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Mountain Lions hand Clearfield first defeat of season

By John Hartsock

jhartsock@altoonamirror.com

Clearfield is one of the state’s top-ranked boys wrestling teams at the Class 2A level.

Altoona is a pretty good team itself at the Class 3A level, as the Mountain Lions showed Wednesday night by edging the previously unbeaten Bison, 31-29, in a dual meet at the Altoona Area High School Fieldhouse.

Altoona won the matches that it needed to win, and perhaps just as importantly, avoided giving up costly bonus points or falls in a couple of the other bouts.

“We got points when we needed to, and we were able to do what we needed to do tonight,” said Altoona coach Joel Gilbert, whose team hiked its dual meet record to 6-2. “We’re putting together a pretty good squad and a pretty good season.”

The Mountain Lions got two solid wins by decision to open the match. Junior Tykear Davis parlayed two early takedowns into an 8-4 win over Hunter Ressler to start the match at 189, and sophomore Michael Colyer racked up a 6-1 victory over Ryan Ludwig at 215 on the strength of a first-period takedown and third-period reversal.

“The coaches encouraged me to go out and shoot, and start off the meet for us at a high speed,” Davis said. “I was confident about scoring points.”

Altoona sophomore Dominic Nardozza compiled two 4-point near-falls and a pair of takedowns in an impressive 15-1 major decision over Xavier Lutz at 107, returning state medalist and University of Buffalo commit Braiden Weaver, a junior, improved his season record to 16-5 by pinning Dakota Shugarts in 2:30 at 121 pounds, and freshman standout Deklan Barr needed only 55 seconds to pin Jackson Shugarts at 127, giving Altoona a 21-12 lead.

Gilbert felt that three matches in the middle weights were big for the Mountain Lions. Sophomore and returning state qualifier Gavin Ciampoli (14-4) won one of them, scoring an 8-0 major decision over Colton Bumbarger at 145, but Gilbert thought that the efforts of junior Philip Sarbo and sophomore Reese Hite in defeat at 139 and 152, respectively, were very important for Altoona as well.

“Ciampoli got a major for us against a good opponent, Sarbo wrestled a very good match in losing by decision (7-1) against a good opponent who is ranked in the state, and Hite lost by major decision but did a good job by not getting pinned against another of their very good wrestlers,” Gilbert said. “Our guys in the middle of the lineup did what they needed to do for us.”

Clearfield (4-1), which got falls from Nick Bailor (285) and multiple state medalist Brady Collins (172), pulled to within 25-23 with two bouts left, but Clearfield coach Jeff Aveni elected to forfeit to three-time state placewinner and University of North Carolina commit Luke Sipes at 160, which gave Altoona a 31-23 lead with one bout left and clinched the win for the Mountain Lions.

Aveni’s son, Ty, is an excellent wrestler and competes at 160 pounds, but is coming back from a knee injury.

“He wanted to go if the match was on the line, but, with a bum knee, I didn’t think we could beat Sipes there,” Jeff Aveni said.

Both teams are back in action Saturday at the Mid-Winter Mayhem Tournament at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Kovalchick Center.

“We had a team effort tonight,” Gilbert said.

BOYS

Altoona 31, Clearfield 29

189–Davis, A, dec. Ressler, 8-4. 215–Colyer, A, dec. Ludwig, 6-1. 285–Bailor, C, pinned Thompkins, 2:21. 107–Nardozza, A, maj. dec. Lutz, 15-1. 114–B. Aveni, C, pinned Chirdon, 1:21. 121–Weaver, A, tech. fall D. Shugarts, 19-1, 2:30. 127–Barr, A, pinned J. Shugarts, :55.

133–Chamberlain, C, maj. dec. Wible, 13-4. 139–Diehl, C, dec. Sarbo, 7-1. 145–Ciampoli, A, maj. dec. Bumbarger, 8-0. 152–Ryan, C, maj. dec. Hite, 18-9. 160–Sipes, A, won by foreit. 172–Collins, C, pinned Darpino, :24.

Records: Clearfield (4-1); Altoona (6-2). Official: Jim Weston.

Exhibition matches: Nick Irwin and Aythan Hockenberry, both of Altoona, won by fall.

GIRLS

Clearfield 46, Altoona 0

(Clearfield won five bouts by forfeit and all three of the contested bouts)

124–Rougeaux, C, maj. dec. Veloz, 17-6. 155–Taylor, C, pinned Denen, 2:30. 235–Johnson, C, pinned Boose, :51.

Records: Altoona (0-1).

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