QUESTIONS SURROUND CLARION AS IT TRIES FOR THIRD STRAIGHT KSAC TITLE

By Chris Rossetti

CLARION – What a difference a year makes.

Last season at this time, Clarion Area was a heavy favorite to win the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference and possibly make noise in the District 9 and PIAA Class A playoffs. This season a lot of question marks surround the Bobcats, who lost 10 starters on offense and eight starters on defense from a team that went 10-1 overall and 8-0 in the KSAC. Clarion’s dreams of the district title and state playoffs were ended 23-0 by Curwnesville in the District 9 playoffs.

"We prefer to look at this as a reloading year, not a rebuilding year," Clarion’s 13^th-year head coach Larry Wiser said. "The big thing for us is we take the same approach every year. We have a lot of kids who have grown up a lot as football players from last season, especially on the offensive line. And we will go as far as that line takes us."

Clarion isn’t completely derived of talent this season. In fact the Bobcats have a very good chance to extend their streak of 18 straight regular-season wins and become three-time KSAC champions, although Wiser believes his team will be an underdog this year, something he cherishes.

"I like taking the underdog role." Wiser said. "I think we can be a good football team, it just depends on how fast we come together and how well some of our young people step up in fill some of the shoes of players we have lost."

One player Clarion didn’t lose is perhaps one of the best if not the best player to ever play for the Bobcats in senior tailback/linebacker Kyle Cathcart.

Cathcart, whose place in Bobcat history is well secure, rushed for 1,277 yards on 160 carries ((7.98 yards per carry) and 27 touchdowns. He also scored one defensive touchdown giving him 28 on the season for a District 9-leading 168 points. On defense he was just as tough leading Clarion’s defense, which finished second in the state in all classifications in points allowed at 4.4 ppg, with 124 tackles, 84 of them solo. HE also had one sack, two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, three fumbles caused, one fumble recovered and a team-high five blocked punts. He was also the defensive captain for Clarion calling all of the Bobcat’s plays during the season. What made his numbers more amazing were that most of them were accomplished despite only playing half of each game because of Clarion’s dominance. For his efforts he was the co-D9sports.com District 9 Player of the Year, the KSAC Back of the Year and a second-team Associated Press Small Schools Defensive Specialist.

In his career, Cathcart has rushed for 2,627 yards on 327 carries (8.0 ypc) while catching seven passes for 115 yards and running for 45 touchdowns. With his two defensive touchdowns he has 47 in his career, 10 shy of the District 9 record of 57 held by Brockway’s Aaron Cantafio. With 373 more yards rushing he will join the 3,000-yard rushing club.

On defense, Cathcart has 343 career tackles with five interceptions, seven interceptions, eight forced fumbles and nine blocked punts.

"There is no question that I am comfortable with Kyle back there," Wiser said. "It is not just what he does on the field, but also the way he handles himself. His work ethic is incredible. He doesn’t know a second gear. His presence on the team is immeasurable."

Wiser said the Bobcats will get Cathcart the football in a variety of ways in 2001.

"We will probably move him around to some different places," Wiser said. "We would like to get him involved in the passing game by throwing to him, and we might do some other things as well."

One of the things Wiser hopes to work on is finding someone to back up Cathcart. Some of the candidates include Adam Divins, Cody Myers and Matt Watterson.

"One of the things we still have to work on is finding a back-up for Kyle," Wiser said. "If the season started today, I would have to say that Watterson is our No. 2 guy."

When Watterson isn’t replacing Cathcart, he will split time at full back with Ambrogio Giambanco. The two players bring different styles to the game. Watterson is 5’6", 155 pounds and fast and can go around, under and past people, while Giambanco is 5’9", 195 pounds and is more likely to run people over.

"I think those two make a great one-two punch," Wiser said. "One can run under you, while one can run over you."

Calling the signals in front of the backs will be senior Ben Bevevino, who back up last year’s starter Mario Bernardi and was 3 of 5 for 39 yards and one touchdown. Bevevino isn’t a stranger to the QB position as he started a handful of games for the Bobcats in 1999 after Clarion lost its top two quarterback Joel Roth and Bernardi to injury. In those games, Bevevino performed well going 16 of 30 for 340 yards and seven touchdowns while throwing just three interceptions giving him an NFL quarterback rating of 129.9, the best on the team that season.

Bevevino will be backed up by junior Andrew Craig whose only pass last season went for a touchdown.

"We feel real comfortable with both kids," Wiser said. "It is one position were we have some depth."

Bevevino’s targets will be young to say the least. At wide receiver will be two players who did not catch a varsity pass last season in senior Ryan Finotti, who is 5’10", 155, and junior Will Lewis, a speed burner who is 6’0", 150. At tight end will be a player who saw plenty of action a season ago, all on defense, in senior Greg Larson. Larson has the coaching staff excited because of his soft hands and his size. He is 6’7", 210 pounds. Larson will be joined by junior Joel McNeil at the tight end position.

