HUNTINGDON — The host Huntingdon Bearcats came in with a sterling 15-2 record, boasting seven wrestlers with 20 or more wins on the season, while the visiting Clearfield Bison came in at 10-2 looking for a big road Laurel Highland Athletic Conference win.
And that’s exactly what the Bisons came home with as they raced out to an early 18-0 lead after the first three bouts and never looked back in a 39-30 win to raise their record to 11-2, and 3-0 in the league.
Matt Rowles (19-2) at 121 got the night off to a quick start with a 19 second pin of Ty Sheffield (10-12), the first of five freshmen the Bearcats put on the mat.
Bo Aveni (18-5) built up a 12-0 at lead at 127 before pinning Carter Weaver (13-12) in 3:16.
Making it 18-0 in favor of the Bisons was 133 pounder Bryndin Chamberlain (18-6), who was already up 10-1 in the first period when he picked up a fall in 1:16 over Landin Snare (0-4).
At 139 Chris Gibson (21-6), who won his 100th career match his last time out, got the hosts on the board when he pinned Noah Troxell (2-6) in 4:24.
The momentum fully swung in favor of the Bisons as they swept three key matches from 145 through 160 upping their lead to an almost insurmountable 33-6.
145 pounder Cash Diehl (17-6) was up 3-0 after one period and 7-0 after two periods before turning it on in the final period and was up 14-1 when he decked Christian Taylor (18-12).
Colton Bumbarger (15-6) only needed eight seconds to pick up his fall over Luke Mykut (20-8) at 152.
The 160 pound match featured Clearfield’s Colton Ryan against a one-loss freshman Bearcat in Doug McKim. After a scoreless first period, Ryan escaped to a 1-0 lead heading into the final set of two minutes. McKim escaped to start the scoring in the third to make it 1-1. After a stall warning to McKim (26-2), Ryan (17-5) scored the winning takedown in a 4-1 victory.
The Bearcats started to claw their way back into it at 172 where PIAA state qualifier Grady Clark (26-2) got a second period fall against Tim Taylor (9-11).
At 189, Dom Peruso (21-8) was only up 3-2 over Clearfield’s Brayden Wills (16-6) after two periods, but a big final period saw him up his lead to 10-3 before notching a fall five seconds before the buzzer to make it 33-18.
Ryan Ludwig then did a great job against PIAA state qualifier, and 120 match winner, Landon Erdman at 215. Scoreless after one period, Ludwig (15-8) couldn’t escape, but didn’t get turned either, in the second and it was also scoreless heading into the last period. Erdman (25-3) managed an escape to start the scoring, then added a bout-clinching takedown in a 4-0 win.
At 285 Noah Metz (16-8) had all he wanted from Clearfield’s Matthew Peace (10-11) as well. Again the bout was scoreless after the first two minutes of wrestling. Peace got off bottom to take a 1-0 lead, but Metz countered with a takedown to take a 3-1 lead after two. A neutral start choice by Metz led to another takedown and 6-1 lead before another Peace escape set the final at 6-2, making the score 33-24 in favor of the Bisons.
The end was then anticlimactic as the two teams traded forfeits at 107 and 114, Clearfield’s Jahaziah Dorsey (3-11) getting his hand raised last to clinch the dual meet 39-30 in favor of the visiting Bisons.
Clearfield will be on the road again Thursday when they face off against the Bellefonte Red Raiders. The girls teams will also be in action that night.
Clearfield 39, Huntingdon 30
121 – Matt Rowles, C pinned Ty Sheffield, H 0:19 (6-0)
127 – Bo Aveni, C pinned Carter Weaver, H 3:16 (12-0)
133 – Bryndin Chamberlain, C pinned Landin Snare H, 1:14 (18-0)
139 – Chris Gibson, H pinned Noah Troxell, C 4:24 (18-6)
145 – Cash Diehl, C pinned Christian Taylor, H 5:00 (24-6)
152 – Colton Bumbarger, C pinned Luke Mykut, H 0:08 (30-6)
160 – Colton Ryan, C dec. Doug McKim, H 4-1 (33-6)
172 – Grady Clark, H pinned Tim Taylor, C 2:36 (33-12)
189 – Dom Peruso, H pinned Brayden Wills, C 5:55 (33-18)
215 – Landon Erdman, H dec. Ryan Ludwig, C 4-0 (33-21)
285 – Noah Metz, H dec. Matthew Peace, C 6-2 (33-24)
107 –Â Lukas Brown, H won by forfeit (33-30)
114 –Â Jahaziah Dorsey, C won by forfeit (39-30)
CLEARFIELD BISON SCOREBOARD:
Date Opponent Score Record
12/5 & 6 @ Top Hat Tourney (Williamsport) 137 pts. 6th place
12/9 @ DuBois 38 – 31 1 – 0
12/11 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA 40 – 27 2 – 0
12/18 ST. MARYS 44 – 25 3 – 0
12/27 & 28 @ Wheeling Park Duals (WV)
12/27 vs. John Glen (OH)Â 59 – 9 4 – 0
12/27 vs. Waynedale (OH) 32 – 33 4 – 1
12/27 vs. Oak Glen (WV) 58 – 21 5 – 1
12/27 vs. Herbert Hoover (WV) 50 – 30 6 – 1
12/28 vs. Loveland (OH) 53 – 27 7 – 1
12/28 vs. Solon (OH) 52 – 18 8 – 1
12/28 vs. St. Xavier (OH) 30 – 44 8 – 2
12/28 vs. Carrollton (OH) 49 – 23 9 – 2
1/2 & 3 @ LHAC Championship (Central Cambria) 159 pts. 4th place
1/6 BALD EAGLE AREA 42 – 19 10 – 2
1/13 @ Huntingdon 39 – 30 11 – 2
1/15 @ Bellefonte
1/17 BISON BISON DUALS
1/20 @ Penns Valley
1/23 & 24 @ Thomas Automotive Tourney (Bedford)
1/31 District Duals @ Brookville
2/20 & 21 D9 Championship Tourney
2/27 & 28 NW Regional Tourney
3/5 – 7 PIAA State Tourney
