 5-0 lead into the final period. Stewart chose neutral to start the third period, but only lasted 17 seconds on his feet, as Billotte scored the final points of the match with another takedown.
Billotte will meet a familiar foe in the quarterfinals. Two years ago Billotte met William McChesney (35-0) of Greensburg Salem twice in the state tourney. Hopefully the third time will be the charm for Billotte, as McChesney won their first round match 3-1, and then won the seventh place match two days later 4-3. McChesney followed up his seventh place from 2020 with a fourth place finish last year.
Last, but not least, and by far the smallest Bison to make the state tourney this year, junior 113 pounder Evan Davis (30-11) went 1-1 on the day to advance to the second round of consolations. In opening round action, Davis was knotted in a 2-2 tie going into the final period with Travis Clawson (35-6) of Penn Manor. On the strength of seven nearfall points, Clawson ended up rolling to a 12-2 win.
With his season on the line, Davis pinned Canon-McMillan Big Mac Brandon Dami (27-10) in 2:08. It was Davis’ 21st pin of the season. Davis will meet two-time state placewinner, a sixth and a fifth, Carson Wagner (26-8) of Northampton in the second round of wrestlebacks.
Clearfield’s great 5-1 day has them sitting in third place in the team standings with 22 points. Leading the team race are two District 11 powers, Bethlehem Catholic with 40 points and Nazareth following close behind with 36 points.
Complete AAA results, courtesy PA-Wrestling.com can be found by clicking HERE.