EBENSBURG — The Clearfield wrestling team is in second place after the first day of competition at the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference at Central Cambria High School with 91 points, trailing first-place Bishop McCort by 33.
The Bison and Crushers each have 12 out of 13 wrestlers still alive in the tournament. McCort has 11 semifinalists, while the Bison advanced six to the semifinal round. Hollidaysburg and Huntingdon each have 12 wrestlers left as well, both with three in the semis.
Cash Diehl (139), Colton Bumbarger (145), Colton Ryan (152), Ty Aveni (160), Brady Collins (172) and Nick Bailor (285) are the Bison that are still in the championship bracket, while Xavier Lutz (107), Bo Aveni (114), Dakota Shugarts (121), Bryndin Chamberlain (127), Carter Freeland (189) and Ryan Ludwig (215) are all in the consolation bracket.
Clearfield went 16-8 as a team. Bailor, Bumbarger and Diehl led the way, each going 2-0 with two pins. Ryan was also 2-0 with a pin and a major decision. Aveni and Collins each needed to go just 1-0 to make the semis. Collins is the lone Bison that garnered a top seed, while Ty Aveni and Diehl came into the tournament as No. 2 seeds. Bumbarger and Ryan are both seeded third, while Bailor, a fifth-seed, pinned Richland’s fourth-seeded Ryvan Audi in the third period of their quarterfinal bout after trailing 4-1 after two periods.
Bailor faces top seeded Rowan Holmes (Somerset) in his semifinal bout. Holmes is a two-time PIAA placewinner.
Diehl gets Bald Eagle Area’s Dawson Lomison in a matchup of the second and third seeds at 139, while Aveni locks horns with Bellefonte’s Noah Weaver in another 2 versus 3 semifinal at 160. The winner of that likely gets returning PIAA champ Melvin Miller (McCort) in the finals.
Bumbarger faces Chestnut Ridge’s Aaron Ickes in a 145-pound semi with another returning state champ from McCort, Bo Bassett, lurking as a probable finals opponent. Ryan has Bellefonte’s Ezra Swisher, a 2023 Class 3A PIAA qualifier, in his semifinal at 152. McCort’s top-seeded Devin Magro, who placed third at PIAAs last season, likely awaits the winner.
Collins faces No. 4 seed Mitchell Baronner (Hollidaysburg) in his 172-pound semifinal. Baronner was a PIAA qualifier last season at Class 3A. Huntingdon’s Grady Clark and McCort’s CJ Pensiero battle in the other semifinal.
Bishop McCort (124) and Clearfield (91) are followed by Chestnut Ridge (72.5), Hollidaysburg (71) and Penns Valley (70.5) in the team race.
Complete results from Day 1 can be found HERE courtesy PA-Wrestling.com
Clearfield Results
Championship Round 2
107 – Xavier Lutz pinned Zane Eddie (Bedford), 1:25
114 – Bo Aveni pinned Gavin Bilich (Huntingdon), 1:18
121 – Dakota Shugarts pinned Tucker Boone (Bedford), 3:33
127 – Bryndin Chamberlain maj. dec. Bryer Mickel (Central), 10-0
133 – Jacob Brua (Hollidaysburg) pinned Jackson Shugarts, 1:28
139 – Cash Diehl pinned Grady Rabenstein (Bellwood-Antis), 3:22
145 – Colton Bumbarger pinned Mason Nagle (Bellwood-Antis), 1:04
152 – Colton Ryan pinned Alex Mondick (Westmont Hilltop), 1:03
189 – Blair Miller (Central) pinned Carter Freeland, 4:25
215 – Ryan Ludwig pinned Jesse Calhoun (Chestnut Ridge), 1:05
285 – Nick Bailor pinned Walldims Benitez (Central), 1:52
Consolation Round 2
133 – Brody Custer (Forest Hills) dec. Jackson Shugarts, 9-7
189 – Carter Freeland pinned Hunter Bowser (Greater Johnstown), 0:24
Championship Quarterfinals
107 – Garrett Weyandt (Chestnut Ridge) pinned Xavier Lutz, 1:04
114 – Brayden Sidney (Hollidaysburg) dec. Bo Aveni, 7-0
121 – Caleb Hummel (Philipsburg-Osceola) won by tech. fall over Dakota Shugarts, 16-1 5:14
127 – Tanner Guenot (Bald Eagle Area) won by tech. fall over Bryndin Chamberlain, 17-0 4:27
139 – Cash Diehl pinned Christian Taylor (Huntingdon), 1:04
145 – Colton Bumbarger pinned Isaac Filak (Penn Cambria), 1:47
152 – Colton Ryan won by tech. fall over Cody Clapper (Central), 19-1 2:55
160 – Ty Aveni maj. dec. Cuyler Hale (Bedford), 8-0
172 – Brady Collins won by tech. fall over Nicholas Noon (Forest Hills), 21-2 2:32
215 – Marquez Gordon (Bishop McCort) maj. dec. Ryan Ludwig, 8-0
285 – Nick Bailor pinned Ryvan Audi (Richland), 5:47
Results courtesy of PA-Wrestling.com
