CLEARFIELD ROLLS TO FIFTH STRAIGHT WIN

WEEK SIX

By Dean Altemus – For D9Sports.Com

CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield Bison football team continued its winning ways Friday night by defeating the Mounties of Philipsburg-Osceola 56-21.

With the win Clearfield improved their record to 5-1 while the Mounties dropped to 1-5.

The Mounties put up a good fight early on, but Clearfield simply had too much depth and talent for Philipsburg-Osceola to contend with.

Clearfield won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half.

P.O. wanted the ball first, and Craig Peters returned a Bryan Mohney kickoff to the Mountie 42.

P.O. only managed one first down and punted the ball back to Clearfield.

The Bisons faired no better and when facing a third-and-2 from their 20-yard line, Peters busted through the Bison line and dropped Dave Richards for a 5-yard loss.

Robby Kulling then booted a 48-yard punt, with no return, to the Mounties 37.

Clearfield’s first break of the game came on the next play when Jon Altemus smashed through the P.O. line and hit the ball carrier for a 3-yard loss and a fumble. Richards recovered the fumble giving the Bisons a first-and-10 at the Mounties 33-yard line.

Two plays later it was Richards getting the first score of the night on an 18-yard TD run. Mohney’s PAT was good and the score stood 7-0 Clearfield.

With both teams playing great defense, it was some time until either team scored again.

Philipsburg-Osceola did the scoring next when, facing a third-and-long from their own 20, Tony Petulla lofted the ball over Andrew Crotzers outstretched arms and right into the hands of Peters who streaked down the side line all the way for a Mountie touchdown. Justin Lindstrom's PAT was good and that knotted the score at 7.

That was as close as Philipsburg-Osceola got.

Joe Ambuski returned the kickoff to the Clearfield 33 and the very next play Mike Sayers attempted a lateral pass to Richards. What looked like an incomplete pass when the ball hit the ground in front of Richards was actually a live ball. Richards wisely picked up the football and raced untouched 67 yards for Clearfield’s second TD of the game. Mohney was again good and the quick score moves the Bisons ahead 14-7.

Adam White returned Mohney’s kickoff to the P.O. 30, and it was P.O.'s turn to try the lateral pass. This pass also missed its target, but Tyler Miele was quick to pounce on the ball and recover it for the Bisons at the Mounties 19-yard line.

Three plays later Sayers QB sneaked across the goal line giving Clearfield a 21-7 lead with 10:31 to go in the half.

Just when it looked like a rout might be on, P.O.'s Adam White came up big and returned the ensuing kickoff 88 yards, untouched, for P.O.'s second score of the night. Lindstrom missed the extra point and the score now stood Clearfield 21,Philipsburg-Osceola 13.

It was mostly all Clearfield from there though. The Bisons used a ball control game plan to chew up a lot of yards while using up most of the clock.

An 18-yard pass from Sayers to split end Todd Shaw moved Clearfield out in front 28-13 with 8:41 to go in the half.

Then the Mounties had to punt right back to Clearfield after P.O. faced a third-and=12 from their own 18, and Clearfield’s Kurt Hepfer sacked Petulla for an 8-yard loss and forced the punt.

With 1:39 to go in the half, Sayers hooked up with a wide open tight end Craig Gardner on a 15-yard scoring pass making the halftime score Clearfield 35, P.O. 13.

Clearfield got the football to start the second half and used the first four minutes to methodically march 52 yards on eight plays for another TD. This time it was Matt Meckey from one yard out, and Mohney’s sixth PAT of the night was good. Clearfield 42, P.O. 13

The Mounties once again tried to mount their own scoring drive.

Tyler Chintella put them in Clearfield territory after running hard 28 yards up the middle. But the drive stalled three plays later when Clearfield’s Altemus sacked Petulla for a 9-yard loss.

P.O. went for it on fourth-and-long, but the Bison defense held again.

The third quarter ended with Clearfield on another long scoring drive, and three plays into the fourth quarter it was Richards running in from 5 yards out. Mohney got his Seventh PAT of the night and the score was blown wide open 49-13 with 10:37 to go in the game.

White scored again for P.O. on a 37-yard run against Clearfields JV's.

Clearfield’s back-up running back Jimmy Ogden got a late Clearfield TD, and Robby Kulling got his first PAT to put the score at 56-21.

Clearfield travels to Wingate Friday night to take on Bald Eagle Area.

BOX SCORE

P-O 7 6 0 8- 21

CLFD 7 28 7 14- 56

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

C – Dave Richards 18 run (Bryan Mohney kick)

P – Craig Peters 80 pass from Tony Petulla (Justin Lindstrom kick)

Second quarter

C – Richards 67 run (Mohney kick)

C – Mike Sayers 1 run (Mohney kick)

P – Adam White 88 kickoff return (Kick failed)

C – Todd Shaw 18 pass from Sayers (Mohney kick)

C – Craig Gardner 15 pass from Sayers (Mohney kick)

Third quarter

C – Matt Meckey 1 run (Mohney kick)

Fourth quarter

C – Richards 5 run (Mohney kick)

P – White 37 run (two-point conversion)

C – Jimmy Ogden run (Robby Kulling kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Rushing -- P-O: Chintella 16-82, White 6-40, Bush 3-13, Petulla 7-(-24). Clearfield: Richards 26-217 3 TDS, Meckey 17-137 1 TD, Ogden 7-41 1 TD, Sayers 2-4 1 TD, Kelly 1-3, Duke 1-2.

Passing -- P-O: Petulla- 3 for 10, 102 yards, 1 TD, 1 interception. Clearfield: Sayers - 5 for 9, 57 yards, 2 TDs.

Receiving -- P.O.: Peters 2-89, Croyle 1-13. Clearfield: Shaw 3-36 1 TD, Gardner 1-15 1 TD, Richards 1-5.