CLARION ADVANCES TO DISTRICT 9 CLASS A TITLE GAME WITH 34-6 WIN OVER KANE

CLARION MIXES THINGS UP TO BEAT WOLVES

CLARION- Clarion (10-0) continued to roll topping Kane (7-3) 34-6 in the opening round of the District 9 Class A Playoffs Friday night at Clarion.

Clarion, the top-ranked team in Class A by the PA Football News, advances to its second straight district title game. The game is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 10 at a time and site to be determined.

"It is an awesome feeling," Clarion coach Larry Wiser said. "We are excited to be going back (to the title game). We have talked about making it here since the beginning of the season. Our replacements in there picked it up and did a good job."

Clarion was without Dan Patton (foot) and Mike Corbett (neck). Both players are out for the rest of the season.

For Kane (7-3), it was a tale of two halves. The Wolves actually outgained the Bobcats 134-122 in the first half and had three plays that went for over 30 yards each, including a 71-touchdown run. The Kane defense also held Clarion to 61 yards rushing.

But the Wolves were shut down in the second half, gaining -13 yards of offense and did not register a first down.

"We just couldn't get anything going offensively," Kane coach Craig Wensel said. "That is a credit to Clarion's defense. They're tough, quick, strong and fast. It is tough to run against.

"We hung with the best team in the state. It is good for the kids to get this experience. Out of 25 kids, we have only nine seniors. They'll be back."

"I think we did a great job shutting the run down," Wiser said. "I am very pleased with how our defense played."

A key contributor for the Bobcats was Taylor Sessions, who scored on a 47-yard run, accumulated three and a half sacks and intercepted a pass.

"Taylor just played an awesome game," Wiser said. "He is smart and tough. We just have to get him the ball more."

Kyle Cathcart provided most of the scoring for the Bobcats, scoring on runs of 23, 16 and 11 yards. Cathcart finished with 87 yards on 20 carries.

"Kyle just ran over people," Wiser said. "We had trouble in the beginning with (Royce) Novosel-Johnson coming in to block up the run. We showed them some different formations, but we worked for everything we had."

"We had him (Cathcart) a couple of times," Wensel said, "He just broke free. He is a good ball player. He is a tough kid."

Meanwhile, the Bobcats defense held Tyler Smith to 4-of-8 passing for 67 yards. Smith was sacked eight times and ran for -44 yards.

The Bobcats scored first, finding the end zone on its first possession. A 23-yard pass from Mario Bernardi to Sessions set the table for a 13-yard touchdown pass from Bernardi to Zac Mechling. The touchdown with 6:44 left capped off a six-play, 46-yard drive as Clarion had a quick 6-0 lead.

"We weren't planning to pass that early," Wiser said. "We thought that we could get to the outside and run and attack the perimeters. We had some key passes caught."

Kane responded on the following possession when Dan Imbrogno rumbled 71 yards to tie the game.

On the play, Smith ran toward the sideline and shuffled the ball to Imbrogno before being drilled.

"We just got caught," Wiser said. "We were out of position and made a mistake."

"We decided to see what we could do (with the run)," Wensel said. "We thought that maybe with a couple of quick runs, we could open some things up to throw the football. Unfortunately, our passing game was very sharp tonight. Our protection broke down."

Kane had a chance to take the lead on the point after, but Cathcart blocked the extra point.

Neither team was able to get on the scoreboard again in the first quarter.

Clarion broke the 6-6 deadlock with a drive that started at 11:58 of the second quarter. An 11-yard pass from Bernardi to Nick Niznik and an 11-yard run by Ben Bevevino helped to set up a 23-yard TD run by Cathcart.

On fourth-and-one, Cathcart busted through a tackle and muscled his way into the end zone as Clarion took a 13-6 lead with 8:57 left in the half.

Cathcart was also responsible for Clarion's next scoring drive. With the ball at the Kane 34, Cathcart ran the ball three times for all 34 yards and scored on 16-yard carry, helping Clarion to a 20-6 lead with 5:24 left.

Kane tried to respond on the ensuing possession, driving the ball down to the Clarion 23 after starting at its own 37. On third-and-four at the 23, Smith threw a pass into the end zone intended for Adam Risinger, but Ben Bevevino broke up the play. Bevevino prevented a touchdown and, according to Wensel, changed the ballgame.

"That was a key play there," Wensel said. "If we would have scored and went into the end zone 20-13 or 20-14, it is a different game."

Kane was not able to convert on fourth down, as Hughes stopped Imbrogno two yards short with 3:15 left in the half.

The score remained 20-6 until late in the third quarter when the Clarion ground game started to get things done.

Starting at the Kane 44 at the 5:28 mark, Clarion ran the ball six straight times and scored on an 11-yard run by Cathcart. Dan Kaufman's third extra point of the night gave the Bobcats a 27-6 lead with 2:58 left in the third frame.

The Clarion defense also limiting Imbrogno to eight yards on seven carries and Novosel-Johnson to five yards on four carries in the second half.

Aside from the 71-yard touchdown run earlier in the game, Imbrogno carried the ball 14 times for 19 yards. Novosel-Johnson finished with eight yards on 10 carries.

While the Clarion defense was limiting Kane's weapons, Sessions put the icing on the cake with 3:44 left in the game. Sessions, who normally lines up as a tight end, scored on a 47-yard run and Kaufman nailed the extra point to give Clarion a 34-6 lead.

Sessions' performance did not stop after the touchdown. He recorded a sack and an interception on successive plays on Kane's next possession.

Sessions gained 62 yards on three carries and caught a pass for 23 yards, helping the Bobcats outgain Kane 241-121.