Clarion vs Brookville Dec. 13, 2000 @ Clarion District IX

Comments from Coach Cathcart -

Match Comments: This is the first time Clarion has beaten Brookville in wrestling in nearly 20 years. It was such a great team victory because if we get pinned or lose by a technical fall or major decision instead of just losing in the lower weights, we lose the match. We told the kids before the match that every point in every bout, in every match counted and it did. I am so proud of our kids for the way they performed tonight and this is really a great win for our program.  

Outstanding Records: Bryan Kiskadden (2-0 with two pins), Nick Niznik (2-0 with one fall), Kyle Cathcart (2-0 with two pins), and Joe Straw (2-0 with two pins).


Bout results: Clarion 30 Brookville 29 103 Josh McClain pinned by Andy Bullers 3:53 0 - 6 112 Toby Ochs dec Hunter Bullers 6-4 3 - 6 119 Paul O'Neil dec by Rudy Bullers 2-6 3 - 9 125 Bryan Kiskadden pinned Derek Bullers, 1:50 9 - 9 130 Lance Wolfe pinned by Nick Neil, 4:42 9 - 15 135 Matt Watterson maj dec by Josh Sammons, 1 - 13 9 - 19 140 Adam Divins pinned Justin McKenzie, 4:42 15 - 19 145 Brian Luton dec by Justin Steiner, 0-5 15 - 22 152 Marty Fisher maj dec by Clint Stout, 1-14 15 - 26 160 Nick Niznik dec Matt Gilbert, 9-8 18 - 26 172 Ted Lawrence dec by Mark Himes, 4-11 18 - 29 189 Kyle Cathcart pinned Travis Lewis, 1:11 24 - 29 275 Joe Straw pinned Adam Knapp, 3:17 30 - 29
Notes: Brookville led the entire night, except for a brief moment when the score was ties 9-9 after 125. Relying on their four stoppers in the last weights, the Bobcats walked away with the win. Andy Bullers ran a bar and half combination to put Brookville up at 103. Toby Ochs was in control of his match most of the way, although with the score at 4-1, he gave up a P1 on an interlock, followed by a reversal to tie it 4-4. Ochs did come out with the winning reversal and saved that match. Rudy Bullers scored on three takedowns, but could earn no bonus points. Bryan Kiskadden looked like he was in trouble early on, but bailed himself out with a headlock. Up 5-0, Derek Bullers rolled through the headlock and made it 5-2. Working hard off the bottom, Kiskadden collected a P! on an interlock before reversing and settling into the notorious Saturday Night ride for the fall. Nick Neil fought a determined Lance Wolfe for two scoreless periods before reversing off the bottom into a cradle for the fall. After a wild, if scoreless, first period, Josh Sammons opened up the scoring. Josh elected down in the second and put three points up with an escape and a takedown. Matt Watterson worked into a "sit" position, which is technically good bottom offense. But w/o hand control on the part of Watterson, Sammons was able to execute a classic chin drop and put Watterson on his back for an N3 near fall. In the third, Watterson elected for a neutral start, but Sammons scored another takedown - then caught the Clarion wrestler in the same chin drop for another N3. A late escape and takedown ran the score to 13-1, which was good for 4 points on the team board, but just shy of the tech fall. Adam Divins had probably the swing match of the night. With no score in the first, he reversed off the bottom, but was hit for a P1 for a "forceful crossface." Justin McKenzie escaped, got taken down, and then reversed to tie the match at 4-4. JM elected down in the 3rd and Divins got the fall 42 seconds later. Big win there. Brian Luton did not score a point, but did his team well in keeping the score low, giving up a simple decision on a 5-0 match. This kind of wrestling was going to be important to Clarion down the stretch. Clint Stout controlled Marty Fisher for six minutes but could not come up with six points - or even five, as it turned out. After an initial takedown, let-up, Stout scored big with an ankle pick into an under-leg cradle. Fisher was literally saved by the buzzer. Stout connected on the same connection from his feet in the second to put five more points on the board. Collecting one more N2 nearfall, the score was 14-1 going into the third. Stout opted for the top position, not wanting to settle for a tech fall on a takedown, but was unable to turn Fisher in two minutes and had to settle for a major. Crucial points. Nick Niznik had - and this is a stretch - the most exciting match of the night. Pivotal is the term. Matt Gilbert scored early with a takedown, but Nick came back with a R2 and an N3 before Gilbert escaped and left things at 5-4 after one period. Gilbert opted for down, reversed quickly and had Niznik buried in a deep cradle - but it was ruled to be after the buzzer and no back points were scored - much less a fall. Niznik opted for down, reversed - then Gilbert escaped and scored a takedown to go up 8-7. But Niznik reversed once more (with a beautiful switch!) - and slapped a tight leg/ power half combination on to stay in control and ride the period out to a 9-8 win! Ted Lawrence then faced returning District IX champ Mark Himes. Facing sure (well, almost as sure as these things can be) pins in the last two weights, Brookville needed big bonus points here. Himes scored a T2 in the first, cut Lawrence loose and scored another in the second, but that left it at 4-1 after two periods, which wasn't going to help. A win was not enough. Opting down in the third, Himes reversed, and then began the takedown, let-em-up game. Scoring two more takedowns, Mark managed to run the score to 10-4 - then the Brookville coach went to the table following an out-of-bounds call and a lengthy discussion took place. After several minutes of talk, Brookville was awarded one more point, but no-one seemed to know why. However, the rest seemed to have revitalized Lawrence and he was able to stave off any further attacks. The match ended 11-4. A 3-pt decision, one short of a 4-pt major. Pins from Cathcart and Straw left it at 30-29. If Himes had earned one bonus point, or Straw had settled for a tech fall, (or any of various other scenarios) BROOKVILLE would have won a tie match, based on 7 matches won to 6 for Clarion. (The initial report had this backwards - good thing this writer was not in charge of strategy for either side, eh?) An impressive win for the Bobcats. And life gets interesting in District IX. Who will control at Districts? Neither Brookville nor Ridgway is the dominant force that they have been in the recent past. Brockway is strong this year - Clarion is showing a big hand - and Redbank is not to be counted out. Five fairly even teams, with a lot of "spoilers" showing up here and there, and the District Tournament looks to be hotly contested. There may even be a recount or two... Kudos to Bob Bubb, former Clarion University head coach, for coming to the match and doing color commentary on the radio. We're to be treated to more of this in the future, it seems - should be a GREAT year for District IX wrestling.
Clarion top Brookville