Clearfield Holds Off Port Allegany to Win District 9 2A Dual Team Championship

BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT/D9) — The Clearfield Bison jumped out to a 21-0 lead after four bouts and then fought off occasional surges by the Port Allegany Gators to win the District 9 2A Dual Team finals, 45-24, Saturday at Brookville Jr./Sr. High School.

(Pictured above, the Clearfield wrestling team after winning the District 9 2A Dual Team title)

With the win, the Bison claimed their first district championship since 2016 when they were still competing in 3A, and will next wrestle at the PIAA Team Championship, which starts Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Clearfield came close to the district 2A championship last season, but lost in the finals to Brookville, 33-26 – a defeat that served as motivation this time out.

“You don’t know how many times we’ve come close (since 2016),” said Clearfield coach Jeff Aveni. “The entire team, even Will Domico who didn’t wrestle last year (in the team tournament), they said when we walked out of here last year, ‘We will win this.’ It was number one on our list and I’m just happy for them.

“We had to show up and do our job. I think that was the biggest thing, to just stay within ourselves, wrestle hard, and compete. We talked a lot about having fun, but sometimes pressure takes away the fun and I think we started having fun (in the finals). We wrestled well, we have some things to work on, but overall a good performance.”

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The result of the final-round match-up was not necessarily unexpected, Clearfield downing Port Allegany, 42-24, two weeks prior (Jan. 20).

Clearfield started off the championship match hot – winning the first four bouts, three by fall, staking itself to a 21-0 advantage.

Wrestling began at 133 pounds, where Colton Ryan got things going for the Bison by pinning Colton Furguson in the first period (1:28).

Colton Bumbarger mimicked his teammate Ryan at 139 pounds, sticking Kelvin Burgess in the exact same time (1:28).

The first match that went the distance occurred next, when Bison 145-pounder Ty Aveni won a 2-0 decision over Alden Furgeson, a second-period reversal the difference.

Clearfield returned to its pinning ways at 152 pounds, Brady Collins earning a 33-second fall against Peyton Stiles.
Port Allegany got on the board at 160 pounds, Mason Gordon decisioning Domico, 4-3.

After a scoreless first period, Domico opted to start the second on bottom, escaping three seconds after the whistle, going up, 1-0. Once on their feet, the grapplers bobbed-and-weaved until Gordon got to his offense and converted a double leg shot for a takedown, making the score 2-1. Domico didn’t stay down for long, escaping 10 seconds later – the bout heading to the third tied, 2-2.

Gordon decided the best course of action was for a neutral start in the final period. It took three-quarters of the frame, but he finally took Domico down, forging ahead, 4-2. A Domico escape occurred too late to affect the outcome.