Spring Mills — In a dual meet that had just about everything – first period falls, come-from-behind victories, overtime, strategic forfeits – the Clearfield Bison (2-3) came from behind four different times to edge the host Penns Valley Rams 36-33.
With all of that action, of course, the match came down to one final bout.
There, freshman Luke McGonigal (7-4) at 152 picked up the Bison’s fourth first period fall by taking down and quickly pinning Dylan Homan in 37 seconds to give Clearfield only their second, and more importantly, final lead of the night!
The final bout was all set up by Penns Valley jumping out to the lead several times, then Clearfield forging back four different times to tie the team score – at 15-15, 21-21, 27-27, and 30-30.
The penultimate match was won by the hosts to give them a 33-30 lead, only too see it dissipate by McGonigal’s heroics.
The match started at 160 where the Rams picked up their lone first period fall to jump out to a 6-0 lead.
At 170, Bison Levi Wiser was five-pointed in the first period, but fought all the way back and took Ram Allen Cain down right at the final buzzer to eke out a 7-6 win.
Corey Rimmey returned the favor at 182 for Penns Valley, as he was down 7-1 after two periods to Clearfield’s Mike Hadden. Rimmey reversed from the bottom position and picked up two sets of two-point near falls to edge Hadden 8-7 and up Penns Vally’s lead to 9-3.
The Bison then decided to forfeit to Penns Valley’s top wrestler Corey Hazel (13-1) to go down by 12, 15-3.
The strategy proved fruitful as the Bison evened the match at 15-all after back-to-back first period falls by Travis Ogden (12-1) at 220 and Nate Lash (7-5) at 285.
The bout turned the corner and headed to the lightweights where Penns Valley regained the lead with a fall by Darren Yearick at 106.
A forfeit to Clearfield’s Chance Timko at 113 saw the dual tied for a second time at 21-all.
The Bison took their first lead of the match during the ninth weight class when Bison Josiah McClarren claimed the third first period fall of the night for Clearfield at 120.
Master strategist and Bison mentor Jeff Aveni once again picked the right time to forfeit a match, this time to Curtis Decker (12-4) at 126 to get to our third tie, 27-27.
Two low-scoring nail-biters set up the fourth and final tie at 30-30.
Jacob Confer defeated defeated Logan Gilbert 2-1 at 132, with all three match points being scored in the final period.
Then at 138, two top wrestlers locked horns as Clearfield’s Noah Cline (11-4) needed an escape in the third period to force a tie with Penns Valley’s Jared Hurd (9-3) at 2-2. The Bison senior then picked up the match’s lone takedown to earn the overtime win, 4-2.
Penns Valley’s Isaac Bierly won a donnybrook at 145 by a 14-11 score over Clearfield’s Tallin Norris to give the Rams their final lead of the night at 33-30. 15 of the match’s 25 points were scored in the third period alone.
Then, as mentioned above, McGonigal took care of business at 152 to give the Bison the win, 36-33!
The Bison have a week off to prepare for an undefeated Huntingdon Bearcat (currently 10-0) squad that will invade the Arthur Weiss Gymnasium on Tuesday January 13.
Bout by Bout Results:
160 Andrew Hurd, PV fall Steve Sawyer, C 1:32         0 – 6
170 Levi Wiser, C dec Allen Cain, PV 7-6 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3 – 6
182 Corey Rimmey, PV dec Mike Hadden, C 8-7       3 – 9
195 Corey Hazel, PV FORFEIT Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3 – 15
220 Travis Ogden, C fall Lucas Sharer, PV 1:26 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9 – 15
285 Nate Lash, C fall Jared Bressler, PV 1:22 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 15 – 15
106 Darren Yearick, PV fall Matt Ryan, C 2:58 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 15 – 21
113 Chance Timko, C FORFEIT Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 21 – 21
120 Josiah McClarren, C fall Jason Ticknor, PV 1:52 Â Â 27 – 21
126 Curtis Decker, PV FORFEIT Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 27 – 27
132 Jacob Confer, PV dec Logan Gilbert, C 2-1 Â Â Â Â Â Â 27 – 30
138 Noah Cline, C dec Jared Hurd, PV 4-2 ot (sv) Â Â Â Â 30 – 30
145 Isaac Bierly, PV dec Tallin Norrris, C 14-11 Â Â Â Â Â Â 30 – 33
152 Luke McGonigal, C fall Dylan Homan, PV :37 Â Â Â Â 36 – 33
Bison Scoreboard:
Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
12/05&06 | Top Hat Tourney @ Williamsport | 10th | 0 – 0 |
12/09 | DUBOIS | 33 – 39 | 0 – 1 |
12/11 | @ Bald Eagle Area | ppd. | 0 – 1 |
12/12 | @ Bald Eagle Area | 21 – 46 | 0 – 2 |
12/16 | CENTRAL | 24 – 43 | 0 – 3 |
12/18 | PUNXSUTAWNEY | 47 – 19 | 1 – 3 |
01/02&03 | Tool City Tourney @ Meadville | 5th | 1 – 3 |
01/06 | @ Penns Valley | 36 – 33 | 2 – 3 |
01/13 | HUNTINGDON | ||
01/15 | ST. MARYS | ||
01/17 | CLEARFIELD BISON DUALS | ||
01/20 | @ Bellefonte | ||
01/23&24 | @ New Oxford Tourney | ||
01/27 | @ Tyrone | ||
02/03 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | ||
02/20&21 | District 4-9 Championships @ TBD | ||
02/27&28 | Northwest Regionals @ Altoona | ||
03/05-07 | PIAA States @ Hershey |