The Golden Eagles start the new year with a trip to Chattanooga, Tenn. where they will compete in the 2025 Southern Scuffle (Jan. 4-5), an event that attracts some of the best wrestling teams and individual wrestlers from across the country.

Clarion will look to continue its pre-holiday momentum, which included a dominant 40-3 victory over in-state MAC rival Bloomsburg (Dec. 19) and winning the team title at the Kent State Open (Dec. 20), where 12 Golden Eagles grapplers placed in the Top 6.

No Golden Eagle wrestler is hotter than 133-pounder Scott Johnson, the MAC East Wrestler of the Week for Dec. 24. Johnson was 4-1 the week prior to the holiday break, scoring a first-period tech fall at Bloomsburg and placing third at the Kent State Open.

Of the 16 other Golden Eagles expected to compete in Chattanooga, eight placed at the Kent State Open – Gianni Silvestri (3rd at 141 pounds), Kyle Schickel (3rd at 141 pounds), Patrick Cutchember (3rd at 184 pounds), Ethan Wiant (3rd at 197 pounds), Austin Chapman (3rd at 285 pounds), John Worthing (4th at 174 pounds), Travis Clawson (5th at 125 pounds), and Wesley Barnes (6th at 165 pounds).

Clarion at "The Scuffle"
Clarion competed at the Southern Scuffle for the first time last season, finishing 12th in the 18-team field.

Cam Pine was the Golden Eagle standout, placing second at 184 pounds. Pine cruised into last year's finals, winning two of his three bouts by major decision. In the finals, Pine fell to three-time NCAA qualifier Jha'quan Anderson, who struck for a takedown with three seconds remaining to snatch "The Scuffle" title.

Worthing and Barnes had some success a year ago, each posting 2-2 records.

Other Golden Eagles with "Scuffle experience" are Schickel, Adrian Gacek (184 pounds), and Wiant. Each will be looking for their first win in Chattanooga.

"Scuffle Preview"
Six of last year's Top 10 teams return to "the Scuffle" – runner-up Oklahoma, Army (4th), Northern Colorado (5th), Appalachian State (7th) and Chattanooga (8th), and North Dakota State (9th).
Oklahoma (#28/T#27) and Northern Colorado (#17/#13) are ranked by Intermat and FloWrestling as Top 30 tournament teams.

Additional Top 30-ranked tournament teams heading to "the Scuffle" are Virginia Tech (#5/#6), Little Rock (#18/#23), and North Carolina (T#25/#27). Wrestlers from Penn State (#1/#1) will compete, though their contingent will not include their starting lineup.

Bloomsburg is the only other MAC school making the trip south.

Golden Eagles Competing at the Southern Scuffle

125
Weston Pisarchik
Travis Clawson

133
Scott Johnson
Mason Prinkey

141
Gianni Silvestri
David McClelland

149
Kyle Schickel

165
Wesley Barnes
Brady Worthing

174
John Worthing
Deegan Ross

184
Adrian Gacek
Patrick Cutchember

197
Ethan Wiant
Connor Jacobs

285
Austin Chapman
Lucas Thomas
 

	Friday, January 3rd
8:00 a.m.	Maclellan Gym Open for Practice until 8:00 p.m.
8:00 a.m.	McKenzie Arena Open for Practice until 8:00 p.m.
	Saturday, January 4th
8:00 a.m.	Doors Open for Spectators
9:00 a.m.	Round 1 (Championship Round of 64; Pigtail Matches)
	Round 2 (Championship Round of 32)
	Round 3 (Consolation Round of 32; Pigtail Matches)
	Round 4 (Championship Round of 16)
	Round 5 (1st and 2nd Consolations of the Round of 16)
6:00 p.m.*	Round 6 (Quarterfinals; 1st Consolation of the Round of 8)
	Round 7 (2nd Consolation of the Round of 8)
	Sunday, January 5th
9:00 a.m.	Doors Open for Spectators
10:00 a.m.	Round 8 (Semifinals;Consolation Quarterfinals)
	Round 9 (Consolation Semifinals)
3:00 p.m.*	Medal Matches
	* Denotes approximate start times. We will have hard start times for the opening matches each day, Championship Quarterfinals, Championship Finals & Medal Matches. There will be a break should the previous sessions end before the listed start time of those rounds.