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By Todd Irwin
sports@altoonamirror.com
CLEARFIELD -- The Tyrone wrestling team waited patiently as Clearfield recognized its youth and junior high wrestling stars before a large crowd Tuesday night at Arthur J. Weiss Gymnasium.
Later, the Bison rolled out to a 27-point lead after the first six bouts over the Golden Eagles.
The Eagles chipped into that lead with some patient and tough wrestling, winning five of the final seven bouts. But the strong start carried the 6-0 Bison to a 42-24 victory.
"I thought we wrestled well," Tyrone coach Quentin Wright said. "I'm happy with the performance of the guys. We pulled out two or three of those wins in the upper weights, when it was really close. We gutted out those wins. The guys wrestled smart. I told them wrestle one point at a time, and no matter what, keep fighting."
"I think we wrestled hard," Clearfield coach Jeff Aveni said. "I know Tyrone is a competitive team. I know they have some good kids. Overall, we came out and we competed."
What stuck in Aveni's craw a little bit was Tyrone winning three bouts that were decided by one point.
"We have to find a way to win the tossups," he said. "I don't think we won a tossup tonight. Give credit to Quentin and his boys. They found a way to win those tight ones."
After Clearfield's Cash Diehl won by forfeit at 107, Bryndin Chamberlin pinned Tyrone's Miles Weber in 1:03.
Clearfield's Evan Davis picked up another forfeit win at 121, setting the stage for the first of the one-point bouts at 127. Tyrone's Logan Rumberger edged Colton Ryan, 6-5.
The score was 3-3 entering the third period, but Ryan released Rumberger. Ryan got a takedown with 51 seconds left, Rumberger reversed with 33 seconds remaining and rode the rest of the way.
"He wrestled really well," Wright said. "That was a hard-fought win. I'm proud of him for gutting that out. We've put a lot of work in during the last week and it's showing up now."
Colton Bumbarger and Brady Collins reeled off pins in 1:35 and 1:40, respectively at 133 and 139 to give the Bison a 30-3 lead over Tyrone (3-3).
But Tyrone's Lukas Walk stopped the streak with an 11-4 win over Patrick Knepp at 145. Walk broke open a scoreless bout in the second by reversing Knepp to his back. Knepp then reversed him to his back to draw to within one, 5-4. Walk, though, scored six nearfall points in the third period to pull away.
At 152, Ty Aveni earned a fall in 3:05. In the most entertaining bout of the night, Tyrone's Andrew Weaver earned a 2-1 win over Carter Freeland at 160. Freeland took a 1-0 lead into the third period, but Weaver reversed 30 seconds into the period.
In the final 12 seconds, Freeland nearly got a reversal and an escape, but Weaver stayed in control to win. Weaver clapped his hands as the Tyrone bench celebrated.
"I told Andrew this is a tough wrestler," Wright said. "You're going to have to fight the whole time. The scrambles went his way. That's what we've been working on - fighting through all those positions."
"Weaver has been a thorn in our side for a couple years," Aveni said. "I'm not sure but I don't know if we've ever beaten him."
After Tyrone's Kyle Scott won by forfeit at 172, Clearfield's Carter Chamberlin posted a pin in 1:22 at 189 to give the Bison a 42-15 lead.
In the last of the close bouts, Tyrone's Caleb McKinney edged Eric Myers, 2-1, at 215. Myers took a 1-0 lead into the third, but McKinney received a point when referee Nick Sipes called Myers for interlocking. McKinney then escaped and earned the win.
"We took six shots in the first period," Wright said. "Eventually you're going to get tired, so I told him to hold off on the shooting. Make that guy shoot on you. The guy never shot. He did a lot of pushing. We ended up gutting out that win."
Tyrone returning state qualifier Braden Ewing closed out the night with a pin in 2:26.
107--Diehl, C, won by forfeit; 114--B. Chamberlin, pinned Weber, 1:03; 121--Davis, C, won by forfeit; 127--Rumberger, T, dec. Ryan, 6-5; 133--Bumbarger, C, pinned R. Fleck, 1:35; 139--Collins, C, pinned Wallace, 1:40; 145--Walk, T, dec. Knepp, 11-4
152--Aveni, C, pinned Klein, 3:05; 160--Weaver, T, dec. Freeland, 2-1; 172--Scott, T, won by forfeit; 189--C. Chamberlin, C, pinned Rawlings, 1:22; 215--McKinney, T, dec. Myers, 2-1; 285--Ewing, T, pinned Bailor, 2:26.
Records: Tyrone (3-3), Clearfield (6-0)
Exhibition winners: Kyler, C; Musser, T
Referee: Nick Sipes