CLARION PULLS AWAY FROM MONITEAU IN THE SECOND HALF

Oct. 22, 2004

CLARION – Clarion outscored Moniteau 25-0 in the second half to break open a 3-point game and get a 35-7 win Friday, Oct. 22, at Clarion University’s Memorial Stadium.

The Bobcats (6-2 overall, 5-1 KSAC) led 10-7 at halftime but outscored the Warriors (4-4, 3-3) 7-0 in the third quarter and 18-0 in the fourth to win the game going away.

"We didn’t change our game plan in the second half," Clarion head coach Larry Wiser said. "But we were able to exploit some things because of what they were doing on defense. On defense, I thought our kids played very well in the half."

The win coupled with an Elk County Catholic loss to Curwensville clinches a home playoff game for the Bobcats, although who Clarion will play is still very much up in the air.

"I don’t worry about those things," Wiser said. "I just want to win another football game."

The game was close for a half with Clarion needing a 33-yard field goal by Zack Seitz as time expired in the first half to take a 10-7 halftime lead.

But Clarion came out in the second half and marched 76 yards and 10 plays taking 5:49 off the clock and scoring on a 2-yard run by Chris McSwain with 7:03 left in the third quarter to take a 17-7 lead.

"That drive was very important," Wiser said. "It impacts both teams play calling. It forced them to maybe do some things they didn’t want to do."

Moniteau head coach Steve Wilson believed Clarion’s touchdown at the start of the second half was a key point in the game.

"That was huge and certainly a pivotal point in the game for us," Wilson said. "Against Clarion they are so good with ball control that you don’t get the ball that many times. To go down 10 points was a key point in the game."

Another pivotal factor in the second half was Moniteau’s inability to hold onto the football. The Warriors had seven possessions in the second half and five of them ended on turnovers (three interceptions, two fumbles).

"The kids came out fired up for the second half," Wilson said. "I thought we would be all right. But turnovers in the second half are killing us. We have to be able to complete the short passes. Today we didn’t."

Despite the Moniteau miscues, Clarion wasn’t able to start putting the game away until early in the fourth quarter when Sean Wolf hit a wide-open Justin Arner for 46-yard touchdown pass with 11:53 left in the game making it 23-7.

With 8:15 to go McSwain scored from 10 yards out making it 29-7, and with 4:30 to go McSwain scored on a 2-yard run to make it 35-7.

Clarion scored first on a 9-yard run by Wolf with 3:03 left in the first quarter.

Matt Schandelmeier tied the game on a 20-yard run with no time left in the first quarter.

The score remained that way until Clarion got the ball back at midfield following a Moniteau punt with 1:04 left in the half.

After two runs netted 13 yards, Wolf hit McSwain with 21-yard screen pass to the Moniteau 16. After two incomplete passes Seitz came on and made Clarion’s first field goal of the season and first in a long time to make it 10-7 at halftime.

"The fact that can now kick almost every day (before moving to Clarion University Clarion wasn’t allowed to practice on the high school football field) helps (with the field goals)," Wiser said. "And Seitz has a heck of a foot. He can boom them."

McSwain had another huge night for the Bobcats rushing 30 times for 154 yards and three scores. With the yardage he is now over 1,000 for the season with 1,089 to go with 11 touchdowns.

"It takes two or three kids to bring him down," Wiser said. "He runs hard. He has inside power and he has the type of speed to run to the outside."

Wolf was 4-for-12 passing for 109 yards and a score and also rushed for a touchdown. Arner had two catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.

Schandelmeier led Moniteau with 19 carries for 116 yards, while the remainder of the Warriors rushed for negative 12 points.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Bobcats.

"Both games (in the streak) we came out and played well in the second half," Wiser said. "You can’t make mistakes."

With the loss Moniteau has now lost four straight after starting the year 4-0.

"When you play better teams, you can’t make mistakes against good team," Wilson said. "That shows Clarion is a good football team. They capitalized on any errors we made. I take my hat off to them for doing it."

CLARION 35, MONITEAU 7

Score by Quarter

Moniteau 7 0 0 0 – 7

Clarion 7 3 7 18 – 35

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

C – Sean Wolf 9 run (Zack Seitz kick), 3:03

M – Matt Schandelmeier 20 run (Adam Cousins kick), 0:00

Second Quarter

C – Seitz 33 field goal, 0:00

Third Quarter

C – Chris McSwain 2 run (Seitz kick), 7:03

Fourth Quarter

C – Justin Arner 46 pass from Wolf (Pass failed), 11:53

C – McSwain 10 run (Seitz kick failed), 8:15

C – McSwain 2 run (Danny L’Insalata kick failed), 4:30

TEAM STATISTICS

M C

First Downs 8 13

Rushes-Yards 33-104 45-191

Passing: Comp-Att-Int 3-12-3 4-12-0

Passing Yards 38 109

Total Yards 142 300

Penalties-Yards 7-51 8-75

Fumbles-Lost 3-2 2-0

Punts-Avg. 6-29.7 5-30.6

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing – Moniteau: Adam Cousins 4-(-1), Matt Schandelmeier 19-116, Garth Kohlmeyer 4-(-18), Brent Spawn 3-(-3), Ryan Protzman 1-10, Josh Loos 2-0. Clarion: Chris McSwain 30-154, Brad Rapp 1-0, Elliot Fabri 1-3, Sean Wolf 2-1, Cody Dolby 2-5, Manny Carpin 3-7, Tony McMillen 2-1, Larry Stout 3-17, Paul McGinley 1-3.

Passing – Moniteau: Garth Kohlmeyer 3-for-11, 38 yards, 3 interceptions. Josh Loos 0-for-1. Clarion: Sean Wolf 4-for-12, 109 yards, 1 touchdown.

Receiving – Moniteau: Eric Hilliard 1-8, Adam Cousins 1-22, Greg Kepple 1-8. Clarion: Justin Arner 2-72, Chris McSwain 1-21, Manny Carpin 1-16.

Punting – Moniteau: Adam Cousins 6-178. Clarion: Paul McGinley 5-153.

Interceptions – Clarion: Justin Arner, Manny Carpin Zack Botzer.

Fumble Recoveries – Clarion: Sam Eagleton, Cody Dolby.

Sacks – Moniteau: Josh Warburton. Clarion: Zack Botzer, Chris McSwain.