Flying Dutch Knock Bison From Ranks of the Undefeated

ST MARYS — The Clearfield Bison wrestling team took their 6-0 record into the “Dutch Oven” to face off with the host, and also undefeated at 3-0, Flying Dutchmen and came home with a 39-24 loss to their District 9 rival.

Carter Freeland (9-3) got the Bison off to a good start at 160 when, after only a 2-0 lead after one period, he upped his lead to 8-0 in the second period before picking up a fall in 3:05 over Landon Cook (5-7).

However, the Dutch knotted the score at six-all when Hunter Chinelli (6-1) also had a second period fall at 172 over the Bison’s Hunter Ressler (2-3).

The feature bout of the night did not disappoint at 189 where two returning District 9 champions faced off.

Clearfield’s Carter Chamberlain matched up with St. Marys’ Waylon Wehler, a two-time district champ and returning Northwest Region champ, who was also sporting a 12-0 record coming into the match.

Wehler score the opening takedown and Chamberlain escaped to a 2-1 deficit after the first period. An escape to start the second period knotted the score at two, but Chamberlain took his first lead of the match with a takedown. Wehler escaped to a 4-3 score heading into the final period. Wehler reversed, but Chamberlain escaped to send the bout to overtime at 5-5. Chamberlain (11-1) earned his second takedown to pick up the sudden victory 7-5.

The 9-6 Bison lead didn’t hold up for long as St. Marys notched back-to-back falls at 215 and 285, setting the score at 18-9 in favor of the hosts when the match turned the corner to the light weihts.

At 107, Bison freshman Cash Diehl (11-2) picked up his second forfeit in two nights to draw the Bison clost at 18-15.

Fellow freshman Bryndin Chamberlain (7-4) put up a valiant effort against returning District 9 and regional champion Aiden Beimel (7-2) at 114, holding the loss at seven points, 10-3, to avoid the major decision and save a team point.

Evan Davis (9-3) did manage a major decision at 121 by defeating Jayce Walter (1-3) by an 11-3 score to bring the team score to within two at 21-19.

Unfortunately for the Bison, that was as close as they’d get as Colton Ryan (4-5) lost a tough 4-2 decision at 127 to Cullen Catalone (8-2) and Colton Bumbarger (2-6), despite a 6-2 lead at the time, was taken down and pinned by Cole Neil (7-2) at 133.

Brady Collins (10-1) temporarily stopped the bleeding for Clearfield as he had nine takedowns in a 24-9 tech fall at 139 over the Dutch’s Ben Reynolds (8-5).

With the score 30-24, that was the last Bison win as St. Marys clinched the victory at 145 when Jaden Wehler (8-4) defeated Ty Aveni (6-4) 7-2 after an ill-advised lateral drop attempt late in the match by Aveni turned into a 5-point move by Wehler.

Andy Wolganger (13-2) set the final score at 39-24 with a first period fall over Patrick Knepp (3-7).

The Bison are off until the weekend now when they head to Indiana for the IUP Winter Mayhem Tournament.