CLEARFIELD FACES TOP RANKED ALLENTOWN CENTRAL CATHOLIC IN PIAA CLASS AAA QUARTERFINALS

By Chris Rossetti

SHAMOKIN – Clearfield’s defense has been a big reason the Bisons have won a school-record 13 games while taking home the District 9 Class AAA title and a pair of PIAA playoff wins.

And that defense, which is allowing 11.8 points per game, will get its stiffest test of the season Friday night when Clearfield meet unbeaten and top-ranked Allentown Central Catholic (13-0) in the PIAA Class AAA quarterfinals at Shamokin Kemp Memorial Stadium.

ACC is ranked No. 1 in the state regardless of classification by MaxPreps.com and No. 1 in Class AAA in the state by the Harrisburg Patriot News, the Pennsylvania Football News and RodFrisco.com. The Vikings average over 40 points per game (40.8), have scored 50 or more points four times on the year, 40 or more points six times and 30 or more 12 times while never scoring less than 21 and have a quarterback who is the first in Pennsylvania history to have 2,000 yard passing and 1,000 yards rushing in consecutive seasons.

At six-foot-3, 195 pounds, junior quarterback Brendan Nosovitch should have his pick of NCAA Division I FBS schools next year. On the season, he has thrown for over 2,300 yards and 35 touchdowns while rushing for over 1,200 yards and 18 scores. According to Yahoosports.com, he is getting medium interest from a host of top schools including Penn State, Pitt, UCLA, Connecticut, Missouri, Nebraska and Stanford among others.

But Nosovitch isn’t alone in making the Viking offense go.

Sophomore running back Colin McDermott is over 1,200 yards on the season with 12 touchdowns, while junior receiver Kevin Gulyas has 60 catches for 983 yards and 16 scores.

Clearfield’s best shot may be trying to score with Allentown Central Catholic, which lost in the quarterfinals last season to eventual champion Selinsgrove.

The Bisons, who are ranked fifth in the state in Class AAA by the Pennsylvania Football News, have a good offense as well and average 34.5 points per game thanks in large part to running back Derek Morgan, quarterback Curtis Frye and wide receiver Derek Danvers.

Morgan has run 232 times for 1,332 yards and 18 touchdowns while also catching 15 passes for 232 yards and two scores and throwing a touchdown pass last week.

Frye is 110 of 185 (59.5 percent) passing for 1,714 yards, 17 touchdowns and just four interceptions while also running 105 times for 294 yards and nine scores.

Danver has 36 catches for 525 yards and seven touchdowns.

Also helping out the Bisons offense is Beau Swales with 90 carries for 643 yards and 11 touchdowns and 14 catches for 229 yards and a score and Andrew Redden with 20 catches for 378 yards and two touchdowns.

NOTES – Clearfield is trying to advance to the PIAA semifinals for the first time in school history … Allentown Central Catholic won the PIAA Class AAA title in 1998 … Nosovitch threw for 2,010 yards and ran for 1,018 last year. He is one of only six players in state history to have 2,000-yard passing and 1,000-yard rushing seasons. The others are Manheim Central’s Justin Gorman, Susquehanna Townships Ben Dupree, ELCO’s Arron Achey, Bethlehem Liberty’s Dan Persa and Line Mountains Todd Wenrich. He has a chance to become the first 2,500-yard passing, 1,500-yard rushing player in state history … Allentown Central Catholic is the two-time defending PIAA District 11 champion and has won nine District 11 titles since 1992 … The winner will play the winner of the Strath Haven-Archbishop Wood game in the semifinals.