HYDE — Senior Recognition 2025 took place for the Clearfield Bison wrestling team and their six seniors on Tuesday night as the Bison hosted the Bellefonte Raiders.
Four seniors took to the mat for the Bison, and they came away with four wins as the Bison (11-2) turned back the Raiders (6-5) by a final score of 44-25.
Bellefonte was giving up forfeits in the three lightest weight classes, so the team victory was pretty much a foregone conclusion for the home squad. But the visitors gave it their all and the two teams split the 10 contested matches, with each picking up three falls and a regular decision, while the fifth win for the Bison was a tech fall and the fifth win for the Raiders was a major decision, meaning the Bison won the contested matches by a score of 26-25.
The dual started at 133 where Wyatt Long (24-9) got a first period fall while up 3-0, as did 139 pounder Cameron Garcia (27-8) while up 3-0 as well, giving Bellefonte a very quick 12-0 lead.
Colton Bumbarger (21-10) got the Bison on the scoreboard with a pin at 145. The always entertaining Bumbarger was up 12-2 when he planted Andrew Gall (20-10) for the second time in the match, this time getting the fall at the 3:58 mark.
Bellefonte’s Ezra Swisher (29-1) and Clearfield’s Colton Ryan (23-6) were in a good battle at 152, with Swisher winning 4-0, a takedown in the first period being the major difference. Ryan closed the gap on the 2024 state qualifier from their previous encounter, as Swisher defeated Ryan 10-1 at the Laurel Highland Tournament earlier in January.
Senior Ty Aveni (19-5) actually avenged a loss from that same tourney as he turned a 7-0 overtime loss the last time into a 4-0 win this time against Noah Weaver (24-6) at 160.
At 172 senior Brady Collins (26-1) had five takedowns against Jackson Long (28-9) on his way to a 19-3 tech fall to bring the Bison within one at 15-14.
However at 189, Jack McHail (12-8) picked up a major decision to up the Raider lead to 19-14.
215 pound Raider Luke Hockenberry (24-9) extended the lead to 25-14 with a third period fall while up 8-3 over Ryan Ludwig (8-13). Ludwig had scored the bout’s opening takedown but didn’t score after that.
The third senior to take to the mat for the Bison was Nick Bailor at 285. After a scoreless first period, Bailor got ridden out in the second period by Logan Rarrick (15-14). Rarrick picked neutral to start the third period, which proved to be a mistake. Bailor (16-10) took Rarrick down halfway through the period and picked up a fall at the 5:34 mark to make the score 25-20 in favor of Bellefonte as the dual headed to the forfeit part of the evening.
Senior Xavier Lutz (12-11) received one at 107, making it a clean sweep for the Bison seniors, Bo Aveni (19-8) received the second one at 114, and Dakota Shugarts (16-9) received the final forfeit at 121, turning a 5-point deficit into a 13-point advantage at 38-25.
Bryndin Chamberlain (16-11) put the final stamp on the night when he had the Bison’s third fall, this one at the 1:30 mark of the first period to set the final at 44-25.
Seniors Carter Freeland and Hunter Ressler were on the bench for the Bison, but were unavailable to compete.
The Bison have no rest for the weary as the Penns Valley Rams (11-1) visit the Arthur J. Weis on Wednesday night in the last scheduled home match of the year.
CLEARFIELD — 44, BELLEFONTE — 25
133 – Wyatt Long pinned Jackson Shugarts, 0:54 (0-6)
139 – Cameron Garcia pinned Owen Lykens, 0:11 (0-12)
145 – Colton Bumbarger pinned Andrew Gall, 3:58 (6-12)
152 – Ezra Swisher dec. Colton Ryan, 4-0 (6-15)
160 – Ty Aveni dec. Noah Weaver, 4-0 (9-15)
172 – Brady Collins won by tech. fall over Jackson Long, 19-3 5:56 (14-15)
189 – Jack McHail maj. dec. Brayden Wills, 10-0 (14-19)
215 – Luke Hockenberry pinned Ryan Ludwig, 4:57 (14-25)
285 – Nick Bailor pinned Logan Rarrick, 5:34 (20-25)
107 – Xavier Lutz won by forfeit (26-25)
114 – Bo Aveni won by forfeit (32-25)
121 – Dakota Shugarts won by forfeit (38-25)
127 – Bryndin Chamberlain pinned Jacob Horn, 1:30 (44-25)
Clearfield wrestlers in bold.
CLEARFIELD BISON SCOREBOARD:
Date Opponent Score Record
12/06 & 07 @ Top Hat Tourney – Williamsport 166.5 pts. 5th place
12/10 @ Philipsburg-Osceola 55 – 13 1 – 0
12/12 DUBOIS ppd. 1 – 0
12/13 DUBOIS 41 – 17 2 – 0
12/17 BROOKVILLE 55 – 13 3 – 0
12/21 @ St. Marys 50 – 21 4 – 0
01/03 & 04 @ Laurel Highlands Tourney 185 pts. 2nd place
01/08 @ Altoona 29 – 31 4 – 1
01/10 & 11 @ Mid-Winter Mayhem – IUP 88 pts. 17th place
01/14 @ Bald Eagle Area 44 – 25 5 – 1
01/15 HUNTINGDON 48 – 17 6 – 1
01/18 BISON DUALS
vs. Curwensville 54 – 15 7 – 1
vs. Central Clarion 54 – 15 8 – 1
vs. Indiana 54 – 15 9 – 1
vs. General McLane 41 – 22 10 – 1
vs. Montoursville 23 – 37 10 – 2
01/21 BELLEFONTE 44 – 25 11 – 2
01/22 PENNS VALLEY
01/24 & 25 @ Thomas Auto Tourney – Bedford
01/28 @ Tyrone
02/01 @ District 9 AA Duals @ Brookville
02/21 & 22 @ District 9 Championship @ Clarion
02/28 & 3/1 @ Northwest Regionals @ Sharon
03/06 – 08 @ PIAA Championships @ Hershey
