BROOKVILLE — The top seeded Clearfield Bison wrestling team put their 13-2 record on the line in the 2025 District 9 AA Team Wrestling Championships on Saturday afternoon at Brookville Area High School.
After disposing of the host Brookville Raiders (11-7) for the second time this season, this time by a 45-25 final, in the semifinals, the Bison faced off with the Gators of Port Allegany in the championship finals.
Two come-from-behind wins for the Gators in the middle of the dual meet proved to be too much for the Bison to overcome in a 35-26 loss, qualifying Port Allegany for the PIAA AA Team Wrestling Championships. The two wins on the day, the other being a 39-20 win over St. Marys in the semifinals, raised the Gator record to 14-4 on the season. They will travel to Erie on Tuesday to face Erie Cathedral Prep (24-1), the District 10 AA Team Wrestling champs.
The finals match started at 121 pounds where Port’s Ian Fitzsimmons (16-12) put the second seeded Gators up 6-0 after a fall right before the end of the first period over Dakota Shugarts (22-13).
A forfeit to Bryndin Chamberlain (24-13) at 127 brought the match to even at six.
At 133, Ian O’Shea (22-8) put the Gators right back up by six with a fall over Jackson Shugarts (6-16) in 2:56 after building up a 14-1 lead.
Cash Diehl (20-8) used six takedowns at 139 to score an 18-3 tech fall over Isaac Postlewait (10-12) that brought the Bison within one at 12-11.
Bison Colton Bumbarger (26-15) was up 8-1 after one period after two takedowns and a two-point nearfall, and was up 9-4 after the second period against Port’s Brandon Ferguson (24-5). However, Ferguson’s strategy to start the final period in the neutral position worked to perfection as he secured two takedowns versus a Bumbarger escape to send the bout into sudden victory tied at 10. Ferguson then notched his fourth takedown of the match giving him a 13-10 overtime win, and giving the Gators a 15-11 lead.
It was more of the same at 152 where Bison Colton Ryan (29-9) was out to a 5-1 lead after period against Brandon Ferguson’s brother Alden. This Ferguson (4-2, 26-18 last year) also closed the gap in the second period, as the match went to the final period with Ryan clinging to a precarious 8-6 lead. Aiden followed Brandon’s lead by also choosing neutral to start the final period. Different weight, same result as Ferguson scored two takedowns to a Ryan escape to eke out a 12-9 win and put the Gators up 18-11.
With the Gators heavily favored in the three heaviest weight classes, the Bison knew they needed bonus points in the next two matches to give them a fighting chance.
And that’s exactly what they got as 160 pounder Ty Aveni (27-7) built up a 7-0 lead in the second period and picked up a fall over Zach Hungiville (12-14) in 2:50 and Brady Collins (34-1) at 172 only needed 1:21 to pin Gator Mason Gordon (17-9), giving the Bison their first lead of the dual at 23-18.
189 pounder Aiden Bliss (19-2) used eight takedowns over Brayden Wills (1-7) in a 25-9 tech fall that tied the match at 23. That is the same Aiden Bliss that ran for over 3,000 yards this past fall for the PIAA A state runners-up in football, keeping Clearfield’s Brady Collins from owning the District 9 single-season rushing record.
At 215 Bison Ryan Ludwig (12-17) gave Juuso Young (20-4), son of Clearfield grad and former Bison wrestler Andrew Young, more than he had bargained for as Young was only up 7-5 in the third. An escape gave Young an 8-5 win, but not the bonus points the Gators were hoping for so they could lock up the match as they were heavily favored at 285 as well.
Nick Bailor (21-14) for the Bison also gave his favored Gator more than he had hoped for. Bailor was down 9-3 after the first period against two-time state qualifier and fifth place finisher at states last year, Carson Neely (15-1). After a scoreless second period on their feet, Bailor scored a takedown in the third to make it 9-6, but Neely escaped for the final points of the match, only giving the Gators a six point lead, 29-23, with two bouts to go.
