ALTOONA – Kevin Westrick scored on a 10-yard run off an option pitch from Nate Crookshank with 1:10 left in the game to lead Bishop Carroll to a 19-14 win over Clarion-Limestone in the second round of the PIAA Class A playoffs Friday night at Altoona’s Mansion Park.

C-L (12-1) led 14-13 and had the Huskies (12-1) pinned at the Bishop Carroll 5-yard line. But Crookshank led the Huskies on the 95-yard winning touchdown run. Bishop Carroll now plays WPIAL champion Rochester in the Western Finals and PIAA semifinals. Rochester defeated Bishop Carroll in the Western Finals last season.

For the game, Bishop Carroll racked up 389 yards of total offense with Crookshank, the quarterback, running for 196 of those yards.

Hayden Johnston paced the Lions by going 10-for-19 passing for 165 yards and two touchdowns while adding 17 yards on the ground.

A 15-yard run by Crookshank with 10:10 left in the game broke a 7-7 tie that had stood since halftime and gave Bishop Carroll a 13-7 lead.

But C-L answered right back when Johnston hit Brad Beggs with a 5-yard scoring pass with 9:30 left in the game, and Rocky Davis hit the extra point to give the Lions a 14-13 lead. The big play of the drive was a 54-yard pass from Johnston to Ben Brooks that put the ball on the Bishop Carroll 5-yard line.

Bishop Carroll began the scoring in the first quarter at the 3:25 mark when Paul Forcellini took the ball from Crookshank and ran it five yards for the score. The scoring drive was set up by a 34-yard fumble recovery return to the C-L 16 by Crookshank.

But like C-L had done so many times this year, it didn’t take the Lions long to answer right back.

The Lions marched 65 yards on eight plays and capped the drive off when Johnston found Beggs down the sideline for a 32-yard touchdown pass with 11:52 left in the first half.

NOTE: C-L’s Brendan Huwar and Brad Beggs were both taken to the local hospital with injuries during the game, but both players were on their way home from the hospital by the time the Lions bus arrived back at C-L high school around 2 a.m. … The second round of the PIAA playoffs was the farthest C-L had ever advanced in interdistrict playoff competition. With 43 yard rushing, Huwar went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. He finished the year with 1,039 yards. Bishop Carroll held C-L to 68 yard rushing on the night, 200 yards below the Lions season average.

BISHOP CARROLL 19, CLARION-LIMESTONE 14

C-L 0 7 0 7 – 14

BC 7 0 0 12 – 19

C B

Rushes-Yards 32-68 48-327

Passing Yards 163 62

Passes: Comp-Att-Int 11-20-0 4-14-1

Total Yardage 231 389

Punting: 5-34.0 N/A

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing – Clarion-Limestone: Hayden Johnston 14-17, Ben Brooks 4-9, Brendan Huwar 12-43, David Brooks 2-(-1). Bishop Carroll: Nate Crookshank 22-196, 1 TD, Kevin Westrick 13-85, 1 TD, Paul Forcellini 10-35, 1 TD, Dan Strong 3-11.

Passing – Clarion-Limestone: Hayden Johnston, 10-for-19, 165 yards, 2 touchdowns, David Brooks, 1-for-1, -2 yards. Bishop Carroll: Nate Crookshank 4-for-14, 62 yards, 1 INT.

Receiving – Clarion-Limestone: Brad Beggs 5-66, 2 TDs, Harley Doane 1-24, Ben Brooks 2-64, Brendan Huwar 2-6, Eric White 1-3. Bishop Carroll: Paul Forcellini 1-21, Landon Day 2-37, Kevin Westrick 1-4.

Punting – Clarion-Limestone: Hayden Johnston 5-170, 34.0. Bishop Carroll: N/A

Fumble Recoveries – Clarion-Limestone: Ron Frances. Bishop Carroll: Nate Crookshank

Interceptions – Clarion-Limestone: Brad Beggs