ALDERTON LEAD CLARION-LIMESTONE OVER REDBANK VALLEY 48-13

WEEK SEVEN

CLARION TWP. -- Dan Alderton rushed for three touchdowns and caught a fourth to help Clarion-Limestone to a 48-13 win over Redbank Valley in a KSAC match-up Friday night at C-L.

Alderton rushed for 171 yards on 10 carries and caught one pass for 23 yards, as C-L built a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and a 41-0 halftime lead.

"I was an excellent win for us," Alderton said. "On the offense side of the football I have to give all the credit to our line. They gave us the pus. All I had to do was run right behind them."

Things got off on the wrong foot for Redbank Valley when Rocky Davis' short opening kickoff was fumbled by Pete Monrean and recovered by C-L's Brendan Huwar at the Redbank Valley 23-yard line.

"For any team that it is very big emotional turn for both teams," Alderton said. "If either team fumbles it will take them right out of it." 

Two plays into its opening drive C-L scored when Alderton took a pitch out of the I-formation and beat the Bulldog defenders to the corner for the 23-yard touchdown run with 11:19 left in the opening quarter. Davis' extra point gave C-L a 7-0 lead.

That the play was run out of the I-formation was a little different for C-L, once a primarily I-back team. The last couple of seasons, the Lions have been running more of a Wing-T offense.

"We run I," Conti said. "We run multiple formations. We have been an I team since 1973. We went to the Wing T when we had these little guys at halfback two years ago. But C-L has always been Wing T progressive."

Following the touchdown, C-L's defense forced a three-and-out situation, and the Lions' offense took over at the Redbank 43-yard line following a 28-yard punt from Ron Geist.

The Lions then used four plays to drive the 43-yard scoring on an 8-yard run by Chad Conti with 7:24 left in the quarter to take a 14-0 lead. The big play of the drive was a 37-yard run by Alderton that moved the ball to the Redbank 6-yard line.

Redbank Valley's second possession ended after two plays when Ryan Smith intercepted a Chris Merwin pass at the Redbank 40-yard line and returned it 14 yards to the Redbank Valley 26. The interception was set up when Alderton tipped the pass to Smith.

C-L moved the ball to the Redbank Valley 13-yard line before the drive stalled. The Lions then had Davis attempt a 34-yard field goal. Davis kick, though, was short and wide and the Lion lead stood at 14-0.

On Redbank's next drive the Bulldogs managed two first downs before having to punt the ball back to C-L.

The Lions took over at their own 26-yard line with seven seconds left in the opening quarter.

At that point, Alderton took a pitch and went toward the Lions' sideline. Seeing little room there, he reversed his field back toward the Redbank Valley sideline. He then turned on the afterburners and raced 74 yards for his second touchdown of the game giving the Lions a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

"I saw open field to my left and didn't see very much in front of me, so I just cutback and J.J. (Ferguson) lead me," Alderton said.

At the start of the second quarter, the Lions once again forced a Redbank Valley punt and took

over at their own 20-yard line with 10:34 left in the first half.

The Lions then marched the 80 yards in eight plays scoring on a 39-yard Alderton run. On the run, Alderton stutter-stepped his way into the line drawing the Bulldog defenders and then sprinted out of the tackle attempts for the touchdown and a 27-0 Lion lead with 7:11 left in the half.

"We needed another touchdown on the board, so I just did what I could," Alderton said.

A 23-yard run at the start of the drive by Huwar had given the Lions a quick start to the possession.

On Redbank Valley's next possession, Merwin was intercepted by Hayden Johnston at the Redbank Valley 25-yard line. Merwin appeared to have thrown the football right into Johnston's gut. Johnston then returned the pick to the Redbank 18.

Two runs for the Lions netted negative 5 yards, but on third-and-15, J.J. Ferguson hit a wide-open Alderton who took the pass into the end zone for a 23-yard scoring connection. Davis' extra point gave C-L a 34-0 lead with 5:00 left in the half.

The Lions weren't done scoring yet.

On its next possession, C-L drove the ball 52 yards for a touchdown with Ben Brooks going up the middle for 39 yard with 3:11 left in the half. Davis' point after made the score 41-0 and the mercy rule went into effect.

C-L almost got three more points as the half was winding down, but Davis' 44-yard field goal attempt with five seconds left was just wide to the left, and C-L's lead stood at 41-0 at halftime.

Redbank Valley got its first touchdown of the game on its first drive of the second half. Merwin scored the points on a 3-yard quarterback sneak cutting the Lion lead to 41-6 with 4:18 left in the third quarter.

The Lions answered right back scoring on a 55-yard pass from Hayden Johnston to Tyler Martz with 2:32 remaining in the quarter to build a 48-6 lead.

Redbank got the game's final score on a 57-yard scoring strike from Cody Doverspike to Tyson Truitt with 11:49 left in the game.

C-L's defense was a big factor in the win limiting Redbank Valley to 173 yards of total offense including only 83 on the ground. Most of those yards came in the second half against C-L second and third stringers.

The Lions, who two weeks ago held District 9's top rusher, Kyle Cathcart, to under 50 yards, held Geist, the district's third leading rusher, to only 32 yard rushing on 12 carries.

"We knew we had to stop Geist," Alderton said. "I have to give the defensive line and linebackers a lot of credit."

C-L's offense, meanwhile, piled up 424 yards of offense including 346 on the ground.