Clearfield’s 107-pounder Xavier Lutz (17-15) went up 3-0 with the opening takedown on the third Ferguson brother to take to the mat for Port Allegany, Collin (20-7). However, it was all Ferguson after that as he escaped and scored a takedown of his own to go to the second period up 4-3. This Ferguson also took the neutral position given the choice and it worked to perfection for the third time in the dual meet, as Collin notched a takedown and eventually pinned Lutz in 3:04, securing the team wrestling title for the Gators.
The final match of the day went to Clearfield’s Bo Aveni (28-10)at 114, where he defeated Brennan Fillhart (17-5) 11-7 to set the final at 35-26.
In the 45-25 semifinal win over Brookville the Bison picked up falls from Lutz, Jackson Shugarts, Diehl, Ty Aveni, and Collins. Bo Aveni and Chamberlain received forfeits, while Dakota Shugarts had a 10-6 win.
With the 14-3 record for the 2024-25 season, Bison Head Coach Jeff Aveni, in his 25th year at the helm, now carries a 272-138 career win-loss record into next year.
The Bison are now off until the District 9 AA Championships at Clarion University on February 21 and 22.
The DuBois Beavers (13-3) won the District 9 AAA title by defeating Cranberry 43-30.
CLEARFIELD — 45, BROOKVILLE — 25
114 – Bo Aveni won by forfeit (6-0)
121 – Dakota Shugarts dec. Parker McKillip, 10-6 (9-0)
127 – Jackson Shugarts pinned Nathan Kramer, 1:33 (15-0)
133 – Bryndin Chamberlain won by forfeit (21-0)
139 – Cash Diehl pinned Weston McKinney, 0:50 (27-0)
145 – Cole Householder won by tech. fall over Colton Bumbarger, 18-1 3:47 (27-5)
152 – Anthony Ceriani maj. dec. Colton Ryan, 19-8 (27-9)
160 – Ty Aveni pinned Jamarcus Cooke, 1:54 (33-9)
172 – Brady Collins pinned Carter McKinney, 0:10 (39-9)
189 – Easton Belfiore won by tech. fall over Brayden Wills, 20-2 3:20 (39-14)
215 – Kolton Griffin maj. dec. Ryan Ludwig, 13-1 (39-18)
285 – Gavin Hannah pinned Nick Bailor, 3:23 (39-24)
107 – Xavier Lutz pinned Eric Young, 0:42 (45-24)
Clearfield wrestlers in bold.
PORT ALLEGANY – 35, CLEARFIELD — 26
121 – Ian Fitzsimmons pinned Dakota Shugarts, 1:57 (6-0)
127 – Bryndin Chamberlain won by forfeit (6-6)
133 – Ian O’Shea pinned Jackson Shugarts, 2:56 (12-6)
139 – Cash Diehl won by tech. fall over Isaac Postlewait, 18-3 4:26 (12-11)
145 – Brandon Furgeson dec. Colton Bumbarger, 13-10 SV (15-11)
152 – Alden Furgeson dec. Colton Ryan, 14-9 (18-11)
160 – Ty Aveni pinned Zach Hungiville, 2:50 (18-17)
172 – Brady Collins pinned Mason Gordon, 1:11 (18-23)
189 – Aiden Bliss won by tech. fall over Brayden Wills, 25-9 4:23 (23-23)
215 – Juuso Young dec. Ryan Ludwig, 8-5 (26-23)
285 – Carson Neely dec. Nick Bailor, 11-6 (29-23)
107 – Collin Furgeson pinned Xavier Lutz, 3:04 (35-23)
114 – Bo Aveni dec. Brennan Fillhart, 11-7 (35-26)
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 39 – 36 12 – 2
01/24 & 25 @ Thomas Auto Tourney – Bedford 172 pts. 3rd place
01/28 @ Tyrone 58 – 14 13 – 2
02/01 @ District 9 AA Duals @ Brookville
vs. Brookville 45 – 25 14 – 2
vs. Port Allegany 26 – 35 14 – 3
02/21 & 22 @ District 9 Championship @ Clarion
02/28 & 3/1 @ Northwest Regionals @ Sharon
03/06 – 08 @ PIAA Championships @ Hershey