CLARION-LIMESTONE USES BIG PLAYS TO TOPPLE CLARION IN BATTLE OF UNBEATENS

Oct. 8, 2004

C-L-Clarion Series History

STRATTANVILLE – Clarion-Limestone won its 32^nd straight regular-season game by wining a battle of unbeaten rivals Friday night knocking off Clarion 28-12 at C-L.

The Lions (6-0 overall, 4-0 KSAC) take their first-ever series lead against Clarion (5-1, 4-1) 17-16 and have won four in a row, five of seven and 14 of 18 from their Route 322 rivals. 

With the win C-L clinches its fifth straight District 9 Class A playoff berth. Clarion also wrapped up a playoff berth thanks to Johnsonburg 16-13 loss to Elk County Catholic. It is the Bobcats first playoff berth since they lost the 2000 District 9 Class A title game to Curwensville. The District 9 playoff berth is the 12th all-time for the Lions in the 18 years (1987-2004) District 9 has been sponsoring a post-season competition. That ties C-L with Brookville for the most-ever appearances in the postseason, and the Lions are the only Class A team to qualify that many times. It is Clarion's eighth playoff berth.

"I don’t think we played our best game tonight at all," C-L head coach Todd Smith said. "But we definitely played hard and played good enough to win tonight."

C-L was able to get the win despite being outgained by Clarion 262 yards to 238 and the Bobcats gaining 16 first downs to 13 by the Lions. But C-L came up with the big plays when it needed to and Clarion didn’t.

"That is how we win, we make big plays," Smith said. "There are certain guys we are counting on to do that. Erik White did that tonight, and obviously Hayden did. I thought we did some good things."

The Lions wasted little time in getting a big play when Erik White returned the opening kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown that coupled with Neil Reynolds’ two-point conversion run gave C-L an 8-0 lead before the fans even settled into their seats, that is the fans that could fine seats at the overcrowded C-L High School Field.

"I thought it (the opening kickoff) was a big part of the game," Smith said. "They were in the hole right away, and they want to run the ball and slow the game down. That really helped us out."

C-L’s second biggest play of the game didn’t happen until the third quarter with Clarion having already cut the Lions 22-0 halftime lead to 22-6 and the Bobcats marching toward another potential score at the C-L 37-yard line.

That is when Hayden Johnston stripped the ball from Clarion running back Chris McSwain, and Jesse Zahoran recovered the loose ball for the Lions to thwart the Bobcat drive.

"We have done that (come up with a big turnover) all year," Smith said. "We are opportunistic. The guys are able to make plays when we have to."

C-L then drove 63 yards in nine plays scoring on a 3-yard run by Johnston to basically put the game out of reach at 28-6. So instead of Clarion being possible within eight points, the Bobcats found themselves down 22 with 12:34 left in the game.

"Any time you turn the ball over, especially against a team like C-L, it is going to cost you," Clarion assistant coach/offensive coordinator Judd Allan said. "Obviously it was big."

Clarion’s special teams hurt them, especially in the first quarter. Not only did the Bobcats allow White to return the opening kickoff for a touchdown but four poor punts from the usually reliable Chris McSwain set C-L up in good field position and allowed the Lions to have two touchdown drives of less than 25 yards.

"I think the special teams beat us in the first half," Allan said. "The kick return, the bad punts, we had no field position. Any mistake, C-L is going to make you pay, and they did."

C-L was twice able to use 10-yard punts by McSwain to drive short fields for first-half touchdowns.

The first 10-yard kick came with 9:06 left in the first half from the Bobcat 14-yard line setting the Lions up at the Clarion 24.

After White lost 10 yards on a first-down carry, Johnston hit Tuffy Brooks with a 28-yard controversial pass to the Clarion 6-yard line. Brooks made a diving catch on the ball, and the football appeared to have hit the ground. The sideline official with the best view ran down the field signaling incomplete, but the back judge ruled a catch that the sideline official then went with. Clarion protested vehemently and even called time-out to plead its case, but the decision stood giving C-L a first-and-goal at the 6-yard line.

"You can make excuses about the officiating," Allan said. "But I would rather say hey let’s cover that guy a little better. I am going to point the finger at myself as a coach and say we have to get our guys more ready to play. In the heat of the battle it may look like a bad call, but you can’t blame that. I’ll take the blame for that."

On the first play after the catch, Johnston kept the ball himself and scored his first of three rushing touchdowns on the day. After a false start penalty on C-L, Scott Davis ran the two-point conversion in from eight yards out making it 16-0 Lions with 8:20 left in the half.

