HYDE — The Clearfield varsity wrestling team is on quite a run, having put together a 45-8 dual meet record over the past three seasons, while winning District 9 class 2A titles each year.
The Bison were 14-3 last season, but lost a strong core of multi-year letterwinners to graduation. That included Bison career wins leader Brady Collins (163-17), a four-time district champ and three time PIAA placewinner as well as Ty Aveni, who won 110 bouts for the Bison,
“We lost a strong group of seniors last year in Xavier Lutz, Ty Aveni, Brady Collins, Carter Freeland, and Nick Bailor,” Clearfield head coach Jeff Aveni said. “They are impossible to replace but we will be adding some talented young wrestlers that remained in junior high last year due to our senior class filling most upper weights.”
On top of the influx of new talent, the Bison also welcome back seven letterwinners from last season and another wrestler who lettered the year before.
“We will be returning letter winners Bo Aveni, Bryndin Chamberlain, Cash Diehl, Colton Bumbarger, Colton Ryan, Braydin Wills, Ryan Ludwig, and prior letterman David Magnuson,” coach Aveni said. “With Aveni, Ryan, and Diehl all being prior state qualifiers, as well as both Chamberlain and Bumbarger being one match from the state tournament two years ago, we return a strong group.”
Bumbarger, Chamberlain, Diehl and Ryan are all seniors this season. The quartet combined to go 117-57 last season.
Clearfield only has the four seniors on the roster, but has seven juniors and nine sophomores along with a trio of freshmen to provide the team with plenty of options.
“Our numbers our strong, but we lack depth and experience in the light weights,” Aveni said. “We will have some strong depth through the middle of the lineup, and a little in the upper weights. Our team will be strong with our returners and newcomer Matthew Rowles, who was injured last year, and PJW state qualifiers: Paxton Parada, Noah Troxell, Tim Taylor, and Matthew Peace.”
Peace took fourth at PJWs.
Freshmen Carson Robbins and Josiah Dorsey will make the jump to varsity this season to fill the 107 and 114 weight classes, while Rowles will handle 121 and Parada slots in at 127.
“We will start the season with some youth and inexperience at 107 and 114 with Carson and Josiah,” Aveni said. “We have high expectations for Matthew Rowles.”
Bo Aveni, (32-15 last season), a district runner-up, a fourth-place finisher at regionals and a PIAA qualifier at 114, will make the jump to 133.
He’ll be followed by senior letterwinners Chamberlain (139), Diehl (145), Bumbarger (152) and Ryan (160) in the meat of the lineup.
Chamberlain was 29-15 and won a district crown at 133. Diehl was 24-11 and a district runner-up at 139 after putting together consecutive 31-win seasons the two years prior. Bumbarger finished 28-16 and took second at districts at 145, but an injury kept him from competing at regionals. Ryan was 36-15 with fourth-place finishes at both districts and regionals, and he was a PIAA qualifier.
Following Ryan in the lineup will be Taylor (172), Wills (189), Ludwig (215) and Peace (285). Ludwig (15-21) was a fourth-place finisher at districts and a regional qualifier at 215.
Magnuson along with junior classmates Eli Barrett, Jacob Clark, Jackson Shugarts and Trotman Scaife, sophomores Gavhin Leskovansky, Colton Norris, Brody Owens and Troxell. and freshman Jahaziah Dorsey will provide depth throughout the lineup.
“Obviously we have six to eight guys that are looking to make some noise in the state tournament,” Aveni said. “Bo, Cash, and Colton have all been there before and Bummy and Bryndin have been really close. Bryndin is our only returning district champion. Matthew Rowles will open some eyes and will be expected to make a strong postseason run, as well as returning regional qualifier Ryan Ludwig, who is bigger and stronger.
“Tim Taylor and Matt Peace were junior high studs that could have wrestled for a lot of other varsity squads last season, and we have high expectations for them too. Brayden Wills had a strong offseason and will be greatly improved. Paxton Parada will be a fun-to-watch freshman, who lacks experience but makes up for it in toughness.”
As far as goals for the Bison, the beat goes on.
“We have to get better every day,” Aveni said. “Our first couple weights need seasoning, and it won’t be easy with our schedule. We will rely on our experienced guys to step up and our overall balance to carry us. Our goals are always the same — get better each day, win District 9 championships (dual and individual), and qualify as many as possible to the regional, then state tournament and bring home some medals.”
Assistant coaches for the Bison this season are Nolan Barger, Brent Lykens and Nate Sipes.
Clearfield kicks off the season Fri. Dec. 5 and Sat. Dec. 6 at the Top Hat Tournament. The first dual meet for the Bison is slated for Dec. 9 at DuBois, while the first home match is on Dec. 11 versus Philipsburg-Osceola.
“Our program is in a good spot,” Aveni said. “We lost some wrestlers (to graduation) who have been around for quite a while, and we have some really good talent moving into the lineup. These boys have wrestled together for a long time, and we don’t expect any drop-offs.”
Roster
Seniors
*Colton Bumbarger, *Bryndin Chamberlain, *Cash Diehl, *Colton Ryan.
Juniors
Eli Barrett, Jacob Clark, *Ryan Ludwig, David Magnuson, Trotman Scaife, Jackson Shugarts, *Brayden Wills,
Sophomores
*Bo Aveni, Gavhin Leskovansky, Colton Norris, Brody Owens, Matt Peace, Matt Rowles, Tim Taylor, Noah Troxell.
Freshmen
Jahaziah Dorsey, Carson Robbins, Paxton Parada.
*Returning letterwinners
BISON SCOREBOARD:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 12/5 & 6 | @ Top Hat Tourney (Williamsport) | ||
| 12/9 | @ DuBois | ||
| 12/11 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | ||
| 12/18 | ST. MARYS | ||
| 12/26,27,28 | @ Wheeling Park Duals (WV) | ||
| 1/2 & 3 | @ LHAC Championship (Central Cambria) | ||
| 1/6 | BALD EAGLE AREA | ||
| 1/13 | @ Huntingdon | ||
| 1/15 | @ Bellefonte | ||
| 1/17 | BISON BISON DUALS | ||
| 1/20 | @ Penns Valley | ||
| 1/23 & 24 | @ Thomas Automotive Tourney (Bedford) | ||
| 2/20 & 21 | D9 Championship Tourney | ||
| 2/22 & 28 | NW Regional Tourney | ||
| 3/5 – 7 | PIAA State Tourney |
