By Chris Rossetti

KNOX – Going into Friday night’s clash between Keystone (6-3 overall, 5-3 KSAC) and Clarion (7-2, 6-2) many people anticipated a high-scoring showdown between District 9’s best passing team, Keystone, and one of its best running teams, Clarion. The fans were not disappointed as the two teams combined to score 84 points with Clarion coming out on top 56-28.

"This was a good send off for us," Clarion head coach Larry Wiser said. "The kids really came back from the two tough loses early in the year and really put together a good string of wins."

The game, which was played in driving snow squalls for most of it, also pitted the district’s top passer in Keystone’s Adam Black against its top runner in Clarion’s Kyle Cathcart, and once again it was the Bobcat coming out on top. Cathcart rushed the ball 34 times for 255 yards and four touchdowns and caught one pass for 35 yards and a fifth score, while Black had trouble battling the wind and snow while finishing just 6-for-19 for 116 yards and one touchdown. Clarion was only the second team this season to keep Black less than 150 yards in a game and only the third to keep him under 200. Although Black was shutdown, he did become the all-time leading passer in a season in school history with 2,225 yards. The previous mark was 2,205 yard set by Tom Pore in 1997. Cathcart, meanwhile, finished his career as the second leading rusher in District 9 history with 4,449 yards. Brockway’s Aaron Cantafio is the all-time known leader with 4,694 yards.

"Kyle just came to play tonight," Wiser said. "The last three or four weeks he has gotten really healthy. I will probably never coach another kid like that. That is just a once in a lifetime proposition."

Keystone was hampered all night by fumbles putting the ball on the ground eight times losing five of them giving Clarion great field position especially in the second half when Clarion started drives at the Keystone 11, the Keystone 33 and the Keystone 7.

The snow seemed to play havoc with the Panthers while the Bobcats seemed to thrive in it with Clarion outgaining Keystone 394 yards to 187.

"It was ground Clarion weather," Wiser said. "There is no question the weather favored us tonight. But besides that I thought our kids played well."

But despite all of Clarion’s dominance the game was still within a touchdown late in the second quarter.

Keystone got the game’s first score with 9:50 left in the first quarter when Chris Metcalf took a handoff and scampered 32 yards for a touchdown. The score was set up when Jared Griebal intercepted a Ben Bevevino pass at the Keystone 40 and returned it to the Clarion 30. The extra point was no good leaving the Panthers with a 6-0 lead.

Clarion wasted little time tying the game, as a 28-yard run by Jason Reed following a 38-yard scamper by Cathcart tied the game at six with 9:09 left in the quarter.

The Bobcats then went out in front to stay when Lucas Schaeffer caught a 9-yard scoring pass from Bevevino with 2:00 left in the first quarter. A Bevevino to Greg Larson pass for the two-point conversion gave Clarion a 14-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Two-and-a-half minutes into the second quarter Clarion struck again this time on a 1-yard run by Cathcart that gave the Bobcats a 20-7 lead.

Cathcart’s first score of the night capped an 80-yarddrive that was highlighted by a 24-yard run by Matt Watterson, a 14-yard run by Bevevino and a 24-yard run by Cathcart.

Keystone was finally able to move the ball a little on its next drive getting to the Clarion 19-yard line before turning the ball over on downs.

Clarion, though, quickly gave the ball back as Cathcart fumbled the ball with Keystone recovering at the Clarion 20-yard line.

For the second time in the game the Panthers took advantage of a Bobcat miscue to score a touchdown. This time it was Black on a 1-yard dive following a 19-yard pass to Bobby Telesz that cut the Clarion lead to six points, 20-14, following a two-point conversion pass to Pat Irwin with 6:59 left before halftime.

Once again, however, it took Clarion less than a minutes to answer back, as Cathcart broke free for a 59-yard scoring run with 6:07 left in the half. A Bevevino to Watterson two-point pass gave Clarion a 28-14 lead.

Keystone was not about to go down without a fight driving 80 yards and scoring on a 34-yard pass from Black to Telesz with 2:49 left in the half to cut Clarion’s lead to 28-20. Black was 3-for-6 on the drive for 68 yards.

Following the kickoff Clarion took over on its own 31-yard line and promptly put its version of the two-minute offense into action running three quick running plays with the big one being a 28-yard scamper by Watterson to the Keystone 37-yard line.

Following a 2-yard run by Cathcart, Cathcart swung out in a wing back position and no one from Keystone came over to cover him. Bevevino lofted a pass to him around the 23-yard line, and Cathcart took it the rest of the way for a 35-yard touchdown reception with 31 seconds left in the half. The touchdown catch was the first-ever receiving touchdown for the all-time District 9 touchdown leader. Cathcart, who finished his career with 73 touchdown, ran for 70 of those and recorded two others on defense.

Cathcart’s score gave Clarion a 36-20 halftime lead.

