Bison Wrestlers Down State College

STATE COLLEGE – Like its last dual meet, the Clearfield Wrestling team got off to another fast start, winning six of the first seven bouts en route a 44-24 win over State College Thursday night.

Clearfield earned a series of three falls, sticking an early 18-3 deficit to the Little Lions. Bison Sean Owen (285), Shane Peters, (103) and Kodie Lowder (112) each notched pins to get the stampede under way.

“I told those guys that they had to get us some bonus points. We were favored in those match-ups, and they went out and got the job done,” head coach Jeff Aveni said.

But he said Bison Holden Lowe’s win was the biggest of the night. The 130-pounder met State College’s Erik Galloway, who finished sixth at last year’s state tournament in Hershey.

After going scoreless in the first, Lowe posted the bout’s first points in the second with an escape and takedown.

Lowe took his 3-0 favor into the final period, where a Galloway escape set the final.

“We knew Galloway was a good kid, but a lot of people forget that we were here two years ago, and Holden beat him, then, too. It wasn’t like it was something that we didn’t think we could do. Holden expected himself to win the match, and we expected him to win the match.

“We wanted that match-up, and it was going to happen no matter what. But to go out and do it, you’re still wrestling a real tough kid. It was a real good win for Holden. I think he needed it for his confidence and to realize how well he is wrestling.”

Aveni said Lowe’s win was also a bonus for the team, as his senior didn’t back down from a state placewinner.

“He (Holden) knows what he wants to do, and that’s just a stepping stone toward it. He has high expectations for himself, and we have high expectations for him as well,” he said.

The dual meet started with the 215-pound bout that saw Bison Andre Buck surrender a 7-3 decision to State College’s Andrew Dreibelbis.

At heavyweight, Owen scored a quick takedown before cutting Little Lion Shay Ceglar loose.

He upped his advantage with another takedown and three backs and turned him again for two more at the first period buzzer.

Starting neutral in the second, Owen took Ceglar to his back for the fall in 2:22.

Peters and Lowder, then, tacked on pins of their own at 103 and 112 pounds, respectively.

Peters picked up the fall in 1:30 over Little Lion Pablo Ortega, while Lowder needed only a minute to deck Ryan Mortimer.

At 119, Bison Andrew Spicer posted a 7-1 decision over State College’s Chris Barksdale.

He used a takedown and two sets of near fall points for a 6-0 advantage after one. The two swapped escapes in the second and third to set the final.

“Spicer put up six points in the first period but couldn’t score one or two more in the final two for the major. It’s kind of disappointing, and something we need to work on,” Aveni said.

Clearfield’s Andrew Hill found himself in a thrilling battle in the match’s next bout.

After scoring the initial takedown, Little Lion Josh Kunig escaped for a takedown and three back points.

Hill notched his own escape and followed with a takedown to pull within one after the opening stanza.

Kunig escaped again in the second, but Hill took him down for three near fall points. 

With the bout score at 10-7, the two exchanged reversals in the third, before Hill would pick up his second and third near falls for the 17-9 major decision.

“It was a nice win out of Andrew Hill. He battled from behind after getting caught early. He battled back and got a major out of that. It was a real nice win,” Aveni said, adding his 125-pounder wrestled for six minutes.

“Once he forgot about what was going on and what the score was, he just wrestled at that point. And, good things happen, when you do that.”

Following Lowe’s win, State College got back on the board with a pair of wins. Little Lion Scott Bosak won by fall at 135 pounds, while Shane Dodson added an 11-4 decision.

At 145, Bison Derek Danver was in a heated bout with State College’s Zack Wagner.

Danver took Wagner down to start the first, but the Little Lion escaped for one of his own. Danver scored on a reversal for the 4-3 favor after one.

In the second, Wagner turned the Clearfield sophomore for two backs. Danver notched a reversal and picked up a penalty point after an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Wagner.

Danver continued to extend his lead with a set of near fall and a second Wagner penalty point, making it 11-5 with one period remaining.

Danver used a pair of takedowns and penalty points, a reversal and two backs for the 21-8 win.

“I think Derek got a little sloppy there. He really wrestled in an unorthodox match. It just got weird on us,” Aveni said.

Up 32-12, the Bison earned falls from Wil Beauseigneur in 2:33 and Shawn Hall in 4:36 at 152 and 160 pounds, respectively.

“It was a big win for Wil. We keep telling him that we expect him to win these matches. It’s something that we’re counting on him to do,” Aveni said.

“He sometimes does some strange things, but it’s not that they’re bad things. It wasn’t something that we taught him in practice. It’s something that Wil just does. And, that is when he’s real dangerous.”

Hall used a takedown and two backs for a quick four-point favor over Little Lion Chad Dreibelbis before giving up a reversal.

On top in the second, Hall stuck Dreibelbis for three before picking up the fall.

State College’s Tanner Smith won via forfeit at 171 pounds, while Allen Dreibelbis scored a pin in the final bout.

With the win, Clearfield has beaten all three of its District 6 opponents in Bald Eagle Area, Philipsburg and State college.

“I didn’t really think about it, but it’s kind of nice. All three are historically tough programs. They have been around forever, and we know how good their programs are. When you beat all three, you know that you’re doing something right,” Aveni said.

“We have some big matches coming up though. We need to wrestle tough. We can’t be surrendering bonus points, and we have to go get them.” 

Clearfield 44 – State College 24
215 –Andre Buck (C) LBD Andrew Dreibelbis (S), 3-7 (0-3)
285 – Sean Owen (C) WBF Shay Ceglar (S), 2:22 (6-3)
103 – Shane Peters (C) WBF Pablo Ortega (S), 1:30 (12-3)
112 – Kodie Lowder (C) WBF Ryan Mortimer (S), 1:00, (18-3)
119 – Andrew Spicer (C) WBD Chris Barksdale, (S), 7-1, (21-3)
125 – Andrew Hill (C) WBMD Josh Kunig (S), 17-9, (25-3)
130 – Holden Lowe (C) WBD Erik Galloway (S), 3-1, (28-3)
135 – Troy Danver (C) LBF Scott Bosak (S), 2:56 (28-9)
140 – Shane Harper (C) LBD Shane Dodson (S), 4-11 (28-12)
145 – Derek Danver (C) WBMD Zack Wagner (S), 21-8, (32-12)
152 – Wil Beauseigneur (C) WBF Ben Sills (s), 2:33, (38-12)
160 – Shawn Hall (C) WBF Chad Dreibelbis (S), 4:36, (44-12)
171 – Tanner Smith (S) WBFF (44-18)
189 – Cliff Hill (C) LBF Allen Dreibelbis (S), 1:41, (44-24)