Bison Wrestlers Stampede for Fourth Title

Jessica Shirey, Team Reporter
January 31, 2009

DUBOIS - After three years, the Clearfield Wrestling team has stampeded its way back to the top, defeating St. Marys 45-27 for its fourth District 9 Team Duals Championship on Saturday at the DuBois Area High School.

"It was definitely one of our goals. We brought it today and that's what we needed to do. The kids did a great job," nine-year head coach Jeff Aveni said.

"I was just trying to figure it out today. But we've been the runner-up of this thing a few times. We're back on top, and that's where you want to be."

He noted that his team now has two wins against both St. Marys and Punxsutawney this season. His Bison beat the Chucks by a 53-18 score in the semi-final bout.

"It's always hard to beat the same team twice. But we've beaten the same team twice and better the second time," he said.

According to Aveni, he wasn't certain what the Dutchmen coaching staff had in store with its line-up. He said that the more he looked at it, the more he decided that he wasn't going to "make too much of this."

The dual meet started at 160 pounds. Bison senior Shawn Hall didn't waste any time putting points on the board in his bout with St. Marys' Mike Brennen.

Hall took him to his back for three near fall before adding two more sets of backs - a two and a three count for a 10-0 favor after the opening period.

Starting from the top position, Hall turned Brennen for three more. He, then, hit a cement mixer for the fall in 3:02.

Clearfield would surrender three consecutive falls to Dutchmen Justin Brem (171), Shane Krise (189) and Sean Sadosky (215).

But Sean Owen got six of those points back at heavyweight, decking Jimmy Antonelli in 38 seconds.

Owen, who didn't see a minute of mat time on the day, is currently 29-0 on the season with 25 by fall.

Down by six, Clearfield would pick up bonus points in the next four bouts for a 37-18 advantage.

At 103, sophomore Shane Peters took down Trenton Bauers twice and added an escape to go up 5-2 at the end of one.

Peters added an escape and follow-up takedown in the second before turning the Dutchman in the third for the 10-2 major decision.

Bison Kodie Lowder scored the initial takedown in his 112-pound bout with Evan Smith.

Smith, however, escaped and posted one of his own. Lowder would slip his grasp, adding his second takedown and two backs.

Up 7-3, Lowder reversed the Dutchman, tilting him for three near fall. He would take Smith to his back for a two-count and again with the official slapping the mat at the buzzer.

While the fall wasn't awarded, the two wrestled a third period that saw a Lowder reversal for the 18-3 tech fall. The end came at the 5:19 mark.

"We had two big wins from Shane Peters and Kodie Lowder. They got us bonus points and opened that up for us," Aveni said.

Clearfield's Andrew Spicer would feed off that momentum in the next bout.

With a two-point favor, the senior went to work on St. Marys' Sam Miller. He escaped in the second to notch three takedowns, opening up a 9-2 lead.

Going with the optional start in the third, Spicer tacked on four more takedowns and two backs for the 19-6 win.

Clearfield's Max VonGunden picked up a forfeit at 125 pounds, setting up teammate Andrew Hill to seal the deal for the Bison.

Down 2-1 to Dutchman Darren Lyons, Hill stuck him on his back for the fall in 3:35.

"Spicer gets bonus points and Hill ends up getting that fall. That was a big fall from Andrew Hill in a tight bout," Aveni said, noting that Hill only won by a regular decision over Lyons in the dual meet.

Aveni said that his sophomore had two big wins on the day. He said that he had a good win against Punxsutawney's Ty Albright, who has 21 wins thus far this year.

"Hill got a win there and then comes out (against a St. Marys) kid who isn't that bad. But Andrew was in a tight bout and knew the score in his head and is thinking 'man, if I win, this thing is over.' He gets a fall and completely seals it," he said.

Bison Holden Lowe used a first period takedown and held on for a 2-1 win over Dane Yetzer in the next bout. With the win, Lowe ups his record to 28-4 on the season.

After the team gave up a 7-1 decision, 145-pounder Derek Danver scored the final win of the day with a 17-2 technical fall over Steve Glatt.

Danver was up 6-1 heading into the final stanza. Going with the optional start, he took Glatt down and tilted him for three near fall. He added two sets of three backs each, as the end came in 5:45.

In the final bout, Clearfield's Wil Beauseigneur used a headlock to take Dutchman Shane Claar to his back but was unable to convert the pin.

Claar escaped for a takedown, four near fall and a 7-4 lead after one. He would add two more takedowns and an escape before turning the Bison for the fall with eight seconds left in regulation.

"Wil can be dangerous, but he didn't finish. If you put somebody on their back, you better finish it. If you put a good kid on their back and they come off it, there is probably going to be some payback coming," Aveni said.

"We wrestled well in that match, and it was disappointing to give up six points there at the end. That was kind of tough."

Aveni said that he was pleased with the team's performance, as they came in and beat teams worse than earlier in the season.

"We wrestled the second half the whole way and took care of business. The kids wrestled well and got bonus points, where we needed them and didn't give up a whole lot either," he said.

He said the team will wrestle a pigtail match Tuesday night in Clarion. He said it will be different for the team, as it's never been in the situation before.

"We're in the state tournament and have to wrestle our way into Hershey. That's kind of big. Hopefully, it's somebody that we can match up with and get it done," Aveni said.

"Our balance is tough to come by so that's going to keep us in matches. But right now, it is win or go home."



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