CLEARFIELD TO HAVE EXPERIENCED TEAM IN 2001

Information for this story was obtained from various sources including information found in the Aug. 26 edition of the Tri-County Sunday. For information on the paper, please visit its web site at www.thecourierexpress.com.

CLEARFIELD – An experienced team returns for Clearfield this season with 16 starters and 20 letterwinners back from last year’s squad which went 7-3 overall and won the tri-championship of the D9 League with a 4-1 league mark.

The Bison were eliminated from the playoffs in the District 9 Class AAA championship game 48-14 by Bradford, the first time the Owls had beaten Clearfield in the last 11 tries.

With a strong core of players returning, 17^th-year head coach Tim Janocko is cautiously optimistic about the 2001 season.

"We have a tough schedule ahead of us," Janocko told the Tri-County Sunday. "But we have a good nucleus of kids back from last year, so we look to get better as the year goes by.

On offense, Clearfield returns its entire backfield from last season including junior quarterback Michael Sayers, senior running back Matt Meckey and junior running back Dave Richards.

As a sophomore last year, Sayers connected on 46 of 103 passes during the regular season for 779 yards and eight touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions.

Meckey was the Bison leading rusher in 2000 gaining 767 yards during the regular season and scoring 10 touchdowns, while Richards added 625 yards and eight touchdowns during the regular season.

Both backs will run behind an offensive line that is anchored by first-team Tri-County Sunday tackle Kurt Hepfer.

The one area that is still a question on the Clearfield offense is wide receiver where the Bison lost Brian Kaspick to graduation. Kaspick caught 22 passes for 536 yards and eight scores during the regular season a year ago.

Looking to fill Kaspick’s shoes will be junior Todd Shaw who had 19 catches for 278 yards and one touchdown in 2000.

On defense, Clearfield should once again be strong, especially in the pass defense where they allowed only 44 yards per game a year ago, although some of that was attributed to playing Bradford, a team that doesn’t throw the football, twice.