DUBOIS MAKES STATEMENT WITH UPSET OF BRADFORD

WEEK SEVEN

DuBOIS – Going into Friday night, the Bradford Owls haven’t had to play four quarters to win as they breezed through most of the schedule without much of a challenge.

Against the DuBois Beavers, the Owls found out that a good first quarter guarantees nothing.

DuBois overcame Bradford’s 17-7 lead at the end of the first quarter and dominated the final three quarters to notch a 28-25 win over the previously unbeaten Owls in front of a homecoming crowd at E.J. Mansell Stadium.

The Beavers (5-2 overall, 3-1 D-9 League) clinched at least a share of the league title and could clinch the title outright with a win at Clearfield on Oct. 26.

Bradford (6-1, 4-1) led 10-0 midway through the first quarter thanks to Jason Casey’s 34-yard touchdown run on the fifth play of the game and Ken Ciolek’s 25-yard field goal on the Owls’ next possession.

Derek Marshall, who rushed for 186 yards on 21 carries, got DuBois on the board with an 80-yard dash to paydirt on the first play from scrimmage following Ciolek’s field goal.

Still, DuBois couldn’t stop Bradford as the Owls made it 17-7 on Elliott George’s 11-yard TD run with 14 seconds left in the first quarter.

Then things changed as the DuBois defense tightened up and limited Bradford to 21 yards and no first downs in its next six possessions.

DuBois got to within 17-14 on Marshall’s 25-yard run with 2:18 left in the first half. On Bradford’s first play following the ensuing kickoff, Mike Fair fumbled the ball away at the Owls’ 35. Four plays later, quarterback Chad Hilliard bulled in from one yard out to give the Beavers a 21-17 advantage following Mark Guthridge’s point-after kick with 32 seconds left on the clock.

The decisive score came three plays into the fourth quarter when Campbell, who rushed for a season-high 93 yards, scored on a 2-yard run. Guthridge’s point-after made it 28-17 with 10:57 remaining.

With DuBois’ defense playing a soft prevent, Bradford mounted two long drives, the first ending with Ciolek’s missed 43-yard field goal. The Owls finally scored on quarterback Kevin Rose’s 2-yard run with 49 seconds remaining.

Fair’s two-point conversion run made it 28-25, but the Owls misfired badly on an onside kick attempt.

GAME STATISTICS

B – Jason Casey 45 run (Ken Ciolek kick), 9:53.

B – Ken Ciolek 25 field goal, 4:15.

D – Derek Marshall 80 run (Mark Guthridge kick), 4:01.

B – Elliott George 11 run (Ken Ciolek kick), :14.

D – Derek Marshall 25 run (Mark Guthridge kick), 2:18.

D – Chad Hilliard 1 run (Mark Guthridge kick), :32.

D – Josh Campbell 2 run (Mark Guthridge kick), 10:57.

B – Kevin Rose 2 run (Mike Fair run), :49.

RUSHING – DuBois: Derek Marshall 21-186, Josh Campbell 14-93, Chad Hilliard 10-54, Team 3-(-5). Bradford: Elliott George 7-99, Jason Casey 11-64, Jim Nuzzo 7-31, Kevin Rose 8-24, Mike Fair 3-9.

PASSING – DuBois: Chad Hilliard 3-for-7, 16 yards, 1 Int.; Brandon Reiter 1-for-1, 28 yards. Bradford: Kevin Rose 8-for-14, 95 yards; Elliott George 0-for-1.

RECEIVING – DuBois: Brian Gearhart 1-28, Josh Campbell 1-9, Brandon Reiter 2-7. Bradford: Jeff Puglio 2-31, Jason Casey 2-24, Elliott George 1-18, Ben Copeland 2-11, Al Lentz 1-11.

INTERCEPTIONS – Bradford: Pete Kervin.