MORRISDALE — The Clearfield Bison wrestling team continued to show their improvement over last year and the earlier part of this season with a second day of strong wrestling at the 5th Annual Ultimate Warrior Tournament at West Branch High School.
The Bison stood in a tie for 10th after the first day of competition and actually improved to an eighth place finish, out of 34 teams, with their Saturday showing. Southern Columbia placed all 13 of its wrestlers and defended their team title from a year ago,
Seven Bison wrestlers made it through to the second day, and six of the seven managed to bring home a medal.
Leading the way was Mark McGonigal and his runner-up finish. Placing third was Oliver Billotte. Evan Davis was fourth, Karson Kline was sixth, while Nolan Barr and Brett Zattoni were seventh. Hayden Kavolick (19-10) at 170 made it to the fourth round of consolations, but was beaten 11-7, to finish one win short of placing.
Two Bison, McGonigal at 160 and Billotte at 285, had reached Saturday morning’s semifinals.
McGonigal (22-4) received an injury default from Southern Columbia’s Gavin Garcia and then was defeated 5-0 by top-seeded Keegan Rothrock of St. Joe’s Catholic Academy. Rothrock, third at the PIAA AA state championships last year, scored a first period takedown, rode McGonigal out in the second, picked up a third period 2-point nearfall and a stall point for his margin of victory. McGonigal improved by four spots over his sixth place finish from a year ago.
At 285 Billotte (25-3) made it through a scoreless first period with Lear Quinton of Southern Columbia, the fourth
place finisher at PIAA AA states, but was turned and pinned at the 3:31 mark of the second period. Billotte then defeated two potential Northwest Regional AAA foes to place third. First he beat Altoona’s Trevor Manley 6-1 and then blanked Blaine Davis of Mifflin County 5-0.
The lone freshman on the Bison varsity this season, Evan Davis (20-10) made his first trip to the Ultimate Warrior a successful one as he bested his tourney seed of seventh by three as he placed fourth. Every one of Davis’ six matches, in which he went 4-2, ended in a fall. He pinned four different foes, but was himself pinned twice by Johnsonburg’s Wyatt Shaffer, first in the quarterfinals on Friday and then again in the consolation finals Saturday evening.
Karson Kline (19-10) at 145 improved upon his eighth place finish from a year ago when he garnered a sixth this year. Kline won a tight 7-6 bout over Kohl Holderbaum of Shippensburg in the fourth round of consolations to assure himself of a medal and then won a 2-0 overtime match with Philipsburg-Osceola’s Austin Foster to move on to the consolation semis. He was the beaten 10-0 by Towanda’s Evan Johnson, and was then pinned by Southern Columbia’s Brandon Gedman in the fifth pace match.
120 pounder Nolan Barr (18-9) also improved on his finish from last year, moving up one spot from eighth to seventh place. After getting tech falled by eventual champ Kole Bisoe of Souther Columbia in the quarterfinals, Barr defeated Wyalusing’s Hunter Manahan 9-4, was pinned by Jeffrey Russel of Shippensburg, and then held off Austin Siefert in his final bout 9-7.
The lone senior in the current line up, Brett Zattoni (16-13) at 182 made his last trip to the Ultimate Warrior his best one. Zattoni was beaten in the quarters by the eventual runner-up Alec Snyder of Wilson, but bounced back with a 27 second fall over Zach Cunningham of Bellwood Antis to assure himself of placing. He then split his final two matches, losing to Corey Boerlo of Greater Latrobe and pinning Tyrone’s Zack Lash in the seventh place bout.
The Bison (8-5) are now off until Thursday evening when they host the Annual Take Down Cancer match against rival Philipsburg-Osceola.
Complete results courtesy Davey Williiamson, the West Branch High School Athletic Director and Ultimate Warrior Tournament Director are below:
Here is the Link for the final team score.
Bison Scoreboard:
Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
12/06 & 07 | Top Hat Tourney (@ Williamsport) | 125 pts. | 8th place |
12/10 | @ Bald Eagle Area | 30 – 39 | 0 – 1 |
12/13 | DUBOIS | 42 – 30 | 0 – 2 |
12/17 | @ Huntingdon | 34 – 28 | 1 – 2 |
12/19 | PUNXSUTAWNEY | 60 – 18 | 2 – 2 |
01/03 & 04 | Tool City Tourney (@ Meadville) | 141 pts. | 5th place |
01/07 | @ Tyrone | 37 – 29 | 3 – 2 |
01/09 | @ St. Marys | 39 – 24 | 4 – 2 |
01/14 | PENNS VALLEY | 43 – 32 | 5 – 2 |
01/18 | BISON DUALS | ||
01/18 | vs. Union City | 59 – 18 | 6 – 2 |
01/18 | vs. Benton | 28 – 33 | 6 – 3 |
01/18 | vs. Saegertown | 40 – 33 | 7 – 3 |
01/18 | vs. Montoursville | 22 – 49 | 7 – 4 |
01/18 | vs. Altoona | 33 – 39 | 7 – 5 |
01/21 | @ Central | 56 – 15 | 8 – 5 |
01/24 & 25 | Ultimate Warrior Tourney (@ WB) | 104.5 pts. | 8th place |
01/30 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | ||
02/01 | District 9 Team Champs at DuBois | ||
02/04 | BELLEFONTE | ||
02/22 | D9 CHAMPIONSHIPS | ||
02/28 & 29 | Regionals (@ Altoona) | ||
03/05 – 07 | PIAA States (@ Hershey) |