MARK HARNISH SCORES FOUR TOUCHDOWNS IN CURWENSVILLE WIN

CURWENSVILLE- Mark Harnish ran for four touchdowns and the Curwensville running attack gained 326 total yards as the Golde Tide scored 33 unanswered second-half points in their 40-7 win over Clarion-Limestone in District 9 Class A semifinal action Saturday night.

Mark Harnish gained 133 yards on 16 carries to lead the Curwensville (10-0) offense. Joe Bennett also had a 100-yard rushing performance, picking up 115 yards on 20 carries. The Golden Tide rushed the ball 54 times.

Curwensville, the Allegheny Mountain League champions, will play Clarion (10-0), the No. 1 team in Class A according to the PA Football News and 34-6 winners over Kane Friday night, in the D-9 Class A title game Friday, Nov. 10 at a time and site to be determined.

It took a half for the Curwensville running game before it took over the undersized and undermanned C-L (7-3) defensive line, as the game was 7-7 at halftime.

"The kids stepped up in the second half," Curwensville coach Andy Evanko said. "We didn't play very well at the start. We ran the ball a lot to keep C-L's speed off the field and because they were double-teaming Adam (Donahue).

"We are excited about going to the title game. We are where we want to be."

Despite being smaller than Curwensville, C-L was also without five players, including four starters that see time on both lines, due to being suspended for disciplinary reasons.

"I am content with the decision I made," C-L coach Clyde Conti said. "It wasn't anybody's decision but mine. It was my choice. I am sure that some of the faculty disagrees with me, but they don't have to coach this football team. We as coaches and educators try to teach kids how to make the right choices and to instill positive values."

Conti's troops, though, came out undeterred and played Curwensville tough early on.

"We did a pretty good job," Conti said. "Curwensville is a good football team. We gave a total effort and played well under the circumstances. We played toe-to-toe and showed no quit."

Curwensville scored on its first possession, moving the ball 54 yards on 12 plays. On fourth-and-four, quarterback Matt Harnish ran into the end zone from four yards out as the Tide took a 7-0 lead with 3:11 left on the first quarter.

Curwensville actually fumbled the ball twice during the drive, as Cory Bailor recovered both fumbles.

"I don't know why we fumbled," Evanko said. "I don't know if it was playoff nerves or what, but Bailor came up with some big plays."

The Lions responded with a touchdown on the following possession. The drive looked like it had stalled after three plays, but a roughing the kicker call on fourth down kept the drive alive. 

After the Lions moved the ball down to the Curwensville 20 using its speed against the Curwensville size, J.J. Ferguson found running back Dan Alderton on a 20-yard pass for a touchdown. Rocky Davis kicked the extra point to tie the game with 10:38 left in the half.

"We tried to do some things offensively and spread the field," Conti said. "We were a little outgunned, and we outgunned ourselves." 

The score would remain 7-7 until early in the third quarter.

Curwensville received the ball to start the second half, as Mark Harnish took the kickoff 57 yards in what proved to be the turning point of the game according to both coaches.

"It was the turning point," Conti said. "We had a chance to pin them deep in their own territory, but he got away. Curwensville was just too big and too phyiscal for the players we had."

"The kickoff really got things going for us," Evanko said. "It was a real momentum starter." 

Four plays later, Mark Harnish scored on a 5-yard run to help Curwensville take a 14-7 lead at the 10:35 mark of the third quarter.

C-L went three-and-out on its next possession. The Tide continued to play smashmouth football on its next offensive series, moving the ball down to the C-L 20-yard line. Then Mark Harnish caught a pass from Matt Harnish and went up the field but fumbled at the C-L 10.

Initially, it looked like C-L had recovered the ball, but after the officials conferred, the ruling was that Curwensville had recovered the ball, much to the displeasure of the C-L faithful.

"I thought we had the ball," Conti said, "but we can't use that as an excuse."

"I didn't see why it took so long to call it," Evanko said. "A guy with a gold shirt and black pants got up from the pile and handed the ref the ball. I don't see why it took so long."

The Golden Tide made the best out of the ruling two plays later when Mark Harnish scored from two yards out. After the extra point, Curwensville led 21-7 with 2:21 left in the third quarter.

The game seemingly snowballed from there with Curwensville scoring three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Mark Harnish scored the first touchdown of the fourth quarter with a 1-yard run at the 10:06 mark. Joe Bennett scored his first and only touchdown just a little over seven minutes later with a 5-yard run at the 2:55 mark. Mark Harnish's last tally came on a 54-yard TD with 1:35 left in the game.

The Golden Tide outgained C-L 359-179, though Curwensville only had 33 yards passing

C-L's Ferguson went 10-of-21 passing for 113 yards. Alderton led the C-L running game with 65 yards on 16 carries. Alderton also had 76 yards on five catches.