Clearfield wrestlers win Big Dog Tournament

by By Chris Wechtenhiser For The Progress

Posted on December 31, 2009

BROCKWAY - The Big Dog Wrestling Tournament is a grueling two-day event in which some wrestlers might wrestle up to 10 matches, and the Clearfield Bisons eft Brockway feeling better than most teams.
The Bisons placed five in lTuesday night's finals, capturing three titles, and placed 11 of their 14 wrestlers in the top six en route to winning a very tight team-title race.
A thrilling 3-1 overtime win by junior Cliff Hill over Saegertown's Josh Tomiczek in the 189-pound title bout sealed the team crown for the Bisons, who finished with 374.5 points.
Butler came in a close second at 370.5, while Saegertown, which crowned the most champs with four, was third at 366.5.
Hill was joined on top of the podium by fellow Bisons Shane Peters (103) and Derek Danver (152), while Christian Stone (112) and Nolan Barger (119) each finished second.
"We had three champs and came away with the team title with Cliff sealing it," said Clearfield head coach Jeff Aveni.
"That was a really big win for him, and if he doesn't win, it probably ends up a three-way tie for the team title. He just seems to get better each match out."
Hill reached the finals by pinning Butler's Mike Scialabba in 2:39 in the semifinals. Scialabba went 5-0 in pool wrestling on Monday and was the top seed for Tuesday's action.
Once in the finals, Hill used a takedown in overtime to top Tomiczek, who hammered Hill, 16-5, in pool wrestling Monday.
Peters, who went 5-0 in pool action Monday, needed just one pin to reach the finals, where he needed a seven-point third period to rally past Butler's Blake Caudill, 9-6.
Peters beat Caudill 14-6 Monday, but trailed 5-2 after two periods in Tuesday's final before getting a takedown and two tilts for a combined five back points to secure the title.
Danver, who went 4-0 in pool action, got a pin and a 4-1 decision to reach the finals Tuesday where he dominated Mercer's Kyle Mariacher, 11-2.
Mariacher went 5-0 in the other pool at 152 but was no match for Danver, who hit a five-point move in the first period, scored a takedown in the second and then hit a four-point move in the third en route to the title.
Stone lost 11-3 in the 112 finals to Penn Cambria's Evan Link, while Barger fell 2-0 to Saegertown's Sean Byham.
Clearfield had two third-place finishers in Logan Shadeck (171) and Andre Buck (285), while Kodie Lowder (125) and Wil Beauseigneur (160) were both fourth. Max Von Gunden (130) placed fifth, while Shane Harper (145) ended up sixth to round out Clearfield's placewinners.
"We wrestled okay (Monday), and we told the kids this morning (Tuesday) that they could wrestle a lot better than they did," said Aveni. "We came out today and wrestled very well.
"We had kids beat a lot of kids who beat them (on Monday), and that's nice to see. This is a long two days and it becomes a mental thing, and our kids handled that aspect really well. Overall, we did really well and got a total team effort.
Clearfield returns to action on Monday at Brookville.

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