CLARION FACES MONITEAU IN WHAT COULD BE IMPORTANT KSAC MATCH-UP

Clarion (5-2 overall, 4-2 KSAC) at Moniteau (5-2, 5-1)

Week Seven - 7 p.m. Friday Oct. 17

WEST SUNBURY – In a game that holds a lot of implications for both the KSAC title and the District 9 Class A and Class AA playoff races, Clarion (5-2 overall, 4-2 KSAC) goes on the road to Moniteau (5-2, 5-1).

The Bobcats are still alive, barely, for both a D9 Class A playoff spot and a shot at a KSAC Co-championship, while Moniteau can wrap up a D9 Class AA playoff spot with a win while giving itself a chance to play for at least a share of the KSAC crown next week.

Clarion’s playoff shot comes down to this. The Bobcats could be if they win their next two games, Ridgway loses this week to Cameron County and a couple of other more complicated things happen. Clarion could still possibly be the KSAC’s automatic representative if it wins its final two games, Redbank Valley wins its final two games and C-L loses its final two. That scenario would create a three-way tie among the top three Class A teams in the KSAC – C-L, Clarion and Redbank Valley – with no clear-cut tiebreaker in place.

Moniteau needs just one win in its final two games to clinch its second straight D9 Class AA playoff spot. Two wins to close out the season would also assure the Warriors at least a share of the KSAC title, which would be their first conference title of any kind. Moniteau could win the outright KSAC title with two wins and C-L loses to Redbank Valley this week and Moniteau next week.

The game features a couple of hard-nosed football teams who like to run the football.

Clarion is ranked sixth in District 9 in yards rushing per game averaging 209.9, while Moniteau is just ahead of the Bobcats in fifth place averaging 218.3.

The Bobcats running game relies on the three-some of Dave Larson, Chris McSwain and James Myers who have combined for 190 carries, 1,101 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Larson is the leader of the pack having rushed 93 times for 538 yards and eight touchdowns. He ranks 13^th in District 9 in yards rushed for.

McSwain, the fullback, has added 49 carries for 287 yards and a score, while Myers has rushed 48 times for 276 yards and two touchdowns.

Steve Saul has carried the bulk of the load for Moniteau having rushed 122 times for 858 yards and 12 touchdowns. He ranks third in District 9 in rushing yards and is tied for third in rushing touchdowns.

Mark Schandelmeier has added 55 carries for 280 yards and two touchdowns, while Ryan Rumbaugh has toted the ball 33 times for 254 yards and three touchdowns.

While the teams’ rushing attacks are virtually equal, Moniteau has a distinct advantage in pass offenses. The Warriors rank second in District 9 in passing yards per game averaging 147.9, while Clarion is ranked 26^th averaging 56.7 yards per game.

Senior quarterback Clay Kohlmeyer makes the Moniteau offense go having gone 58-for-107 for 996 yards and 10 touchdowns while throwing seven interceptions. He is ranked third in District 9 in yards passed for, and his quarterback rating of 150.15 is the second best among starters in the district.

Kohlmeyer’s favorite target is Eric Hilliard who ranks third in yards caught for in the district with 18 catches for 448 yards and eight touchdowns. Saul has added 19 catches for 313 yards and two touchdowns and ranks 15^th in the district in receiving yards.

Clarion’s passing game has become a two-pronged attack the last few weeks with senior Zac Toven getting the starts but sophomore Sean Wolf also seeing considerable playing time.

Toven is 17-for-37 passing for 278 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions, while Wolf is 5-for-17 for 119 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Toven has added four rushing touchdowns, while Wolf has one.

Cole Sessions in the leading receiver for Clarion with 10 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns, although five of those catches and 105 of those yards came in a win last week over West Shamokin.

The real interesting aspect to watch in the passing games might actually be Moniteau’s pass offense against Clarion’s pass defense. The Bobcats are allowing just 110.5 yards passing per game with opponents completing just 43.8 percent (62-for-141) of their passes against Clarion with six touchdowns and four interceptions. The Bobcats held the district’s top passing team West Shamokin (229.9 yards per game) to 156 yards last week. They also held the C-L, the district’s seventh best passing team (116.9 yards per game) to 77 yards in Week Six, although C-L did not try many passes in the second half. In Week One, Clarion held Keystone to 83 yards passing, while the Panthers are averaging 128.2 yards per game this season good for sixth in the district. In fact the only team to pass for more yards than its average on Clarion has been Redbank Valley, who is averaging 143 yards per game but threw for 189 against the Bobcats. But the Bulldogs also needed 15 more pass attempts (37) than their average (22) and five more completions (16) than their average (11) to gain the yardage.

NOTES – Clarion last went to the District 9 Class A playoffs in 2000 beating Kane in the semifinals before losing to Curwensville in the title game … Moniteau lost 69-23 to Karns City in the Class AA semifinals last season. It was the Warriors first-ever trip to the postseason … Clarion has won two KSAC titles (1999, 2000) since the conference changed from the Little 12 in 1993. The Bobcats have won nine conference titles since 1951.