In the second half any hopes of Keystone coming back were dashed in the opening moments when Black went back to pass and was hit by Larson forcing a fumble that was recovered at the Keystone 11-yard line by Jon Byers.

Clarion then needed three plays to expand its lead to 42-20 with Cathcart getting the touchdown on a 5-yard run with 9:12 left in the third quarter.

The Bobcats then let a chance to put the Panthers away slip away after Watterson recovered a fumble at the Keystone 33-yard line. Cathcart appeared to have scored his fifth touchdown on a 7-yard run, but a holding penalty called it back. Then on the next play, Kurt Carnahan intercepted a Bevevino pass at the 5-yard line and returned it out to the Keystone 42-yard line.

The Panthers, though, lost 17 yards and were forced to punt the ball away.

Following the punt, Clarion took over at the Keystone 49-yard. Five plays later Cathcart got his fifth touchdown of the night on a 27-yard run that made the score 50-20 with 4:01 left in the third quarter.

Clarion then wasted little time getting the mercy rule into effect.

On Keystone’s next possession, the ball was snapped over Black’s head with Steve Balough recovering the fumble at the Keystone 7-yard line.

Four plays later on fourth-and-goal from the 5-yard line, Bevevino hit Greg Larson with a 5-yard pass for a touchdown giving Clarion a 56-20 lead with 1:38 left in the third quarter.

After that the clock started to roll and the snow fell harder with Keystone getting a safety with 8:05 left to play in the game when a snap on a punt went over Cathcart, the punter’s, head. Cathcart alertly kicked the ball out of the end zone for the safety.

The Panthers then got a late touchdown on a 10-yard run by Billy Colwell with 1:04 to play to cut the final score to Clarion 56, Keystone 28.

All Cathcart could say after the game was how fast the four years went by.

Clarion’s season is now over, while Keystone will play Brockway next week at 7:30 p.m.at Brockway in a game that was just added to the schedule.

CLARION 56, KEYSTONE 28

Score by quarter

C 14 22 20 0 56

K 6 14 0 8 28

Scoring Summary

First quarter

K – Chris Metcalf 32 run (Kick failed) 9:50

C – Jason Reed 28 run (Kick failed) 9:09

C – Lucas Schaeffer 9 pass from Ben Bevevino (Greg Larson pass from Bevevino) 2:00

Second quarter

C – Kyle Cathcart 1 run (Run failed) 9:30

K – Adam Black 1 run (Pat Irwin pass from Black) 6:59

C – Cathcart 59 run (Matt Watterson pass from Bevevino) 6:07

K – Bobby Telesz 34 pass from Black (Pass failed) 2:49

C – Cathcart 35 pass from Bevevino (Cathcart run) :31

Third quarter

C – Cathcart 5 run (Pass failed) 9:12

C – Cathcart 27 run (Larson pass from Bevevino) 4:01

C – Larson 5 pass from Bevevino (Pass failed) 1:38

Fourth quarter

K – Safety 8:05

K – Billy Colwell 10 run (Run failed) 1:04

Team Stats

C K

First Downs 20 13

Rushes-Yards 53-345 32-71

Passing Yards 49 116

Passes Comp-Att-Int 3-6-2 6-19-0

Total Yardage 394 187

Punts-Avergae 0-0 4-30.3

Fumbles-lost 4-1 8-5

Penalties-yards 4-37 4-38

Individual stats

Rushing – Clarion: Kyle Cathcart 34-255, 4 TDS, Matt Watterson 10-66, Ben Bevevino 6-16, Jason Reed 1-28, 1 TD, Josh Wolff 1-1, Team 1-(-21). Keystone: Chris Metcalf 10-73, 1 TD, Adam Black 5-1, 1 TD, Billy Colwell 9-19, 1 TD, Sam Swartzfager 4-12, Buck Neely 2-5, Team 2-(-39).

Passing – Clarion: Ben Bevevino 3-for-6, 49 yds, 3 TDs, 2 INTS. Keystone: Adam Black 6-for-19, 116 yds, 1 TD.

Receiving – Clarion: Kyle Cathcart 1-35, 1 TD, Lucas Schaeffer 1-9, 1 TD, Greg Larson 1-5, 1 TD. Keystone: Bobby Telesz 3-90, 1 TD, Buck Neely 1-28, Pat Irwin 1-6, Chris Metcalf 1-(-8).

Punting – Keystone: Barry Swartzfager 4-121 (30.3)

Kick returns – Clarion: Nate Cyphert 2-13, Will Lewis 2-19, Team 1-0. Keystone: Dave VanDyke 1-0, Billy Colwell 1-9, Kurt Carnahan 4-61, Buck Neely 4-40.

Fumble Recoveries – Clarion: Greg Larson 2, Jon Byers, Matt Watterson, Steve Balough. Keystone: Team 1.

Interceptions – Keystone: Jared Griebal 1, Kurt Carnahan 1.