"There is no question that tight end is one of the strength’s of our offense," Wiser said.

The offensive line, though, is where the success or failure of the Bobcat’s offense will lie. The line has the potential to be a very good one, but until it proves itself in game action it will still be a question mark.

"There is an opportunity for this to be a strong line," Wiser said. "I like the progress it has made so far. They work hard, and they move people off the line. We will get a better look in our scrimmages, but so far it is coming together as a good line."

The line will feature some big boys on it led by 6’4", 305 pound guard Josh Wolff, a senior.

"Josh had the ability to be a very good lineman," Wiser said. "He has shown us some things that are very promising. If he can gain some consistency, he will be very good."

Wolff will be joined at guard by another big lineman in 6’1", 250-pound senior Steve Balough. On the outside of Balough and Wolff at the tackles will be 6’0", 250-pound senior Chris Joy and 5’10", 185-pound junior Brian Luton. Joy is a power blocker, while Luton relies more on his quickness gained from three years of starting for the Bobcat wrestling team. The center position currently being competed for by 6’1", 170-pound junior Marty Fisher and 5’11", 205-pound junior Travis Smith. No matter who wins the job, it will definitely be a bigger line than last year’s for Clarion. With Fisher in the line-up it averages 6’1", 232 pounds. With Smith in the line-up, it averages 6’0", 239 pounds.

On defense Clarion has three starters back in Cathcart at middle linebacker, Greg Larson at defensive end and Watterson at nose guard. Watterson was a part-time starter at the position last year switching off with Joe Straw every four plays.

Joining Watterson and Larson on the defensive line will be Wolff, Balough and McNeil.

"The defensive line could be dominating," Wiser said. "All of the kids worked hard all summer and really for all of the off-season."

At linebacker the Bobcats will be led by Cathcart, whose spot in the middle of the defense helps him be involved in almost every play.

"Its tough to run a play away from Kyle," Wiser said. "Even when you try, he has the speed to catch you."

Joining Cathcart at linebacker will be sophomore Dave Larson and Giambanco with Myers and Fisher also looking for playing time.

The secondary is still a big question mark for Clarion with the only true spot settled being free safety with Bevevino, who was Clarion’s nickel back last season before starting the District 9 title game.

At the strong safety position there is a competition between Paul O’Neil and District Shaffer, while the two cornerback spots are wide open. Competing for playing time at cornerback are Jason Reed, Finotti, Zack McKissick, Matt Wiant and Cole Sessions, the brother of last year’s all-state defensive lineman Taylor.

"The one thing we are definitely going to miss on defense is the speed we had last season," Wiser said. "Its not like these guys don’t have any speed, but last season we had players who were part of two consecutive state champion track teams on defense the last two years."

On special teams, Cathcart returns as the punter. Last season Clarion only punted the ball 14 times, a trend Wiser would like to continue.

At kicker, the Bobcats have to replace Dan Kaufman who set the school record with 57 extra points. The front runner to place kick is junior Jon Byers, while Dave Larson should kick off.

In its return game, the Bobcats have to replace to burners in Mike Corbett and Taylor Sessions. Lewis should make up for some of that loss as should a second generation of Corbetts and Sessions in sophomores Corey Corbett and Cole Sessions.

NOTES: Clarion has won 18 consecutive regular season games … The last team to beat the Bobcats in the regular season was Clarion-Limestone 19-6 on Oct. 30, 1999 … Clarion has also won 20 of its past 22 games and 24 of their past 32 games … The Bobcats have also won 14 straight home games … The last team to beat the Bobcats in Clarion was Redbank Valley 20-7 on Sept. 4, 1998, the season-opener that year … Over the past two seasons Clarion has outscored its opponents 879-144 including 10 shutouts … Only six teams (Redbank Valley –1999 (13), Karns City – 1999 (14), Keystone – 1999 (18), Smethport – 1999 (21), Cameron County – 1999 (13) and Curwensville – 2000 (23) have scored more than one touchdown in a game against Clarion and only Keystone, Smethport and Curwensville have scored three touchdowns and no one has scored four or more touchdowns … Wiser’s career record at Clarion is 79-40-1 (.662) and includes eight winning seasons out of 12 and one .500 season … Clarion last won a District 9 title in 1997 when it went 9-3 beating Smethport 7-3 in the D9 Class A title game … This is Clarion’s 74^th season of football … The Bobcats are 380-234-18 (.616) … Clarion has 46 winning seasons since it started football in 1927 including 36 of the last 48 seasons dating back to 1953.