With 1:18 left in the half, McSwain shanked another 10-yard punt from deep in his own territory with this one setting the Lions up at the Bobcat 23-yard line.

Three complete passes and a holding call on Clarion set the ball at the Bobcat 5-yard line, and then Clarion head coach Larry Wiser was assessed a 2-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for arguing that the clock didn’t run on the Lions last pass.

With the ball at the 3-yard line, C-L used a run by Davis to the one, and then Johnston was stopped on a quarterback sneak with about 20 seconds left setting up a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. The Lions went for it, and this time Johnston scored from the one giving C-L a 22-0 lead with 10 seconds left in the half.

Clarion came out rejuvenated in the second half and marched 68 yards in 10 plays scoring on a McSwain 2-yard run with 8:33 left in the third quarter to cut C-L’s lead to 22-6.

"They were taking away our up-the-middle stuff in the first half," Allan said. "At halftime, (tight end) Justin Arner came up to us and said the way they were playing up front there defensive end was jumping outside and we could run our off-tackle play. Chris had some nice carries on that drive. We also tried to mix it up in the second half throwing the football. I think we did a better job offensively in the second half mixing it up a little. I think it showed, we drove right down the field and scored."

After forcing a punt, Clarion got the ball back at its own 46-yard line, and a 13-yard run by Manny Carpin moved it to the 41. But two plays later, McSwain put the ball on the ground halting the drive.

Following Johnston’s third touchdown run on a play in which he actually fumbled the snap, Clarion wasn’t quite through.

The Bobcats were able to score on a 20-yard pass from Wolf to Carpin with 5:13 left cutting C-L’s lead to 28-12.

Johnston, though, recovered the on-side kick, and C-L was able to run off 1:30 before punting the ball away.

Clarion had one final chance put Wolf threw incomplete deep on fourth-and-an-inch from the Lions 36-yard line.

"That’s my fault (the pass play)," Allan said. "I looked where the spot was, and I thought we had the first down. I didn’t realize it was fourth down."

NOTES –C-L’s 32 straight regular-season win streak is believed to be the fifth longest regular-season streak in District 9 history. The Lions are just one win shy of tying St. Marys (1955-59) for the fourth longest and only three wins shy of tying Ridgway (1973-77) for the third longest. C-L already holds the conference record for longest win streak.

CLARION-LIMESTONE 28, CLARION 12

Score by Quarter

Clarion 0 0 6 6 – 12

C-L 8 14 6 0 – 28

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

C-L – Erik White 82 kickoff return (Neil Reynolds run), 11:47

Second Quarter

C-L –Hayden Johnston 6 run (Scott Davis run), 8:20

C-L – Johnston 1 run (Run failed), :10

Third Quarter

Clarion – Chris McSwain 2 run (Pass failed), 8:33

C-L – Johnston 3 run (Pass failed), :34

Fourth Quarter

Clarion – Manny Carpin 20 pass from Sean Wolf (Run failed), 5:13

Team Statistics

C CL

First Downs 16 13

Rushes-Yards 46-166 35-121

Passing Yards 96 117

Passing: Comp-Att-Int 7-12-1 10-19-1

Total Yards 262 238

Penalties-Yards 6-40 8-51

Fumbles-Lost 4-1 2-0

Punts-Avg. 4-15.3 3-35.0

Individual Statistics

Rushing – Clarion: Manny Carping 10-23, Cody Dolby 7-28, Chris McSwain 21-96, Jason Best 0-7, Brad Rapp 1-1, Kody Wolff 1-2, Sean Wolf 5-23, Team 1-(-14). Clarion-Limestone: Erik White 8-13, Hayden Johnston 15-66, Scott Davis 9-4, Neil Reynolds 3-38.

Passing – Clarion: Sean Wolf 7-for-12, 96 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception. Clarion-Limestone: Hayden Johnston 10-for-18, 117 yards, Scott Davis 0-for-1, 0 yards, 1 interception.

Receiving – Clarion: Cody Dolby 1-4, Manny Carpin 4-47, Nick Hager 1-19, Justin Arner 1-16. Clarion-Limestone: Erik White 2-33, Scott Davis 4-40, Tuffy Brooks 4-44.

Punting – Clarion: Chris McSwain 4-61. Clarion-Limestone: Hayden Johnston 3-105.

Fumble Recoveries – Clarion-Limestone: Jesse Zahoran.

Interceptions – Clarion: Sean Wolf. Clarion-Limestone: Neil Reynolds