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Owen Advances in Quest for Second State Title
Jessica Shirey, Team Reporter March 5, 2009 HERSHEY - Bison heavyweight Sean Owen began his quest for a second state crown Thursday night at Hershey's Giant Center. Owen made his third "Chocolatetown" appearance and needed only nine seconds to dispose of La Salle College's Kyle DiGiacobbe in preliminary action. The fall matched his fastest of the season. "It's what we wanted him to do. We wanted him on and off the mat as soon as possible. (By doing so), it doesn't allow other people to scout and watch you, or to get any idea of what you're doing. He went out and took care of business," head coach Jeff Aveni said. The returning state champion upped his season record to 40-0 with 32 falls. He will meet Southwest Regional Runner-up Joe Raimondi in the quarterfinals. The Hampton junior sports a 31-3 mark after opening with a 5-2 decision over Kennard Dale's Nick Page. Owen, who finished 41-1 last year, can match his previous performance for most single season wins by a Bison wrestler with another "W." Clearfield's Andrew Spicer survived his consolation bout with a 10-3 decision over Elizabeth Forward's Jake Diana to stay in the tournament at 119 pounds. Up 4-2, the Bison senior didn't surrender control at the mat's edge, taking the advantage into the final stanza. Starting in the defensive position, Spicer picked up a reversal and tacked on two near fall. Diana would escape his grasp for one, but the Bison took him down to set the final. Spicer, who fell 13-3 to fourth ranked Zac Haynes (37-9), of Council Rock North, to open the tournament, will face the loser of Saturday's quarterfinal between returning state champion Shane Young (Penn Trafford, 39-1) and Mitchell Minotti (Easton, 32-8). Aveni said he believed that his senior wrestled tough in his first bout, noting he nearly scored on numerous occasions. "He was so close about four or five times. Every time, they would go out of bounds. You know, he gave up some back points that he didn't need to give up. That kid is good, so you can't make the little mistakes," he said. He said if Spicer continues to compete at that level, he could earn a trip to the medal stand. "I told him, 'hey, if you wrestle like that again, you're going to win down here.' If he continues, he has a chance of medaling. It was a good win for him (in the consolations), and it gave him some confidence. If we get him one more win, anything can happen after that," Aveni said. At 130, Bison Holden Lowe had his tournament come to a close after a re-match with returning state champion Cortland Choate (Blue Mountain, 48-7). Choate, who currently owns the fifth spot in the rankings, had previously beaten Lowe by a 9-1 score earlier this season at the state team duals. In the third, the Clearfield senior was down 2-1 and looked to Aveni in the coach's corner. He gave his coach the optional start signal, was told it was his call and to believe in himself. Lowe elected to surrender one in hopes of scoring on his feet. He began an aggressive attack and was in deep at the mat's edge. Choate, however, locked up, refusing to give up the two. Lowe, then, countered and went out of bounds. After the restart, the Bison made a single leg attempt but found himself caught in a Choate cutback roll. The Blue Mountain junior converted on a takedown and three backs for the 8-1 win. "I had actually forgotten about him doing that stuff. He won a state title last year with all those funky rolls," Aveni said. He said that when Lowe had gone to his feet with the single, their game plan was to stay on two legs and lock in on a double. "He was riding him in the third and let him up to go for the takedown. He was out there to win the match. It just didn't turn out his way." Aveni said his senior faced a tough draw overall but knew coming in that it was important to win his first match. In his opening bout, Lowe faced a 6-0 deficit against Mason Popham (Unionville, 30-5) at the end of two. The Bison scored an escape and takedown in the third to set the final. "We banged heads right off the bat, but in the same boat, he might have put a little too much pressure on himself. It was a match that Holden was very much capable of winning. And, (the loss) put him in a completely different situation," Aveni said. Despite the pair of losses, he said that Lowe should be happy with his state tournament performance. He said his senior has had his share of ups and downs throughout his four-year varsity tenure. At the same time, Aveni emphasized that he's had a great career. He said that as a coach, he can only be proud, referencing Lowe's commitment to the sport and his goals as well. "But one of the things about Holden was that he believed he could do something. He worked until he did it. I have to give him credit for that and congratulate him on a great career," he said. Lowe finished his season with a 36-8 overall record. Complete Clearfield Results Preliminary Match Photos Consolation Rounds 1 & 2; Quarterfinal Match Photos Semifinal, Consolation Rounds 4 & 5; Award Photos
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