CLEARFIELD FACES JOHNSTOWN IN PIAA CLASS AAA PLAY-IN GAME FRIDAY AT DUBOIS

By Chris Rossetti

DUBOIS – It’s a regional PIAA Class AAA game at 7 p.m. Friday night when District 9 champion Clearfield plays District 6 champion Johnstown at DuBois’ Mansell Stadium.

Clearfield (11-0) beat Punxsutawney 26-14 last week to win the District 9 title while Johnstown (10-1) rolled past Bellefonte 49-8 for the District 6 title.

The District 9 Bisons have used a stingy defense to win games this season allowing 10.5 points per game while garnering two shutouts and allowing seven points or less five times and 14 or less 10 times. Only Philipsburg-Osceola (25 points) has scored more than two touchdowns on Clearfield this season.

On the other-hand, the District 6 Trojans are averaging 36.2 points per game and haven’t scored fewer than 27 points in any of their 10 wins. Johnstown was held to 13 in a 14-13 loss to Central Cambria Oct. 29.

Junior quarterback Curtis Frye and senior running back Derek Morgan pace Clearfield’s offense, which is averaging 34.5 points per game of its own.

Frye is 94 of 155 (60.6 percent) passing for 1,495 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions and adds 255 yards rushing and eight scores.

Morgan is a 1,000-yard rusher with 1,081 yards and 15 touchdowns while also catching 14 passes for 215 yards and two scores.

Derek Danver is Clearfield’s leading receiver with 31 catches for 454 yards and six touchdowns.

The offense will be going against a Johnstown defense that allows 12.5 points per game, but it’s the Trojans well-balanced offense that might worry Clearfield more.

Johnstown has passed for over 2,000 yards (2,287) and run for over 2,000 yards (2,014) on the season.

Junior quarterback Gervon Simon is 110 of 196 passing (56.1 percent) for 2,214 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions while adding 528 yards rushing and 11 scores. He has throws five touchdown passes in each of his last two games.

One of the things that makes Simon so tough to guard is the skill players he has helping him.

Five Trojan receivers have at least 18 catches and 350 yards receiving led by Dwight Andrews’ 25 catches for 623 yards and seven touchdowns.

Alkwan Williams adds 24 catches for 497 yards and eight touchdowns with Marc Watson adding 24 catches for 363 yards and five touchdowns. Daquan Minter has 18 grabs for 404 yards and five touchdowns with Calvin Anderson chipping in 18 catches for 286 yards and four scores.

Tyler Arsenault is the second-leading rusher for Johnstown with 523 yards and eight touchdowns on 77 carries but has just five carries for 26 yards in the Trojans last two games and has played in only nine games.

NOTES – Clearfield is looking for its first non-District 9 playoff win since beating Brashear 24-21 in 2008 Class AAA Play-in round. The Bisons are 3-7 in non-District 9 playoff action … The winner plays the District 4 champion, which will be either Shikellamy or Selinsgrove.