HYDE — The hope at the end of the season is to be playing better than when it started. Hard to do when the season has been so successful, but it has become a reality for the Clearfield Bison. The season has been one of huge success for all, as entering Monday night, just two losses were on the record for the 2025-2026 season. That being said, the toughest challenges are at the end, and with the Penns Valley Rams making the trip to the Bison Gym, the best is what the entire team needed.
Leadership, smart play, and an unwavering desire to succeed is what brought Clearfield to this point. They needed all that, and more, against the Rams. Fueled by a senior that hit a milestone with just games remaining in his career, the Bison pulled off a 75-61 win to finish the Laurel Highlands slate of the schedule.
“Coach Irwin, I’ve known him for a very long time, and he always has a well-coached team,” Bison coach Nate Glunt said afterwards. “They came out in their zone, and it’s not a typical stand-still zone. They’re active. We had to adjust how we were doing things, and once we did, we got in space and began making plays.”
Clearfield was fighting hard through the first eight minutes as the two squads swapped the lead a few times, neither getting out to more than a two-possession lead. The Bison held a two-point lead after a three-pointer from Penns Valley’s Fletcher Ironside. As the seconds waned, Evett Maines hurled a prayer shot from deep range, but the arc of the ball had the right trajectory, and he would see it fall in the net as the buzzer sounded, giving major momentum to Clearfield.
Unfortunately, the momentum did not hold much as the Rams began coming back early in the second, as Spencer Althouse hit three shots, with Julian Battaglia adding another two, to give the visitors a chance to get out front.
The second quarter went to a draw, each scoring 15 points, but the four-point lead heading into halftime gave Clearfield just enough of a feeling that they could pull off the victory.
All game long, the Rams and the Bison were playing tough, physical, and on the edge of being too much. However, officials let them play on without calling flagrant fouls.
“I know those officials really well. They did an excellent job calling the game. It’s a big game for both teams. It’s a league game, both are playoff bound, Penns Valley is fourth in the conference. We just had to make more plays,” Glunt said.
No play came bigger, or more significant, than when Evett Maines went for a jump shot in the paint. Already with 18 points, he was on the cusp of the 1000-point mark, needing just one shot to make it happen. At the 6:24 mark in the third, he would do just that when he penetrated for the shot, getting fouled on the way up, but the ball managed to go right in the net, putting the senior at the 1000-point mark on the nose.
The team celebrated for a little bit with Maines, who finished with 26 points plus five assists and four steals, before he calmly went back to the foul line and drained the ensuing free throw.
“He’s a phenomenal kid. I’ve known him since kindergarten. I know his family, and to have him get that accomplishment, it’s so amazing,” Glunt said of his senior. “He truly deserves it. He’s played so hard for the last four years at the varsity level, but so much longer going back to the elementary program. I’m just blessed to be coaching him.”
The 1000-point moment flipped a switch for Clearfield, and gave them the fuel to take over the game.
The third quarter saw them managing to find those gaps in the zone, finding some easy passes, and sometimes even easier looks. The Bison put up 25 points while limiting the Rams to just 12, pushing the lead to six possessions, seemingly demoralizing the visitors, who continued to try and battle back.
Braison Patrick would dominate the game as he led all scoring with 27 points, despite only putting up one three. He accounted for seven rebounds, plus managed a pair of steals. Elijah Glunt also hit double figures, finishing with 12 points.
Clearfield also managed a 53-39 victory in the junior varsity game.
The regular season slate of Laurel Highlands conference games has concluded for Clearfield (19-2), but the difficult games are not done, as Senior Night happens on Tuesday with a tough contest against a familiar foe in Punxsutawney.
“Punxsutawney has some big kids, and they play a completely different style than we saw tonight,” Glunt said. “It’s going to be a battle. Two good teams, both are playoff bound. I’m just glad it’s at home.”
Tip-off is tentatively set for 7:15 p.m.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Penns Valley 14 15 12 20 – 61
Clearfield 19 15 25 16 – 75
Penns Valley – 61
Fletcher Ironside 6 4-9 18, Spencer Althouse 3 0-0 6, Noah Patel 7 1-1 16, Carter Ironside 1 0-0 3, Julian Battaglia 5 0-0 12, Austin Fetterolf 3 0-0 6, Dylan Dashem 0 0-0 0, Quinn Spargo 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 25 5-10 61.
Clearfield – 75
Parker Collins 0 0-0 0, Evett Maines 10 1-1 26, Elijah Glunt 5 2-3 12, Braison Patrick 12 2-4 27, Tanner Kaskan 3 0-0 6, Noah Rumfola 0 0-0 0, Easton Maines 0 0-0 0, Cooper Broad 0 2-2 2, JT Strishock 1 0-0 2, Ethan Coudriet 0 0-0 0, Dominic Natoli 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 31 7-10 75.
GAME STATISTICS
Penns Valley/Clearfield
- Shooting: 25-55/31-56
- Rebounds: 22/28
- Fouls: 13/18
- Turnovers: 14/9
- Three-Point Shots: F. Ironside-2, Patel, C. Ironside, Battaglia-2/Ev. Maines-5, Patrick
- Technical Foul: Kaskan
Clearfield Bison Basketball Scoreboard
| DATE AND OPPONENT | SCORE | RECORD |
| 12/2 HOLLIDAYSBURG | PPD. | 0-0 |
| 12/4 HOLLIDAYSBURG | 71-59 | 1-0 |
| 12/8 at Huntingdon | 69-45 | 2-0 |
| 12/11 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 76-30 | 3-0 |
| 12/15 at Penns Valley | 61-45 | 4-0 |
| 12/17 at Somerset (6:15 p.m.) | 71-39 | 5-0 |
| 12/19 CHESTNUT RIDGE | PPD. | 5-0 |
| 12/22 BELLWOOD-ANTIS | 64-60 | 6-0 |
| 12/29 at Curwensville (6 p.m.) | 56-31 | 7-0 |
| 12/30 CHESTNUT RIDGE | 87-40 | 8-0 |
| 1/5 at Bald Eagle Area | 69-43 | 9-0 |
| 1/8 at West Branch | 81-42 | 10-0 |
| 1/12 at Central | 56-44 | 11-0 |
| 1/14 at Bellefonte | 73-52 | 12-0 |
| 1/16 at Forest Hills | 44-72 | 12-1 |
| 1/21 BISHOP GUILFOYLE | PPD. | 12-1 |
| 1/22 BISHOP GUILFOYLE | 53-48 | 13-1 |
| 1/23 TYRONE | 82-65 | 14-1 |
| 1/26 at Brookville (7:15 p.m.) | PPD. | 14-1 |
| 1/28 at Hollidaysburg | 53-55 | 14-2 |
| 1/30 CENTRAL CAMBRIA | 78-38 | 15-2 |
| 1/31 at Brookville | 62-56 | 16-2 |
| 2/4 HUNTINGDON | 63-54 | 17-2 |
| 2/5 at Philipsburg-Osceola | 65-36 | 18-2 |
| 2/9 PENNS VALLEY | 75-61 | 19-2 |
| 2/10 PUNXSUTAWNEY (7:15 p.m.) | ||
| 2/12 FOREST HILLS (6 p.m.) Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference semi-final |
