The YDL Sports Network is counting down the Top 25 moments, events, performances, games, etc from the 2023-24 school year.
BROOKVILLE, Pa. – To sustain anything for 10 years, a decade, is very hard.
To do so in sports is even harder.
But that is what Brookville wrestling did from 2014 through 2023. The Raiders won every District 9 team wrestling title as well as a state championship during that run.
But, as they say, all good things must come to an end.
And the Raiders team dominance on the mats in District 9 did just that on Saturday, Feb. 3.
Wrestling on its home mats, Brookville saw its hopes of an 11th straight title end in the semifinals with a 39-27 loss to Port Allegany.
Rewatch the semifinal match
The defeat wasn’t really a huge surprise considering the Gators were the No. 2 seed and the Raiders were the No. 6 seed.
In fact, Brookville pulled a mild upset in the quarterfinals knocking off Central Clarion, a team that had beaten it, 36-34, just a month earlier, 52-21.
But any hopes of a Cinderella run were ended when Port Allegany erased a 21-18 deficit with four consecutive victories, including three falls, between 215 pounds and 114 pounds (the match started at 127 pounds).
Miska Young tied things up with a 4-1 decision over Gavin Hannah at 215 pounds before Carson Neely pinned Daniel Drake in just 25 seconds at 285 pounds.
That was followed by another pin, this time by Beau Stauffer over Eric Young, at 1:59.
Port Allegany then put the match away when Ian Fitzsimmons pinned Jordan Hankey in 1:45 at 114 pounds.
Unfortunately for Port Allegany, any momentum they gathered from beating Brookville wasn’t enough to carry the Gators past top-seeded Clearfield, who won the D9 title, 45-24.
Rewatch the championship match
The Bison broke out to a 21-0 lead in that match thanks to pins at 133 pounds from Colton Ryan over Colton Fergesuon (1:28), at 139 pounds from Colton Bumbarger over Kelvin Burgess (1:28), and at 152 pounds from Brady Collins over Peyton Stiles (0:53) as well as a 2-0 Ty Aveni decision over Aiden Furgeson at 145 pounds.
Carter Chamberlain (28 second over Juuso Young at 189 pounds), Xavier Lutz (17 seconds over Beau Stauffer at 107 pounds), Cash Diehl (5:31 over Ian O’Shea at 121 pounds), and Bryndin Chamberlain (48 seconds over Isaac Postelwait at 127 pounds) also recorded falls for Clearfield.
