BELLEFONTE — A bizarre evening of wrestling saw the Red Raiders of Bellefonte defeat the Clearfield Bisons 35-34 on tie-breaker Criteria D, most matches won, as they won seven bouts to the Bison’s six. The first three criteria all have to do with unsportsmanlike conduct, and that was not a factor when the match ended 34-34 after Bellefonte forfeited the final bout.
The match started with seven consecutive first period falls, four by Clearfield and three for Bellefonte, and also included a 29-20 bout score!
The dual meet started at 107 and the first seven bouts went like this – pin for Bellefonte, pin for Clearfield, pin for Bellefonte, pin for Clearfield, pin for Clearfield, pin for Bellefonte, pin for Clearfield….putting the visitors up 24-18.
Earning the falls for the Bisons were Matt Rowles (20-2) in 11 seconds at 114, Bo Aveni (18-5) in 87 seconds at 127, Bryndin Chamberlain (18-6) in 33 seconds at 133, and Cash Diehl (17-6) in 25 seconds at 145.
With Clearfield up 24-18, the Red Raiders got an 8-0 bonus point major decision at 152 from PIAA state placewinner Ezra Swisher (25-7) over Colton Bumbarger (15-7). The bout was scoreless after the first period, but Swisher used a tilt to go up 4-0 in the second period. He the used an escape and a takedown in the final period to bring the Rede Raiders within two at 24-22.
In an unbelievably high scoring match, Clearfield’s Colton Ryan (18-5) defeated Bellefonte’s Gavin Lucas (11-7) by a score of 29-20 to put the Bisons back up by six with the major decision. The score was 10-10 after the first period as Ryan scored the opening takedown, but Lucas escaped and hit a 7-point headlock to go up 8-3. Ryan got himself out of bounds to avoid the fall, escaped on the restart and added two more takedowns to Lucas’ two more escapes…all in the first period. Ryan got out to a big lead after two periods, 26-15, on the strength of three more takedowns and a three point nearfall. There was no quit from Lucas though as he earned a reversal before the end of the period and then outscored Ryan 5-3 in the last period to set the final.
The hosts tied the match score at 28-28 after the 172 pound bout saw Red Raider Jack McHail (13-8) score the opening takedown over Tim Taylor (9-12), but saw Taylor escape and take him down, as Taylor led 4-3 after one period. Taylor then rode McHail the entire second period and took that 4-3 lead into the final period. McHail managed a come-from-behind fall though in the last period.
Jackson Long (25-5) gave the home team their first lead since they were up 12-6 after the 121 pound bout, as he had a hard fought 5-1 win over Bison Brayden Wills (16-7). Long got the opening takedown in the first, reversed in the second, and gave up a penalty point in the third, but never could turn Wills for bonus points.
At 215, Luke Hockenberry (28-7) essentially locked up the dual meet with another hard fought victory for the hosts. He edged Ryan Ludwig (15-9) by a final of 7-2, but it wasn’t officially decided until the buzzer when Hockenberry scored a takedown off of a Ludwig attempt at the winning takedown. Hockenberry scored a first period takedown, but he was only up 3-2 heading into the final period.
Knowing they had the match in hand, Bellefonte forfeited to Matthew Peace (11-11), making the final score 34-34, but winning the match 35-34 based on the tie-breaker.
With the win, the Red Raiders upped their record to 9-2, while the Bisons dropped to 11-3.
Next up for Clearfield will be the 17th Annual Bison Duals at Clearfield High School on Saturday. 12 teams from all over PA will be competing in the all day event.
BELLEFONTE — 35, CLEARFIELD — 34 (criteria D, most match wins)
107 – Colin Harter pinned Jahaziah Dorsey, 1:19 (6-0)
114 – Matt Rowles pinned Rylan Lucas, 0:11 (6-6)
121 – Blake Glace pinned Paxton Parada, 1:42 (12-6)
127 – Bo Aveni pinned Austin Broder, 1:27 (12-12)
133 – Bryndin Chamberlain pinned Dylan Hockenberry, 0:33 (12-18)
139 – Wyatt Long pinned Noah Troxell, 0:32 (18-18)
145 – Cash Diehl pinned Tanner Clarkson, 0:25 (18-24)
152 – Ezra Swisher maj. dec. Colton Bumbarger, 8-0 (22-24)
160 – Colton Ryan maj. dec. Gavin Lucas, 29-20 (22-28)
172 – Jack McHail pinned Tim Taylor, 4:02 (28-28)
189 – Jackson Long dec. Brayden Wills, 5-1 (31-28)
215 – Luke Hockenberry dec. Ryan Ludwig, 7-2 (34-28)
285 – Matthew Peace won by forfeit (34-34)
* Bellefonte wins the dual on criteria (most wins, 7-6).
Clearfield wrestlers in bold.
CLEARFIELD BISON SCOREBOARD:
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 34 – 35 11 – 3
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
