MORGANTOWN, W.Va. --- The Golden Eagles wrestling team was wrestling for the win in the very last bout of the night, but Clarion came up just a hair short in falling by a 24-18 score at West Virginia at the WVU Coliseum on Friday night.
 
The match featured wild momentum swings for both sides, with Clarion holding the initiative early on before the Mountaineers seized it in the middle portion of the match. The Golden Eagles rallied from a nine-point deficit with back-to-back wins at 184 and 197 pounds, making the heavyweight bout a potential walk-off win for either side. WVU's Michael Wolfgram got the better of Austin Chapman in that one, pinning Chapman late in the first period to clinch the win.
 
Clarion wasted no time putting WVU on their heels, winning the first two bouts of the night, including one win by fall. That came courtesy of Joey Fischer, who won his fifth straight bout with a victory over Jace Schafer. One week ago the sophomore 125-pounder worked Buffalo's Mason Bush with a bow-and-arrow on top and busted the move out again on Schafer, this time getting a decisive tilt and pin with 32 seconds remaining in the second period.
 
That gave way to an exciting 133-pound bout, where Mason Prinkey stayed aggressive and on the attack against Davin Rhoads. Prinkey led 5-3 in the third period before a Rhoads takedown erased riding time and tied the bout up at 5-5, leading to a sudden victory situation. Prinkey remained the aggressor and got Rhoads by the ankles, taking him down in the extra frame for the victory.
 
The Mountaineers stormed back by winning five straight bouts from 141 to 174 pounds, but the upper weights of the Golden Eagle lineup put them right back in the thick of things in a hurry. "Hurry" was the operative word in the 184-pound bout, as Will Feldkamp took down Anthony Carman and flattened him for a fall just 31 seconds into their bout. That gave Feldkamp his ninth win by fall of the year, and pulled the Golden Eagles to within 18-15. Ty Bagoly erased that deficit with a workmanlike effort in the 197-pound bout, shutting out Austin Cooley entirely to earn a 4-0 decision that tied the match.
 
WVU countered with a win in the heavyweight bout as Wolfgram took down Chapman on the edge of the mat, getting him to his back and keeping his left foot inbounds to pin him for the win.
 
West Virginia 24, Clarion 18
125 - Joey Fischer (Clarion) over Jace Schafer (West Virginia) (Fall 4:28)
133 - Mason Prinkey (Clarion) over Davin Rhoads (West Virginia) (SV-1 7-5)
141 - Jordan Titus (West Virginia) over Seth Koleno (Clarion) (Dec 14-8)
149 - Sam Hillegas (West Virginia) over Kyle Schickel (Clarion) (Dec 10-8)
157 - Alex Hornfeck (West Virginia) over Trevor Elfvin (Clarion) (MD 10-2)
165 - Peyton Hall (West Virginia) over Cam Pine (Clarion) (TF 19-4 6:11)
174 - Scott Joll (West Virginia) over John Worthing (Clarion) (Dec 13-9)
184 - Will Feldkamp (Clarion) over Anthony Carman (West Virginia) (Fall 0:31)
197 - Ty Bagoly (Clarion) over Austin Cooley (West Virginia) (Dec 4-0)
285 - Michael Wolfgram (West Virginia) over Austin Chapman (Clarion) (Fall 2:16)